[Par-reg] Acharei Mot - questions for self study

Tue Apr 24 20:26:46 EDT 2012

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

          In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag

     Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem
Leibtag

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            PARSHAT ACHAREI MOT

PART I - QUESTIONS FOR THE 'SHABBOS TABLE'

THE 'MURDER' OF ANIMALS

1.  Review 17:1-7, noting how these psukim
forbid slaughtering

any animal, unless it is brought as an
offering to God in the

Mishkan.  Note as well the reason(s) that the
Torah provides

for this prohibition!

     In your opinion, does this law apply
only to 'offerings'

[korbanot], or to any animal?  In other
words, according to

the simple meaning of these psukim, would it
be permitted to

slaughter an animal (that was not intended to
be a korban) to

eat its meat?

     Compare this prohibition to a similar
set of laws about

offering animals outside the Mikdash in
Devarim 12:20-28.

What is similar to Vayikra 17:1-7, and what
is different?  Can

you explain why (i.e. how the laws in Devarim
relate to the

situation in the land of Israel, while the
laws in Vayikra may

apply to the desert)?

     Then, see Ramban on 17:2-3 - and enjoy!
It's a bit

lengthy, but very interesting.

2.  Next, note that the Torah compares this
slaughter of

animals (outside the framework of a offering
in the Mishkan)

to 'murder' - see 11:4 - "dam ya'chasehv
l'ish ha'hu - dam

shafach" - it is though this person has
spilled blood!

Furthermore, this transgression falls under
the severe

category of "karet" - being cut off from the
Jewish nation

(see 11:4).

     In your opinion, what is so terrible
about this sin?

     Compare the wording of this prohibition
to God's blessing

to the children of Noach after the Flood in
Breishit 9:1-6,

noting what they are permitted to eat,
compared to what was

permitted to Adam ha'Rishon in Breishit
1:29-30!   In your

opinion, is there any meaning to the textual
parallel between

Vayikra 17:4 and Breishit 9:4-5?

     Then, see the short commentaries of
Ramban and Seforno on

17:4 - for a very interesting insight!

3.  In 17:5, the Torah explains that a reason
for this

prohibition is to prevent Bnei Yisrael from
making offerings

to the "seirim" - which literally would be
translated as

'goats'!  In your opinion, does this reason
make any sense?

     Then, see commentaries of Rashi, Ibn
Ezra, and Ramban,

noting how they pretty much agree to a very
different

translation here for the word "se'irim".
Note how they

provide a textual reason for this translation
as well.

     Then, see Rashbam on 17:5, noting how
his interpretation

is slightly different.  In your opinion,
would he agree with

Rashi?

     Finally, compare this pasuk to the
special offering of

"seirim" on Yom Kippur, as describe in
Vayikra 16:5-10 and

16:21-22.  Could this parallel provide us
with a different

explanation for the mention of "seirim" in
17:5?  Could this

also explain the juxtaposition between
chapters 16 & 17 in

Sefer Vayikra?

                ==========

WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT THE LAND OF ISRAEL?

1. Review the closing psukim of chapter 18
(i.e. 18:24-30), in

light of the opening psukim of that chapter
(i.e. 18:1-5).

  According to these psukim (especially
18:25-28), how (and

why) does the land of Israel 'punish' Am
Yisrael for not

keeping God's laws.

     Then, see the famous Ramban on 18:28 -
where he

articulates his approach to what is special
about the land of

Israel.

     See also Ramban on Breishit 28:21, in
regard to the

meaning of Yaakov's statement of "v'haya
Hashem li l'Elokim".

  [No matter what your 'political' opinions
may be, it will

  serve as something appropriate to study on
Yom Atzmaut!]

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

AVODAT YOM KIPPUR

1. In the Torah, we find the concept of
KEDUSHA in three

realms:

     "kedushat zman"  - in time

     "kedushat makom" -  in space (or
geographic place)

     "kedushat adam" -  man (or living
things)

     Based on your previous knowledge, bring
an example of

each type of KEDUSHA. What would you consider
the highest

level of KEDUSHA in each of these three
realms?

     As you study chapter 16, can you find an
example of each

of these three types of KEDUSHA?

     If so, would you consider this
significant? Explain why.

     Relate your answer to the importance of
the AVODAH of the

KOHEN GADOL on Yom Kippur? [The questions in
Part Two (for

this week's shiur) will relate to this topic
in greater

detail.]

2. Note how chapter 16 discusses the special
AVODA performed

on Yom Kippur while chapter 17 discusses the
prohibition

against offering sacrifices OUTSIDE the
confines of the

MISHKAN.

     Are these two chapters thematically
related? If so, how?

     Bring at least two examples to support
your answer.

          [Be sure to relate to the "se'irim"
(see 17:7).]

     Why do you think that they are
juxtaposed?

     Based on their respective headers (16:1
& 17:1), would

you conclude that these two parshiot were
given at the same

time?

Explain why yes, or why not.

     Relate your answer to the overall
structure of Sefer

Vayikra as discussed in our introductory
shiur and the nature

of the laws that relate to the Mishkan.

            ===========

FORBIDDEN BLOOD

3. At the end of chapter 17 we find once
again in Sefer

Vayikra the prohibition against eating blood.
Why do you think

that these laws (i.e. 17:10-16) are included
in the same

'parshia' together with the laws of
"shechutei chutz" (i.e.

17:1-9)? [In other words, how are the laws of
eating the blood

of any animal relate to the prohibition
against offering an

animal outside the Mikdash?]

     Note as well that the prohibition to eat
blood was also

discussed earlier in Sefer Vayikra - note
3:17 & 7:26-27?

     How are the details of this prohibition
here in chapter

17 different than those details in 3:17 and
7:26-27?

     Relate to WHERE in Sefer Vayikra each
'parshia' is

located and its local context.

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

TO'EY'VOT

4. In chapter 18 we find a lengthy list of
prohibitions that

are all later defined in 18:26 as
"TO'EY'VOT". Based on this

list, how would you define a TO'EY'VA?  In
general, what

category of law would you consider this list?
[i.e. bein adam

l'chaveiro, la'makom, / social justice,
morality, ritual,

social?]

    Note the use of the word "to'eyva" in
Breishit 43:32,

46:34 and Shmot 8:22.  Is its usage in those
contexts similar

to its usage in chapter 18?

     In your opinion, how are these laws
different that than

the laws found in the Ten Commandments or
Parshat Mishpatim

(which are not defined as TO'EY'VOT)?

     Finally, note the phrase "toeyvat
Hashem" in Devarim

22:5, 23:19 & 25:16, and their contexts.  Can
you explain the

difference between what the Torah refers to
as a "toeyva" in

contrast to a "toeyvat Hashem" (and why)?

     In general, what makes a certain action
a "to'eyvah"?

            ===========

KIPPURIM & THE MIZBACH KETORET

5. In Shmot 30:10, the concept of "kippurim"
is mentioned (in

relation to the MIZBACH KTORET), even though
the precise date

for when this korban is to be offered is not
mentioned. [See

Shmot 30:10 and its context.]

     How does that parshia (Shmot 30:1-10)
relate to our

Parsha (i.e. Vayikra chapter 16)?

     In your opinion, why do you think that
no specific date

is given for this YOM KIPPUR korban in Shmot
30:10?

  [In your answer, relate to the events of
chet ha'egel, and

  WHY the 10th of Tishrei was chosen for YOM
KIPPUR, as

  detailed in Vayikra chapter 23!

     In your opinion, and based on this
question, had it not

been for "chet ha'egel", would there have
been a 'YOM KIPPUR'

in the holiday cycle? Explain!

  [Relate to the holidays that are mentioned
in Chumash before

  the story of chet ha'egel.]

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

PART II - QUESTIONS FOR PREPARATION (for
weekly shiur)

1. Read chapter 18, paying careful attention
to its opening

and closing psukim. In what way is the
overall topic of this

chapter different than the topics discussed
in chapters 16 &

17 (and for that matter in all of Sefer
Vayikra thus far)?

2. How does the topic of chapter 18,
especially its header

(see 18:1-5), relate to the topics found in
chapter 19 [i.e.

Parshat Kedoshim], and to the primary topics
found in the

remainder of Sefer Vayikra?  [Be sure to
relate to the

"tochacha" in chapter 26 as well, especially
to its closing

pasuk!]

3. Review 18:1-5. How would you define this
set of psukim?

     In what manner do they form a unit?

     Is the commandment in 18:1 something
new, or have Bnei

Yisrael heard this before; and if so, when?
[Be sure to

relate to Shmot 6:2-8  & 20:1-2.]

     In these psukim, what is the meaning of
the phrase "ani

Hashem elokeichem", and why is it repeated so
many times?

     Has this phrase been mentioned earlier
in Sefer Vayikra?

     Is it mentioned again later in Sefer
Vayikra?

               If so, where and how often?

     Relate these five psukim to 18:24-30;
19:19,37; & 20:22.

4. Make a very general outline of the major
topics of Sefer

Vayikra (from chapter 1 to 27), paying
careful attention to

where we find laws that relate to the
Mishkan, and where we

find laws that relate to 'daily life'.

     How does chapter 18 relate to your
outline?

     From what perspective could you consider
chapter 18 a

'transition' point in Sefer Vayikra?

     Would you say that there are TWO halves
to Sefer Vayikra?

     If so, what are they, and do they relate
to 18:1-5?

     If not, how do chapters 18->20 relate to
chapters 1->17?

[See also Parshanut section below.]

5.  Which topics in your outline relate in
one form or other

to the concept of "kedusha - i.e. something
being designated

or set aside to serve God"?  How does this
relate to 19:1-2?

6. Note the phrase "chukim u'mishpatim" in
18:1-5 as well as

in 18:24-30). Compare this with that same
phrase in Vayikra

26:46 (note also 26:27-33), and relate this
to your answer to

the above question.  [Note as well Devarim
5:1, 6:1, and

26:16!]

     Similarly, can you suggest a connection
between the word

"torot" in 26:46 and a certain part (or
section) of Sefer

Vayikra?  In your answer relate to the phrase
"zot torat..."

that appears numerous times from chapter six
through chapter

15.

7. In general, which mitzvot in Sefer Vayikra
relate to the

Mikdash itself, and which mitzvot related to
the daily life of

an individual living in the land of Israel?

     How does (or should) the Mikdash affect
daily life? Or re-

phrased - how (and why) should the fact that
God's "shechina"

rests among Bnei Yisrael in the Mishkan
affect what God

expects from our general behavior?

PART III - PARSHANUT

THE INTERNAL ORDER OF SEFER VAYIKRA

1. See the first Ramban in Sefer Vayikra (his
intro. to the

book), where he discusses the overall theme
of the Vayikra and

its flow of topic. Based on this Ramban, how
would Ramban

explain the logic behind the change in topic
that begins in

chapter 18 (or basically, why are the laws of
forbidden

marital relationships included in this book)?

     Note how Ramban relates to this
introduction in his

commentary to 19:2!  See also Ramban on 16:1,
where he relates

once again to the entire structure of Sefer
Vayikra, and where

he explains his approach that Chumash is
written in

'chronological order' (and when and why he
accepts certain

exceptions to that rule).

WHEN THE LAWS OF AVODAT YOM KIPPUR WERE GIVEN

2. The first pasuk in Acharei Mot (16:1)
tells us WHEN this

commandment was given to Moshe, i.e. after
the death of Nadav

and Avihu.

     Why do you think it is necessary for the
Torah to include

this information?

     Does the Torah usually inform us
concerning when each

mitzva was given?

     Can you think of any other examples of
mitzvot which are

introduced in a similar fashion?

  If indeed this mitzvah was given after the
death of Nadav

and Avihu, where in Sefer Vayikra should it
have been

recorded?

     Relate this to Vayikra 10:1-11.

          How does this relate to the
controversy of "ein

mukdam u'muchar ba'torah"?

Next, read Rashi 16:1.

     How does Rashi answer the above
questions?

   Read Ibn Ezra 16:1.

     How does Ibn Ezra answer the above
questions?

     On what do they argue, on what do they
agree?

          Does either commentary relate to
the chronological

issue of when this parsha was first given?

Then, read Ramban on 16:1.

     How does Ramban answer the above
questions?

     How does he relate to the chronological
issue?

     Does he agree or disagree with Rashi?

      [Note that he quotes Rashi at the end
of his

commentary.]

WHICH MIZBEIACH NEEDS KAPARA?

3. Review 16:18 in its context from 16:14-20.
Based on your

understanding of this pasuk, WHICH Mizbeiach
does 16:18 refer

to: the Mizbach ha'nchoshet [ha'olah] -
outside the Mishkan,

or the Mizbach ha'zahav [ha'ktoret] - located
inside the

Mishkan?

     On what did you base your answer?

     Now, see Rashi on 16:18.  How does he
answer this

question, and how does he deal with the
problematic verb that

seems to contradict his interpretation?

     Next, see Ibn Ezra.  How is answer
different than

Rashi's?

          In your opinion, which pirush makes
more sense?

          [Relate in your answer to 16:16.]

     Finally, see Ramban on 16:18 (the first
part is enough).

     How does he answer this question.  Be
sure that you

understand his proof from the Mechilta (and
from 16:20).

     Note also Shmot 30:10 (in relation to
30:1-10).  How does

this pasuk affect one's interpretation of
16:18?

A PLACE TO CHANGE CLOTHING?

4. Review 16:23, in its context from
16:14-26, paying

attention to the flow of events.  What is
problematic with

16:23, both in simple pshat of the pasuk, and
in relation to

WHEN Aharon was supposed to do this?

     See Rashi, noting how quotes Yoma 32a in
his

interpretation.

     Then, see Ramban, noting not only how he
quotes Rashi,

but especially how he explains these psukim
in accordance with

that Gemara.  [Note how he explains that in
pshat - this pasuk

needs to be read in search of "drash"!]

                         b'hatzlacha,

                         menachem

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