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The Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash
Parshat HaShavua This parasha
series is dedicated ******************************************************** NEW BOOK! FESTIVAL
OF FREEDOM: ESSAYS ON PESAH AND THE HAGGADAH Now
available also in Israel See www.vbm-torah.org/ravbooks.htm ********************************************************* RZA/Yavneh Olami Lecture FeaturingRAV MOSHE TARAGINWednesday, April 5th at 7:30PM"TRACING REDEMPTION THROUGH JEWISH HISTORY"The Jewish Center at Free of ChargeTo RSVP or for more information contact Nessa@YavnehOlami.org
********************************************************* In loving memory of Rabbi Lawrence J Hordes z"l, dedicated by his family. ********************************************************* PARASHAT
TZAV The
Thanksgiving Offering By Rabbanit Sharon Rimon The
thanksgiving sacrifice, mentioned in Parashat
Tzav, is offered in thanks to God for His
help. Chapter (1) Give thanks to God for He is good; for
his kindness endures forever. (2) So say the redeemed of God, whom He
delivered from the hand of the enemy (3) And gathered them from the lands – from east
and west, from north and south. (4) They wandered in the wilderness, on a
desert path; they found no city for habitation. (5) Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted
within them. (6) AND THEY CALLED OUT TO GOD IN THEIR
DISTRESS, HE DELIVERED THEM FROM THEIR TROUBLES… (7) LET THEM PRAISE GOD FOR HIS KINDNESS AND
HIS WONDERS TOWARDS MORTALS. (8) For He has satisfied the longing soul,
and has filled the hungry soul with goodness. (9) Those who sat in darkness and the shadow
of death, bound in affliction and in iron… (13) AND THEY CALLED OUT TO GOD IN THEIR
DISTRESS; HE SAVED THEM FROM THEIR TROUBLES… (15) LET THEM PRAISE GOD FOR HIS KINDNESS AND
HIS WONDERS TOWARDS MORTALS. (16) For He has broken the gates of brass and
demolished the bars of iron. (17) The foolish were afflicted because of
their sinful way and their transgressions. (18) Their soul abhorred any food; they were at
death's door. (19) THEY CALLED TO GOD IN THEIR DISTRESS; HE
SAVED THEM FROM THEIR TROUBLES. (20) He sends His word and heals them, and they
escape their destruction. (21) LET THEM PRAISE GOD FOR HIS KINDNESS AND
HIS WONDERS TOWARDS MORTALS. (22) And let them offer sacrifices of
thanksgiving, and tell of His works with joyous song. (23) Those who go down to the sea in ships,
performing their labor in great waters… (25) For He commanded and raised a stormy wind,
so its waves rose up. (26) They ride upwards to the sky and sink down
to the depths; their soul melts in anguish… (28) THEY CALL OUT TO GOD IN THEIR DISTRESS,
AND HE SAVES THHEM FROM THEIR TROUBLES… (31) LET THEM PRAISE GOD FOR HIS KINDNESS AND
HIS WONDERS TOWARDS MORTALS. (32) Let them exalt Him in the public gathering
and praise Him in the assembly of elders… (43) Whoever is wise – let him note these
things and observe the kindnesses of God. This psalm describes
people in different situations of crisis and trouble; in their distress they
call out to God and He delivers them. In
the wake of this wondrous deliverance they give thanks: "Let them praise
God for His kindness and His wonders towards mortals." This verse is repeated four times in the
chapter. In addition, the chapter opens
with the exhortation, "Give thanks to God for He is good; for His kindness
endures forever," and concludes with the words, "And observe the
kindnesses of God." In
summary, the psalm expresses man's sense of dependence on God, and – as a
result – the need to praise and thank Him. How does
a person express thanks to God? The psalm
offers different possibilities: (Verses
8-9) "Let them praise God for His kindness… for He has satisfied the
longing soul…" (Verses
15-16) "Let them praise God for His kindness… for He has broken the gates
of brass…." The first stage of
the praise (hodaya) is the actual
acknowledgment of the good that God has performed. The person sees that it is God who has
satisfied his soul; it is He Who has relieved his suffering. This is the first, most basic requirement;
without it there can be no true praise. The next
stage expresses this acknowledgment in words, in blessing, in prayer. In verses 21-22, the psalm continues: "Let
them praise God for His kindness… AND OFFER UP sacrifices of thanksgiving, AND
TELL OF His works with joyful song." Here we are already
speaking of practical thanksgiving: the person makes an offering to God; he
brings a sacrifice of thanksgiving. In
addition, he also tells others about God's actions. Verses 31-32
describe another way of praising God: "Let
them praise God for His kindness… AND EXALT HIM in the public gathering and
PRAISE HIM in the assembly of elders."
This is public
praise and exaltation of God; a publicizing of His kindness and wonders. It is from this
psalm that Chazal derive the guidelines
pertaining to Birkat Ha-gomel
(recited in thanks for God's deliverance from a dangerous situation): Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Rav,
FOUR (types of people) are obligated to give (public) thanks (to God): those
who go out to sea, those who go through the wilderness, a person who was ill
and was healed, and one who was confined in jail and was then freed. From
where do we learn (the obligation) concerning seafarers? As it is written (Tehillim 107), "Those who go down to the sea in
ships…," and it is written, "Let them give praise to God for His kindness,
and His wonders towards mortals." From
where do we learn it concerning those who walk in the wilderness? As it is
written (Ibid.) "Those who wandered about in the wilderness, on a
desert road… Let them give praise to God…." One who
was ill and then was healed: as it is written, "He sends His word and
heals them… Let them give praise to God for His kindness." One who
was confined to jail and was then freed: "Those who sit in darkness and
the shadow of death… Let them give praise to God for His kindness." WHAT
BLESSING DO THESE PEOPLE RECITE? RAV YEHUDA SAID: "BLESSED IS HE WHO
PERFORMS BENEFICENT KINDNESSES." ABAYE
SAID: THE BLESSING MUST BE RECITED IN THE PRESENCE OF TEN PEOPLE, AS IT IS
WRITTEN (Ibid.): "LET THEM EXALT HIM IN THE PUBLIC GATHERING…."
(Berakhot 54b) Birkat Ha-gomel, recited in the presence of a quorum,
constitutes – to Abeye's view – a public praise of
God. Why is the public forum necessary?
Because when a person recites Birkat Ha-gomel in public, people want to know what happened, and
the person has the opportunity to describe what took place. Thus the miracle is publicized, and God's
Name is exalted. This is no longer a
private acknowledgment and expression of thanks; rather, the entire
congregation gives thanks and praise to God. Psalm 107
mentions another way of thanking God: "Let them offer sacrifices of
thanksgiving." There are
different ways of expressing thanks. One
commonly accepted way is to express it verbally. But sometimes a person feels a need to give
thanks in a way that is beyond words. He
wants to give something of himself to God Who has given him so much. The
desire to give something to God in thanks is the idea underlying the concept of
sacrifices. Kayin and Hevel thank God for
their success, and quite naturally they express their gratitude by giving to
God. Noach emerges from the "Noach sat and contemplated and said: the Holy One has saved
me from the waters of the Flood, and brought me out of this confinement; am not
obligated to offer up sacrifices and burnt offerings? What did Noach do – he took some of the pure beasts… and rebuilt the
first altar, upon which Kayin and Hevel
had offered their sacrifices. And he
offered four burnt sacrifices, as it is written, 'Noach
built an altar to God'…." (Pirkei
de-Rabbi Eliezer, chapter 23) The first
sacrifices to be offered in the world were not offered out of obligation, or as
a way of seeking atonement, but rather as an expression of thanks for God's
goodness towards man. In the wake of
this sense of gratitude man wants to give something of his own to God. THE
THANKSGIVING OFFERING IS THEREFORE THE "OLDEST" TYPE OF SACRIFICE,
AND REPRESENTS THE MOST ORIGINAL FORM OF THE ACT. This is
the same thanksgiving offering that is mentioned in Parashat
Tzav: (Vayikra 7:11) This is the law of the peace offerings
which he shall offer to God. (12) If
he offers it for thanksgiving, he shall offer along with the thanksgiving
offering unleavened loaves mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with
oil, and loaves of fine flour, well soaked, mixed with oil. (13)
Together with loaves of leavened bread he shall make his offering, these to be
added to his peace offering of thanksgiving. (14) And
he shall offer of it one out of each offering as a teruma
to God; it shall be for the kohen who sprinkles the
blood of the peace offering. (15) And
the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering for thanksgiving shall be
consumed on the day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the
morning. Is the thanksgiving
offering obligatory, or is it a free-will offering? Is a person who was ill and
then recovered, or who was delivered from some other trouble, OBLIGATED to
bring a thanksgiving offering? Or, does this person DECIDED ON HIS OWN
INITIATIVEE TO VOLUNTEER a thanksgiving offering, so as to express the
gratitude that he feels towards God? On one
hand, a thanksgiving offering that is brought by a person of his own free will
testifies to a far more profound acknowledgment. The person is not obligated to
bring the sacrifice; rather, he does so out of a genuine feeling of thanks to
God for the good that He has performed. Indeed, Rashi's commentary would seem to indicate that he views the
thanksgiving sacrifice as voluntary rather than obligatory [1]: "If
he offers it for thanksgiving' – if it is out of thanks for a miracle that was
performed for him – such as seafarers, or those who walk through the
wilderness, or those who were imprisoned, or those who were ill and then were
healed (all of whom are obligated to give thanks, as it is written concerning
them [Tehillim 107:21-22] "Let them give
praise to God for His kindness and His wonders towards mortals; and let them
offer sacrifices of thanksgiving."
IF IT IS IN ONE OF THESE INSTANCES THAT HE VOWS THIS PEACE OFFERING,
THEN IT IS A PEACE OFFERING OF THANKSGIVING." (Rashi
on 7:12) According to Rashi, a person is allowed to choose whether or not to vow
to bring a thanksgiving offering. Another
point that emerges from Rashi's explanation is that,
to is view, a person is not completely free to offer a thanksgiving offering
whenever he so wishes. He cannot bring such
a sacrifice any time that he wants to give thanks to God, but rather only in
certain specific circumstances. On the
other hand, the Gemara sets down that these four
categories of people "MUST give thanks" – meaning that they are
obligated to do so [2]. What is
the advantage of a thanksgiving offering that is obligatory? Not
everyone achieves the level of gratitude on his own. It is possible that by means of this offering
the Torah wants to educate people to acknowledge God's goodness. The obligation to thank teaches a person to
pay attention to those things for which he must thank God. In
summary, it would seem that IN THE PRIMARY, FUNDAMENTAL SENSE, A THANKSGIVING
OFFERING IS VOLUNTARY. A person feels
within himself a sense of gratitude towards God, and he decides to express this
by bringing a sacrifice. But later on, Chazal obligated us to thank God for deliverance
from certain situations, and it is possible that this obligation concerns not
only Birkat Ha-gomel,
but also the thanksgiving offering. Even
if this is the case, however, the essence of the obligation remains the sense
of gratitude towards God; as a result of this gratitude, one brings the
sacrifice. The Sages wanted to educate a
person to acknowledge and be grateful, and therefore they defined it as an
obligation. There is
an obligation to FEEL thanks towards God, and as a result the person should
(voluntarily, out of his own will) bring a sacrifice. EACH TYPE
OF SACRIFICE EXPRESSES A CERTAIN IDEA OR EMOTION ON THE PART OF THE PERSON WHO
BRINGS IT. THE HALAKHIC DETAILS DIFFER
FROM ONE TYPE OF SACRIFICE TO ANOTHER, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE UNIQUE IDEA THAT
EACH IS MEANT TO EXPRESS. WE SHALL
FOCUS ON THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING, AND THE HALAKHIC DETAILS THAT PERTAIN TO
IT. Thanksgiving
Offering as a Peace Offering The
thanksgiving offering is a type of peace offering. The peace offering is unique among all the
sacrifices in that it is categorized as "kodshim
kalim" (i.e., having minor sanctity)
[3]. Let us review the following comparison: Kodshei kodshim: Place of slaughter: northern part of the altar Who
consumes it: the altar alone, or
the altar and the kohanim Where is it eaten: in the azara Time for eating: on the
day of the sacrifice and that night Kodshim kalim: Place of slaughter: anywhere in the azara Who consumes it: the altar,
the kohanim, and THE OWNER of the sacrifice Where is it eaten: anywhere in Time for eating: day of
the sacrifice, the night, and the next day The most striking
characteristic of the peace offering is that it is not burned in its entirety
upon the altar, nor are the kohanim alone
partners in its consumption. There are
three partners in its consumption: THE ALTAR, THE KOHEN, AND THE PERSON WHO
BRINGS THE SACRIFICE. Why is
the thanksgiving offering categorized as a peace offering? We would perhaps
expect that a person for whom a miracle is performed, and who wishes to thank
God, would bring a sacrifice that is offered in its entirety to God, not that
he himself would also partake of it?! In order
to answer this question, let us try to deepen our understanding of the peace
offering. WHAT IS
THE SIGNFICANCE OF THE NAME "PEACE OFFERING" (shelamim)? The Rashbam, commenting on Vayikra
3:1, writes: "The
name 'shelamim' implies a vow, and one must
pay (le-shalem) one's vows; i.e., it is
derived from the concept of payment (tashlumim)…." In other words, the
peace offering is special in that it represents PAYMENT OF A VOW, rather than
an obligation. Rashi,
commenting on the same verse, presents a different view: "'Shelamim' – because it brings peace (shalom) to
the world. An alternative explanation:
because it is for the benefit (shalom) of the altar, the kohanim, and the owner." Thus, Rashi
derives the name "shelamim" from the
word "shalom." This
sacrifice is special in that EVERYONE HAS A SHARE IN IT, and thus it expresses
peace between everyone. A person who brings a peace offering
is in a completely different position, with different emotions, from one who
brings a burnt offering or a sin offering. A person who brings a burnt offering
or sin offering stands before God in submission. He brings his sacrifice out of obligation,
sometimes in the wake of sin - and the offering in its entirety is given to God
(i.e., burned on the altar), or a small part is given to the kohen. The owner of
the sacrifice has a sense of man's smallness before God; he feels the great
distance between himself and God. THIS
IS A SACRIFICE BROUGHT WITH AWE. The person who brings a peace
offering is in a completely different psychological place. The Rashbam
interprets "shelamim" as relating to
"tashlumim": the essence of the
sacrifice is payment of a vow. In other
words, it is fundamentally NOT AN OBLIGATORY SACRIFICE BUT RATHER A FREEWILL
OFFERING [5]. The person himself has
decided to offer a sacrifice in honor of God. This freewill offering arises from man's
desire to give to God, as an expression of his love for Him. THIS IS A SACRIFICE OF LOVE. This mutual love also finds
expression in the joint consumption of the sacrifice, as Rashi
points out, and as described by Rav David Tzvi Hoffman: "…
This sacrifice is a meal shared by the altar, the kohanim,
and the owner. It is called a 'peace
meal' - 'zevach shelamim.
' It describes the harmony between the
person who offers it and God and His servants." THE JOINT EATING, AS IT WERE, BY MAN
AND HIS CREATOR, LEADS TO A SPECIAL CONNECTION AND SYMBOLIZES LOVE BETEWEEN MAN
AND GOD. Now we understand why the
thanksgiving offering is specifically a peace offering. The thanksgiving offering is brought when a
person feels that God has performed some special good for him. He feels that God loves him, and wants to
give something in return to God, thereby expressing his love for God. The peace offering is the most appropriate
sacrifice for expressing the sense of love. Bread of
Thanksgiving "…
He shall offer along with the thanksgiving offering unleavened loaves mixed
with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and loaves of fine flour,
well soaked, mixed with oil. Together
with loaves of leavened bread he shall make his offering…." The thanksgiving
offering includes a special law pertaining to bread that is brought along with
the sacrifice [5]. This is not the same
as the meal offering, which accompanies many other types of sacrifices. The
person bringing the sacrifice must bring four types of bread: a. unleavened loaves mixed with oil b. unleavened wafers anointed with oil c. loaves of fine flour, well soaked,
mixed with oil d. loaves of leavened bread Ten loaves of each
type must be brought, such that a total of FORTY LOAVES accompany the
thanksgiving sacrifice. The loaves are made
from twenty one-tenth measures of fine flour, and a log of oil [6]. A tenth measure (isaron) is 22 cups of fine flour. Twenty isaron
is 440 cups of fine flour! A log of oil
is 3 cups. Thus, A VERY LARGE
QUANTITY OF BREAD IS BROUGHT ALONG WITH THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING. [7] Why is
such a great quantity of bread brought specifically as an accompaniment to the
thanksgiving offering? We shall
attempt to answer this question below. Leavened Bread Another
detail that makes the thanksgiving sacrifice unique is the BRINGING OF LEAVENED
BREAD. In chapter 2, describing the meal
offerings, we read: (8) Any meal offering that you offer to God
SHALL NOT BE MADE WITH LEAVEN, FOR YOU SHALL BURN NO LEAVEN NOR HONEY IN ANY
OFFERING MADE TO GOD BY FIRE. (9) The offering of the first fruits – you
shall offer them to God, but they shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savor. This prohibition is
repeated in Parashat Tzav
(Vayikra 6:9-10): "…Aharon and his sons shall eat that which remains of it; it
shall be eaten with unleavened bread in the holy place, in the courtyard of the
Tent of Meeting they shall eat it. IT
SHALL NOT BE BAKED WITH LEAVEN." Even the remainder
of the meal offering, eaten by the kohanim,
must be unleavened. BUT HERE,
IN THE CASE OF THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING, IT IS SPECIFICALLY LEAVENED BREAD
THAT IS BROUGHT! Admittedly,
the bread of the thanksgiving offering is not itself a meal offering, is not
burnt on the altar, and thus there is no real contradiction between the two
laws. Still, in general, the Torah is
opposed to sacrifices of leavened bread, while here it is specifically leavened
bread that must be brought. In order
to understand the uniqueness of the thanksgiving offering, we must understand
the reason for the general prohibition against offering leavened bread in the Mikdash, and the emphasis on the meal offerings being
unleavened. What characterizes
leaven, and what is special about matza? LEAVENED
BREAD is superior bread, that which is obtained at the end of the bread-making
process. Therefore leaven symbolizes
wealth, success, and – along with it – pride. UNLEAVENED
BREAD – MATZA, in contrast, is created by halting the process in the
middle. Before the dough is able to
ferment and rise – i.e., achieve its final, complete state – we stop the
process. Matza
is inferior bread, the bread of the poor man who is unable to prepare any thing
better. Therefore matza
expresses lack of completion, destitution, and – accordingly – modesty. When a
person brings a sacrifice to God, he does not bring leaven; he brings matza, thereby expressing his imperfection and
incompleteness in relation to God. He
cannot come before God bearing leaven – the symbol of his power and
wealth. HE MUST HAVE A SENSE OF
HUMILITY, a sense of "the afflicted, when he faints, and pours out his
prayer before God" (Tehillim 102), NOT A
SENSE OF PRIDE. Why, then, is
leavened bread brought with the thanksgiving offering? The
thanksgiving offering, as noted above, expresses a different emotion than that
represented by the burnt offering or sin offering. The thanksgiving offering expresses a great
love between a person and God, and thanks and praise for all that good that God
has done for him. Thus, he brings both matza – symbolizing the distress in which he
previously found himself and the process of emerging from that distress, but
also leavened bread – expressing thanks for the deliverance. God brings a person to a situation of
salvation, and this great good must be acknowledged. Specifically in this situation, if leaven is
NOT brought, if the person remains overwhelmed by his deficiency alone, it may
be interpreted as ingratitude. The
thanksgiving offering expresses joy over a certain situation of completeness
that God has helped the person to achieve. Therefore,
in the case of this sacrifice, it is appropriate that leavened bread also be
brought, so as to symbolize the completeness and goodness that God has bestowed
on man. Eating of the
Sacrifice until Morning "The
flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering for thanksgiving shall be consumed
on the day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the
morning." The
thanksgiving offering is a type of peace offering; it is defined as "kodshim kalim"
– i.e., bearing minor sanctity. Most
"kodshim kalim"
may be eaten on the day of the sacrifice, during the night, and throughout the
following day. The thanksgiving
offering, however, must be eaten on the day of the sacrifice or during the
night; none must remain for the next day.
Why does the Torah limit the time for eating the sacrifice? This
question is further reinforced in light of the great quantity of bread that
accompanies it. The person who brings the sacrifice is left with vast
quantities of food, which must be consumed within the same day and night! SEEMINGLY, THIS LAW
IS MEANT TO CREATE A SITUATION WHEREBY THE PERSON CANNOT FINISH ALL THE FOOD
HIMSELF, AND HE IS FORCED, AS IT WERE, TO INVITE OTHERS TO EAT WITH HIM. Thus the consumption of the sacrifice becomes
a great feast, with many participants.
The host explains to all the participants the reason for his bringing
the thanksgiving offering, and THUS THE FEAST BECOMES A FEAST OF THANKSGIVING (se'udat hodaya),
with a recounting of the wonders and kindness of God and extolling His
praise: "Let them offer sacrifices
of thanksgiving, and tell of His works with joyous song." The thanksgiving
offering gives rise to a feast of thanksgiving, where God's works are recounted
in public. "Let them exalt him in
the public gathering." Thanksgiving Offering
and Pesach The
thanksgiving offering, then, involves a feast of thanksgiving, eaten with
bread, and nothing can be left of it until morning. These details are reminiscent of the
requirements pertaining to another offering – the Pesach sacrifice [8]. The
Pesach sacrifice, too, is a peace offering; it, too, is eaten by a group of
people so as to finish all of it by morning.
And this sacrifice, too, is eaten with (unleavened) bread – matza. The
Pesach sacrifice is a national thanksgiving offering. Just as a private person who brings a
thanksgiving offering holds a thanksgiving banquet and recounts the story of
his personal salvation, so when the Pesach sacrifice is brought the entire
nation sits at a banquet of thanksgiving where they recount the story of their
deliverance from But the
considerable degree of similarity between these two sacrifices also serves to
emphasize the difference between them. Both must
be eaten with bread, but while the (individual) thanksgiving offering is eaten
with matza as well as leavened bread, the
Pesach sacrifice is eaten only with matza;
leaven is strictly forbidden. If the
Pesach sacrifice is a national thanksgiving offering, why do we not bring leavened
bread with it, as befitting a thanksgiving offering? The
Pesach sacrifice is offered on the 14th of Nissan, and is eaten
during the night that follows. What was
going on in Egypt at that time? On the day of the 14th, Bnei Yisrael
slaughtered their Pesach sacrifice and painted the blood on the doorposts of
their houses. That night Egypt was
struck by the plague bringing death to the firstborn. The Exodus from Egypt took place the next
morning [10]. THE
PESACH SACRIFICE, THEN, IS NOT MEANT TO COMMEMORATE THE CONCLUSION OF THE
REDEMPTION PROCESS, BUT RATHER REPRESENTS A STAGE DURING THE COURSE OF IT. THEREFORE IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE TO BRING
LEAVENED BREAD; WE BRING ONLY MATZA. We must
then ask: why, on the 15th of Nissan – the day when we left Egypt –
are we still forbidden to eat leaven, and commanded to eat matza?
And why does the prohibition against leaven continue throughout the seven days
of the festival? The
redemption from Egypt did not end with the Exodus of Bnei
Yisrael from Egypt. This was merely a STAGE IN THE REDEMPTION
PROCESS. God describes the redemption
from Egypt in several stages: "… I SHALL TAKE
YOU OUT from under the burdens of Egypt, AND DELIVER YOU from their bondage,
AND REDEEM YOU with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. (Shemot 6:6) (1) AND I SHALL TAKE YOU to be My nation,
and I shall be your God… (2) AND I SHALL BRING YOU to the land…" The first three
stages – "I shall take you out… I shall deliver you… I shall redeem
you…" are the deliverance and the exodus from Egypt. The next stage is "I shall take
you…" – turning Am Yisrael into the
nation of God. This is the revelation
and the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.
The final stage of the redemption is "I shall bring you…" –
leading Bnei Yisrael
into Eretz Yisrael. ON PESACH
WE EAT THE MATZA RATHER THAN LEAVEN, BECAUSE ON PESACH WE ARE CELEBRATING NOT
THE FULL AND COMPLETE REDEMPTION, BUT RATHER A STAGE IN THE REDEMPTION [11]. When is
the complete redemption celebrated? At which festival do we thank God for the
good land which He has given us? (Vayikra 23:10) … WHEN YOU COME TO THE LAND that I
give you, and you reap its harvest, you shall bring the omer
of the first fruits of your harvest to the kohen… (15) You
shall count for yourselves from the day after the Shabbat, from the day when
you bring the omer for the wave offering;
there shall be seven complete weeks. (16) Up
until the day after the seventh Shabbat, you shall count fifty days and offer a
new meal offering to God. (17) From
your dwelling places you shall bring two wave loaves of two tenth measures;
THEY SHALL BE BAKED WITH LEAVEN; THEY ARE FIRST FRUITS TO GOD. Pesach marks just
the beginning of the counting; it is merely the beginning of the process. The end of the process is at Shavu'ot. What is
the essence of this festival? The Torah gives it two other names: "The
Harvest Festival," and the "Day of the First Fruits." This is the time when the produce of the land
ripens, it is harvested, and on Shavu'ot the two
loaves are to be brought, symbolizing our thanks for the produce of the good
land. This is also the time when the
fruits start to ripen, and accordingly Shavu'ot is
the time when we start to bring first fruits – once again, as thanks to God for
the produce of the good land: (Devarim 26:1) And it shall be WHEN YOU COME TO THE
LAND which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, and you shall possess
it and dwell in it, (2) Then
you shall take from the first of all the fruits of the ground which you will
gather from your land which the Lord your God gives you, and you shall place
them in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to
cause His Name to dwell there…. Thus, the festival
of Shavu'ot is the festival of the first fruits; it
is the festival of thanks for the good land. Attention
should be paid to the fact that THE TWO LOAVES BROUGHT ON SHAVU'OT ARE BAKED
WITH LEAVEN. THESE TWO LOAVES, ALONG
WITH THE INDIVIDUAL'S THANKSGIVING OFFERING, ARE THE ONLY TWO SACRIFICES THAT
INCLUDE LEAVEN. The
bringing of the two loaves expresses thanks to God for the good land that He
has given us, and for its produce. It is
proper that these loaves be leaven, because they give THANKS TO GOD FOR
BOUNTIFUL PRODUCE; they symbolize THE CONCLUSION OF THE PROCESS OF REDEMPTION:
the good land that God gives to us. Shavu'ot is also the festival of the giving of the
Torah. The two final stages of the
redemption process are the receiving of the Torah and the entry into the
land. ON SHAVU'OT WE CELEBRATE BOTH
SIMULTANEOUSLY: BOTH THE GIVING OF THE TORAH AND OUR THANKS FOR THE GOOD
LAND. IT IS SPECIFICALLY ON THIS
FESTIVAL THAT IT IS APPROPRIATE TO BRING LEAVENED BREAD, JUST AS LEAVENED BREAD
IS BROUGHT WITH THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING, EXPRESSING OUR JOY AT THE GOODNESS
THAT GOD HAS BESTOWED UPON US, AND OUR THANKS FOR REACHING THE CONCLUSION OF
THE REDEMPTION PROCESS. Let us now summarize
the various features of the thanksgiving offering, and the reason and
significance of each of them: 1. Thanks by means of AN ACTION: Since the
time of Creation, man naturally seeks to "give" to God in gratitude
for His kindness. THE THANKSGIIVING
OFFERING IS THE "MOST ANCIENT" FORM OF SACRIFICE. 2. Some opinions maintain that THERE IS AN
OBLIGATION TO GIVE THANKS: The Torah educates us by obligating us to give
thanks. A person who does not utter any
acknowledgment is not paying attention to the favors
bestowed upon him. 3. Part of the peace offering is EATEN BY
THE OWNER – in contrast to kodshei kodshim. The peace offering is A JOINT MEAL, AS IT
WERE, WITH GOD. It is an offering of
great love and special closeness. 4. The thanksgiving offering is comprised
of BOTH LEAVEN AND MATZA, in contrast to the meal offering, in which
leaven is forbidden: LEAVEN symbolizes a COMPLETENESS AND EVEN PRIDE that is
not suited to the reality of standing "before God." MATZA symbolizes deficiency. However, when it comes to the thanksgiving
offering, we express our GRATITUDE for God having brought us from a situation
of deficiency – "matza" – to a
situation of completion – "leaven." 5. The thanksgiving offering includes a
HUGE QUANTITY OF BREAD, and it is to be EATEN WITHIN A SHORT TIME (the same day
and the night following): This forces the person bringing the sacrifice to INVITE
OTHERS TO JOIN HIM, SUCH THAT THE EATING OF THE SACRIFICE BECOMES A MEAL OF
THANKSGIVING. 6. The PESACH SACRIFICE IS SIMILAR TO THE
THANKSGIVING OFFERING IN MANY RESPECTS (the time when it is to be eaten, the
fact that it is eaten in company, together with bread): The Pesach sacrifice,
too, is a NATIONAL THANKSGIVINIG OFFERING, WHERE WE RECOUNT THE MIRACLE OF THE
EXODUS AND GIVE THANKS TO GOD. 7. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE PESACH,
THANKSGIVING, AND SHAVU'OT LOAVES: PESACH – MATZA; THANKSGIVING – LEAVEN
AND MATZA; SHAVU'OT – LEAVEN. The PESACH SACRIFICE is different from the
thanksgiving offering because it represents the MIDDLE OF THE REDEMPTION
PROCESS; therefore it is eaten with matza. On Shavu'ot the
process is completed by the ACCEPTANCE OF THE TORAH AND THANKS TO GOD FOR THE
GOOD LAND; therefore we are able to bring a sacrifice of LEAVEN. "Even
if our mouths were as full of song as the sea, and our tongues – with joyful
song, like its multitude of waves… we could not give sufficient thanks…." Notes: [1] The same
conclusion may be drawn from the Rambam in his Laws
of Performing Sacrifices. [2] The connection
between Birkat Ha-gomel
and the thanksgiving offering is not mentioned explicitly in the Gemara, but from the wording of the Tur
(o.c. 219) we may conclude that the
blessing is meant to replace the sacrifice.
According to many of the Rishonim and Acharonim, the thanksgiving offering may be understood to
have been obligatory. [3] Mishna, Zevachim 5:7
"Shelamim are kodshim
kalim; they may be slaughtered anywhere in the
azara, and their blood requires two
sprinklings which are four, and they may be eaten throughout the city, by
anyone, with any foods, for the duration of two days and the night [in
between]…." [4] There are,
admittedly, some peace offerings that are obligatory (such as the shalmei atzeret and
shalmei chagiga). Nevertheless, the original presentation of
the shelamim in Parashot
Vayikra-Tzav is as a vow or freewill offering,
and this appears to be the primary and essential character of this sacrifice,
as the Rashbam explains. (See above concerning the discussion of
whether the thanksgiving offering is a neder
or a nedava). [5] The peace
offering of a nazirite likewise requires that bread
be brought along with the sacrifice. [6] Rambam, Laws of Performing Sacrifices, 9:17. [7] The nazirite, by comparison, brings only two types of loaves,
in much smaller quantities. [8] See at length in
an article by Rav Yoel
bin-Nun, "Chametz and Matza
on Pesach and Shavu'ot and in the Bread
Offerings," Megadim 13. [9] See "Korban Pesach ve-Korban
Toda" by Rav Menachem
Leibtag, Daf Kesher 697, Nissan 5759. [10] Shemot 12:51: "And it was, in the middle of
that day (or "on that very day"), that God took Bnei
Yisrael out of the land of Egypt by their
hosts." Rashi, commenting on Devarim
32:48, writes: "In Egypt it says (Shemot
12:51), 'In the midst of that day God took…' – because the Egyptians said, 'If
by such-and-such time we still see them here, we shall not allow them to leave;
not only that, but we will take swords and weapons and kill them.' THE HOLY ONE
SAID: 'I SHALL TAKE THEM OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF TH DAY, and let anyone with the
power to object, come and object.'" In other words, Bnei
Yisrael left Egypt not in the middle of the
night, but in the middle of the day, on the 15th of Nissan. [11] See at length
in Rav bin-Nun's article, note 8 above. Translated by Kaeren Fish |
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