Tzav - 1st Portion

Join me as we learn Kish for Sunday paras chapter 6 verse one in the book of Leviticus. In the last week's Torah reading we started about the different sacrifices. The ascent offering the peace offering the sin offering for the communal the sin offering for the personal. Today we continue into the laws pertaining to the ascent offering. And God spoke to Moses saying verse twob command Aaron and his sons saying these are the regulations pertaining the ascent offering. This is the it remains valid for the same ascent offering as long as it is on the pile of of the fire on top of the altar. It should be burning all night until the morning and the fire of their altar will be burn will be burning all on it throughout the night. What's it referring to? what kind of a scent offering and why the word command as we'll see in Rashi verse two rashi when he uses the terminology command when we use the terminology command this means that he's telling him a particular emphasis that he has to be something more conscious about not only this but he's telling it and it's not only for the present moment but it's also for future generations ations said, "Why over here does God have to use the word command more than all the other mitzvah that we may think that they need to be more impressed upon that they have to be more conscious of what they're doing and with greater emphasis the Torah has to tell us something more or there's a case of a loss of money and in this case for example which these are usual donations where people gave to lighting the minor as well. We find a terminology tav and in this case where he tells them about bringing the sacrifices where this was a situation where they had to make sure that they put emphasis that they should not become lazy about it and be concerned to make sure that it completely gets burned on the altar. These are the laws of the ascent offering besides for the fact that it's telling us later that the fire is to keep on burning on the altar. But this is coming to tell us about The very fact that technically the ascent offering had to be burnt during the day. But when it comes to the fats and the limbs, they can be it's kosher if it's burnt during the night. It also comes to tell us about those that are unfit of the sacrifices. It also tells us about unfit sacrifices. There were certain ones that if it already went on the altar, if the blemish or the problem with the sacrifice was even before it entered the courtyard of the holy temple, for example, if it was used for beastiality, even if it went up onto the altar, it was taken down. However, others if the blemish came only later on, then it won't come down. I'm sorry. And therefore it continues to say anytime the Torah uses a terminology, this is the Torah. This is the law pertaining to a certain thing, it's coming to include a law which is not previously mentioned. And in this case, this is the same law that applies to all the things that go onto the altar, even in those even those that are unfit that if they went up already, they did not come down and they burned throughout the night on the fire. What does it mean? This is the ascent offering. When I'm saying this, this comes to exclude to uh exclude an animal that was used for beastiality which then that if they went up onto the altar and they started burning, one would take it off the altar because they did not become unfit while they were already holy. They became unfit even before entering into the holy temple. And because it was unfit even before entering the holy temple, once it's put on the altar, you would still take it off. However, the others that may have become in fit while they were in the holy temple, if they're already on the altar, we wouldn't take it down. Verse three, every morning the cohen would then put on uh the linen tunic and the linen pants, trousers. He must make sure that it's directly on his flesh. And then you lift out the ashes that were consumed that the fire consumed the ascent offering that's on the altar. That means the inner pile of ashes the he would clean it off and put it on the side of the altar. Rashi, what does it mean? The linen clothing, the linen tunic. Heatenus. This is the the shirt, the tunic that he wore. Why does the Torah use a terminology? He has to make sure he's wearing one that's his size, not one too long that's dragging on the ground, and one not one too short that doesn't reach his legs. What does it mean? On his flesh, there should be nothing between the trousers and the flesh that he's wearing. And he will lift them the ashes. He would then take out a shovel full of ma of ashes. from the inner coals that were in the inside on the center of the pile. And then he would place it on the side of the altar which is on the right side on the east side of the ramp. When he means over here when he talks about the ash, we're not talking about the ash that came from the wood. It's from that sacrifice that made ashes. You're going to take that ash and put it on the side of the altar. What happens when he gets onto the altar and he sees that there are still some limbs that have not been completely burned? If he goes up onto the altar and he sees that there are still some parts that haven't been consumed by the fire, then he mixes it back into the fire, stirs the coals and the ashes all together, making sure that it's consumed, and only afterwards does he take off the spoonful of ashes. Verse four, and then he will remove his clothing and he'll put on other clothing and will take the ash outside the camp to a place that's pure, that's holy. Why does he have to take off his garments? This is not an obligation, but this is only telling us what the normal practice that makes sense that he should be doing being that he's dealing with ash and all this dirty stuff. So, he shouldn't get his actual clothing that he uses in the holy temple for the holy things dirty. Therefore, he should change his clothing. The example that he gives is the same clothing that you use to be able to work in the kitchen. You don't come out and serve the drinks with it as well. Therefore, he has to put on other clothing. What kind of clothing? Ones that are not of same value like older ones. And this is because of uh old use. They're no longer fit to be used inside the holy temple. So, he uses them to be able to take out the ashes. I'll take out the ashes. This is referring now to the big pile of ashes that was in the center of the altar that every single day they would take all the ashes and put it into the center and there's no place for it any longer. He takes it from there. This was not an obligation every day. That means there were two times of the removing the ashes. There was some one type of removing the ashes which was every single morning to take out from the center of the pile and put it on the side of the altar. Then there was another one which was just general maintenance cleaning off the ashes from the altar and then taking it outside the camp. The Talm discusses that even though you may think this was a a job that not everybody wanted to take out the garbage, this was actually a uh at the beginning there was a fight that they would run the first come first serve and then people were fighting over it. They had to make a raffle who should be able to get to take out the ashes. Verse five, and the burning the fire burning on the altar must continuously burn. Should not go out. The however must kindle the wood every single morning. He will then place on it the ascent offering. And then he will also bring upon it the peace offering, the fat of the peace offering on this fire. So here the Torah uses a terminology that the burning that the actual concept of burning. It says it many times. It says using always escain this terminology of why does it have so many times telling us about the fire. So the in the tractor of talks about why does he mention it various times and there's a difference of opinion of actually how many piles of wood were there burning which ascent offering would he place onto the wood? which was the standard uh regular scent offering of the morning offering. He tacked him. That was the first one of all the sacrifices to be brought. How do I know that there shouldn't be anything else placed on the altar before bringing the morning ascent offering is because it says the ascent offering that was the first thing that had to be placed on the wood. And after they brought the first descent offering, only then were they allowed to bring other sacrifices as well. The fats of the peace offering. If a person were to bring a peace offering that day, then you would bring the peace the fats of it as well. If you hear the rabbis learned, then what does it mean Allah on it concerning the peace offering? that once you bring the ascent offering of the morning, then you can start bringing the rest of the sacrifices as well. You have to bring everything in between the two sacrifices. There was a sacrifice brought in the morning. Then there was another sacrifice, a constant sacrifice brought in the afternoon. Everything else should be bor brought in between. Verse six, a fire will that will burn upon the altar regularly must never go out. Rashi concerning another fire. It also tells us that it has to be constant which is that's the fire that was the center flame that was always constantly there in the temple that they lit the rest of the manora with because it says that you will kindle with it a constant flame took it. So too it teaches us that even the fire of the manora which was lit was taken from the coals that were on the altar because there the fire was constant. He would then kindle the manora from the coals of the from the altar into the minora inside the the holy temple as well. One should not put it out. If somebody puts out the fire on the altar, he then desecrates two negative commandments because it says that you should not put it out and previously as well. So the two verses each one tell you about the two negative commandments. As we know theic interpretation about of this verse is when a person has a constant fire a passion for God is it negates negativity it puts out anything negative within the person by constantly having a fire in your heart in your altar in your heart a passion connected to God all negativity is put out is avoided verse seven the zan Now we continue with the grain offerings that we started in the previous Torah reading as well. This is the regulations pertaining to the grain offering that Aaron and his sons must spring before God at the front of the altar. One law applies to all the different meal offerings with that meaning that they should be obligated to have oil and spices and which were described previously. One may able to say to I would think that the only meal offerings that need to have oil and spices are those that Israelite brings because you scoop out a spoonful of it and you throw it onto the altar and the rest is given to the coin. But however the meal offering that the cohen brings that as we're soon going to learn gets completely burnt on the altar. How do I know that it needs oil and spices? Lar therefore the Torah says the law the same applied that that applied by all the other meal offerings applies by this one as well. The word haka means bringing it close meaning taking the spoon the scoop full with his fingers and putting it on the altar that's considered bringing it. was done in the corner of the southwest corner before God which is west which was facing then the tent of meeting also the face of the altar that's the south side that's the south side which that is then the face of the altar that the way that one would use the ram to to go up to the altar which was on the south side as well verse How would then he bring the sacrifice? The officiating cohen would then lift out from the portion with his fist with the should be a fistful from the fine flour of the meal offering from its oil and all its spices that is on the meal offering will then bring it onto the altar as a pleasing me as a memorial on the altar pleasing to Hashem. How much is he going to have to what does it mean from it meaning from connected to it? He should have the entire measurement that's needed which was is all together in one place when he takes out the fistful. It shouldn't be spread out and only take a fistful from what small amount or the entire measurement that has to be brought should all be together when he takes out that amount with a fist. Why does it say big kumi with its fistful? Meaning that we should not make a vessel that mean like a measuring stick and be able to see how much is a fistful just use the mitzvah is that he has to actually take it with his hands when his hands are like a fist. Measure it that way and not to use a measuring cup or something of that nature. What does it mean that he has to take it from the fine flour and its oil? because he would mix it around and he has to take the fistful from the place that there's a lot of oil. This meal offering, but don't mix it with any others. Why does he tell me and all the frankincense that's on the meal offering and will bring it? Because after he makes a fistful with a lot of oil, then he collects the spices and he brings it as an offering because he only explained it once by with the other meal offerings in par. Therefore, he repeats it again here to tell us that all the other meal offerings have the same laws and they're applied as well. Verse 9. Whatever is left over from the meal offering and the sons can eat it. It has to be eaten as unleavened bread in a holy place specifically which was in the courtyard of the tent of meeting. That's where it would be eaten. Says, "What is what would I call the Torah continues in the courtyard of the tent of meeting in the courtyard of the tabernacle?" Verse 10, they must not be baked baked leaven bread. Should not be baked leaven bread. Their portion I have given them is from my sacrifices. It is the holy of holies. It is just like the sin offering and the guilt offering. Even the leftovers that come to become leaven bread. When we talk about the difference uh when we talk about the sin offering of the meal offering when it comes to a sin offering then you have to make sure that it was done for the proper intent. So if it wasn't um scooped out for the proper intent wouldn't be unfit. However, a donation offering which is like a guilt offering. So even if it wasn't done for the proper intent, it will still be kosher. Verse 11. Who are the ones that allowed to eat it? Are only the male descendants amongst will eat it? This is a law for generations an eternal entitlement for generations that come from God sacrifices. Whoever touches it becomes holy. Rashi comes to tell me I feel even if a person was not fit for working in the holy temple because he has a blemish he's still allowed to eat from those meal offerings. So why does it say if why does it have to tell it to me? Why does the have to include and tell me that every male is allowed to have it? If you want to tell me that it's coming to include a person who has a blemish, I already know it from a previous sacrifice, a previous verse that it says that God's ready from the holy of holies is allowed to eat. It's coming to include that means it's coming to include even the people who are part of have a blemish. And still in love tell us not only do are they allowed to eat but even when they would then take the meal offerings and split it up they had to include them as part of the people who were entitled to eat. Not only were they allowed to eat when we talk about touching and what does this mean when we talk about different levels of holiness? There's a level of holiness that's not as the holy of holies. If a person touches it or swallows it, then she has to realize that the person touches it and eats it becomes just like it if the meal offering is unfit. Somebody who touches it will also become unfit. So therefore, somebody is if this is a kosher meal offering, any person touching it must know or any person eating it must have the standard of holiness that would require from something which is of the holy of holies a very holy thing. Meaning it was only given to males, only allowed to be eaten in the courtyard, and only had one day and night to be able to be consumed. This concludes the first tow reading of parases