Parshas Shmini
Rabbi Jablinowitz
The latter half of this week’s parsha deals with the laws of pure and impure animals, those which we may eat and those which we may not. The pasuk introduces the matter (Chapter 11 Pasuk 2) with the words, Zos HaChayah Asher Tochlu, These are the animals which you may eat. Rashi comments on the word “Zos” that Moshe Rabbeinu actually held each animal and showed it to Bnei Yisrael and said this you may eat and this you may not eat. This is consistent with other places in Chumash where the word “Zos” is understood by Chazal to mean that a difficult image needed clarification so it was specifically pointed to showing exactly what it was meant to look like. Examples of this are the Menorah in the Mishkan and the sanctification of the new moon. Usually, Moshe Rabbeinu had difficulty understanding and Hashem needed to point it out to him. Here, however, it is Moshe pointing out to Bnei Yisrael exactly what each animal looked like, but not that Moshe himself had difficulty in understanding what the animals looked like. (See Tosfos on the Gemara in Chulin 42A).
This Rashi is based on the Medrash in Toras Kohanim. However, the Medrash Tanchuma and the Gemara in Chulin 42A bring this Medrash as Hashem picking up each animal and showing it clearly to Moshe Rabbeinu. And the Medrash continues, don’t be surprised by this, for just as Gd showed Moshe all the animals, He also showed Adam HaRishon all the animals. Hashem brought each animal before Adam and he gave a name to each animal.
What does Adam’s naming the animals have to do with Moshe understanding which animals were kosher and which were not?
The Sfas Emes explains that just as Adam HaRishon gave them names which reflected the essence of each animal, so too Hashem didn’t just show Moshe what each animal looked like. He was explaining the essence of each animal. And only those animals whose fundamental nature was pure could be eaten by Bnei Yisrael. As the Ramchal explains in the Mesillas Yesharim, eating impure animals means adding impurities to one’s body and is “Metamtem es Halev”, it closes up a person’s heart. Therefore, it was critical that Moshe understood the idea behind each pure animal and how it differed from the impure ones. This is the same idea of Adam giving names based on his understanding of each one.
We learn from here that the word Zos comes to indicate the essence of something, as if to say this is what it is. And whether it was Hashem showing Moshe or Moshe showing Bnei Yisrael the point is the same. It is necessary to understand the essence of each animal, whether it is pure or impure, and this is why some may be eaten and some may not.
We can learn a similar idea from the beginning of the parsha. The pasuk says (Chapter 9, Pasuk 6), Vayomer Moshe Zeh Hadavar Asher Tzivah Hashem Ta'asu V'Yeirah Aleichem Kavod Hashem. This is the matter which Gd commanded and you shall fulfill it in order for the glory of Hashem to rest on you. The Medrash in the Toras Kohanim says that this pasuk means you should remove the yetzer hara from your heart and your motivation for serving Him should be as one with His will in commanding the mitzvah. Then the glory of Hashem will rest on you.
The Chidushei HaRim understands this Medrash to derive this idea from the words Zeh Hadavar, this is the matter. This represents the essence of the command, just as the words Zos Hachayah represent the essence of what each animal is about. When one gets to the essence of what the commands are about and performs them in such a manner, then the glory of Hashem will rest upon him. We must get to the source of what Hashem wants from us, as the pasuk says Asher Tzivah Hashem, and when we fulfill it then we will be surrounded by the glory of Hashem. We need to remove other considerations and ulterior motives when performing mitzvos. Both the words Zeh and the words Zos represent the essence of the matter; Hashem needed to show Moshe Rabbeinu what the mitzvos were precisely about in order for Bnei Yisrael to perform them properly. And then the Kavod Hashem rests among the people of Israel.
Good Shabbos
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