Tzav

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Tzav is the weekly portion about the service of the kohanim, the offerings and the consecration of Aharon and his sons. The stenogram of Alex Blend’s talk examines chapters 6–8 of the book of Vayikra: the fire of the altar, the offerings and the beginning of the priestly service. The biblical text is given in Hebrew, with transliteration, a translation and the author’s commentary.

For official use

Vayikra 6:1–23

With God’s help, you and I are beginning to study the weekly portion Tzav. In the previous portion we read about the different kinds of offerings and about the cases in which these offerings are to be brought. In our present portion we will, in a certain way, systematize and supplement our knowledge about these offerings. Unlike the previous portions, this portion is addressed to the kohanim. That is, we will be reading an internal instruction that the Most High gives to those who will work in the Temple. So, let’s begin reading from verse 1 of chapter 6:

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר׃

vaydabbér adonáy el-moshé lemór

1 And the LORD spoke to Moshe, saying:

צַו אֶת־אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת־בָּנָיו לֵאמֹר זֹאת תּוֹרַת הָעֹלָה הִוא הָעֹלָה עַל מוֹקְדָה עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כָּל־הַלַּיְלָה עַד־הַבֹּקֶר וְאֵשׁ הַמִּזְבֵּחַ תּוּקַד בּוֹ׃

tzav et-aharón ve'et-banáv lemór zot torát ha'olá hi ha'olá al mokedá al-hammizbéach kol-halláyla ad-habbóker ve'ésh hammizbéach túkad bo

2 “Command Aharon and his sons – this is the teaching of the burnt offering: it (the sacrifice) is burned on the fire, on the altar, all night until morning, and the fire of the altar will remain so on the altar.

The word tzav, from which the well-known word mitzvá (commandment) also comes, means command or instruct. In today’s language the word tzav means order. In this case the word has the shade of urge on, hurry them, that is, it contains a certain element of a push. The word torát in this case implies a systematized teaching, instructions or directions. So, the evening burnt offering remains on the altar all night until morning and gradually burns down, that is, we leave the offering for the night and go to sleep.

וְלָבַשׁ הַכֹּהֵן מִדּוֹ בַד וּמִכְנְסֵי־בַד יִלְבַּשׁ עַל־בְּשָׂרוֹ וְהֵרִים אֶת־הַדֶּשֶׁן אֲשֶׁר תֹּאכַל הָאֵשׁ אֶת־הָעֹלָה עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְשָׂמוֹ אֵצֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ׃

velavásh hakkohén middó vad umichnese-vád yilbásh al-besaró veherím et-haddéshen ashér tochál ha'ésh et-ha'olá al-hammizbéach vesamó étzel hammizbéach

3 And the kohen will put on a garment of linen, and trousers of linen he will put on his flesh, and he will lift up the ash which the fire will reduce to ash (will leave) after the burnt offering on the altar, and will put it beside the altar.

The word middó can be read as his uniform, work robe (madáv) or size (midató), that is, clothing that fits him in size, the lower undergarment, to cover his nakedness, those places that it is customary to cover.

We have already touched a little on the question of the ash and said that it is impossible to burn the olá offering completely. The offering does not burn down completely, some greasy ash always remains. Early, early in the morning, even before dawn, the kohen must get up and, in the Jerusalem chill, in his very innermost garment, go to the altar, remove the ash from it with a special shovel and place it beside the altar. Tradition says that part of the ash was absorbed by the ground that was next to the altar. What does the kohen do next?

וּפָשַׁט אֶת־בְּגָדָיו וְלָבַשׁ בְּגָדִים אֲחֵרִים וְהוֹצִיא אֶת־הַדֶּשֶׁן אֶל־מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה אֶל־מָקוֹם טָהוֹר׃

ufashát et-begadáv velavásh begadím acherím vehotzí et-haddéshen el-michútz lammachané el-makóm tahór

4 And he took off his garments, and put on other garments, and carried the ash out beyond the camp, to a clean place.

The kohen changes his clothes, because now he will have to go out beyond the camp and carry the ash to the heap, to one specific place designated for this. The kohen must do this every morning. Since far from all of us like getting up early in the morning, even kohanim, that is why the charge is given to Moshe to command, to hurry, to encourage Aharon in a special way, so that he would get up, he and his sons. And the kohanim, from generation to generation, got up early in the morning and went to do this work. One can paraphrase a well-known song – oh, the workers of the Temple rise early.

וְהָאֵשׁ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ תּוּקַד־בּוֹ לֹא תִכְבֶּה וּבִעֵר עָלֶיהָ הַכֹּהֵן עֵצִים בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר וְעָרַךְ עָלֶיהָ הָעֹלָה וְהִקְטִיר עָלֶיהָ חֶלְבֵי הַשְּׁלָמִים׃

veha'ésh al-hammizbéach tukad-bó lo tichbé uvi'ér aléha hakkohén etzím babbóker babbóker ve'arách aléha ha'olá vehiktír aléha chelvé hashelamím

5 And the fire on the altar will burn and will not go out, and the kohen kindled wood on it morning-morning, and will arrange on it the pieces of the burnt offering, and on top of them he will burn as incense the fat of the peace offering.

When did we come across this expression – babbóker babbóker (morning-morning)? When we read about the people who crowded from the very, very early morning to bring their donations for the Temple. Here the kohen has to be urged on, so that morning-morning he would go and throw wood onto this fire, start to kindle the fire on the altar, precisely to kindle, that is, to strengthen it.

אֵשׁ תָּמִיד תּוּקַד עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לֹא תִכְבֶה׃

esh tamíd tukád al-hammizbéach lo tichbé

6 And the fire will burn all the time on the altar (on the altar of burnt offering), and will not go out.

This verse became a motto. It has already been torn out of its context in the Torah and transferred into the context of the human body, into the context of our inner altar. And the rabbis say: “We must constantly burn!” That is, we cannot think: “Well, I am just Alex, I was just born, I just live and live, like everyone.” No, I must feel that I am meant for something, and every second, at every moment of life, I must have this fire of burning toward the Most High. I must constantly kindle this fire on my inner altar, understanding that, if I live in this world, it means that I in particular am needed by the Most High in this world, as is each of those who live in this world. And every second I am needed by Him, and every second I can serve Him. This is a very high ideal, a very high bar, which the teachers propose.

וְזֹאת תּוֹרַת הַמִּנְחָה הַקְרֵב אֹתָהּ בְּנֵי־אַהֲרֹן לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֶל־פְּנֵי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ׃

vezót torát hamminchá hakrév otá bene-aharón lifné adonáy el-pené hammizbéach

7 And this is the teaching of the gift of the grain offering (of the minchá), which the sons of Aharon will bring before the LORD on the altar.

וְהֵרִים מִמֶּנּוּ בְּקֻמְצוֹ מִסֹּלֶת הַמִּנְחָה וּמִשַּׁמְנָהּ וְאֵת כָּל־הַלְּבֹנָה אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַמִּנְחָה וְהִקְטִיר הַמִּזְבֵּחַ רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ אַזְכָּרָתָהּ לַיהוָה׃

veherím mimménu bekumtzó missólet hamminchá umishamná ve'ét kol-hallevoná ashér al-hamminchá vehiktír hammizbéach réach nichóach azkaratá ladonáy

8 And he will lift from it with his handful, from the flour of the offering, and from the oil, and all the frankincense that is on the gift (we remember that the minchá consists of flour, oil and frankincense), and will burn it as incense on the altar – a scent of fragrance, a remembrance to the LORD.

We have already looked (2:2) at the word azkaráta (remembrance), and dwelt on the ways of understanding this word with many meanings. It is a kind of symbol of the fact that we bring a complete offering to the Most High. And we also looked at the way of understanding this word as a souvenir, as something that will remind the Most High of the good that is in us, as David says in Tehillim (20:4): “Izkór kol-minchotécha – He will remember all your offerings.”

וְהַנּוֹתֶרֶת מִמֶּנָּה יֹאכְלוּ אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו מַצּוֹת תֵּאָכֵל בְּמָקוֹם קָדֹשׁ בַּחֲצַר אֹהֶל־מוֹעֵד יֹאכְלוּהָ׃

vehannotéret mimména yochelú aharón uvanáv mattzót te'achél bemakóm kadósh bachatzár ohel-mo'éd yochelúha

9 And what remains of it Aharon and his sons will eat, as unleavened bread they will eat it in the Holy Place, in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting they will eat it.

לֹא תֵאָפֶה חָמֵץ חֶלְקָם נָתַתִּי אֹתָהּ מֵאִשָּׁי קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים הִוא כַּחַטָּאת וְכָאָשָׁם׃

lo te'afé chamétz chelkám natátti otá me'isháy kódesh kadashím hi kachattát vecha'ashám

10 It must not be baked leavened, I have given it as their portion (as the portion of the kohanim), it is of the holy offerings, like the chatát offering and like the ashám offering.

The minchá offering must be and remain unleavened bread; it must be brought as unleavened bread and eaten as unleavened bread. In what way is it like the purifying offering (chatát) and the guilt offering (ashám)? In that the kohanim may eat it.

כָּל־זָכָר בִּבְנֵי אַהֲרֹן יֹאכֲלֶנָּה חָק־עוֹלָם לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם מֵאִשֵּׁי יְהוָה כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־יִגַּע בָּהֶם יִקְדָּשׁ׃

kol-zachár bivné aharón yochelénna chok-olám ledorotechém me'ishé adonáy kol asher-yiggá bahém yikdásh

11 Every male among the sons of Aharon may eat it, an eternal law for your generations, from the fire offerings to the Most High. Everything that touches them will become holy.”

Any instrument, any vessel that has come into contact with this offering becomes holy, and it can no longer be used for everyday needs. And sometimes it cannot be used at all.

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר׃

vaydabbér adonáy el-moshé lemór

12 And the LORD spoke to Moshe, saying:

זֶה קָרְבַּן אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו אֲשֶׁר־יַקְרִיבוּ לַיהוָה בְּיוֹם הִמָּשַׁח אֹתוֹ עֲשִׂירִת הָאֵפָה סֹלֶת מִנְחָה תָּמִיד מַחֲצִיתָהּ בַּבֹּקֶר וּמַחֲצִיתָהּ בָּעָרֶב׃

ze korbán aharón uvanáv asher-yakrívu ladonáy beyom himmashách otó asirít ha'efá sólet minchá tamíd machatzitá babbóker umachatzitá ba'árev

13 “This is the offering of Aharon and his sons, which they will bring to the LORD from the day of their anointing: a tenth of an efa of sólet flour, a constant offering, half in the morning and half in the evening.

עַל־מַחֲבַת בַּשֶּׁמֶן תֵּעָשֶׂה מֻרְבֶּכֶת תְּבִיאֶנָּה תֻּפִינֵי מִנְחַת פִּתִּים תַּקְרִיב רֵיחַ־נִיחֹחַ לַיהוָה׃

al-machavát bashémen te'asé murbéchet tevi'énna tufiné minchát pittím takrív reach-nichóach ladonáy

14 On a griddle in oil make it, bring it scalded, in crumbled form, bring it as a fragrance to the LORD.

That is, the dough must be mixed so that the flour goes into the hot oil. It is similar to the dough for choux pastries, only, of course, without water: since there must be no chamétz (leaven), oil is used.

וְהַכֹּהֵן הַמָּשִׁיחַ תַּחְתָּיו מִבָּנָיו יַעֲשֶׂה אֹתָהּ חָק־עוֹלָם לַיהוָה כָּלִיל תָּקְטָר׃

vehakkohén hammashíach tachtáv mibbanáv ya'asé otá chok-olám ladonáy kalíl toktár

15 And the kohen anointed after him and his sons will also make it – an eternal law, burn all of it for the Most High.

וְכָל־מִנְחַת כֹּהֵן כָּלִיל תִּהְיֶה לֹא תֵאָכֵל׃

vechol-minchát kohén kalíl tihyé lo te'achél

16 And every offering of a kohen will be burned completely and will not be eaten.”

This is a special offering which the kohanim must bring daily, twice a day, so that they do not exalt themselves above the people, are not proud and do not say: “Look how cool we are!” Therefore they were given the command to bring the simplest, the poorest offering, and the sacrifice of the kohanim is burned completely. And like the sacrifice olá, this completely burned offering symbolizes the kohen’s complete devotion to his service. If one can say about the olá (burnt offering) that it switches on (like a plug into a socket) the interaction of the Most High and the people of Israel, the neighborliness, the Divine presence on earth, then the sacrifice of the kohanim connects the Priesthood, like an escalator or an elevator by which we can rise up to the Most High. After all, the kohen, as we have already said, represents both God before the people of Israel and the people of Israel before the Most High. It is impossible to come to God without a kohen, and so that the kohen can serve as priest, he too has been given a sacrifice, which he must bring twice a day. And it is the very, very simplest.

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר׃

vaydabbér adonáy el-moshé lemór

17 And the LORD spoke to Moshe, saying:

דַּבֵּר אֶל־אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל־בָּנָיו לֵאמֹר זֹאת תּוֹרַת הַחַטָּאת בִּמְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר תִּשָּׁחֵט הָעֹלָה תִּשָּׁחֵט הַחַטָּאת לִפְנֵי יְהוָה קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים הִוא׃

dabbér el-aharón ve'el-banáv lemór zot torát hachattát bimkóm ashér tishachét ha'olá tishachét hachattát lifné adonáy kódesh kadashím hi

18 “Speak to Aharon and his sons, saying: this is the teaching of the purifying offering. In the place where the burnt offering is brought (slaughtered), there also slaughter the sin offering, a holy holiness it is.

We have already said that the reason for this is so that a person would “not be spotted,” so as to avoid spiritual paparazzi of all kinds, so that people would not say: “Look, he went to bring a sin offering. I wonder what he sinned in?”

הַכֹּהֵן הַמְחַטֵּא אֹתָהּ יֹאכֲלֶנָּה בְּמָקוֹם קָדֹשׁ תֵּאָכֵל בַּחֲצַר אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד׃

hakkohén hamchatté otá yochelénna bemakóm kádosh te'achél bachatzár óhel mo'éd

19 And the kohen who brings it (who carries out the purification) will eat it, in the Holy Place he will eat it, in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting.

What is the difference? There are offerings that may be eaten not only by the kohen himself but also by his family, including his wife. These are offerings whose meat he may take and bring home, we will still talk about this. But this offering is a purifying offering, and only the kohen eats it.

כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־יִגַּע בִּבְשָׂרָהּ יִקְדָּשׁ וַאֲשֶׁר יִזֶּה מִדָּמָהּ עַל־הַבֶּגֶד אֲשֶׁר יִזֶּה עָלֶיהָ תְּכַבֵּס בְּמָקוֹם קָדֹשׁ׃

kol asher-yiggá bivsará yikdásh va'ashér yizzé middamá al-habbéged ashér yizzé aléha techabbés bemakóm kadósh

20 Everything that touches its flesh will become holy, and if its blood drips onto a garment, he will wash out the “splashed” (what splashed) in the Holy Place.

That is, even if the blood of the offering splashes and the kohen’s garment gets dirty, he does not go home, does not throw it into the washing machine, but this blood too he must treat as something holy.

וּכְלִי־חֶרֶשׂ אֲשֶׁר תְּבֻשַּׁל־בּוֹ יִשָּׁבֵר וְאִם־בִּכְלִי נְחֹשֶׁת בֻּשָּׁלָה וּמֹרַק וְשֻׁטַּף בַּמָּיִם׃

uchli-chéres ashér tevushal-bó yishavér ve'im-bichlí nechóshet bushála umorák veshuttáf bammáyim

21 A clay pot in which it is cooked will be broken, and if it was cooked in a copper vessel, it will be scoured, cleaned in water.

What is the difference? A clay vessel absorbs a little of the food that is cooked in it, since it is porous inside and part of the food gets into its pores. And therefore in it, even if in microscopic amounts, part of the offering will still remain, it will remain also at the time when it may no longer be consumed. The vessel too has become sacrificial, therefore it will have to be broken.

כָּל־זָכָר בַּכֹּהֲנִים יֹאכַל אֹתָהּ קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים הִוא׃

kol-zachár bakkohaním yochál otá kódesh kadashím hi

22 Every male will eat it, a holy holiness it is (it too is eaten in the Holy Place).

וְכָל־חַטָּאת אֲשֶׁר יוּבָא מִדָּמָהּ אֶל־אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לְכַפֵּר בַּקֹּדֶשׁ לֹא תֵאָכֵל בָּאֵשׁ תִּשָּׂרֵף׃

vechol-chattát ashér yuvá middamá el-óhel mo'éd lechappér bakkódesh lo te'achél ba'ésh tissaréf

23 Every sin offering from whose blood something will be brought into the Tent of Meeting to atone in the Holy, do not eat it, burn it in the fire.”

What is this about? Suppose a person came to the kohen and says: “I did such-and-such.” And the kohen says (or the person himself thinks): “Oh-oh-oh! Now this is such a terrible sin, it can’t be cleansed just like that, here we have to go into the Holy. Let’s not just carry all this to the altar of burnt offering, but take it into the Holy, let’s make a kind of chatát plus, let’s make a super chatát. Or we’ll even set up a kind of sale for VIP persons, we’ll make them a VIP-chatát plus, with bringing into the Holy.” And the Most High commands: “No, it must not be eaten, otherwise this offering will be altogether invalid, it will not count as a sin offering. Burn it in the fire, not even where the ash is, but anywhere at all. I do not want to have anything to do with this.”

Instructions to the staff

Vayikra 7:1–38

With God’s help, you and I continue reading the weekly portion Tzav. Let me remind you that we are reading an internal instruction for official use, which the Most High gives for the kohanim through Moshe. If in the previous portions, which were addressed to all of Israel, we read about when and who must or may bring offerings, then in this portion we read instructions to the technical staff (to those who will be intermediaries in the bringing of offerings) about how specifically to bring these offerings.

וְזֹאת תּוֹרַת הָאָשָׁם קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים הוּא׃

vezót torát ha'ashám kódesh kadashím hu

1 This is the teaching of the guilt offering, it belongs to the holiness (holy for the holiness).

This means that the kohanim cannot take it home, cannot share it with their wives, with their daughters, and it must be eaten in holiness in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting or in the courtyard of the Temple.

בִּמְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁחֲטוּ אֶת־הָעֹלָה יִשְׁחֲטוּ אֶת־הָאָשָׁם וְאֶת־דָּמוֹ יִזְרֹק עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ סָבִיב׃

bimkóm ashér yishchatú et-ha'olá yishchatú et-ha'ashám ve'et-damó yizrók al-hammizbéach savív

2 In the place where they slaughter the burnt offering, there too they will slaughter the guilt offering, and the blood of this offering he will splash on the altar all around.

We have already explained why it is so: so that no one could say what kind of offering a person is bringing, so that all sorts of tabloid journalists, paparazzi and simply curious onlookers would not ponder what kind of sin this person has there, because of which he carried this offering.

וְאֵת כָּל־חֶלְבּוֹ יַקְרִיב מִמֶּנּוּ אֵת הָאַלְיָה וְאֶת־הַחֵלֶב הַמְכַסֶּה אֶת־הַקֶּרֶב׃

ve'et-kol-chelbó yakrív mimménnu et ha'alyá ve'et-hachélev hamchassé et-hakkérev

3 All the fat he will bring from it, and the fat tail, and the fat that covers the innards,

וְאֵת שְׁתֵּי הַכְּלָיֹת וְאֶת־הַחֵלֶב אֲשֶׁר עֲלֵיהֶן אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַכְּסָלִים וְאֶת־הַיֹּתֶרֶת עַל־הַכָּבֵד עַל־הַכְּלָיֹת יְסִירֶנָּה׃

ve'ét sheté hakkelayot ve'et-hachélev ashér alehén ashér al-hakkesalím ve'et-hayotéret al-hakkavéd al-hakkelayot yesirénna

4 And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, and the fat that is on the upper part of the thighs, and the caudate lobe of the liver, starting from the kidneys he will separate this part.

The caudate lobe of the liver – this sounds strange, but that is what one of the anatomical parts of the liver is called, such a name exists. We have already read similar instructions before.

וְהִקְטִיר אֹתָם הַכֹּהֵן הַמִּזְבֵּחָה אִשֶּׁה לַיהוָה אָשָׁם הוּא׃

vehiktír otám hakkohén hammizbéacha ishé ladonáy ashám hu

5 And the kohen will bring them (what he separated) for burning as incense on the altar, as a fire offering to the LORD, this is a guilt offering.

כָּל־זָכָר בַּכֹּהֲנִים יֹאכְלֶנּוּ בְּמָקוֹם קָדוֹשׁ יֵאָכֵל קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים הוּא׃

kol zachár bakkohaním yochelénnu bemakóm kadósh ye'achél kódesh kadashím hu

6 Every male among the kohanim may eat it; in a holy place it must be eaten, because it is holy for the holiness.

כַּחַטָּאת כָּאָשָׁם תּוֹרָה אַחַת לָהֶם הַכֹּהֵן אֲשֶׁר יְכַפֶּר־בּוֹ לוֹ יִהְיֶה׃

kachattát ka'ashám torá achát lahém hakkohen ashér yechapper-bo lo yihyé

7 Like the sin offering, so also the guilt offering – one teaching regarding them. The kohen who will atone for him (the one bringing the offering), to him the meat will belong.

The kohanim have a share in the offering ashám (of guilt) and in the offering chatát (purifying), and it is not divided among everyone in brotherly fashion, as sometimes happens in other cases. But the kohen who brought this offering is the one who receives it.

וְהַכֹּהֵן הַמַּקְרִיב אֶת־עֹלַת אִישׁ עוֹר הָעֹלָה אֲשֶׁר הִקְרִיב לַכֹּהֵן לוֹ יִהְיֶה׃

vehakkohén hammakrív et-ólat ish or ha'olá ashér hikrív lakkohén lo yihyé

8 And the kohen who brings a person’s burnt offering (someone’s burnt offering) – the hide of the sacrificial animal will belong to the kohen himself.

That is, when the whole offering is burned and nothing remains, the kohen receives the animal’s hide for his work.

וְכָל־מִנְחָה אֲשֶׁר תֵּאָפֶה בַּתַּנּוּר וְכָל־נַעֲשָׂה בַמַּרְחֶשֶׁת וְעַל־מַחֲבַת לַכֹּהֵן הַמַּקְרִיב אֹתָהּ לוֹ תִהְיֶה׃

vechol-minchá ashér te'afé battannúr vechol-na'asá vammarchéshet ve'al-machavát lakkohén hammakrív otá lo tihyé

9 And every offering of minchá (grain offering) that will be baked in an oven, and everything that is made in a pot, and on a griddle, will belong to that kohen who brings it as an offering.

וְכָל־מִנְחָה בְלוּלָה־בַשֶּׁמֶן וַחֲרֵבָה לְכָל־בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן תִּהְיֶה אִישׁ כְּאָחִיו׃

vechol-minchá velula-vashémen vacharevá lechol-bené aharón tihyé ish ke'achív

10 And every minchá that is with oil and that is dry will belong to all the sons of Aharon, to each as to a brother (in brotherly fashion).

That is, some grain offerings, dry crumbled loaves which are brought to the Temple, are divided in brotherly fashion precisely among all the kohanim, and do not go only to the one who brings the offering.

There is one more offering that we have not yet talked about.

וְזֹאת תּוֹרַת זֶבַח הַשְּׁלָמִים אֲשֶׁר יַקְרִיב לַיהוָה׃

vezót torát zévach hashelamím ashér yakrív ladonáy

11 This is the teaching of the peace offering, which he will bring to the LORD.

As we have already said, there are three kinds of peace offerings. There is the offering of thanksgiving (todá): when, for example, my wife has given birth safely, when some miracle has happened to me and I am grateful to the Most High. There is the offering out of zeal, at the bidding of the heart (nedavá): it seems I have no specific reason to say “thank you” to the Most High, but I simply felt like sharing, and I give to Him. And the third kind of offering is the offering by vow (néder). When in a difficult situation (or in some other situation) I say: “If my child recovers, if I happen to reach some place, then I will bring an offering there” – as, for example, in the case of Jonah. When the sailors saw that their ship had been freed and could continue on its way, and the storm had stopped, they, as it is said, “brought an offering to the LORD and made vows.” What vows did they make? They made vows that, when they got to some place, they would bring offerings. Some of them had livestock and could bring an offering on the spot, and some made vows that they would bring an offering.

As we said, I will remind you once more, the offering shelamím – this is the offering of peace, that is, we invite everyone to eat it with us: the kohanim eat it, the one who brings it eats it, the Most High also takes part in this, we invite the Most High to eat together with us. One can and should call all one’s friends, neighbors and the whole people of Israel, this is only welcomed.

אִם עַל־תּוֹדָה יַקְרִיבֶנּוּ וְהִקְרִיב עַל־זֶבַח הַתּוֹדָה חַלּוֹת מַצּוֹת בְּלוּלֹת בַּשֶּׁמֶן וּרְקִיקֵי מַצּוֹת מְשֻׁחִים בַּשָּׁמֶן וְסֹלֶת מֻרְבֶּכֶת חַלֹּת בְּלוּלֹת בַּשָּׁמֶן׃

im al-todá yakrivénnu vehikrív al-zévach hattoda challót mattzót belulót bashémen urkiké mattzót meshuchím bashámen vesólet murbéchet challót belulót bashámen

12 If he brings an offering of thanksgiving and brings it as a sacrifice of thanksgiving, then with it he will give unleavened breads with oil, and also thin breads that are smeared with oil, and of scalded flour solét, breads with oil (rich sour breads).

Some commentators say that the flatbreads were smeared in the likeness of the angular letter kaf, some say that they were simply smeared with oil. As we know, sour breads cannot be brought as an offering (meaning that they are not brought up onto the altar), but as gifts to the kohanim they can be brought. The one who brings a peace offering also brings a large quantity of breads, brings a big basket of breads, so that the kohanim could eat not meat alone. On the Temple Mount, at the place where the Temple was, there was a small kitchen and a kind of nook where a kohen could cut vegetables, greens, break bread and so on, and eat quite like a human being. The main thing is that the holy should not cross with the everyday.

So, a person must bring many different breads.

עַל־חַלֹּת לֶחֶם חָמֵץ יַקְרִיב קָרְבָּנוֹ עַל־זֶבַח תּוֹדַת שְׁלָמָיו׃

al-challót léchem chamétz yakrív korbanó al-zévach todát shelamáv

13 With challahs of sour bread he will bring his offering, as his peace offering of thanksgiving.

וְהִקְרִיב מִמֶּנּוּ אֶחָד מִכָּל־קָרְבָּן תְּרוּמָה לַיהוָה לַכֹּהֵן הַזֹּרֵק אֶת־דַּם הַשְּׁלָמִים לוֹ יִהְיֶה׃

vehikrív mimménnu echád mikkol-korbán terumá ladonáy lakkohén hazzorék et-dám hashelamím lo yihyé

14 And he will bring from it one of each of all the sorts (of the three kinds) of bread as a heave offering to the Most High. And this offering goes to the kohen who brings this peace offering.

וּבְשַׂר זֶבַח תּוֹדַת שְׁלָמָיו בְּיוֹם קָרְבָּנוֹ יֵאָכֵל לֹא־יַנִּיחַ מִמֶּנּוּ עַד־בֹּקֶר׃

uvsár zévach todát shelamáv beyom korbanó ye'achél lo-yanníach mimménu ad-bóker

15 And the meat of his peace offering of thanksgiving on the day of his sacrifice will be eaten, and they will not leave any of it until morning.

Why does the Torah limit (we will see this further on as well) the time for eating the peace offering? Because, first, the offering possesses a certain holiness. Can a person preserve holiness for long? Some tiniest discharge, a touch of something that must not be touched – and an inexperienced person, not a kohen, who serves holiness all the time, but a simple person, may touch something unclean, become unclean himself and because of that make the offering unclean too. That is the first reason.

The second reason is so that a person would want to invite as many people as possible. If I have to eat a lamb within a week, maybe my family and I will eat it ourselves: I’ll put it in the fridge, freeze it in the freezer, warm it up in the microwave and eat it for a long, long time. But if I have to eat it by morning, then I will invite as many guests as possible and share with a much larger number of people.

All this concerns the offering of thanksgiving (todá) to the Most High. From verse 16 on we will talk about another kind of peace offering.

וְאִם־נֶדֶר אוֹ נְדָבָה זֶבַח קָרְבָּנוֹ בְּיוֹם הַקְרִיבוֹ אֶת־זִבְחוֹ יֵאָכֵל וּמִמָּחֳרָת וְהַנּוֹתָר מִמֶּנּוּ יֵאָכֵל׃

ve'im-néder o nedavá zévach korbanó beyom hakrivó et-zivchó ye'achél umimmachorát vehannotár mimménu ye'achél

16 And if his offering is of the category of an oath or by the prompting of the soul, then on the day when he brings his sacrifice, he will eat it, and on the next day he will still eat of it,

Since the peace offering néder (by a vow, an oath) and nedavá (by the prompting of the soul) – is an offering that is mostly given on a voluntary basis, on the basis of some personal relationship of a person with the Most High, the person is not obliged to share this joy with other people. His joy is of a somewhat different nature, and there is no such need to urge the person to invite others and share this offering.

וְהַנּוֹתָר מִבְּשַׂר הַזָּבַח בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי בָּאֵשׁ יִשָּׂרֵף׃

vehannotár mibbesár hazzávach bayom hashelishí ba'ésh yissaréf

17 And what remains of the meat of the sacrifice, on the third day it must be burned.

This is like the well-known sentence execute not pardon. Where do you put the comma here? It can be read in two ways: what remains of the meat on the third day (comma here) will be burned, or what remains of the meat (comma here) will be burned on the third day. What is the difference? The difference is in how many days the meat may be eaten. But since verse 16 says: eat today and tomorrow, it turns out that already on the following night the meat may not be eaten, that is, the time for eating is in any case less than three days, and it is precisely the burning that takes place on the third day. Why must the meat be burned, why not simply throw it out? Because this meat possesses holiness. We cannot allow it to go rotten or rancid, for worms to appear in the holy meat, that would be a desecration. Therefore it must be burned. And on the other hand, people whom the person did not invite, did not call, may say: “Here Vasilyich is burning meat, and we go around hungry.” In general, there is also some kind of demonstrative, educational effect in this.

There are very many different opinions, different commentaries about what the third day means. Mashiach rose on the third day, the turning of water into wine takes place on the third day… I always say: if you find something in common in the Torah, some common places, then look for the differences too, so as not to lump everything into one heap. We can make a complex mystical construction and even transform it into some unified, harmonious system. But it will be our system, and we constantly need to ask ourselves the question: is it in Scripture – what we are talking about? To what extent does it tie in with Scripture – what we are talking about? Therefore I propose, when reading, to focus first of all on the pshat (simple meaning), by which it is quite logical and clear why it speaks of the third day.

In verse 18 the Torah adds a warning:

וְאִם הֵאָכֹל יֵאָכֵל מִבְּשַׂר־זֶבַח שְׁלָמָיו בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי לֹא יֵרָצֶה הַמַּקְרִיב אֹתוֹ לֹא יֵחָשֵׁב לוֹ פִּגּוּל יִהְיֶה וְהַנֶּפֶשׁ הָאֹכֶלֶת מִמֶּנּוּ עֲוֹנָהּ תִּשָּׂא׃

ve'ím he'achól ye'achél mibbesar-zévach shelamáv bayom hashelishí lo yeratzé hammakrív otó lo yechashév lo piggúl yihyé vehannéfesh ha'ochélet mimménu avoná tissá

18 And if he nevertheless eats as food of the meat of his peace offering on the third day, this offering will not be accepted (this offering will not be accepted favorably), it will not be counted to him, and it will be rottenness, and the soul that eats of it will bear its sin.

וְהַבָּשָׂר אֲשֶׁר־יִגַּע בְּכָל־טָמֵא לֹא יֵאָכֵל בָּאֵשׁ יִשָּׂרֵף וְהַבָּשָׂר כָּל־טָהוֹר יֹאכַל בָּשָׂר׃

vehabbasár asher-yiggá bechol-tamé lo ye'achél ba'ésh yissaréf vehabbasár kol-tahór yochál basár

19 And the meat that touches something unclean will not be eaten, it will be burned in fire, as for the meat (clean meat), anyone clean may eat this meat.

וְהַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־תֹּאכַל בָּשָׂר מִזֶּבַח הַשְּׁלָמִים אֲשֶׁר לַיהוָה וְטֻמְאָתוֹ עָלָיו וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא מֵעַמֶּיהָ׃

vehannéfesh asher-tochál basár mizzévach hashelamím ashér ladonáy vetum'ató aláv venichretá hannéfesh hahí me'amméha

20 And the soul that will eat meat from the peace offering, which is to the LORD, and his defilement is on him, that soul will be cut off from its people.

That is, a person who eats this meat in a state of uncleanness will be subjected to punishment. Here we read about the punishment that is called karét (cutting off). Regarding the punishment karét there is no dispute, it is the most serious punishment in the Torah. Some say that nichretá (will be cut off) – is the breaking of the thread of life of the soul, that a person who has done what this verse speaks of will simply die early, the punishment for this is early death. Others say that it is literally cutting off from the people, that at death the person is not joined to his fathers, ceases to be part of his people, simply ceases to be part of the people of God.

In the Torah there are 18 cases, 18 offenses, for which there is the punishment karét. Some of them are connected with the holiness of a certain time. For example, if a person does not eat the Passover offering, his punishment is karét. If a person eats chamétz (leaven) during Pesach, his punishment is karét. If a person violates the Sabbath, his punishment is also karét. If a person works or eats on the Day of Judgment, on Yom Kippur, his punishment is karét. These are punishments that are connected with the holiness of the day.

There are punishments that are connected with the holiness of some material, some substance. For example, the punishment karét is imposed on one who eats blood; who eats chélev (fat), which is designated for sacrifice; who repeats the recipe and makes the incense (ketóret) or the anointing oil (shémen hamishchá). Also subjected to the punishment karét is one who eats an offering (as we see here) after the appointed time; one who eats an offering in an unclean state; one who curses the Most High or openly violates His commandment; one who does not perform circumcision; one who does not purify himself after touching the dead; one who serves Molech; one who turns to those who call up the dead; one who brings holy sacrifices outside the holy place; one who brings forbidden sacrifices; one who enters into forbidden sexual relations. I think I have remembered all 18, all 18 cases of the punishment karét, the most terrible punishment in the Torah.

וְנֶפֶשׁ כִּי־תִגַּע בְּכָל־טָמֵא בְּטֻמְאַת אָדָם אוֹ בִּבְהֵמָה טְמֵאָה אוֹ בְּכָל־שֶׁקֶץ טָמֵא וְאָכַל מִבְּשַׂר־זֶבַח הַשְּׁלָמִים אֲשֶׁר לַיהוָה וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא מֵעַמֶּיהָ׃

venéfesh ki-tiggá bechol-tamé betum'át adám o bivhemá teme'á o bechol-shéketz tamé ve'achál mibbesar-zévach hashelamím ashér ladonáy venichretá hannéfesh hahí me'amméha

21 And a soul, if it touches anything unclean from the uncleanness of a person (from human defilement), or an unclean animal, or any defiling insect, and after that ate of the peace offering, which is to the LORD, that soul will be destroyed, cut off from its people.

With this, by and large, the instructions that the Most High gives through Moshe to Aharon and the sons come to an end.

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר׃

vaydabbér adonáy el-moshé lemór

22 And the LORD said to Moshe, saying:

דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר כָּל־חֵלֶב שׁוֹר וְכֶשֶׂב וָעֵז לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ׃

dabbér el-bené yisraél lemór kol-chélev shor vechésev va'éz lo tochélu

23 “Speak with all the sons of Israel: all the inner fat of an ox, a sheep or a goat do not eat.

Now the Most High addresses not only the kohanim, but the whole people as well, this is no longer an internal instruction. All the inner fat (chélev), which we spoke of as a special kind of fat, of an ox, a sheep or a goat may not be eaten.

וְחֵלֶב נְבֵלָה וְחֵלֶב טְרֵפָה יֵעָשֶׂה לְכָל־מְלָאכָה וְאָכֹל לֹא תֹאכְלֻהוּ׃

vechélev nevelá vechélev terefá ye'asé lechol-melachá ve'achól lo tochelúhu

24 And the fat of a carcass, and the fat of a torn animal may be used for some work, but it may not be eaten (as food do not eat it).

That is, it can be used in practice to grease shoes with it, a crankshaft or for something else like that.

כִּי כָּל־אֹכֵל חֵלֶב מִן־הַבְּהֵמָה אֲשֶׁר יַקְרִיב מִמֶּנָּה אִשֶּׁה לַיהוָה וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הָאֹכֶלֶת מֵעַמֶּיהָ׃

ki kol-ochél chélev mín-habbehemá ashér yakrív mimménna ishé ladonáy venichretá hannéfesh ha'ochélet me'amméha

25 For anyone who eats fat from livestock of which a sacrifice burned to the LORD is brought, the soul that eats will be cut off from its people.

וְכָל־דָּם לֹא תֹאכְלוּ בְּכֹל מוֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶם לָעוֹף וְלַבְּהֵמָה׃

vechol-dám lo tochelú bechól moshevotechém la'óf velabbehemá

26 And do not eat any blood in all (any) of your settlement, from bird, and from livestock.

This means that fish blood may be eaten. In fact, human blood may be eaten too: if you are grating something on a grater, and a little blood got in there, it may be eaten, although it is best, of course, to remove it.

כָּל־נֶפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־תֹּאכַל כָּל־דָּם וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא מֵעַמֶּיהָ׃

kol-néfesh asher-tochál kol-dám venichretá hannéfesh hahi me'amméha

27 Every soul that eats any blood, that soul will be cut off from the people of Israel.”

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר׃

vaydabbér adonáy el-moshé lemór

28 And the LORD spoke to Moshe, saying:

דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר הַמַּקְרִיב אֶת־זֶבַח שְׁלָמָיו לַיהוָה יָבִיא אֶת־קָרְבָּנוֹ לַיהוָה מִזֶּבַח שְׁלָמָיו׃

dabbér el-bené yisraél lemór hammakrív et-zévach shelamáv ladonáy yaví et-korbanó ladonáy mizzévach shelamáv

29 “Say to the sons of Israel, saying: he who brings a peace offering to the LORD will bring this offering to the LORD from those kinds of livestock that are appointed for bringing a peace offering to the LORD.

יָדָיו תְּבִיאֶינָה אֵת אִשֵּׁי יְהוָה אֶת־הַחֵלֶב עַל־הֶחָזֶה יְבִיאֶנּוּ אֵת הֶחָזֶה לְהָנִיף אֹתוֹ תְּנוּפָה לִפְנֵי יְהוָה׃

yadáv tevi'éna et ishé adonáy et-hachélev al-hechazé yevi'énnu et hechazé lehaníf otó tenufá lifné adonáy

30 With his own hand he will bring the offering burned to the LORD. And the fat on the breast he will bring, the breast – in order to lift it up as an elevation to the Most High.

What is being talked about here? A person must not simply hand this offering to the kohen and say: “Go, cut it up.” But after everything has been cut up, the breast, as the part that goes to the kohen, and the fat, which will go onto the altar, the kohen takes onto his hand, and the one who brings this offering lays his hand on top. We said that this is a kind of pas that a person performs, dancing with the Most High. Here the person merges with the kohen into a single whole, and together they perform this waving of the offering, as we have already said, a certain dance movement with the Most High. The one who brings this offering necessarily takes part in this joint dance with the kohen and God.

וְהִקְטִיר הַכֹּהֵן אֶת־הַחֵלֶב הַמִּזְבֵּחָה וְהָיָה הֶחָזֶה לְאַהֲרֹן וּלְבָנָיו׃

vehiktír hakkohén et-hachélev hammizbécha vehayá hechazé le'aharón ulvanáv

31 And then the kohen takes the fat and brings it onto the altar, and the breast goes to Aharon and his sons (that is, in this case to the kohen himself).

וְאֵת שׁוֹק הַיָּמִין תִּתְּנוּ תְרוּמָה לַכֹּהֵן מִזִּבְחֵי שַׁלְמֵיכֶם׃

ve'ét shok hayamín tittenú terumá lakkohén mizzivché shalmechém

32 And the right shank (thigh, leg) give as an elevation to the kohen from your peace offerings.

That is, after you have performed the dance with the breast and the fat together, you also give him the right leg. The right front leg is usually joined to the breast, and bring it as a lifting up. The rest, what remains (the greater part), is received by the one who brought the offering, and he, together with his family, together with everyone, may eat it in purity.

הַמַּקְרִיב אֶת־דַּם הַשְּׁלָמִים וְאֶת־הַחֵלֶב מִבְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן לוֹ תִהְיֶה שׁוֹק הַיָּמִין לְמָנָה׃

hammakrív et-dám hashelamím ve'et-hachélev mibbené aharón lo tihyé shok hayamín lemaná

33 The one who brings the blood of the peace offering and the fat, of the sons of Aharon, to him the right leg will be as a share (portion).

כִּי אֶת־חֲזֵה הַתְּנוּפָה וְאֵת שׁוֹק הַתְּרוּמָה לָקַחְתִּי מֵאֵת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִזִּבְחֵי שַׁלְמֵיהֶם וָאֶתֵּן אֹתָם לְאַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן וּלְבָנָיו לְחָק־עוֹלָם מֵאֵת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

ki et-chazé hattenufá ve'ét shok hatterumá lakáchti me'ét bene-yisraél mizzivché shalmehém va'ettén otám le'aharón hakkohén ulvanáv lechok-olám me'ét bené yisraél

34 Because the breast that is waved and the leg (thigh) of elevation I have taken from the sons of Israel, from their peace offerings, and I will give them to Aharon, the kohen, and to his sons as an eternal law from the sons of Israel.

זֹאת מִשְׁחַת אַהֲרֹן וּמִשְׁחַת בָּנָיו מֵאִשֵּׁי יְהוָה בְּיוֹם הִקְרִיב אֹתָם לְכַהֵן לַיהוָה׃

zot mishchát aharón umishchát banáv me'ishé adonáy beyom hikrív otám lechahén la'adonáy

35 This share of Aharon and his sons is designated for them by the anointing from the fire offerings to the Most High from the moment they were installed in the service of a kohen,

אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה לָתֵת לָהֶם בְּיוֹם מָשְׁחוֹ אֹתָם מֵאֵת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל חֻקַּת עוֹלָם לְדֹרֹתָם׃

ashér tzivvá adonáy latét lahém beyom moshchó otám me'ét bené yisraél chukkát olám ledorotám

36 The share that the LORD commanded to give them on the day when He anointed them, from the sons of Israel – this is an eternal law for their generations.

Concluding the talk about the sacrifices and having given complete instructions regarding each of them, the Most High, summing up, says:

זֹאת הַתּוֹרָה לָעֹלָה לַמִּנְחָה וְלַחַטָּאת וְלָאָשָׁם וְלַמִּלּוּאִים וּלְזֶבַח הַשְּׁלָמִים׃

zot hattorá la'olá lamminchá velachattát vela'ashám velammillu'ím ulzévach hashelamím

37 This is the teaching of the burnt offering, of the grain gift, and of the purifying offering, and of the guilt offering, and at the appointment of the kohanim, and in the peace sacrifice,

אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה בְּהַר סִינָי בְּיוֹם צַוֹּתוֹ אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהַקְרִיב אֶת־קָרְבְּנֵיהֶם לַיהוָה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינָי׃

ashér tzivvá adonáy et-moshé behár sináy beyom tzavvotó et-bené yisraél lehakrív et-korbenehém ladonáy bemidbár sináy

38 Which the LORD commanded Moshe on Mount Sinai, when He commanded the people of Israel about the bringing of their sacrifices to the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai.

Priests in quarantine

Vayikra 8:1–36

With God’s help, you and I are today finishing the study of the weekly portion Tzav, and we will read chapter 8 of the book, from verse 1.

Everything is ready for the celebration, the solemn event can begin.

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר׃

vaydabbér adonáy el-moshé lemór

1 And the Most High spoke to Moshe, saying:

קַח אֶת־אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת־בָּנָיו אִתּוֹ וְאֵת הַבְּגָדִים וְאֵת שֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה וְאֵת פַּר הַחַטָּאת וְאֵת שְׁנֵי הָאֵילִים וְאֵת סַל הַמַּצּוֹת׃

kach et-aharón ve'et-banáv ittó ve'ét habbegadím ve'ét shémen hammishchá ve'ét par hachattát ve'ét shené ha'elím ve'ét sal hammattzót

2 “Take Aharon, and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and the purifying offering, and the two lambs, and the basket of unleavened loaves.

One of the lambs goes as a burnt offering, and the other lamb will be part of the consecration of the kohanim. They will be brought daily over the course of seven days. We read about how to do this in the book of Shemot. And there the Most High commanded that with this offering there be only unleavened loaves, unlike the thanksgiving offering, when leavened loaves may be added for the kohanim. Here the loaves are only unleavened.

וְאֵת כָּל־הָעֵדָה הַקְהֵל אֶל־פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד׃

ve'ét kol-ha'edá hakhél el-pétach óhel mo'éd

3 And all the community ‘crowd together’ at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.”

וַיַּעַשׂ מֹשֶׁה כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֹתוֹ וַתִּקָּהֵל הָעֵדָה אֶל־פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד׃

vayás moshé ka'ashér tzivvá adonáy otó vattikkahél ha'edá el-pétach óhel mo'éd

4 And Moshe did as the LORD had commanded him, and he gathered the whole community at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

All of Israel, the whole people of Israel, will be present at this solemn event. It is important that this event take place in front of all the good people. And you and I are also invited and can also be present.

וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־הָעֵדָה זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה יְהוָה לַעֲשׂוֹת׃

vayomer moshé el-ha'edá ze haddavár asher-tzivvá adonáy la'asót

5 And Moshe said to the community: “This is the thing that the LORD commanded to do.”

וַיַּקְרֵב מֹשֶׁה אֶת־אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת־בָּנָיו וַיִּרְחַץ אֹתָם בַּמָּיִם׃

vayakrév moshé et-aharón ve'et-banáv vayirchátz otám bammáyim

6 And Moshe brought Aharon and his sons near, and washed them with water.

Of course, he did not take them to the bathhouse and did not scrub them with a washcloth in front of all the people, but washed their hands and feet. The washing of hands and feet was part of the consecration of the kohanim. For seven days Moshe had to do this. Moshe – nasí (president, leader of the people, head of the nation), he is also the king, he is also the messenger of the Most High – in front of the whole people washes the feet of the kohanim. This is a prototype of what King Mashiach will do for his disciples.

In verse 7 it is no longer about Aharon and his sons, but only about Aharon.

וַיִּתֵּן עָלָיו אֶת־הַכֻּתֹּנֶת וַיַּחְגֹּר אֹתוֹ בָּאַבְנֵט וַיַּלְבֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ אֶת־הַמְּעִיל וַיִּתֵּן עָלָיו אֶת־הָאֵפֹד וַיַּחְגֹּר אֹתוֹ בְּחֵשֶׁב הָאֵפֹד וַיֶּאְפֹּד לוֹ בּוֹ׃

vayittén aláv et-hakkutónet vayachgór otó ba'avnét vayalbésh oto et-hamme'íl vayittén aláv et-ha'efód vayachgór otó bechéshev ha'efód vayeppód lo bo

7 And he put on him the kutónet (undershirt), and put on him the sash (like a belt), and put on him the me'íl (cloak, outer garment), and put on him the efod (vest), and tied him with the ties of the efod, and fastened it on him.

Kutónet (undershirt) – this is clothing for everyone; both boys and girls wore such clothing. Of course, it differed in embroidery, finishing, workmanship. Aharon’s shirt is sewn in a particular way, with cells, that is, the fabric is gathered in a special way; his sons’ shirt is an ordinary one. We know from the Tanach that the king’s daughters wore dyed shirts with long sleeves, and nobles wore garments, shirts, which their superiors gave them.

Moshe not only washes but also dresses Aharon, that is, he performs the functions of a servant. It was customary to dress a wealthy person, especially a woman. I often mention that the fastening on women’s clothing is on the other side, because a wealthy woman, whose clothing had fastenings, was dressed by servants; it was inconvenient for her to fasten it herself. And the woman who has no servants, her clothing has no fastenings either, she has nothing to worry about.

So, Moshe plays the role of a servant here, and this is not for nothing. It is visible to the whole people that Moshe is ready to serve the kohanim and himself confirms their status.

וַיָּשֶׂם עָלָיו אֶת־הַחֹשֶׁן וַיִּתֵּן אֶל־הַחֹשֶׁן אֶת־הָאוּרִים וְאֶת־הַתֻּמִּים׃

vayásem aláv et-hachóshen vayittén el-hachóshen et-ha'urím ve'et-hattummím

8 And he put on him (on top) the breastplate, and placed on the breastplate the Urim and Tummim.

Very often people ask, this is one of the most common questions that the audience asks: “What are the Urim and Tummim?” And the answer to this question – nobody knows what the Urim and Tummim are. There are commentators who say that this means sanctifying and explaining, that the Urim and Tummim showed, lit up letters through their stones and made it possible to communicate with the Most High, to receive answers from Him, as a kind of oracle. From the point of view of language and from the point of view of common sense, the most fitting interpretation of urím vetummím is blessing and cursing. That is, it is some part of the clothing that symbolizes the authority of the kohen to bless and to curse, to bind and to loose.

וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־הַמִּצְנֶפֶת עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ וַיָּשֶׂם עַל־הַמִּצְנֶפֶת אֶל־מוּל פָּנָיו אֵת צִיץ הַזָּהָב נֵזֶר הַקֹּדֶשׁ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה׃

vayásem et-hammitznéfet al-roshó vayásem al-hammitznéfet el-múl panáv et tzitz hazzaháv nézer hakkódesh ka'ashér tzivvá adonáy et-moshé

9 And he put the turban on his head, and over the turban, opposite the kohen’s face, he placed the golden plate, as a holy crown, as the LORD had commanded Moshe.

We remember that the LORD commanded Moshe to place on Aharon’s forehead a golden plate (tzitz), on which will be written: “Holiness to the LORD.”

וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת־שֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָ וַיִּמְשַׁח אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־בּוֹ וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתָם׃

vayikkách moshé et-shémen hammishchá vayimshách et-hammishkán ve'et-kol-asher-bó vaykaddésh otám

10 And Moshe took the anointing oil, and anointed the Mishkan (sprinkled abundantly) and everything that was in it, and sanctified them.

וַיַּז מִמֶּנּוּ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים וַיִּמְשַׁח אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְאֶת־כָּל־כֵּלָיו וְאֶת־הַכִּיֹּר וְאֶת־כַּנּוֹ לְקַדְּשָׁם׃

vayáz mimménu al-hammizbéyach shéva pe'amím vayimshách et-hammizbéyach ve'et-kol-keláv ve'ét-hakkiyor ve'et-kannó lekaddeshám

11 And he sprinkled of it on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar, and all its utensils, and the washbasin, and the base of the washbasin, for holiness.

Seven times – this is such a well-known action of the kohen, it is a number that symbolizes a certain wholeness and completeness. Seven days of the week, we know, creation began with this.

After Moshe anointed the Mishkan and the altar, we read:

וַיִּצֹק מִשֶּׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה עַל רֹאשׁ אַהֲרֹן וַיִּמְשַׁח אֹתוֹ לְקַדְּשׁוֹ׃

vayitzók mishémen hammishchá al rosh aharón vayimshách otó lekaddeshó

12 And he splashed (poured) the oil of anointing onto the head of Aharon, and anointed him, to sanctify him.

The word yitzók (from the verb latzéket, to pour in; matzéket – a ladling spoon, a ladle) means that they did not just dab Aharon a little with this oil: Moshe “scooped” the anointing oil onto Aharon’s head – so that it could be felt, could be known even on Aharon’s beard, that is, they generously doused Aharon with oil like that.

Of oil, when it is poured somewhere or added, and in general, when they pour something somewhere, in Hebrew they say lehotzik; matzéket – a ladle, a pourer. If you remember (and you surely remember), there is a song like this (Tehillim 133): “How good and pleasant it is for brothers to gather together.” With what is this fondness compared, this joy that fills people when they gather together? With two things: the first is the oil running down onto Aharon’s beard, that is our case; the second is the dew that runs down on Mount Chermon from top to bottom.

The composition of the special oil for anointing is recounted in the book of Shemot, and besides that, it says there that this composition is holy, and if some commoner sets up its production or makes it even once, things will go very, very badly for him.

We read that only Aharon is anointed, his sons do not need anointing. Therefore Aharon is called kohen mashíach – the anointed kohen. And from then on the high priest in every generation will be called the anointed kohen, although in fact they are no longer anointed (if the tradition has not been lost).

וַיַּקְרֵב מֹשֶׁה אֶת־בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן וַיַּלְבִּשֵׁם כֻּתֳּנֹת וַיַּחְגֹּר אֹתָם אַבְנֵט וַיַּחֲבֹשׁ לָהֶם מִגְבָּעוֹת כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה׃

vayakrév moshé et-bené aharón vayalbishém kuttonót vayachgór otám avnét vayachavósh lahém migba'ót ka'ashér tzivvá adonáy et-moshé

13 And Moshe brought near (led up) the sons of Aharon (to the entrance of the Tent), and dressed them in shirts, and put sashes on them and migba'ót, as the LORD commanded Moshe.

Migba'ót – the simple headgear of the ordinary kohanim, a tall hat resembling a top hat.

Why does the Torah not say here: as the LORD commanded him? Because this linguistic formula has already become established throughout the book of Vayikra: as the LORD commanded Moshe.

וַיַּגֵּשׁ אֵת פַּר הַחַטָּאת וַיִּסְמֹךְ אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו אֶת־יְדֵיהֶם עַל־רֹאשׁ פַּר הַחַטָּאת׃

vayaggésh et par hachattát vayismóch aharón uvanáv et-yedehém al-rósh par hachattát

14 And he brought near to them the bull of the purifying offering, and Aharon and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the purifying offering,

The first offering that the kohanim bring is a purifying offering for themselves. We have already said that purification happens not so much for a sin, not so much on account of an accusation of some specific sin, but out of a feeling of guilt. What should one do if a person is appointed to a position, and not to a simple position, but to such a serious position as high priest or kohen in Israel? The person thinks: “I am unworthy, and yet I will have to serve. How am I going to do this?” So that the kohen is freed from the feeling of guilt, the Most High says: “If you bring a purifying offering, the purifying offering will free you from guilt.”

The laying on of hands is done with every offering. Thereby, one could say, communicating vessels are created: one’s own impurity, one’s own culpability is transferred onto this offering, is assigned to this offering, showing everyone that the offering symbolically takes on this impurity, this guilt.

וַיִּשְׁחָט וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת־הַדָּם וַיִּתֵּן עַל־קַרְנוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ סָבִיב בְּאֶצְבָּעוֹ וַיְחַטֵּא אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְאֶת־הַדָּם יָצַק אֶל־יְסוֹד הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וַיְקַדְּשֵׁהוּ לְכַפֵּר עָלָיו׃

vayishchát vayikkách moshé et-haddám vayittén al-karnót hammizbéach savív be'etzba'ó vaychatté et-hammizbéach ve'et-haddám yatzák el-yesód hammizbéach vaykaddeshéhu lechappér aláv

15 And he slaughtered, and Moshe took the blood, and put it on the horns of the altar, with his finger he sprinkled around the altar, and purified (sterilized) the altar, and the rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar and sanctified it for atonement on it.

In this case Moshe, who is not himself a kohen, does the work that later the kohanim specifically will do. Here Moshe serves the kohanim, thereby showing the people that the kohanic service will be more important, perhaps, than the royal service which he has now, the king performs their work like a servant.

Here we see that the word chatát as an offering does not mean sin offering, does not come from the word chet (sin), but from the word lechaté (vaychate – purified, cleaned, sterilized). With the offering chatát, the offering of purification, he purified the altar.

וַיִּקַּח אֶת־כָּל־הַחֵלֶב אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַקֶּרֶב וְאֵת יֹתֶרֶת הַכָּבֵד וְאֶת־שְׁתֵּי הַכְּלָיֹת וְאֶת־חֶלְבְּהֶן וַיַּקְטֵר מֹשֶׁה הַמִּזְבֵּחָה׃

vayikkách et-kol-hachélev ashér al-hakkérev ve'ét yotéret hakkavéd ve'et-sheté hakkelayot ve'et-chelbehén vayaktér moshé hammizbécha

16 And he took all the fat that is on the innards, and the caudate lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and Moshe burned them as incense on the altar.

וְאֶת־הַפָּר וְאֶת־עֹרוֹ וְאֶת־בְּשָׂרוֹ וְאֶת־פִּרְשׁוֹ שָׂרַף בָּאֵשׁ מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה׃

ve'et-happár ve'et-oró ve'et-besaró ve'et-pirshó saráf ba'ésh michútz lammachané ka'ashér tzivvá adonáy et-moshé

17 And the bull, and its hide, and its meat (flesh), and its dung he burned on a fire outside the camp, as the LORD commanded Moshe.

We remember that the blood of the offering chatát, which is brought for the kohen hamashiach, is brought into the Holy. But here Moshe did not do this. Why? Because the kohanim themselves had not yet entered the priesthood and had not yet had time to make mischief in the Holy. And the second reason – so that this would be done before the whole people.

וַיַּקְרֵב אֵת אֵיל הָעֹלָה וַיִּסְמְכוּ אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו אֶת־יְדֵיהֶם עַל־רֹאשׁ הָאָיִל׃

vayakrév et el ha'olá vayismechú aharón uvanáv et-yedehém al-rósh ha'áyil

18 And he brought near the lamb of the burnt offering, and Aharon and his sons laid their hands on the head of the lamb.

This is the first of the lambs. We said, one goes for the burnt offering, the second goes for the milu'ím, for the consecration procedure.

וַיִּשְׁחָט וַיִּזְרֹק מֹשֶׁה אֶת־הַדָּם עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ סָבִיב׃

vayishchát vayizrók moshé et-haddám al-hammizbéach savív

19 And he slaughtered it, and Moshe scattered the blood around the altar,

וְאֶת־הָאַיִל נִתַּח לִנְתָחָיו וַיַּקְטֵר מֹשֶׁה אֶת־הָרֹאשׁ וְאֶת־הַנְּתָחִים וְאֶת־הַפָּדֶר׃

ve'et-ha'áyil nittách lintacháv vayaktér moshé et-harósh ve'et-hannetachím ve'et-happáder

20 And the lamb he cut into pieces, and Moshe burned as incense the head, and the pieces, and the fat (páder – a special kind of fat).

וְאֶת־הַקֶּרֶב וְאֶת־הַכְּרָעַיִם רָחַץ בַּמָּיִם וַיַּקְטֵר מֹשֶׁה אֶת־כָּל־הָאַיִל הַמִּזְבֵּחָה עֹלָה הוּא לְרֵיחַ־נִיחֹחַ אִשֶּׁה הוּא לַיהוָה כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה׃

ve'et-hakkérev ve'et-hakkera'áyim rachátz bammáyim vayaktér moshé et-kol-ha'áyil hammizbécha olá hu lereyach-nichóach ishé hu ladonáy ka'ashér tzivvá adonáy et-moshé

21 And the entrails (innards) he washed in water, and Moshe burned as incense the whole lamb on the altar of burnt offering for a scent of delight. This is an offering burned to the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moshe.

That is, how is the burnt offering brought? Here we see that its bringing is, as it were, divided into two stages, Moshe, as it were, brings this lamb of the burnt offering in two stages. First he brings the head, the pieces, and the fat, and then he brings the innards too. Why so? Or is this the language of the Torah? In chapter 9 we will come back to this and talk about it in more detail.

In verse 22 we read about the second lamb, which must be brought as an offering. This lamb is one of seven, which will be brought every day while the kohanim go through the consecration procedure. All these actions with oil, washings and offerings will continue for seven days, this is a kind of boot camp for the kohanim.

וַיַּקְרֵב אֶת־הָאַיִל הַשֵּׁנִי אֵיל הַמִּלֻּאִים וַיִּסְמְכוּ אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו אֶת־יְדֵיהֶם עַל־רֹאשׁ הָאָיִל׃

vayakrév et-ha'áyil hashení el hammillu'ím vayismechú aharón uvanáv et-yedehém al-rósh ha'áyil

22 And he brought near the second lamb, the lamb of consecration, and Aharon and the sons laid their hands on the head of this lamb,

יִּשְׁחָט וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה מִדָּמוֹ וַיִּתֵּן עַל־תְּנוּךְ אֹזֶן־אַהֲרֹן הַיְמָנִית וְעַל־בֹּהֶן יָדוֹ הַיְמָנִית וְעַל־בֹּהֶן רַגְלוֹ הַיְמָנִית׃

vayishchát vayikkách moshé middamó vayittén al-tenúch ozen-aharón haymanít ve'al-bóhen yadó haymanít ve'al-bóhen ragló haymanít

23 And he slaughtered it, and Moshe took of its blood, and put it on the right earlobe of Aharon, and on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of the right foot.

In the book of Shemot we mentioned the midrash of Rabbi Azulai, where it says that this was one of the signs that Rachel passed on to Yaakov in her time. The hand is connected with actions, the foot – with a plan, the ear – with the perception of the world, and in this way all the channels of communication are, as it were, purified. There are many different interpretations of this.

וַיַּקְרֵב אֶת־בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן וַיִּתֵּן מֹשֶׁה מִן־הַדָּם עַל־תְּנוּךְ אָזְנָם הַיְמָנִית וְעַל־בֹּהֶן יָדָם הַיְמָנִית וְעַל־בֹּהֶן רַגְלָם הַיְמָנִית וַיִּזְרֹק מֹשֶׁה אֶת־הַדָּם עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ סָבִיב׃

vayakrév et-bené aharón vayittén moshé min-haddám al-tenúch oznám haymanít ve'al-bóhen yadám haymanít ve'al-bóhen raglám haymanít vayizrók moshé et-haddám al-hammizbéach savív

24 And he brought near the sons of Aharon, and Moshe put some of the blood on the lobe of their right ears, and on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet, and scattered the blood around the altar.

Through this connection, when the blood is scattered both around the altar and on the one being purified, the one being consecrated, a blood kinship is born, the kohen becomes, as it were, of one blood with the Most High. And from this moment, from the moment of his consecration, he can represent the Most High before the people. On the one hand, the kohen represents God to the people, on the other hand, the people – to God, a kind of “deified” person. A person through whom God is revealed and through whom the people is revealed to the Most High. This is the essence of the anointing and purification of the kohanim. A very important event, although, it would seem, some strange actions are performed, which may seem barbaric or magical to some.

וַיִּקַּח אֶת־הַחֵלֶב וְאֶת־הָאַלְיָה וְאֶת־כָּל־הַחֵלֶב אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַקֶּרֶב וְאֵת יֹתֶרֶת הַכָּבֵד וְאֶת־שְׁתֵּי הַכְּלָיֹת וְאֶת־חֶלְבְּהֶן וְאֵת שׁוֹק הַיָּמִין׃

vayikkách et-hachélev ve'et-ha'alyá ve'et-kol-hachélev ashér al-hakkérev ve'ét yotéret hakkavéd ve'et-sheté hakkelayot ve'et-chelbehén ve'ét shok hayamín

25 And he took the inner fat, and the fat tail, and all the fat that is on the innards, and the caudate section of the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right thigh (shank).

That is, Moshe has now taken the part that belongs to the altar and the part that is to belong to Aharon and the sons as participants in this offering. Usually the brisket and the leg will go to the kohen, but here Moshe also has a share, therefore everything is divided differently: Moshe takes both the kohanim’s share and the altar’s share.

וּמִסַּל הַמַּצּוֹת אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי יְהוָה לָקַח חַלַּת מַצָּה אַחַת וְחַלַּת לֶחֶם שֶׁמֶן אַחַת וְרָקִיק אֶחָד וַיָּשֶׂם עַל־הַחֲלָבִים וְעַל שׁוֹק הַיָּמִין׃

umissál hammattzót ashér lifné adonáy lakách challát mattzá achát vechallát léchem shémen achát verakík echád vayásem al-hachalavím ve'ál shok hayamín

26 And from the basket of unleavened bread, which is before the LORD, he took one unleavened bread, and one bread (flatbread) with oil, and one flat wafer, and placed them on the fat and on the right thigh.

That is, from the unleavened bread, which was also brought as a gift to the LORD, Moshe made a kind of sandwich with raw meat. Let me remind you that baked goods of three kinds are brought as a gift, and the kohen receives one flatbread of each kind. This is exactly what Moshe took here.

וַיִּתֵּן אֶת־הַכֹּל עַל כַּפֵּי אַהֲרֹן וְעַל כַּפֵּי בָנָיו וַיָּנֶף אֹתָם תְּנוּפָה לִפְנֵי יְהוָה׃

vayittén et-hakkól al kappé aharón ve'ál kappé vanáv vayánef otám tenufá lifné adonáy

27 And he put all this onto the hands of Aharon, and onto the hands of his sons, and they waved it before the LORD.

This whole sandwich of bread and meat Moshe laid onto the hands of Aharon and the sons, and they, as it were, danced their steps before the Most High, performed a dance with the Most High.

וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה אֹתָם מֵעַל כַּפֵּיהֶם וַיַּקְטֵר הַמִּזְבֵּחָה עַל־הָעֹלָה מִלֻּאִים הֵם לְרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ אִשֶּׁה הוּא לַיהוָה׃

vayikkách moshé otám me'ál kappehém vayaktér hammizbécha al-ha'olá millu'ím hem leréyach nichóach ishé hu ladonáy

28 And Moshe took from them, out of their hands, this whole construction, and burned it as incense on the altar of burnt offering. This is the lamb of consecration for a scent of delight, an offering burned to the LORD.

וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת־הֶחָזֶה וַיְנִיפֵהוּ תְנוּפָה לִפְנֵי יְהוָה מֵאֵיל הַמִּלֻּאִים לְמֹשֶׁה הָיָה לְמָנָה כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה׃

vayikkách moshé et-hechazé vayniféhu tenufá lifné adonáy me'él hammillu'ím lemoshé hayá lemaná ka'ashér tzivvá adonáy et-moshé

29 And Moshe himself took the breast and waved it with a waving before the Most High, from the lamb of consecration. This part was Moshe's share, as the LORD commanded Moshe.

Moshe too danced his part with the Most High. The kohen usually receives the breast and the right leg. Here a division took place: Moshe too, as the attendant of the kohanim, received his piece, his share.

וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה מִשֶּׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה וּמִן־הַדָּם אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וַיַּז עַל־אַהֲרֹן עַל־בְּגָדָיו וְעַל־בָּנָיו וְעַל־בִּגְדֵי בָנָיו אִתּוֹ וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת־אַהֲרֹן אֶת־בְּגָדָיו וְאֶת־בָּנָיו וְאֶת־בִּגְדֵי בָנָיו אִתּוֹ׃

vayikkách moshé mishémen hammishchá umin-haddám ashér al-hammizbéach vayáz al-aharón al-begadáv ve'al-banáv ve'al-bigdé vanáv ittó vaykaddésh et-aharón et-begadáv ve'et-banáv ve'et-bigdé vanáv ittó

30 And Moshe took of the anointing oil and of the blood that is on the altar, and sprinkled it on Aharon, and on his garments, and on his sons, and on the garments of his sons together with him. And he sanctified Aharon, and his garments, and his sons, and the garments of his sons with him.

Consecration, just like purification, takes place through blood. The saturated garments themselves, having known the blood of the sacrifice, are sanctified and sanctify the kohanim. This is like one more stage of preparation for the priesthood – saturating them with holiness.

וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל־בָּנָיו בַּשְּׁלוּ אֶת־הַבָּשָׂר פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְשָׁם תֹּאכְלוּ אֹתוֹ וְאֶת־הַלֶּחֶם אֲשֶׁר בְּסַל הַמִּלֻּאִים כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוֵּיתִי לֵאמֹר אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו יֹאכְלֻהוּ׃

vayomer moshé el-aharón ve'el-banáv bashelú et-habbasár pétach óhel mo'éd veshám tochelú otó ve'et-halléchem ashér besál hammillu'ím ka'ashér tzivvéti lemór aharón uvanáv yochelúhu

31 And Moshe said to Aharon and to his sons: “Cook this meat before the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, and there you will eat it, and the bread that is in the basket for the bread of consecration, as it was commanded to me: Aharon and his sons will eat it.

וְהַנּוֹתָר בַּבָּשָׂר וּבַלָּחֶם בָּאֵשׁ תִּשְׂרֹפוּ׃

vehannotár babbasár uvalláchem ba'ésh tisrófu

32 And what remains of the meat and of the bread, you will burn in fire.

וּמִפֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֹא תֵצְאוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים עַד יוֹם מְלֹאת יְמֵי מִלֻּאֵיכֶם כִּי שִׁבְעַת יָמִים יְמַלֵּא אֶת־יֶדְכֶם׃

umippétach óhel mo'éd lo tetze'ú shiv'át yamím ad yom melót yemé millu'echém ki shiv'át yamím yemallé et-yedchém

33 And from the entrance to the Tent of Meeting do not go away for seven days, until the days of your consecration are fulfilled, because for seven days you will be filled,

That is, your hands will be filled, you will receive authority. The whole process of handing over the kohanic power, the kohanic strength will take seven days.

כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה צִוָּה יְהוָה לַעֲשֹׂת לְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם׃

ka'ashér asá bayom hazzé tzivvá adonáy la'asót lechappér alechém

34 Just as we did on this day – so the LORD said, to atone for you.

That is, for seven days we will repeat this very same procedure in order to atone for you, purify you, saturate you with holiness and prepare you for the kohanic service. You are in a week-long quarantine of holiness.

וּפֶתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד תֵּשְׁבוּ יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת־מִשְׁמֶרֶת יְהוָה וְלֹא תָמוּתוּ כִּי־כֵן צֻוֵּיתִי׃

ufétach óhel mo'éd teshevú yomám valáyla shiv'át yamím ushmartém et-mishméret adonáy veló tamútu ki-chén tzuvvéti

35 And at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting sit day and night for seven days. And keep (observe) what the Most High commanded us to observe (keep the keeping of the Most High, if translated literally). And you will not die, for so it was commanded to me.”

That is, do not be afraid to be in this holiness, you will not die if you abide in it. It is frightening for the kohanim, for anyone it is frightening – to abide in a holy place. But Moshe says here: do not be afraid, because so it was commanded to me.

וַיַּעַשׂ אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה יְהוָה בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁה׃

vayá'as aharón uvanáv et kol-haddevarím asher-tzivvá adonáy beyad-moshé

36 And Aharon and his sons did all those things that the LORD commanded through Moshe.

We see that in this procedure of the consecration of the kohanim, on the one hand, Moshe shows great humility, and serves the kohanim, and washes them, as the LORD commanded. On the other hand, self-sacrifice is also required of the kohanim themselves in the sense of overcoming their own fear of abiding in a holy place. They are the first, the pioneers, the ones who had to spend seven days in the quarantine of holiness, to abide seven days and seven nights in a holy place. With Moshe this happened on Mount Sinai, it fell to them to do it on earth. And at the same time a certain measure of humility is required of Aharon and the sons, to accept Moshe's serving them as their due: if Aharon is at least the older brother, then his sons are Moshe's nephews, and it is not quite fitting for their rank that their uncle should wash them. The application of certain spiritual efforts is required of all participants in the process of consecration.

Torah in 5 Minutes

Our weekly portion tells about one amazing sacrifice. You and I will read verses 12–13 and 15 of chapter 6.

12–13. And the LORD spoke to Moshe, saying: “This is the offering of Aharon and his sons, which they must bring to the LORD on the day of their anointing: a tenth part of an efa of fine wheat flour as a constant offering, half of it for the morning, half for the evening.

15. And the kohen who is anointed in his place from among his sons must perform this, this is a statute forever – to the LORD wholly, let it be burned as incense.

What is this offering that the Torah speaks of here? Any kohen, as soon as he begins his service, as soon as he begins his work in the Temple, brings the offering that is being talked about here, the very first offering. He brings this offering, a tenth part of an efa of fine wheat flour, on the day of his anointing and only once in his life. Probably every person of any profession remembers his first day of work, his first time. A dentist surely remembers his first client. And a taxi driver probably remembers how someone got into his car for the first time. Any person, regardless of profession, has a memory, a thrilling experience connected with this first time. For a kohen, for any kohen, the first time – is this very offering that is being talked about here. It even received such a name – korbán chinúch (offering of consecration).

So, any kohen can bring this offering only once in his life, the first time happens only once. But at the same time we read here that this must be a constant offering for the Most High: half of it for the morning, half – for the evening. The anointed kohen (kohén hamashíach) must perform this statute forever. How can that be? Indeed, an ordinary kohen who has begun service in the Temple brings this offering only once. Unlike him, the high priest (kohen hamashíach, kohen gadól), the most senior of all the kohanim, must bring this offering in the morning and in the evening. In the morning and in the evening he brings the offering of the first time – the offering of consecration. Daily, twice a day, he must begin to serve as if for the first time, return to the original love for the Most High, to the original excitement, to that very trembling of this first time. He must constantly revive his relationship with the Most High, which can fall into routine and turn into the everyday, become worn down. It is precisely for the high priest that such a great danger exists, therefore it is precisely he who is commanded to bring such an offering twice a day, in order to remember the purity of the relationship with the Most High.

A good acquaintance of mine, who held a very high political post, once had to undergo an operation, and it was suggested to him that some minister or some academician operate on him. But he said to this: “No, I don’t want ministers and academicians to operate on me. These ministers and academicians have not held a knife in their hand for many years. I want a simple surgeon to operate on me, who performs such operations every day, he will be able to do the operation as it should be done. And these ministers and academicians have already forgotten how to operate, because they have been occupied with theory for too long.”

The Most High took care that the high priest would constantly be in shape, would constantly return and renew his relationship with God, so that in the area of the experience of communion he would be like the youngest, like one who has only just begun, like one who still has a fresh and hot relationship with the Most High. Thus the high priest always remains young. This commandment also applies to us. We have the opportunity every day, whoever we consider ourselves to be, whatever we are honored as (pastor, rabbi, servant or apostle), every day in the morning and in the evening to bring such an offering. This must be learned.

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