Shemini - 5th Portion

Join me as we learn Chumash for Thursday Parshas Shmini, the fifth Torah reading, chapter 10, verse 16. Yesterday we continued with the laws pertaining to the Aaron and his sons after the passing of the two older sons that now they were supposed to continue eating and not mourn their brothers and or sons and uh celebrate with the Jewish people. Over here the Torah continues to tell us the laws that Moshe tells them and how they should observe and what they should eat from the animals. Based on Moshe's instructions, Aaron and his sons ate their portions from the sacrifices as we mentioned. So Moshe inquired about what happened now with the sin offering as well, the goat of the sin offering. And he noticed that Aaron and his sons were not eating it. And he saw that it was burnt and he discovered it was burnt. And he got upset at Mo- at Eleazar and his summer, the surviving two children of Aaron, lemur saying. And he became angry at them. Rashi What is this goat of the sin offering that we're referring to? This is the goat that was brought for the Rosh Chodesh because it was Rosh Chodesh Nisan at the time. It was the first of Nisan and they were bringing there was a special Musaf offering, an extra offering of Rosh Chodesh that was brought. That day they brought three different goats for a sin offering. Number one, a goat for the communal sin offering. The goat that Nachshon brought because he was the first of the ones to bring for the dedication of the of the Tabernacle. And the goat for the offering of Rosh Chodesh for the Musaf of Rosh Chodesh. Out of all of them, out of all three, only one of them was burnt, was the one of Rosh Chodesh. And there's a debate amongst the scholars of why. Some say why was this burnt? Because it touched the impurity and therefore they had to burn it. Like we know any type of time that flesh may become impure after it was already brought as a sacrifice, it has to be burnt. Some say they burnt it because they were mourning and therefore they were not allowed to eat it. The that it should that while they're mourning and therefore they can't eat from it because this was a sacrifice that would be brought in the future generations as well, every single Rosh Chodesh we have an obligation to bring this goat offering. But when it came to sacrifices which were temporary, for example, the sin offering for the people, the sin offering that Nachshon brought, which those were only for that time, for that day, that they relied on Moshe that he told them by the by the meal offering that they should eat matzah. So therefore they ate that as well. However, when it came to the sin offering of the Musaf, which that was not a unique sacrifice, it would be something that would be brought all times, they said that we can't eat and therefore they burnt it. Why does it say twice and Moshe inquired? There were two inquiries. Number one, why was this one burnt, which is the goat of the Rosh Chodesh? And why is this any different and why did you eat the others? That means if you're burning, burn all of them. If eating, eat all of them. This is the way it's explained in Torah Coin. Eleazar and his summer Why does it say that he got angry at Eleazar and his summer? Because of the respect to Aaron, he turned away from Aaron and got angry at his children instead. Lemur saying, Eleazar and his summer said, "Answer me." Don't be upset, answer me. Why did you do this? Verse 17 Why didn't you eat this Why did you not eat the sin offering for the first of the month in the place of holiness? This is of absolute superiority of holiness. And it was given to you that in order to gain forgiveness for the sin of the community to atone for them before God. Rashi What does this mean? You think they ate it in the place where it wasn't holy? They burnt it, so what are you saying? Why didn't you eat in the holy place? He told them maybe maybe you went outside the courtyard to eat it and therefore it went out and now became invalid. Because this is of absolute holiness and therefore they can become invalid just by taking it outside the boundary. But they responded to him, "No, that's not what we did. We actually burnt it in the laws like a holy item." He said, "If so, if it never left the place of holiness, If the reason is if the reason why you burnt it is because you took it outside the boundary and outside the boundary it would make it invalid and that's why you burnt it, okay. But you're telling me that you didn't take it outside the boundary. So if so, why didn't you eat it? He tells them because when the Kohanim eat from the sacrifice, that is the way the owners become atoned. And the very fact you didn't eat from it, now the Jewish people won't be atoned. From here we learn that it was How do we know that it was a communal sacrifice? The very fact that he says that this is going to atone for the community teaches us that this was the Rosh Chodesh sacrifice. That the Rosh Chodesh sin offering is to atone for the sins of the impurification of the holy temple and the things that become unholy. We know the sin offering of Nachshon and the sin offering of the community which was brought specifically for the eighth day was not there to atone for any specific sin. Verse 18 Behold its blood was not brought into the sanctuary, which would have also necessitated for it to be burnt. So then you should have been eating it in a holy place like I commanded you. with the grain offerings. Rashi, if the problem was because it was taken into the sanctuary, they had the right to burn it. Then anytime a sin offering, its blood is brought inside the sanctuary, it should be burnt. But being that you're saying that it wasn't brought inside the sanctuary, then you should have eaten it even though that you're mourning because I told you that by the meal offering you should eat it. Like I commanded you. Where did I command you? Rashi says, like I told you by the like I told you by the meal offering that even though you're mourning, you should be eating from the sacrifices. Verse 19, so Aaron responds. So Aaron spoke to Moshe. Did they offer up today their sin offering and their sin offering today before God? Before God. Like these befell before me. While I'm mourning and I would have eaten and if I had eaten the regular sin offering today, today, would this have pleased God? When God says that mourners shouldn't be eating from a sacrificial offering. Let's see what Rashi was answering. What Aaron was answering the way Rashi explains it. And Aaron spoke. When it uses the terminology means that he spoke with strength, with confidence. As it says, he spoke to the nation. After How is it that Moshe was the one that got angry at the children, Eleazar and his summer. And who's the one that's answering? The Aaron Muhammad Daber. And Aaron was the one that's answering and responding for them. Here you know, the only reason why they were quiet was out of respect to their father and for Moshe. They said, "It is disrespectful that our father would be sitting and we will respond for him." It is disrespectful that a student should answer for his teacher. Therefore they were quiet and they waited for Aaron to answer. You would think it was because Eleazar and his summer didn't have the strength and courage and the confidence to answer and to answer Moshe. Therefore we know it says later on in the verse in the chapter 31 in the book of Numbers. Later on when they came back from the war and Moshe forgot what the law was pertaining the purification of the vessels, Eleazar had no problem getting up and saying what the law was. That means when he wanted to say something, he was able to say it. I found this in a book called Sifrei Zuta Panei Shnei. What does Aaron respond? What was Aaron coming to explain to Moshe? Hello, from Aaron's answer, from his answer we can understand the following. Eleazar and his summer Moshe was gave a long and gave first circumstances of what would be a case that would validate burning it. Moshe said, "Maybe Shem is an acting dummy. Maybe you sprinkle the blood and therefore of the sin offering while you were owning and while you were already mourning. Because a mourner who works in the holy temple desecrated that sacrifice. So therefore you burnt it. Do you think Elazar and the summer brought those sacrifices when they were uh mourning and they were not allowed to bring it as a as a as a mourner? I need crafty. I brought it. Who's not allowed to bring a sacrifice is only a regular coin who's not allowed to bring a sacrifice as a mourner. But today I brought the sacrifices and a coin got the loser morning is allowed to bring the sacrifices. And therefore if so, that's not the reason why we burnt it. Because they were allowed to bring it as a sacrifice that day. And this was only because this was something which uh and this and this was permitted to them. Meaning if this event would have happened because he says coil a feeling a missing bunny. Even if the more even if the people who died were not my children. Or there another relative on. Like these could go in column would be part of the column all of those that are mentioned in the in the tower reading of amor Shakur in the town of them that a coin is allowed to become pure and because he's allowed to become pure that means that on their date of passing he is not allowed to eat from the holy things. The healthy hottest if my healthy and if I would have ate from it. From the sin offering while I was mourning I eat tough. Would that be good? Would that be a good thing? If I'm mourning then I'm not allowed to eat from it. I am What do the rabbis explain as follows? I have learning in this life. When is he not allowed to eat during the day? But a mourner at night is allowed to. She ain't earning a living because the day of mourning a person who's a earning means the date of passing is only on the day of the burial. But the night afterwards already is not part of that day and therefore he would be allowed to wait to eat it by night. Now this is the answer. The end of the answer of Aaron to this asking what to this that Moshe asked why didn't you eat it? If you heard from God because they shot that this is only by temporary things. You don't have the opportunity and you don't have the right to be lenient and say that this applies also by our sacrifices of future generations. Meaning what he was telling him was follows is when it comes to a regular case of a sin offering an owning is not allowed to eat. A person who's mourning is not allowed to eat from the sacrifices. When did God say that this leniency applies only concerning the sacrifices which are temporary which are for today. The one of national and the one for the eighth day. But where do you know that that applies to the sin offerings that are going for future generations? That's not part of the special sacrifices and because of that it was burnt and not eaten. Verse 20. I used my wish out. Moshe heard it. And Moshe was pleased with what he heard. Verse 20. He was pleased. He acknowledged. He was happy. He was not He was not embarrassed to say He was not You're right. I only heard from God when it came to temporary sacrifices. I did not hear about regular sacrifices. Moshe acknowledged and said, "Aaron, you're right." And he was not embarrassed to say that he may have made a mistake. This concludes the tower reading for Thursday purchases Shemini.