English translation — שמיני ב

1.

Parshat Shemini is read in several years

(and according to the fixing of this year)

on the Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh Nissan,

and to this Shabbat belong revelations

(and is connected with blessings etc.)

to Rosh Chodesh Nissan¹

- for in it we read Parshat HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem*¹.

And according to the known²

that regarding all the festivals "there is a connection to those portions that occur in them" - it is understood,

that there is a connection between Rosh Chodesh Nissan

to Parshat Shemini.

And behold, the simple connection between Rosh Chodesh Nissan

(and Parshat HaChodesh)

(and Parshat HaChodesh)

to Parshat Vayehi Bayom HaShemini is — that "the eighth day"

(of the inauguration)

was on Rosh Chodesh Nissan³.

However, since the concept of Rosh Chodesh Nissan is <b>not</b> explicitly mentioned in the portion

and what is stated explicitly in it is only "And it was on the <b>eighth</b> day" — therefore it is logical to say,

that <b>the main</b> connection between this portion and Rosh Chodesh Nissan

(and Parshat HaChodesh)

is from the aspect of the concept of the eighth of the inauguration.

And this is that the superiority of the eighth day of the inauguration over the seven days of inauguration that preceded it,

is analogous to the superiority of Rosh Chodesh Nissan over the other days that seemingly resemble it.

2.

And behold, in such a fixed arrangement,

that Parshat HaChodesh is read on Shabbat Parshat Shemini — the reading of Parshat Parah

(which is always on the Shabbat before Parshat HaChodesh)

is on Shabbat Parshat Tzav,

in which it is discussed⁵

regarding the seven days of the consecration.

And since the reading of Parshat Parah comes as an introduction to the reading of Parshat HaChodesh

(and as it is stated in the Yerushalmi⁶

"Why does Parah precede

(HaChodesh)

because it is the purification of all Israel"),

and likewise the seven days of the consecration were an introduction and preparation for the eighth day — therefore it must be said,

that the superiority of Parshat HaChodesh over Parshat Parah

("the purification of all Israel"),

is analogous to the superiority of the eighth day over the consecration*⁶

over the seven days of the consecration that preceded it.

3.

And this will be understood by prefacing what our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said⁷

: "That day

(the eighth day of the consecration⁸)

And the Tosafot wrote⁹

: "The reason it did not count the first [day] of the establishment of the Mishkan,

is because we say in the Midrash¹⁰

that all seven days of the consecration Moses would set up the Mishkan and dismantle it.

Alternatively, because it refers to the establishment of the Mishkan,

and thus it means: that day of the establishment of the Mishkan took ten other crowns".

And behold, these two answers in the Tosafot

are opposite: according to the first answer — the matter of "first of the establishment of the Mishkan" is <b>less</b> than the level of the ten crowns,

to the extent that it is not counted at all among them; whereas according to the second answer — the <b>essence</b> of the excellence of "that day" is that on it the Mishkan was established, to the extent that "that day

(of the <b>establishment of the Mishkan</b>)

took ten crowns".

<b>took</b> ten crowns

(other)

4.

And this will be understood by prefacing the question: Why did Moshe set up the Mishkan during the seven days of the consecration,

and behold, the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded him "On the first day of the first month you shall set up the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting"¹¹,

and certainly Moshe did not do so from his own mind, heaven forbid?

And behold, the Ramban¹¹

explained,

that the reason that Moshe set up the Mishkan during the seven days of consecration,

is "because

(the Holy One, blessed be He)

said to him from the beginning 'And you shall set up the Mishkan according to its ordinance which you were shown on the mountain'¹²,

meaning that he needed to set it up <b>immediately</b> after the completion of the work of the Mishkan.

But after the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him "On the first day of the first month you shall set up etc.",

meaning that "on the first day of the first month its erection shall be for its standing,

behold he knew that during the time of the days of consecration he would need to set up and take down etc."

However,

the simple explanation of "On the first day of the new month etc. you shall set up the Tabernacle etc." is

(<b>Not</b> that on this day "its erection will be <b>for it to stand</b>",

but rather)

that the entire essence of its erection will be on this day.

(And from this that Rashi in his commentary on the Torah <b>does not</b> explain that the intention of "you shall set up" is "you shall set up for it to stand" and not "you shall set up" <b>literally</b> - it is proven that Rashi holds,

that the explanation of "you shall set up" is literal).

And accordingly,

the command "On the first day of the new month etc. you shall set up the Tabernacle etc." is not

(an <b>additional</b> command to the command "And you shall set up the Tabernacle etc.",

according to the explanation of the Ramban)

but rather a clarification of the matter and explanation of the command of "And you shall set up" — that the time of fulfillment of this command is "on the first day of the new month, on the first of the month".

And that which Moshe set up the Mishkan before Rosh Chodesh Nissan,

he was not explicitly commanded about this,

but rather he learned so from other commandments:

From that he was commanded to inaugurate Aharon and his sons in their service

(and the inauguration in service must be in the place where the service will be done permanently)

And furthermore and mainly — explicitly he was commanded that all seven days of the consecration shall be "at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting etc."¹³

— thus it is necessary to set up the Mishkan.

5.

And behold, what was stated above, that the reason Moshe set up the Mishkan before Rosh Chodesh Nissan was not because of the command "And you shall erect the Mishkan etc."

(according to the explanation of the Ramban),

it is necessary also according to Rashi's commentary <b>on the Talmud</b>:

One of the crowns that day took is — "first for the Shechinah to dwell"⁷.

And Rashi explains: "The Shechinah dwelt there, as it is written¹⁴

And I will dwell in their midst,

implying that until now it did not dwell"¹⁵.

And behold, from Rashi's wording "dwelt <b>there</b>" —

(and not <b>then</b>)

— it implies that

(the main point)

his intention is to negate the altars and the like that preceded the Mishkan.

And at first glance it is not understood: from what is written "And they shall make Me a Sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst" it implies that the dwelling of the Shechinah

("And I will dwell in their midst")

depends solely on the making and erecting of the Mishkan

("And they shall make Me a Sanctuary"),

and since also during the seven days of the consecration they fulfilled the command "And they shall make Me a Sanctuary"

(for Moshe then set up the Mishkan),

what is the necessity from the verse "And I will dwell in their midst" that the <b>eighth</b> day is the first for dwelling, "for until now it did not dwell"?

And from this it is forced,

that Rashi holds that this that Moses erected the Mishkan¹⁶

before Rosh Chodesh Nissan was not in this a matter of "and you shall erect the <b>Mishkan</b>" that comes in continuation of the command "and they shall make for Me a Sanctuary" — but only a fulfillment of a detail and condition in the fulfillment of other commands

(as above end of section 4).

(And see "and he built an altar under the mountain"¹⁷).

And there is in this erection the fulfillment of "and they shall make for Me a Sanctuary".

And therefore Rashi explained "for until now the Shechinah did not dwell"¹⁸,

because specifically after "and they shall make for Me a <b>Sanctuary</b>"

(i.e., the erection of the Mishkan from the aspect of its essence <b>itself</b>)

then will be "and I will dwell in their midst"¹⁹.

6.

And based on this one can say,

that the two answers of the Tosafos are divided in the dispute of Rashi and Ramban: the first answer of the Tosafos goes according to the method of the Ramban that also the erection of the Mishkan during the seven days of the consecration was from the aspect of the command "and you shall erect the <b>Mishkan</b>" — and accordingly, behold the eighth day <b>is not</b> "first to the erection of the Mishkan",

for the Mishkan was already <b>erected</b> during the seven days of the consecration; and the second answer of the Tosafos goes according to the method of Rashi that the erection of the Mishkan during the seven days of the consecration was a detail in the training of Aaron and his sons etc. and the eighth day of the consecration is "<b>first</b> to the erection of the Mishkan".

7.

One can also explain the difference between the two answers in Tosafos — by prefacing an explanation of the content of the distinction between the erection of the Mishkan during the seven days of inauguration and its erection on the eighth day — that in each of them there is an advantage relative to the other.

The advantage in the erection of the Mishkan on the <b>eighth</b> day of the inauguration is — an advantage of "quality",

for its erection was:

(a)

in a manner of <b>permanence</b>

(in contrast, during the seven days of inauguration he would erect it <b>and dismantle it</b>).

(b)

in a manner that it was ready for "And I will dwell in their midst"

(in contrast, the Mishkan that he erected during the seven days of inauguration — the Shechinah did not rest in it,

: and the advantage of the erection of the Mishkan during the seven days of inauguration is — an advantage of "quantity".

During the seven days of inauguration they erected the Mishkan <b>seven</b> times

(for they erected it each and every day)

and moreover, according to the opinions <b>that each day</b> of the seven days of inauguration they erected it <b>two</b> or three times²⁰,

meaning that each day of the seven days of inauguration <b>by itself</b> — was greater in quantity than the eighth day.

And based on this, it can be said that the distinction between the two answers in Tosafos depends on the opinions

: if the quantity of the multitude is preferable,

or the greatness of the quality is preferable: according to the first answer, the quantity of the multitude is preferable,

and therefore "the first [day] is not significant for the erection of the Mishkan" - because <b>on the contrary</b>,

the erection of the Mishkan during the seven days of inauguration is preferable to its erection on the eighth day; and according to the second answer, the greatness of the quality outweighs the quantity - and accordingly, the erection of the Mishkan on the eighth day of the consecration is superior to the erection during the seven days of inauguration

(And even,

that this quality is its <b>primary</b> quality of that day,

as mentioned above)

as above).

8.

Based on the above, what Tosafos said in their first answer "that all seven days of inauguration Moses would erect the Mishkan <b>and dismantle it</b>" will be sweetened

- At first glance: in order to explain the reason of “that which it did not count the first [day] for the erection of the Mishkan” pertains only this that all seven days of miluim were “&lt;b&gt;setting up &lt;/b&gt;the Mishkan”,

but what does “and dismantling it” have to do here?

And especially that “and dismantling it” &lt;b&gt;detracts&lt;/b&gt;,

at first glance,

from the virtue of the erection of the Mishkan that was during the seven days of miluim -

The intention in this,

&lt;b&gt;to emphasize &lt;/b&gt;that since it was “dismantling it”,

behold the erection of the Mishkan was each and every day of the seven days of miluim,

and consequently its erection was at least*&lt;sup&gt;21&lt;/sup&gt;

&lt;b&gt;seven &lt;/b&gt;times — a multiplicity of quantity.

9.

Based on all the above, the connection will be understood between the seven days of the consecration

(in Parshat Tzav)

and the eighth day of the consecration

(in our parshah)

to Parshat Parah and Parshat HaChodesh.

For it is stated in the Yerushalmi⁶

: "It is logical that HaChodesh should precede Parah,

for on the first of Nisan the Mishkan was erected and on the second the heifer was burned,

and why does Parah precede,

because it is the purification of all of Israel."

And superficially it is not understood: since the matter of Parshat HaChodesh comes specifically <b>after</b> the introduction of Parshat Parah — how was the erection of the Mishkan on the first of Nisan

<b>before</b> the burning of the heifer?

And even though it is necessary to say the sprinkling of the blood of the heifer opposite the entrance of the Tent of Meeting²²

— behold, all the services of the seven days of the consecration were also at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting etc.

And although that which “the new” needs for the cow is

that in “the new”,

but]

because of the matter of the Paschal sacrifice in it²³

- nevertheless,

behold, the entire question “it is proper that it should precede” is only because on the first of Nissan <b>the Tabernacle was erected</b> etc.,

it is proven <b>that the erection of the Tabernacle</b> which was on the first of Nissan is also the matter of Parshat HaChodesh,

and also upon this comes the answer “that it is their purification” etc. - and according to this the question returns to its place: why was the burning of the cow not preceded to the erection of the Tabernacle?

And this will be understood by prefacing the difference between Pesach

(the main part of Parshat HaChodesh)

and the cow,

in the service of man: Pesach, when all of Israel in the manner that it was the first time - a convert who converts is like a newborn child - it is in the manner of the service of the righteous,

and the cow, which Scripture calls a sin-offering and atones for the calf*²³

- it is the service of repentance²⁴.

And this is what is stated in the Midrash²⁵

“Concerning this it is said ‘This is the statute of the Pesach’ and concerning this it is said ‘This is the statute of the Torah’ and you do not know which statute is greater than this” - because there is an advantage in the service of the righteous that is not in the service of repentance,

and there is an advantage in the service of repentance that is not in the service of the righteous²⁶.

The advantage in the service of the tzaddikim is — generally in the matter of drawing down the light <b>from above</b>,

and the advantage in the service of teshuvah is — in the service that comes from <b>below</b>

(And what the midrash concludes "And who is greater, the cow,

that those who eat the Passover sacrifice need it" — it is "because even the tzaddikim need to do teshuvah"²⁷).

And based on this will be understood that the erection of the Mishkan on the first of Nisan

(its connection to the portion of HaChodesh,

as mentioned above)

was <b>before</b> the burning of the cow — because:

a)

It is understood that in time and in fixed order — the service of the righteous precedes the service of repentance

(which comes only if “a soul when it sins, etc.”),

b)

the advantage that exists in the service that is from the side of <b>below</b>,

the service of repentance

(precedence in level)

the portion of Parah to the portion of HaChodesh],

it is from the aspect of the greatness of the drawing down that through this <b>from above</b>²⁸,

and therefore the establishment of the Mishkan was <b>before</b> the burning of the heifer,

because even the advantage in the burning of the heifer

(service from the side of below)

is after and from the aspect of the drawing down from above

(“and I will dwell in their midst”)

that is in the establishment of the Mishkan.

And this is what they said: “It is right that HaChodesh should precede Parah”,

meaning that even <b>now</b> it is fitting to precede HaChodesh to Parah — because the advantage of Parah

(service from the side of below)

comes through the establishment of the Mishkan that was made and “I will dwell <b>in their midst</b>”,

through the arousal from below of “This month is for you the beginning of months, etc.”

But this precedence is only “in law”

(but in practice we read the portion of HaChodesh after the portion of Parah)

— because through the portion of HaChodesh and the establishment of the Mishkan then,

the drawing down of this matter already exists in the world,

and therefore the portion of Parah can come without the precedence of the <b>reading</b> of the portion of HaChodesh.

Not so before the establishment of the Mishkan,

when this drawing down had not yet been drawn into the world

(in the manner of “and I will dwell <b>in their midst</b>” — in inwardness),

it would not have been possible for the burning of the heifer to be without the precedence of the establishment of the Mishkan.

Yud.

Based on this, we find that the difference between the portion of Parah and the portion of HaChodesh is analogous to the difference between the seven days of the consecration and the eighth day — and the common denominator is in two things:

A)

It was explained above

(Section 7)

that the advantage in the establishment of the Mishkan during the seven days of the consecration is an advantage of quantity,

and the advantage in the establishment of the Mishkan on the eighth day is an advantage of quality:

And so too regarding the portion of Parah and the portion of the New Month: the advantage of the portion of Parah

(repentance)

is in the matter of service from the side of the lower — refinement of the lower

(the vessels),

that the advantage of the lower

(the vessels)

is analogous to²⁹

the advantage of abundance of quantity: and the advantage of the portion of the New Month

(the service of the righteous)

is in the matter of the drawing down from above — the drawing down of light,

that the advantage of the "lights" is analogous to²⁹

the advantage of greatness of quality.

B)

According to Rashi, that the erection of the Mishkan on the seven days of inauguration is learned from the command regarding the consecration of Aharon and his sons and is included in this consecration,

but not so its erection on the eighth day, when there was "and I will dwell in their midst."

And even that according to Rashi's view there is seemingly an advantage in the erection of the Mishkan during the seven days of inauguration over its erection on the eighth day,

for during the seven days of inauguration they erected it

(at least)

<b>seven </b>times

And additionally it can be said: Since the erection during the seven days of inauguration

(according to Rashi's view)

was not by an <b>explicit</b> command,

rather Moses learned it from an inference,

behold there is also "endearment" in this erection

(and in the manner of: since it comes from a derivation, it is beloved to him³⁰),

However - it is understood &lt;b&gt;simply&lt;/b&gt;,

that one cannot at all compare this establishment to the establishment of the eighth day,

since the Mishkan that was erected during the seven days of inauguration &lt;b&gt;is not &lt;/b&gt;the essence of the Mishkan.

And likewise it is also regarding the portion of Parah and the portion of HaChodesh:

The advantage that is in Parshas Parah

(refinement of the lower [world])

over Parshas HaChodesh

(drawing down of the light)

is specifically after there had already been the drawing down from above by means of the establishment of the Mishkan,

for the importance and advantage of refinement and the work of the lower [world] is only when it is after

(and from the perspective of)

the drawing down from above as above section 9,

but not so before the drawing down from above,

behold the burning of the [red] heifer

(whose concept is refinement and the work of the lower [world])

by itself

(- despite the advantage that is in refinement of the lower [world],

and the preciousness from the aspect of the "novelty"³¹)

does not have enough in it to precede it to the establishment of the Mishkan

(Parshas HaChodesh),

and the main advantage is in Parshas HaChodesh.

(From sichos of Shabbos Parshas Shemini 5724 and 5725)