[Par-reg.w] for Parshat Tazria

[Menachem Leibtag]

*********************************************
****************

     THE TANACH STUDY CENTER
[http://www.tanach.org]

          In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag

     Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem
Leibtag

*********************************************
****************

 

            PARSHAT TAZRIA - From 7 to 8

               [& for Shmini Atzeret]

 

     What is so special about the number
'eight' in Chumash?

Is it only coincidental that:

*   In Sefer Breishit - specifically the
'eighth day' is

chosen for Brit Milah;

*   In Parshat Shmini - specifically the
'eighth day' is

chosen for the dedication of the Mishkan;

*   In Parshat Metzora - the 'eighth day' is
chosen for the

day on which the cleansed Metzora, Zav, and
Zavah bring their

special korbanot;

*   In Parshat Emor - the final holiday is
"SHMINI atzeret" -

the 'eighth day' of Succot!

     In the following shiur, we attempt to
explain why the

number eight is so special, based on the
Biblical significance

of the number seven.

 

INTRODUCTION

     In previous shiurim we have discussed
the special

relationship between the Number SEVEN and
'nature', especially

in regard to the "shalosh regalim" [the three
pilgrimage

holidays].  For example, in our shiur our
Parshat Emor we

noted that is not by chance that the Torah
commands us to:

  * Celebrate specifically SEVEN days of Chag
Ha'matzot in

  the spring; and then -

  * To count SEVEN weeks until the grain
harvest holiday of

  Shavuot; and finally -

  * To celebrate our fruit harvest during the
SEVEN days of

  Succot.

 

     The fact that each of these holidays
include either seven

days or seven weeks suggests a connection
between the number

seven and agriculture. By emphasizing SEVEN
in relation to

these agricultural holidays, the Torah
highlights our need to

recognize that the powers of nature are
indeed God's creation,

and we must thank Him accordingly.

  Similarly, our shiur on Parshat Breishit
discussed how the

Torah presents of the story of Creation as
taking place in

SEVEN days - to emphasize how the very
creation of 'nature'

itself was a willful act of the One God - and
not the result

of conflicts among a pantheon of many gods,
each exerting its

power over a certain part of nature.

     In the following shiur, we return to
Sefer Breishit in

search of the biblical significance of the
number 'eight', to

show how and why it should relate to those
'seven' days of

Creation.

 

EIGHT & BRIT MILAH

     In some of the examples quoted above
from Sefer Vayikra,

'eight' appears to be significant simply
because it follows a

sequence of 'seven' days. For example:

*   "Yom Ha'shmini" follows the SEVEN days of
the "miluim";

*   The korbanot on the eighth day of the
Metzora and Zav

follow their minimum SEVEN day "tahara"
period;

*   "Shmini Atzeret" follows the SEVEN days
of Succot.

 

     However, when God first commanded
Avraham Avinu that

"brit milah" must be performed on the 'eighth
day' after a

child's birth (see Breishit 17:12) - there is
no apparent

reason why God chose specifically the 'eighth
day'.

Certainly, it had nothing to do with a prior
period of 'seven

days' (as did the other examples of a special
'eighth day'

mentioned above).

  [Even though we are told in Parshat Tazria
that the mother

 is "tamey" (spiritually unclean) for the
first seven days

  after her son's birth (see Vayikra 12:2-5),
there does not

  appear to be any logical connection between
these seven

  days and the commandment to perform "milah'
on the eighth

  day that was first given way back in Sefer
Breishit.  In

  fact, it seems quite the opposite - that
because brit milah

  needs to be performed on the eighth day,
her 'tumah' period

  is 'truncated' from 14 days to seven days.
]

  

     In the following shiur, we re-examine
this covenant

between God and Avraham Avinu [17:1-11/
better known as "brit

milah"] in the 'wider' context of Sefer
Breishit - to uncover

a thematic connection between the 'eighth
day' and the 'seven

days' of Creation.  [Hopefully, it will help
us understand not

only why "milah" is on the 'eighth day', but
also why the

holiday of "Shmini Atzeret" is so important.]

 

  As you most probably recall, the Torah uses
several names

to describe God (e.g. Elokim, Havaya,
kel-shaddai, etc.).

However, when the narrative of  "brit milah"
begins in chapter

17, something very peculiar takes place, as
God introduces

Himself to Avraham Avinu for the first time
as "kel-shaddai" -

after which the Torah consistently refers to
God as "Elokim"

(until the end of that chapter).

  To appreciate the thematic importance of
this observation,

we must first undertake a quick review of all
the previous

instances in Sefer Breishit when God spoke to
man, paying

special attention to when the Torah uses
"shem Elokim".

 

IN WHAT 'NAME' DOES GOD SPEAK TO MAN?

     In our shiur on Parshat Breishit, we
explained how

Chumash presents two parallel stories of
God's creation of the

universe:

  1) "b'shem ELOKIM" (1:1 -2:4) - [or  'perek
aleph']

     which focused on God's creation of
NATURE, i.e. a

     structured universe, in SEVEN days.

 

  2) "b'shem HAVAYA" (2:5-4:26) - [or 'perek
bet']

     which focused on God's special
relationship with Man,

     i.e. the creation of Gan Eden, and man's
banishment from

     that environment after he sinned.

 

     Without going into the complex details
and deeper meaning

of this 'double presentation', we will simply
posit that God's

relationship with man develops along the
lines of each of

these two perspectives, as each of these
divine Name will

reflect a different perspective of the
developing relationship

between man and God.

     For example, in perek aleph, God -
b'shem Elokim -

blesses man that he be fruitful & multiply,
master the earth

and rule over all other living creatures (see
1:26-28). In

contrast to this perspective of man as ruler
over God's

Creations, in perek bet - b'shem Havaya -man
is created in

order to become God's servant, whose job is
to tend and watch

over His Garden (see 2:15-17).

     This 'double perspective' is found once
again in the

Torah's account of the Flood, as God's
decision to destroy the

generation of the Flood (due to their sinful
behavior) is

presented according to both of these
perspectives:

     1) b'shem Elokim - see 6:9-6:22.

     2) b'shem Havaya - see 6:5-8 & 7:1-5.

 

     Likewise, in the aftermath of the MABUL,
God redefines

His relationship with man, again from both
perspectives:

     1) b'shem Elokim - see 9:1-17

     2) b'shem Havaya - see 8:18-21

 

     After the flood, the Torah describes
["b'shem Elokim"]

how the children of Noach multiply and
disperse into seventy

nations (10:1-32), but immediately afterwards
details God's

punishment of the builders of the Tower of
Babel while

referring to God using "shem Havaya" (see
11:1-10).

 

     At this point in Chumash (i.e. at the
beginning of

Parshat Lech Lecha) this pattern (of 'double
presentation')

seems to end - for the Torah uses exclusively
"shem Havaya" as

it describes all the conversations between
God and Avraham

Avinu, from chapter 12 thru chapter 16.  The
Torah's exclusive

use of "shem Havaya" to describe these
encounters is

thematically consistent with our assertion
that God's Name of

"Havaya" relates to the special relationship
between man and

God - where man is expected to act as a
servant of God.

     For example, God's choice of Avraham
Avinu to become the

forefather of His special nation is described
b'shem Havaya

(see 12:1-9); so too His re-iteration of that
promise after

Lot's departure (see 13:14-17).

  Similarly, when God formalizes that promise
into a covenant

in "brit bein ha'btarim" (see 15:1-20) -
again we find the

Torah's employs "shem Havaya" in its
description of God.

  

  For some reason, this exclusive (and
logical) use of "shem

Havaya" in the Torah's description of God's
relationship with

Avraham Avinu changes in chapter seventeen -
when the Torah

first uses "shem Elokim" to describe how God
speaks to Avraham

Avinu at "brit milah"!

     To understand the reason for this sudden
change, let's

take a closer look at how that chapter
begins, noticing how

God first introduces Himself as "kel sha-dai"
before speaking

to him b'shem ELOKIM:

  "When Avram was ninety-nine years, God
[HAVAYA] appeared to

  Avram and said to him: "ANI KEL SHA-DAI",
walk before Me

  and be blameless. And I will establish My
COVENANT between

  Me and you... Avram fell on his face, and
God [ELOKIM]

  spoke to him saying... This is my COVENANT
with you..."

  (17:1-4)

 

  As you study these psukim, and the ones
that follow, note

how God (b'shem Elokim):

     a) changes Avram's name to Avraham;

     b) blesses him that he will multiply
("pru u'rvu");

     c) promises that he will become a great
nation;

     d) promises him and his future
generations Eretz Canaan;

     e) promises to be his God ("le'hiyot
l'cha l'ELOKIM");

     f) commands him to circumcise his male
children, etc.

 

     In addition to these details in these
psukim, pay

attention as well to their style - as they
share some very

interesting similarities to the only two
earlier instances

where Chumash uses " shem Elokim" to describe
God speaking to

man:

     (I) After the creation of man on the
sixth day (1:27-30);

     (II) After the Flood (see 9:1-17).

 

     To verify this, review those two sets of
psukim, noting

the parallels to the narrative of "brit
milah":

  I)   On the sixth day, after man is created
b'tzelem

  ELOKIM, God (b'shem ELOKIM) blesses him
that he should:

          a) be fruitful and multiply ("pru
u'rvu");

          b) be master and ruler of the
living kingdom;

          c) eat from the plants and fruit of
the trees.

 

II)   Some ten generations later, after the
Flood, God

  (b'shem ELOKIM) blesses Noach and his
children in a very

  similar fashion (9:1-7), including:

          a) to be fruitful and multiply
("pru u'rvu");

          b) to be master of the living
kingdom;

          c) permission to eat living
creatures (not only

plants);

 

     However, the most striking parallel to
"brit milah" is

found in the special covenant that God
["b'shem Elokim"] makes

with Noach immediately after these blessings
as described in

9:8-12:

  "vhakimoti et briti itchem...   [9:11/
compare 17:7-8]

  "va'yomer Elokim, zot ot ha'brit..."
[19:12/ compare 17:9-

10]

 

  This covenant, better known as "brit
ha'keshet" (the

rainbow covenant), reflects the establishment
of a special

relationship between God and mankind, as God
promises that He

will never again bring about the total
destruction of His

Creation. [See 9:11-15 / see also Ramban on
6:18, especially

his final explanation of the word "brit",
based on the word

"briya"!]

     It is rather amazing that the next time
that God speaks

to man b'shem Elokim is only some ten
generations later - at

Brit Milah, when He challenges Avraham Avinu
to accept yet

another covenant. Note the striking textual
similarities

between these two covenants, i.e. "brit
Milah" and "brit

ha'keshet":

     a) to be fruitful and multiply 9:1 /
17:2,6;

     c) "v'hakimoti et briti..."  9:11 /
17:7;

     d) "ha'aterz" // "eretz canaan"
9:13,16,17 / 17:8

     e) "ot brit": "ha'milah // ha'keshet"
9:13,17/  17:12;

       [to verify this, open your Tanach &
compare them

yourself]

 

     However, in addition to these
similarities, in "brit

Milah" we find an additional, yet very
important promise -

"l'hiyot lachem l'Elokim" [to be a God for
you"] - reflecting

a much CLOSER relationship with God. In fact,
this key phrase

is repeated twice, for it emphasizes and
defines the purpose

of Brit Milah (read 17:7-8 carefully!).

 

ONE STEP 'ABOVE' NATURE

     With this background, we can suggest a
reason for why God

[b'shem Elokim] commands Avraham to perform
"brit milah"

specifically on the eighth day.

     Note the progression that has emerged as
we followed

God's relationship with man, from the
perspective of 'shem

Elokim':

STAGE 1)  The Creation of NATURE in SEVEN
days (1:1-2:4);

STAGE 2)  The covenant with Noach after the
Flood (9:1-17);

STAGE 3)  The "Brit Milah" covenant with
Avraham Avinu to be

performed on the EIGHTH day (17:1-14).

 

     One could suggest that circumcision on
the EIGHTH day

relates to this elevation of man's spiritual
level, ONE step

above the level of his original creation in
SEVEN days.

     Let's explain this statement, based on
the three stages

of this progression b'shem Elokim:

 

(1)  During the first seven days, God brought
the universe to

a stage of development where it appears to
'take care of

itself'. Be it vegetation, animal, or man,
all species of life

secure their existence by their ability to
reproduce; they

become fruitful and multiply (e.g. "zo'ray'ah
zerah", "zachar

u'nekeyvah", "pru u'rvu", etc.). Man's
mastery of this

creation, his desire to conquer and his
ability to harness it,

are all part of this phenomenon that we call
NATURE. The first

chapter of Breishit teaches us that [what we
refer to as]

nature, did not just happen by chance, rather
it was a willful

act of God.  [By resting on Shabbat, once
every seven days, we

remind ourselves of this point.]

 

(2)  After the "mabul", God (b'shem Elokim)
'starts over' by

re-establishing His relationship with mankind
in a covenant

with Noach, known as "brit ha'keshet". This
covenant reflects

a relationship very similar to that in God's
original creation

in seven days, with some 'minor' changes: Man
remains master

of His universe (9:2), with a 'small change'
in his diet (9:3-

5), and a commandment that it is forbidden to
murder a fellow

human (9:6-7). However, the basic laws of
nature remain the

same (see 9:8).

 

(3)  Up until Brit Milah, man's relationship
with God b'shem

Elokim remained distant. Although Man was the
pinnacle of

God's creation with certain minimal
expectations of moral

behavior, he was basically just part of
nature. Man was given

power; he acted like God (b'tzelem Elokim),
but was not CLOSE

to Him. At Brit Milah, Avraham is raised to a
higher level. He

and his offspring are chosen to represent God
as His special

nation, and towards that purpose, they are
awarded a special

relationship with God, as they are now
destined to represent

Him, i.e. -"li'hiyot lachem l'Elokim".

  Then, as an "ot" [a sign] to symbolize this
relationship,

they are commanded to circumcise their
children on the 'eighth

day'.  Hence, "milah" specifically on the
EIGHTH day may

reflect this additional level in the creation
process, which

first took place in SEVEN days. [What the
Maharal refers to as

"m'al ha'teva - above nature!]

  

     In other words, the eighth day can be
understood as

representative of one final stage of the
creation process.

Just as the seven days of Creation - b'shem
Elokim] - included

a progression from "domem" (the inanimate
objects / i.e.

"shmayim v'aretz"); to "tzomayach"
(vegetation); to "chai"

(the animal kingdom); to "adam" (man) - the
'eighth day'

reflects how man has been elevated to a
higher level in his

relationship with God.

  To elevate Creation to a higher awareness
of God's

existence, a special covenant is made with
the offspring of

Avraham, and we remind ourselves of this
covenant specifically

by performing "brit Milah" on the eighth day
after a child's

birth.

  [This interpretation could reflect a
statement made by

  Reish Lakish, explaining the meaning of
God's name "kel sha-

  dai" which is first introduced at Brit
Milah (see 17:1-2):

     What's the meaning of "ani kel-sha'dai"?
God said: I am

  the One who said to the world "dai" -
enough, or stop]."

                (see Yalkut Shimoni siman 81,
Chagiga 12a)

     [See also commentary of the "Torah
Tmima" on this pasuk.]

 

     This explanation may help us understand
the complexity in

the opening lines of the Brit Milah
narrative: God, b'shem

Havaya - the Name of God which Avraham is
familiar with up

until this point - informs Avraham that He is
"kel sha-dai",

the God who had 'stopped' His process of
creation after seven

days (17:1-2). Now, b'shem Elokim, the Name
of God that

orchestrated the creation in seven days,
intervenes yet one

more time. He establishes a covenant with
Avraham, to command

him with the mitzvah of "brit milah", to
raise him ONE level

higher, i.e. closer to God.

     Thus, God's commandment that we perform
Brit Milah on the

eighth day is not incidental. Rather, it
reflects the very

nature of our special relationship with God.
In fact, one

could suggest that God's relationship with
His nation now

becomes part of 'the nature of the universe'.
Just as the sun

will always rise and set, so too, Am Yisrael
will always be

His nation to represent him (see Yirmiyahu
33:19-26); as

reflected by the Torah's use of "shem
Elokim".:

     With this background, let's return to
the various

examples of this '7 - 8' relationship in
Sefer Vayikra, as

"brit milah" on the eighth day was only one
example.

 

SEVEN DAYS "MILUIM" / "YOM HA'SHMINI":

     As explained in our shiur on Parshat
Shmini, the seven

days necessary to dedicate the Mishkan
reflect the parallel

between Bnei Yisrael's construction of the
Mishkan to serve

God, to God's creation of nature in seven
days, to serve Him.

[See Tehillim 104 - "borchi nafshi..."!]

  Then, on the 'eighth day' ["yom
ha'shmini"], God commands

Bnei Yisrael to offer a special set of
korbanot - in

anticipation of His "shchinah" that will
descend upon the

Mishkan - reflecting the return of God's
presence.  In this

manner, the Mishkan now becomes the focal
point for the

development of the special relationship
between God and Bnei

Yisrael, just as "brit milah" on the eighth
day was a sign of

that special covenant.

 

SEVEN DAYS "TAHARA" / EIGHTH DAY "KORBANOT"
(Metzora, Zav,

Zava):

     Different types of "tumah" are caused by
some abnormal

behavior of the body. Seven days of "tahara"
are required to

return the "tamei" person back to the 'camp'
- to his normal

existence, his natural habitat. Then on the
eighth day, he

must bring a special korban to allow his
entry into the

Mishkan.

  [Note the parallel between this process,
and its korbanot,

  to that of the kohanim during the seven-day
miluim and Yom

  ha'Shmini.]

 

SEVEN DAYS OF SUCCOT / SHMINI ATZERET:

     As agriculture and nature go hand in
hand, all of the

agricultural holidays follow cycles of seven
(see Vayikra

chapter 23). In the spring (chag ha'aviv), as
the grain

harvest begins, we bring "korban ha'omer"
and celebrate chag

ha'matzot for SEVEN days. Then we count SEVEN
WEEKS until the

completion of the wheat harvest, bring
"korban shtei

ha'lechem", and celebrate chag ha'SHAVUOT. On
succot, "chag

ha'asif", at the end of the agricultural year
("b'tzeit

ha'shana /see Shmot 23:16), we thank God for
our fruit harvest

by celebrating for seven days and bringing
the "arba minim" to

the Mikdash.

  At the very end of this cycle of
agricultural holidays, we

add SHMINI ATZERET, a special gathering with
no special

agricultural mitzvah. It is simply a time to
stop and reflect

on the holiday season and year that has
passed. On this

'eighth day', we focus on the special
relationship between God

and Bnei Yisrael.

    This special relationship between God and
Bnei Yisrael

that began with Brit Milah, reaches its
fullest expression

with Matan Torah with Brit Sinai.

     Based on this interpretation, it is
understandable why

Chazal chose this holiday to celebrate as
SIMCHAT TORAH, and

to conclude on this day the yearly 'cycle' of
reading the

Torah.

 

                              shabbat shalom,

                              menachem

 

======================

FOR FURTHER IYUN

A. In what way could Shavuot be considered
the "eighth", after

seven cycles of seven. Compare this to the
din of the Yovel

year in parshat B'har. Why do you think that
Chazal refer to

Shavuot as "chag ha'atzeret". In what way is
it similar to

"Shmini Atzeret".

 

B. Based on the above shiur, why do you think
that prior to

Brit Milah, God changes both Avraham's and
Sarah's names by

adding a "hey"?  Relate your answer to
Hashem's name and His

introduction in 17:1-4.

 

C. Based on the parallels between creation
and brit milah, why

do you think God chose to make the "ot" of
this covenant on

the part of the body which performs "pru
u'rvu".

     Explain why we thank God in birchat
ha'mazon for the

"aretz", then "britcha asher chatamta
bi'bsareinu", and then

toratcha sh'limad'tanu"

 

D. Note in Sefer Yirmiyahu that even the
Creation itself is

considered a covenant: see 33:25-26, and
relate these psukim

to the above shiur.

 

E. Relate the above shiur to the minhag of
"sheva brachot" at

a wedding, and the seven days of mourning
after death.

 

F. See Rambam Hilchot M'lachim chapter nine
[the laws

concerning the SEVEN mitzvot of Bnei Noach].
Relate this

Rambam to the above shiur.

 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mail.atlchai.org/pipermail/par-reg.w/attachments/20140327/1eb58d12/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: tazria.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 37681 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mail.atlchai.org/pipermail/par-reg.w/attachments/20140327/1eb58d12/attachment-0001.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: tazria.doc
Type: application/msword
Size: 54784 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mail.atlchai.org/pipermail/par-reg.w/attachments/20140327/1eb58d12/attachment-0001.doc>