One of the Torah scrolls in the aron kodesh of any shul is always rolled to Parashat Pinchas. That is because this week’s parashah is the unlikely locus of the passages detailing the holiday sacrificial offerings which we read for Rosh Chodesh and for maftir on the various chaggim. As such, it is convenient, when there is more than one Sefer Torah in a shul, to leave one rolled and ready to go.
But why are these sacrificial offerings brought just now? This is a question we can and have been asking all throughout Chumash B’midbar, as time and again a halachic passage intrudes into the narrative. Here, as we come toward the end of B’midbar, it is a particular curiousity. In Parashat Emor, in the midst of Vayikra, the offerings are detailed for the various holidays – why shouldn’t this passage be either redundant or mentioned there? What do these offerings have to do with the protective covenant which Hashem extends to Pinchas in exchange for his holy zealotry at Shittim?
Naturally, the Midrash and the commentators ask a similar question. The question as phrased in the Midrash stems from the fact that in the preceding passage, Moshe, realizing his death is impending, asks Hashem to appoint an appropriate leader in his stead so that the people will not stray like a leaderless flock, and Hashem assents, instructing Moshe to publicly appoint Yehoshua and transfer (some of) his authority to Yehoshua. The Midrash, as quoted by Rashi picks it up from there:
This can be compared to a princess on her deathbed, commanding her husband regarding the care of the children. He says to her, “Before you command me regarding the care of the children, command the children regarding me, that they shouldn’t rebel against me or treat me with contempt”! Similarly, Hashem said to Moshe, before you command Me regarding My children, command My children regarding Me that they not rebel against me, exchanging My honor for that of some foreign deity” (Sifrei).
The surprising metaphoric associations and expression of the Midrash are a worthy subject of exploration, but for now, we’ll note that the sacrificial passage is seen in the context of Moshe’s departure. It is as though he is saying to the people, “offer these sacrifices to insure that your relationship with Hashem remains loving, respectful, and aware of your mutual past”.
What still remains unanswered is why this particular set of mitzvot has such an affect. Why not save out some other mitzvah, and allow these sacrifices to be mentioned in their place, in Vayikra?
The key, it would seem, lies in the recognition that the sacrifices detailed here are the musaf, or additional sacrifices, for the various holidays. The sacrifices mentioned back in Emor were the standard, “regulation” holiday offerings. These are above and beyond those. Ramban finds in this the reason for the delay of mention: Musaf offerings were not offering in the desert; only upon coming into the Land of Israel was the offering of these additional offerings incumbent upon the people. Now, in Parashat Pinchas, on the border of Eretz Yisrael, with the “hand-off” from Moshe to Yehoshua outlined, it is appropriate to instruct the people about the musaf offerings.
But we’re not home yet. It is true that almost all the sacrifices listed here are musaf offerings, but the very first item on our list is the daily burnt offering, the korban tamid, that never varying offering of two lambs, one at dawn, one at dusk. The korban tamid has already been commanded way back in Shemot in Parashat Tzav; why is it repeated here?
R. Yosef Bechor Shor explains that the tamid is called lechem because just as lechem is the invariable fundamental of all foods, so the tamid is amongst sacrifices. The sun rises and sets daily, and renewed once again is our need to do battle with the pull of an inner “sun-worship” in which we turn away from the intangibly infinitude of Hashem, bedazzled by a shining world that warms, caresses, calls us to its blinding gaze. The constancy of halachic recommitment is a remedy for that bewitching, so that we don’t dash ourselves upon the sharp rocks of an imagined “firmament” in our rush for the redemption of newness. No: one foot in front of the next – upon that basis can we – must we – found our extra, efforts, doing more, offering more, but always – in addition to, not in place of.
If Eretz Yisrael is to be/become a place in which we serve Hashem in ALL our ways, we need to come to terms with the way in which life in it is routine – “just another land”, G-d forbid – and find precisely within the u the platform upon which to launch our added fervor, renewed and deepened each day.
Yehoshua and Pinchas succeed Moshe and Aharon in this week’s parashah, taking upon them new leadership roles in the political and spiritual spheres. Each is invested with a powerful zealous energy; neither will be content with mere acquiescence to a status quo. But we – and they – need to understand that musaf is only truly musaf when it leaps beyond from the platform of tamid.
But why are these sacrificial offerings brought just now? This is a question we can and have been asking all throughout Chumash B’midbar, as time and again a halachic passage intrudes into the narrative. Here, as we come toward the end of B’midbar, it is a particular curiousity. In Parashat Emor, in the midst of Vayikra, the offerings are detailed for the various holidays – why shouldn’t this passage be either redundant or mentioned there? What do these offerings have to do with the protective covenant which Hashem extends to Pinchas in exchange for his holy zealotry at Shittim?
Naturally, the Midrash and the commentators ask a similar question. The question as phrased in the Midrash stems from the fact that in the preceding passage, Moshe, realizing his death is impending, asks Hashem to appoint an appropriate leader in his stead so that the people will not stray like a leaderless flock, and Hashem assents, instructing Moshe to publicly appoint Yehoshua and transfer (some of) his authority to Yehoshua. The Midrash, as quoted by Rashi picks it up from there:
This can be compared to a princess on her deathbed, commanding her husband regarding the care of the children. He says to her, “Before you command me regarding the care of the children, command the children regarding me, that they shouldn’t rebel against me or treat me with contempt”! Similarly, Hashem said to Moshe, before you command Me regarding My children, command My children regarding Me that they not rebel against me, exchanging My honor for that of some foreign deity” (Sifrei).
The surprising metaphoric associations and expression of the Midrash are a worthy subject of exploration, but for now, we’ll note that the sacrificial passage is seen in the context of Moshe’s departure. It is as though he is saying to the people, “offer these sacrifices to insure that your relationship with Hashem remains loving, respectful, and aware of your mutual past”.
What still remains unanswered is why this particular set of mitzvot has such an affect. Why not save out some other mitzvah, and allow these sacrifices to be mentioned in their place, in Vayikra?
The key, it would seem, lies in the recognition that the sacrifices detailed here are the musaf, or additional sacrifices, for the various holidays. The sacrifices mentioned back in Emor were the standard, “regulation” holiday offerings. These are above and beyond those. Ramban finds in this the reason for the delay of mention: Musaf offerings were not offering in the desert; only upon coming into the Land of Israel was the offering of these additional offerings incumbent upon the people. Now, in Parashat Pinchas, on the border of Eretz Yisrael, with the “hand-off” from Moshe to Yehoshua outlined, it is appropriate to instruct the people about the musaf offerings.
But we’re not home yet. It is true that almost all the sacrifices listed here are musaf offerings, but the very first item on our list is the daily burnt offering, the korban tamid, that never varying offering of two lambs, one at dawn, one at dusk. The korban tamid has already been commanded way back in Shemot in Parashat Tzav; why is it repeated here?
R. Yosef Bechor Shor explains that the tamid is called lechem because just as lechem is the invariable fundamental of all foods, so the tamid is amongst sacrifices. The sun rises and sets daily, and renewed once again is our need to do battle with the pull of an inner “sun-worship” in which we turn away from the intangibly infinitude of Hashem, bedazzled by a shining world that warms, caresses, calls us to its blinding gaze. The constancy of halachic recommitment is a remedy for that bewitching, so that we don’t dash ourselves upon the sharp rocks of an imagined “firmament” in our rush for the redemption of newness. No: one foot in front of the next – upon that basis can we – must we – found our extra, efforts, doing more, offering more, but always – in addition to, not in place of.
If Eretz Yisrael is to be/become a place in which we serve Hashem in ALL our ways, we need to come to terms with the way in which life in it is routine – “just another land”, G-d forbid – and find precisely within the u the platform upon which to launch our added fervor, renewed and deepened each day.
Yehoshua and Pinchas succeed Moshe and Aharon in this week’s parashah, taking upon them new leadership roles in the political and spiritual spheres. Each is invested with a powerful zealous energy; neither will be content with mere acquiescence to a status quo. But we – and they – need to understand that musaf is only truly musaf when it leaps beyond from the platform of tamid.
Comments