English translation — תשא א

A.

In the verse¹

"When they come into the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water and not die, or when they approach the altar to serve, to burn a fire-offering to the Lord,"

Rashi stands on the words "When they come into the Tent of Meeting" and explains: "to burn the morning and afternoon incense²

or to sprinkle from the blood of the bull of the anointed priest and the goats of idolatry."

What is difficult in the verse that Rashi comes to answer with his commentary?

learn commentators<sup>3</sup>,

that Rashi comes to protect that one should not think that the obligation of death is also for a "barren intercourse"

(without washing of hands and feet)

but one does <b>not </b>there a service]

- and as it is apparently implied from the plain language of the verse: "<b>when they come </b>

(plainly)

to the Tent of Meeting they shall wash water etc.'"

(not like regarding the altar,

where the verse says explicitly: "when they approach ..

<b>to minister </b>etc.'"),

from which it is apparently proven that the very <b>coming </b>to the Tent of Meeting

(even when there is <b>not </b>"to minister")

requires washing of hands and feet -

Rashi says that the "when they come to the Tent of Meeting" means "to burn incense etc. or to sprinkle etc." - the death penalty is only when one performs a service&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;

without washing of hands and feet.

But the explanation is astonishing,

because:

a)

Based on this it is difficult on the other hand: from where does Rashi indeed take,

according to the plain meaning of the verse,

that one is not liable to death for a "barren entry" - contrary to what is implied from the plain language of the verse

(as above),

that

(already)

"when they come to the Tent of Meeting they shall wash with water and not die"?

- In learning according to the way of the halachah there is a reasoning,

that the word "to serve" also refers to the beginning of the verse "when they come to the Tent of Meeting",

and the explanation of the verse is,

that specifically "when they come to the Tent of Meeting...

to serve" one is obligated in washing of hands and feet.

But -

that if this would have been Rashi’s necessity,

he would have had to copy also the word “leshareis”; from that which Rashi brings only the words “b’voam el ohel moed”,

and does not even add “v’gu’”,

it is proven,

that only from the words “b’voam el ohel moed” alone one knows,

that the “b’voam” is “l’haktir k’vu’”,

is]

In the <b>simple meaning </b>of the verse there is no place to say that the “leshareis” refers to the “b’voam el ohel moed”⁶

- because then it would have to stand⁷

“b’voam el ohel moed o b’gishtam el hamizbeiach leshareis g’vu yirchatzu mayim v’lo yamusu”;

Since that "when they come to the Tent of Meeting" concludes with the words "they shall wash with water and not die",

and only afterwards begins

(as a separate matter⁸)

"<b>or </b>when they approach the altar to minister etc.",

the plain meaning of the verse proves,

that the word "to minister" refers <b>not </b>to the

(preceding)

words "when they come to the Tent of Meeting"⁹.

b)

If Rashi needed to ensure that "when they come to the Tent of Meeting" does not mean an "empty coming" - he should have done so <b>earlier</b>,

at the command

(in Parshat Tetzaveh¹⁰)

"and they shall be

(the priestly garments)

upon Aaron etc.",

where also there the verse states the two cases: "when they come to the Tent of Meeting or

"When they approach the altar to serve in the holy [place]" — and nevertheless Rashi does not say there that "when they come to the Tent of Meeting" means "to burn incense etc." — specifically when he performs a service&lt;sup&gt;11&lt;/sup&gt;.

that since there the verse is &lt;b&gt;not &lt;/b&gt;interrupting between "when they come to the Tent of Meeting" and "or when they approach the altar,"

it is so &lt;b&gt;simple&lt;/b&gt;&lt;sup&gt;12&lt;/sup&gt;

that the phrase "to serve in the holy [place]"

(which is at the end of the verse)

refers

(also)

to "when they come to the Tent of Meeting,"

until Rashi does not need to explain it at all].

B.

Further - one cannot say at all,

that Rashi is out to refute the assumption that "when they come to the Tent of Meeting" also means an "empty entry" - because in the way of <b>peshat</b>,

it is a very great wonder that there should be an "empty entry" into the Tent of Meeting,

the complete opposite of the scripture speaking in the present tense:

A five-year-old to Scripture knows,

that the Tent of Meeting is a most holy place¹³,

one does not go there just like that

(for a walk and the like)

; this is <b>as its name</b> - <b>a Tent</b> which is a <b>Meeting</b>,

one goes there

Enter only when the Supreme One decrees¹⁴

and <b>it is called</b> entering there with a purpose - in order to do the service¹⁵.

; and therefore the commentators learn¹⁷,

that Rashi comes to exclude

(not a mere "empty entry",

but)

an entry to the Tent of Meeting to prostrate before the Lord,

that "to prostrate <b>it is permitted</b> to enter"¹⁸

But according to the simple interpretation, it is not reasonable to permit an entry into the Tent of Meeting "to prostrate oneself,"

because for this

(to prostrate oneself)

there is no commandment,

and also no need to enter specifically into the Tent of Meeting — prostration to the Holy One, blessed be He, can also be in the courtyard of the Tabernacle

(the Courtyard)].

And since entering the Tent of Meeting is only in order to perform the service there,

it is therefore understood that the commandment "When they enter the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash" is when one needs to perform a service there¹⁹.

3.

will one understand this with an introduction a difficulty in the language of Rashi:

If Rashi wants only to emphasize that the explanation of "when they come to the Tent of Meeting" is an entry to do the <b>service </b>inside,

he should have said <b>in short</b>: "when they come to the Tent of Meeting - <b>to minister</b>"²⁰

! Why does Rashi specify "to burn incense etc. or to sprinkle etc." - is this the place to inform which services are done in the Tent of Meeting?

Let us assume even that Rashi wants to bring examples from the services in the Tent of Meeting - it is not understood:

a)

Why does he bring specifically these examples,

"to burn incense etc. or to sprinkle etc." - and not from the other types of service,

such as arranging the showbread,

or the trimming and lighting of the lamps,

and especially since they stand in the verse much earlier than "to burn incense etc."?

b)

Furthermore: the examples of “to sprinkle from the blood of the bull of the anointed priest and the goats of idolatry” had not yet been studied at all.

Only <b>later</b> does one study — about the bull of the anointed priest in parshas Vayikra²¹,

and the goats of idolatry

in parshas Sh'lach²²

— Rashi comes to <b>innovate</b> <b>here</b> in our verse,

that there are <b>these</b> services,

and to say — that the verse means them here?

3)

In the first example, Rashi also adds the details "to burn incense <b>morning and between the evenings</b>" and does not say in brief "to burn incense" — is most perplexing: This is certainly not the place to inform <b>how many</b> times a day the service of the incense is done!

(in the end of Parshas Tetzaveh²³)

that incense is twice each day,

and when Rashi says simply "to burn incense" one already knows that one burns it "morning and between the evenings"].

From all these nuances of the language mentioned above in Rashi it is proven,

that Rashi's intention is

that the law of "<b>when they come</b> to the Tent of Meeting they shall wash with water etc.'" is

(specifically)

at the services: "when they come to the Tent of Meeting - to burn the morning and afternoon incense or to sprinkle from the blood of the anointed priest's bull and the goats of idolatry."

4.

The explanation in this:

The question in the verse that Rashi comes to answer is: Why does the verse separate the two matters - "when they come to the Tent of Meeting" and "when they approach the altar to serve, etc." - until that the obligation of washing

("and they shall wash")

together with the

warning "lest they die",

are said in each case <b>separately</b>²⁴

in the manner that it states²⁵

regarding the law of wearing the priestly garments: "And they shall be upon Aaron and upon his sons when they come into the Tent of Meeting, or when they approach the altar to minister in the holy place"; and especially since then the conclusion of the verse "to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the Lord" would also apply to "when they come into the Tent of Meeting"?

From this Rashi is compelled,

that there is a distinction between the obligation of washing "when they come into the Tent of Meeting" and the obligation "when they approach the altar to minister etc.":

The washing "when they approach the altar to serve" is a law in the <b>totality</b> of the approach,

whose conclusion is - to serve <b>the service</b> of the altar: each time when one serves at the altar there is a separate obligation of washing²⁶.

But the washing "when they enter the Tent of Meeting" is a law in the <b>entrance</b>

(although it is because of to serve,

to do service

(as above sec. 2)

- but to serve is <b>not</b> mentioned here)

and that when they enter "they shall wash" can then be several services.

In another style - the obligation of washing here is not a law in the <b>service</b> in the Tent of Meeting

(that each service there requires <b>a separate</b> washing),

but this is a law in "<b>when they enter</b> the Tent of Meeting".

5.

The reason for the difference between the law of wearing the priestly garments

("And they shall be upon Aaron, etc.")

in both cases],

and the obligation of washing

is understood simply:

The priestly garments pertain to the service itself — the service must be done while dressed in the garments; and therefore in this it is not possible to distinguish between the Tent of Meeting and the altar,

since in both there is the <b>same</b> obligation: one must wear the priestly garments when performing the service

("to serve in holiness").

However, the washing of hands and feet is only a <b>preparation</b> for the service — one must cleanse oneself

(and sanctify²⁷)

before one begins to perform the service.

And therefore there can and does exist a difference in this:

"When they come into the Tent of Meeting" — which is a closed place only for kohanim and where one enters only for a limited time — the single washing is sufficient,

when one enters there

(even)

for multiple services;

But not so "when they approach the <b>altar</b> to minister",

for the altar is in the <b>courtyard</b> of the Mishkan where also Levites and Israelites are found,

who bring their offerings and perform semikhah etc. — there washing is required for each ministering.

6.

Based on this, Rashi's wording is understandable: "

(When they enter the Tent of Meeting -)

to offer the morning and afternoon incense":

Rashi's intention is <b>according to the simple meaning</b> of his wording: the obligation of washing is <b>two</b> times a day,

when

The priests go in

("<b>when they come</b>")

into the Tent of Meeting "to offer morning and afternoon incense."

the verse speaks of the present - they go out of the Tent of Meeting,

so that in the afternoon it is a <b>separate</b> "when they come",

a second entry for the sake of the service of the afternoon.

And especially if one would say

(see earlier sec. 2),

that one may not remain in the Tent of Meeting if one is not occupied with "to serve in the sanctuary"].

The reason why Rashi says and chooses specifically the example of ketoret - because according to Rashi the burning of the ketoret is the first service of the day in the Tent of Meeting and consequently then is the first entry

(when there needs to be the washing),

as below section 7; and therefore,

after one washes oneself "when they enter...

to burn...

ketoret",

one no longer needs any separate washing for the other services

(regular)

inside after this,

since there is no separate "when they enter" by that.

(since for him there is here an entry to the Tent of Meeting)

Rashi wants, however, to bring out the novel point of the verse - that the obligation of washing is upon their "when they enter"

(and not upon "to serve"),

and therefore,

after the priest washes himself "when they enter...

to burn incense,"

he no longer needs to have any separate washing for other services].

Based on this it emerges that with "to burn incense morning and between the evenings incense" Rashi does not emphasize,

that the washing is connected only with the service of the incense,

rather he intends to indicate the specific time

of "when they enter the Tent of Meeting" - in a fixed manner one enters the Tent of Meeting twice a day

(morning and between the evenings)

"to burn incense...

incense".

And based on this it is also understandable why Rashi then adds "or to sprinkle from the blood of the bull of the anointed priest and the goats of idolatry" - because the inner services do not enter into the category of the fixed services.

That is: Rashi specifies the two different manners in "when they come into the Tent of Meeting":

(a)

The fixed entry in every

Day by day — "When they come etc. to offer the morning incense

(and all its fixed continuation)

and between the evenings incense";

(b)

When the "when they come" is in order to do a particular matter,

which has no fixed time — "when they come etc. to sprinkle from the blood of the bull of the anointed priest and the goats of idolatry."

7.

Wonderful matters in this Rashi according to the law:

In the service of Aharon regarding the lamps of the Menorah, the verse says

(in the end of Parshas Tetzaveh²³)

two expressions: by the service "in the morning" stands the expression "<b>when he cleans</b> the lamps",

and by "between the evenings" — "<b>when Aharon kindles</b> the lamps".

It is known the dispute between Rashi and the Rambam in the explanation of <b>cleaning</b> the lamps³¹

The Rambam³²

teaches that "the lighting of the lamps is their improvement,"

and according to this view, they lit the menorah twice a day,

in the morning and between the evenings³³.

Rashi³⁴

however explains the word "beheytivo" — "an expression of <b>cleaning</b> the pans of the menorah,

the ash of the wicks that were burned at night."

And according to his view, the lighting of the menorah was once a day — "between the evenings."

And based on this it is understood,

that Rashi goes here according to his method:

In the way of <b>peshat</b>³⁵

it places itself,

that the

The main service in the menorah is -&lt;b&gt;lighting &lt;/b&gt;the candles; but “cleaning the bowls” and the removal of the menorah

(“trimming”)

is no more than a preparation&lt;sup&gt;36&lt;/sup&gt;,

to prepare the candles,

so that afterwards one can light them between the evenings.

And as it is also implied simply from the verses that speak about the menorah,

that the matter of raising the candles stands &lt;b&gt;several &lt;/b&gt;times&lt;sup&gt;37&lt;/sup&gt;,

but the trimming of the candles is mentioned

(a)

only &lt;b&gt;one &lt;/b&gt;time&lt;sup&gt;38&lt;/sup&gt;,

and

(b)

not among the verses that speak about the matter of the menorah,

but incidentally in the portion of &lt;b&gt;the altar of incense&lt;/b&gt;,

to indicate the time of &lt;b&gt;the burning of the incense &lt;/b&gt;in the morning

(“when he trims the candles he shall burn it”).

And from this reason Rashi says here,

that the "when they come into the Tent of Meeting" was "to offer incense etc." - because the offering of the incense is according to his view the main service in the Tent of Meeting in the morning; the entering in the morning is

(mainly)

for the sake of incense,

and not for the sake of the matter of "when he dresses the lamps",

which is

(not a service in itself,

but)

only a preparation for the lighting between the evenings.

And since that with "to offer ..

incense" Rashi is not coming to say that the washing is because of <b>the</b> service specifically,

but only to indicate the <b>time</b> of "when they enter"

(as above section 6)

- and regarding this "when they enter" of the morning service Rashi must say "to offer ..

incense"

(because this is the first service,

as above)

Therefore he also uses the burning of the incense

(and not the lighting of the lamps)

as a sign of this "when they enter" of between the evenings.

For the burning of the incense and the lighting of the lamps are done at the <b>same</b> time <b>in proximity</b> to each other - "And when you light ..

the lamps between the evenings he shall burn it."

8.

And perhaps one could say,

that what Rashi says "to burn incense morning and between the evenings incense",

is because Rashi assumes,

that the explanation of the verses "when he sets up the lamps he shall burn it" and "when he lights ..

the lamps between the evenings he shall burn it" is

(<b>not</b> that the "he shall burn it" comes <b>after</b> the "when he sets up" and "when he lights",

but)

that the "he shall burn it" must be done at the <b>time</b>³⁹

of setting up and lighting⁴⁰,

but the burning comes <b>earlier</b>⁴¹

and it is the

First service⁴²

Both in the morning and in the afternoon.

And the proof of this

(And in continuation of the above in Rashi's method)

Since the tending of the lamps is only

(a)

a matter of <b>cleaning</b>,

and

(b)

which is only a preparation and qualification for the lighting of the afternoon - one must

(simply)

accept,

that earlier Aaron performed the primary service of the morning - the burning of the incense,

and only afterwards did he tend the lamps as a preparation for the lighting of the afternoon.

And from this,

that also the verse "And when Aaron lights the lamps in the afternoon he shall burn it"

(which is stated immediately afterwards)

also means to <b>precede</b> the incense before the lighting of the lamps.

9.

From the wine of Torah that is in Rashi's commentary:

Washing of hands and feet, its meaning is: Before a Jew begins to do his service in the holy,

he must first wash himself from the undesirable matters.

And in this there is a difference between the washing before one does the service on the "outer altar" and the washing "when they enter the Tent of Meeting" - "to burn incense ..

incense" on the inner altar:

The difference between the outer altar and the inner altar is⁴³

: The outer altar is for the service of the sacrifices,

which is the matter of "clarifications" - one takes an animal etc. and one clarifies it and elevates it to holiness; in contrast, the inner altar is for the service of the incense,

whose essence is

(not clarifications,

but)

connection,

from the phrase "in one bond I am bound"⁴⁴

- to add in the connection to the Above.

And so it is also in the two levels of "the outer altar" and "the inner altar" within man: the outer altar is the aspect of the externality of the heart and there it is relevant

(and it must be)

the work of clarifications.

But the inner altar is the aspect of the inwardness of the heart,

where the matter of clarifications is not relevant; from the perspective of the inwardness of the heart, the service is to connect oneself more deeply with the Supreme One.

And therefore: when one is engaged in the service of the externality of the heart,

where

One has a connection to worldly matters and consequently there is a place for evil — one must constantly protect oneself from it; every time a Jew approaches to do the service on the altar he must have anew the preparation of washing.

But when a Jew is already at the service of the innerness of the heart,

he is already above worldly matters,

and therefore for him it is sufficient the

(one)

washing that he had before he entered into the service.

But thereby one ensures,

that when it comes to "to sprinkle from the blood of the bull of the anointed kohen and the goats of idolatry" one must have a separate washing:

When it speaks about the service of the incense,

<b>his connection </b>to the Above - is sufficient the single "washing"; but when he needs to effect <b>an atonement </b>for a matter <b>undesirable</b>,

he must beforehand once again "wash himself".

Because truly indeed,

that he

(M.Tz.A.)

is in a state of separation from the world in general

(and in particular),

but when one must occupy himself with wiping away an undesirable matter,

one must have an extra caution that this should not cause a descent from his level.

And therefore the sprinkling "from the blood of the sin-offering of the anointed priest and the goat-offerings of idolatry" comes specifically after the preparation of the washing,

that then is opened thereafter - <b>peace to the world</b>⁴⁵

; a greater descent - its correction is a greater ascent

And regarding the goat-offerings of idolatry - a sin-offering which comes after the burnt-offering⁴⁶

-<b>adds</b> upon the burnt-offering⁴⁷.

(From the talk of Shabbos Parshas Tisa 5742)