[Par-reg] for Tazria Metzora

Thu Apr 11 21:38:03 EDT 2013

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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 TAZRIA / METZORA

     Anyone who understands the opening pasuk
of Parshat

Acharei Mot immediately realizes that this
entire Parsha

belongs in Parshat Shmini!  Why then do
Parshiot

Tazria/Metzora 'interrupt' this logical
sequence?

     Should this opening statement sound a
bit complicated,

don't worry; we'll begin this week's shiur by
first explaining

this question. Then, our analysis of the
Parsha in search for

an answer, will also help us arrive at a more
comprehensive

understanding of the structure and theme of
Sefer Vayikra.

INTRODUCTION

     Recall that the first half of Parshat
Shmini included the

story of tragic death of Aharon's two sons -
Nadav & Avihu

(see 10:1-9). Recall as well that Parshat
ACHAREI MOT (several

chapters later) opens with God's commandment
to Moshe & Aharon

in the aftermath of that event:

   "And God spoke to Moshe and Aharon AFTER
THE DEATH of the

   two sons of Aharon..." (16:1)

     Hence, it would have been more logical
for the Torah to

include this commandment in Parshat Shmini -
immediately after

the story of their death.  [In other words,
Vayikra chapter 16

should follow immediately after chapter 10!]

     However, we find instead that chapters
11 thru 15,

detailing numerous laws concerning various
types of "tumah"

[spiritual uncleanliness], form an
'interruption' to this

logical flow.

     To explain why, Part One of our shiur
will explore the

thematic relationship between these laws of
"tumah" and the

story of Nadav & Avinu's death. In Part Two,
we will build an

outline that will summarize these laws of
"tumah" that will

help us appreciate their detail.

PART ONE - WHAT DID NADAV & AVIHU DO WRONG?

      As you are probably aware, there are
numerous opinions

concerning what Nadav & Avihu did wrong.  The
reason for this

difference of opinions is simple; the Torah
only tells us WHAT

they did, but does not explain WHY they were
punished.

Therefore, each commentator looks for a clue
either within

that pasuk (see 10:1) or in the 'neighboring'
psukim in search

of that reason.

   [For example, the word "aish zarah" in
10:1 implies that

   Nadav & Avihu may have sinned by offering
the wrong type of

   fire. Alternately, the 'parshia' that
follows discusses

   laws that forbid the kohanim to become
intoxicated (see

   10:8-11), thus implying that they may have
been drunk. (See

   Rashi, Ramban, Rashbam, Ibn Ezra,
Chizkuni, etc.) In fact,

   each commentary on this pasuk is so
convincing that it is

   truly hard to choose between them.]

     However, in contrast to that discussion
concerning what

specifically Nadav & Avihu did wrong (and
why), our shiur will

focus instead on the more general connection
between this

incident and the overall structure (and
theme) of Sefer

Vayikra.

FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS

     Even though the Torah does not tell us
specifically WHY

Nadav & Avihu were punished, the pasuk that
describes their

sin does provide us with a very general
explanation:

   "va'yikrvu aish zara - ASHER LO TZIVAH
otam" - and they

   offered a 'foreign fire' that GOD HAD NOT
COMMANDED THEM

   (see 10:1)

     However, finding this phrase "asher lo
tzivah otam"

should not surprise us.  In relation to the
construction of

the Mishkan, we found this phrase repeated
numerous times in

our study of Parshiot Vayakhel & Pekudei.

   [To refresh your memory, just note how
"ka'asher tzivah

  Hashem et Moshe" [As God has commanded
Moshe] concludes just

  about every "parshia" in Parshat Pekudei.
See not only

  35:29; 36:1; & 36:5 but also
39:1,5,7,21,26,29,31,32,42,43 &

  40:16,19,21,23,25,27,29,32!]

     Furthermore, this phrase first appeared
at the very

introduction of the Mishkan unit that began
in Parshat

Vayakhel:

   "And Moshe said to the entire congregation
of Israel

   [EYDAH] ZEH HA'DAVAR - ASHER TZIVAH HASHEM
- This is what

   GOD HAS COMMANDED saying..."

                   (see 35:1,4, see also
35:1)

     Finally, thus far in Sefer Vayikra we
have found this

same phrase when the Torah describes the
story of the

Mishkan's dedication. First of all, in the
the seven day

"miluim" ceremony:

   "And Moshe said to the entire EYDAH
[gathered at the Ohel

   Moed/8:3] - ZEH HA'DAVAR - This is what
GOD HAS COMMANDED

   to do..."  (Vayikra 8:4-5, see also
8:9,13,17,21,36.)

     And in Moshe Rabeinu's opening
explanation of the special

korbanot that were to be offered on Yom
ha'Shmini:

   "And Moshe said: ZEH HA'DAVAR - THIS is
what GOD HAS

   COMMANDED that you do [in order] that His
KAVOD [Glory] can

   appear upon you [once again]..." (9:6, see
also 9:1-5)

     Carefully note how Moshe declares this
statement in front

of the entire "eydah" [congregation] that has
gathered to

watch this ceremony. [See 9:5! Note also in
9:3-4 that Moshe

explains to the people that these korbanot
will 'bring back'

the "shchinah".]

     In fact, when you review chapter 9, note
how the Torah

concludes each stage of this special ceremony
with this same

phrase. [See 9:5,6,7,10,21.]

     Therefore, when the Torah uses a very
similar phrase to

describe the sin of Nadav & Avihu on that day
- "va'yikrvu

aish zara - ASHER LO TZIVAH otam" (see 10:1),
we should expect

to find a thematic connection between that
sin and this

phrase.

     To find that connection, we must
consider the reason why

the Torah uses this phrase so often in its
details of the

Mishkan's construction.

EMPHASIZING A CRITICAL POINT

     Recall that Nadav & Avihu's sin took
place on the 'eighth

day'.  Earlier on that day (as the ceremony
was about to

begin) Moshe had gathered the entire nation
to explain the

PRECISE details of how the korbanot would be
offered on that

day.

  [Note again, the key phrase: "zeh ha'davar
asher tzivah

  Hashem..."/ see 9:4-6.]  In fact, Moshe
made two very

  similar remarks before the entire nation
before the

  Mishkan's original construction (Shmot
35:1,4), and before

  the seven day MILUIM ceremony (see Vayikra
8:1).

     Why must Moshe, prior to offering these
special korbanot,

first explain the details of these procedures
to the entire

congregation who have gathered to watch?

     The Torah appears to be sending a very
strong message in

regard to the Mishkan. God demands that man
must act precisely

in accordance to His command - without
changing even a minute

detail.

NADAV & AVIHU's PUNISHMENT

     With this background, we can better
understand why Nadav

& Avihu are punished.  On the day of its
public dedication -

on Yom ha'Shmini - they decide (on their own)
to offer KTORET.

Note the Torah's description of their sin:

   "And Nadav & Avi each took their firepan,
put in it fire

   and added KTORET, and they brought an
alien fire in front

   of God which He HAD NOT COMMANDED THEM
['asher lo tzivah']"

     Their fire is considered "aish zarah"
[alien] simply

because God 'did not command them' to offer
it. [Note the

special emphasis upon the word "lo" according
to the "taamei

mikra" (cantillation). See also commentary of
Chizkuni on

10:1.

     Nadav & Avihu may have had the purest
intentions, but

they made one critical mistake - they did not
act according to

the precise protocol that God had prescribed
for that day.

Considering that the entire EYDAH gathered at
the Ohel Moed

recognize that Nadav & Avihu have strayed
from protocol, they

must be punished; for the lesson of that day
was exactly this

point - that in the Mishkan man must
meticulously follow every

detail of God's command.

   [Note, this interpretation does not negate
any of the other

   opinions which suggest that Nadav & Avihu
had done

   something else wrong [such as drinking or
disrespect of

   Moshe, etc.]. It simply allows us to
understand the

   severity their punishment EVEN if they had
done nothing

   'wrong' at all (other than doing something
that God had not

   commanded). See also commentary of Rashbam
on 10:1 in this

   regard.]

     From a thematic perspective, their
punishment under these

circumstances is quite understandable. Recall
the theological

dilemma created by a MISHKAN - a physical
representation (or

symbol) of a transcendental God. Once a
physical object is

used to represent God, the danger exists that
man may treat

that object [and then possibly another
object] as a god

itself. On the other hand, without a physical
representation

of any sort, it becomes difficult for man to
develop any sort

of relationship with God. Therefore, God
allows a Mishkan - a

symbol of His Presence - but at the same
time, He must

emphasize that He can only be worshiped
according to the

precise manner "as God had commanded Moshe".

   [See also Devarim 4:9-24 for the Torah's
discussion of a

   similar fear that man may choose his own
object to

   represent God [a "tavnit..." / compare
Shmot 25:8-9

   "v'akmal".]

THE PROBLEM OF 'GOOD INTENTIONS'

     This specific problem of 'following
God's command' in

relation to the Mishkan takes on extra
meaning on Yom

ha'Shmini.

     Recall our explanation of Aharon's
sincere intentions at

the incident of "chet ha'egel", i.e. he
wanted to provide Bnei

Yisrael with a physical symbol of God, which
they could

worship. [See previous shiur on Ki-tisa.]
Despite Aharon's

good intentions, his actions led to a
disaster. The sin of

"chet ha'egel" caused KAVOD HASHEM [God's
Glory (="shchina"]),

which had appeared to Bnei Yisrael at Har
Sinai, to be taken

away (see Shmot 33:1-7).

     Due to Moshe's intervention, God finally
allowed His

SHCHINA to return to the MISHKAN that Bnei
Yisrael had built.

But when Nadav & Avihu make a mistake
(similar to Aharon's sin

at chet ha'egel) on the very day of the
Mishkan's dedication,

they must be punished immediately.

   [Not only can this explain why they are so
severely

   punished, it may also help us understand
their father's

   reaction of: "va'YIDOM Aharon" [and Aharon
stood silent]

   (see 10:3).]

     Finally, this interpretation can help us
understand

Moshe's statement to Aharon: "This is what
God had spoken -

B'KROVEI E'KADESH..." (see 10:3). Recall the
parallel that we

have discussed many times between Har Sinai
and the Mishkan.

At Har Sinai, Bnei Yisrael AND the Kohanim
were forewarned:

   "And God told Moshe: Go down and WARN the
people that they

   must not break through [the barrier
surrounding] Har Sinai,

   lest they gaze at Hashem and perish. The
KOHANIM also, who

   COME NEAR HASHEM, must sanctify themselves
("yitkadashu" -

   compare "b'krovei akadesh"/10:3), lest God
punish them."

   (Shmot 19:21)

     As this inaugural ceremony parallels the
events of Har

Sinai, God's original warning concerning
approaching Har

Sinai, even for the KOHANIM, now applies to
the Mishkan as

well. Therefore, extra caution is necessary,
no matter how

good one's intentions may be.  [See similar
explanation by

Chizkuni on 10:3!]

BACK TO SEFER VAYIKRA

     Now we can return to our original
question. In Sefer

Vayikra, the story of the sin of Nadav &
Avihu (chapter 10)

introduces an entire set of laws that discuss
improper entry

into the Mishkan (chapters 11->15). Then,
immediately after

this tragic event, the Sefer discusses the
various laws of

"tumah v'tahara", which regulate who is
permitted and who is

forbidden to enter the Mishkan. Only after
the completion of

this section discussing who can enter the
Mishkan, does Sefer

Vayikra return (in chapter 16) to God's
command to Aharon

concerning how he himself can properly enter
the holiest

sanctum of the Mikdash (on Yom Kippur).

     In Part Two, we discuss the content of
this special unit

of mitzvot from chapter 11->15.

                    PART II

WHO CAN ENTER THE MISHKAN / TUMAH & TAHARA

INTRODUCTION

     We often find ourselves lost in the maze
of complicated

laws concerning "tumah" and "tahara" which
the Torah details

in Parshiot TAZRIA & METZORA. Even though it
is not easy to

understand the reasoning for these laws, the
internal

structure of these Parshiot is quite easy to
follow.

     In Part II, we outline the flow of
parshiot from Parshat

Shmini through Metzora and attempt to explain
why they are

located specifically in this section of Sefer
Vayikra.

THE UNIT

     As the following table shows, each of
these five chapters

deals with a topic related in one form or
manner to "tumah"

(spiritual uncleanliness).

     CHAPTER   "TUMAH" CAUSED BY:

       11      eating or touching dead
animals

       12      the birth of a child

       13      a "tzaraat" on a person's skin
or garment

       14      a "tzaraat" in a house

       15      various emissions from the
human body

     Not only do these parshiot discuss how
one contracts

these various types of TUMAH, they also
explain how one can

cleanse himself from these TUMOT, i.e. how he
becomes TAHOR.

For the simplest type of TUMAH, one need only
wash his

clothing and wait until sundown (see
11:27-28,32,40). For more

severe types of TUMAH, to become TAHOR one
must first wait

seven days and then bring a set of special
korbanot.

     This entire unit follows a very logical
progression. It

begins with the least severe type of TUMAH,
known as "tumah

erev" - one day TUMAH (lit. until the
evening), and then

continues with the more severe type of TUMAH,
known as "tumah

shiva", seven day TUMAH. Within each
category, the Torah first

explains how one contracts each type of
TUMAH, then it

explains the how he becomes TAHOR from it.

     The following OUTLINE summarizes this
structure. Note how

each section of the outline concludes with a
pasuk that begins

with "zot torat...":

          VAYIKRA - CHAPTERS 11 -> 15

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

I. ONE DAY TUMAH - 11:1-47 / "v'tamey ad
ha'erev"

      [known as "tumat erev" (or "tumah
kala")]

     Person is TAMEY until nightfall/ see

     11:24,25,27,31,32,39] because he ate,
touched, or carried

     the dead carcass of:

    A. (11:1-28) forbidden animals and fowl

    B. (29-38) one of the eight "shrutzim"
(swarming creatures)

    C. (39-40) permitted animals that died
without "shchita"

    D. (41-43) other creeping or swarming
creatures.

  TAHARA for the above - washing one's
clothes/ 11:28,32,40]

  FINALE psukim (11:44-47)

...ZOT TORAT HA'BHAYMA etc.

II. SEVEN DAY TUMAH - 12:1-15:33  ("tumah
chamurah")

     A. TUMAT YOLEDET - a mother who gave
birth (12:1-8)

          1. for a boy  :  7+33=40

          2. for a girl : 14+66=80

          TAHARA - korban chatat & olah

    ...ZOT TORAT HA'YOLEDET etc.

     B. TZARAAT HA'ADAM

          TUMAH / based on inspection by the
kohen

               1. on one's body / 13:1-46

               2. on one's "beged" (garment)
/13:47-59

          TAHARA / 14:1-32

               1. special sprinkling, then
count 7 days

               2. special korban on eighth
day

       ...ZOT TORAT ASHER BO NEGA TZARAAT
etc.

     C. TZARAAT HA'BAYIT / 14:33-53

          TUMAH / based on inspection by
kohen

          1. the stones of the house itself
(14:33-45)

          2. secondary "tumah" (14:46-47) for
one who:

               a. enters the house

               b. sleeps in the house

               c. eats in the house

         TAHARA - a special sprinkling on the
house (14:48-53)

  summary psukim for all types of TZARAAT
(14:54-57)

 ...ZOT HA'TORAH L'CHOL NEGA HA'TZRAAT

... ZOT TORAT HA'TZARAAT.

     D. EMISSIONS FROM THE BODY (chapter 15)

          1. MALE - TUMAT ZAV - an abnormal
emission of "zera"

             a. he himself (15:1-4) - 7 days

             b. secondary "tumah" / 1 day
(15:5-12)

              for one who either touches what
the ZAV is sitting on,

              or sits on an item that the ZAV
sits, and other misc.

              cases.

        TAHARA (15:13-15)

             waiting 7 days, then washing
with "mayim chayim"

             on 8th day a special korban

        2. MALE - TUMAT KERI - a normal
emission (15:16-18)

               one day "tumah" (until
evening)

               requires washing clothing.

        3. FEMALE - TUMAT NIDA - a normal
flow (15:19-24)

               a. she herself - seven days

               b. secondary "tumah" - one day

                    for person or items that
she touches

        4. FEMALE - TUMAT ZAVA - an abnormal
flow (15:25-30)

               a. she herself and what she
sits on - 7 days

               b. secondary "tumah" for
someone who touches

                 her or something which she
is sitting on.

      TAHARA -

               waiting seven days...

               on 8th day a special korban

      A FINALE and summary psukim (15:31-33)

...ZOT TORAT HA'ZAV etc.

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

ABOUT THE OUTLINE

     I recommend that you review this outline
as you study the

Parsha. Note that even though the details are
very

complicated, the overall structure is
actually quite simple.

    Note also how the Torah summarizes each
section with a

phrase beginning with ZOT TORAT... - this is
the procedure (or

ritual) for... [See the previous shiur on
Parshat Tzav/Parah

in which we discussed the meaning of the word
TORAH in Sefer

Vayikra.]  The repetition of key phrases such
as these is

often helpful towards identifying the
internal structure of

parshiot in Chumash.

     Our division of the outline into TWO
sections, ONE-DAY

tumah and SEVEN-DAY tumah may at first appear
to be a bit

misleading for we also find many cases of one
day tumah in the

second section. However, the cases of one-day
TUMAH in the

second section are quite different for they
are CAUSED by a

person who had first become TAMEY for seven
days. Therefore,

we have defined them as 'secondary' TUMAH in
that section.

   [TUMAT KERI (15:16-18) may be another
exception since it is

   an independent one-day TUMAH, however it
could be

   considered a sub-category within the
overall framework of

   TUMAT ZAV.]

    [See also further iyun section for a
discussion why the

     one-day TUMAH section includes KASHRUT
laws.]

WHY THE INTERRUPTION?

     Now that we have established that
chapters 11->15 form a

distinct unit, which discusses the laws of
TUMAH & TAHARA; we

can return to our original question - Why
does this unit

interrupt the natural flow from Parshat
Shmini (chapter 10) to

Parshat Acharei Mot (chapter 16)?

     The concluding psukim of this unit can
provide us with a

possible explanation.

     As we have noted in our outline, this
entire unit

contains an important FINALE pasuk:

   "V'HIZARTEM ET BNEI YISRAEL M'TUMATAM...
And you shall put

   Bnei Yisrael on guard [JPS - see further
iyun regarding

   translation of "vhizartem"] against their
TUMAH, LEST THEY

   DIE through their TUMAH by defiling My
MISHKAN which is

   among them."  (see 15:31)

     This pasuk connects the laws of TUMAH &
TAHARA to the

laws of the Mishkan. Bnei Yisrael must be
careful that should

they become TAMEY, they must not ENTER the
Mishkan.  In fact,

the primary consequence for one who has
become TAMEY is the

prohibition that he cannot enter the MIKDASH
complex. There is

no prohibition against becoming TAMEY, rather
only a

prohibition against entering the Mishkan
should he be TAMEY.

     Hence, the entire TAHARA process as well
is only

necessary for one who wishes to enter the
Mishkan. If there is

no Mishkan, one can remain TAMEY his entire
life with no other

consequence (see further iyun section).

     With this background, we can suggest a
common theme for

the first 16 chapters of Sefer Vayikra - the
ability of Bnei

Yisrael to enter the Mishkan, to come closer
to God.

     Let's explain:

     The first section of Sefer Vayikra,
chapters 1->7,

explains HOW and WHEN the individual can
bring a korban and

HOW they are offered by the kohen. The next
section, chapters

8->10, records the special Mishkan dedication
ceremony, which

prepared Bnei Yisrael and the Kohanim for
using and working in

the Mishkan. As this ceremony concluded with
the death of

Nadav & Avihu for improper entry into the
Mishkan (when

offering the "ktoret zara"), Sefer Vayikra
continues with an

entire set of commandments concerning TUMAH &
TAHARA, chapters

11->15, which regulate who can and cannot
ENTER THE MISHKAN.

This unit ends with laws of Yom Kippur, which
describe the

procedure of how the "kohen gadol" (high
priest) can enter the

most sacred domain of the Mishkan - the
Kodesh K'doshim.

     Even though these laws of TUMAH & TAHARA
may have been

given to Moshe at an earlier or later time,
once again, we

find that Sefer Vayikra prefers thematic
continuity over

chronological order (see shiur on Parshat
Tzav). First, the

Sefer discusses who cannot enter the Mishkan.
Then it explains

who can enter its most sacred domain.

ZEHIRUT - BEING CAREFUL

     Up until this point, we have discussed
the technical

aspects of the structure of this unit in
Parshiot Shmini,

Tazria & Metzora.  Is there any significance
to these laws of

TUMAH & TAHARA today as well?

     The simplest explanation is based on our
parallel between

the Mishkan and Har Sinai. Just as Bnei
Yisrael's encounter

with God at Har Sinai required special
preparation, so too

man's encounter with God in the Mishkan. It
would not be

proper for man just to 'hop on in' whenever
he feels like

entering the Mishkan. Instead, each time an
individual plans

to offer a korban or enter the Mishkan for
any other reason,

he must prepare himself by making sure not to
come in contact

with anything which would make him TAMEY.
Should for any

reason he become TAMEY, he must wash his
clothes and wait

until the next day. Should he himself
contract a major type of

TUMAH such as TZARAAT or ZAV, then he must
wait at least seven

days and undergo a special ritual which will
make him TAHOR.

     All of these complicated laws cause the
man who wishes to

visit the Mishkan to be very careful and
constantly aware of

everything he touches, or carries, etc.
during the entire week

prior to his visit, thus enhancing his
spiritual readiness for

entering the Mishkan.

     Today, even without a Mishkan, man must
still make every

effort to find God's Presence, even though it
is hidden.

Therefore, man's state of constant awareness
and caution

concerning everything that he says and does
remains a primary

means by which man can come closer to God,
even though no Bet

Ha'Mikdash exists.

     An important though to keep in mind as
we prepare

ourselves during the seven weeks of Sefirat
ha'Omer in

preparation for our commemoration of Ma'amad
Har Sinai on

Shavuot.

                                   shabbat
shalom

                                   menachem

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

FOR FURTHER IYUN

A. In relation to the translation of the word
"v'hizartem et

Bnei Yisrael..." (15:31), see Ibn Ezra. He
explains that the

word does not stem from "azhara"=warning, but
rather from the

word "nazir", to separate oneself ["zarut"].
Then "nun" simply

falls which is noted by the dagesh in the
"zayin". See Ibn

Ezra inside!

B. Since this section of chapters 11->15
discuss various laws

of TUMAH & TAHARA, one would expect it to
include the laws of

TUMAT MEYT (caused by touching a dead
person). Instead, the

Torah records these laws in Parshat Chukat,
Bamidbar chapter

19. It appears as though that parsha was
'spliced' from this

unit and 'transferred' to Sefer Bamidbar.
This parsha is one

of many parshiot in Sefer Bamidbar which
would appear to

'belong' in Sefer Vayikra instead. Iy"h, we
will explain the

reason for this in our shiurim on Sefer
Bamidbar - "v'akmal".

C. At first glance, the section in our unit
which discusses

'one-day' TUMAH (chapter 11) appears to be
discussing

"kashrut" (dietary laws) more than TUMAH, for
it details which

animals are permitted or forbidden to be
eaten. However, the

dietary laws which are mentioned here because
one becomes

TAMEY should he eat the meat of an animal
which is TAMEY.

     To prove this, simply compare this
parsha to the dietary

laws in Parshat Re'ay (see Dvarim 14:1-21).
There we find only

dietary laws and not laws of TUMAH & TAHARA.
Therefore, laws

such as "basar v'chalav" are mentioned in
that parsha, while

the laws of TUMAH are not!

D. These laws which discuss who can and
cannot enter the

Mikdash are sometimes referred to as HILCHOT
BIYAT MIKDASH

(see Rambam Sefer Avodah). Obviously, these
laws apply only

when a Mikdash exists, as there is no other
consequence of

'becoming tamey' other than limited entry to
areas containing

shchinah.

     Nonetheless, there are several
circumstances when it is

still necessary to know these laws. For
example, entering HAR

HA'BAYIT even when there is not Mikdash
requires that one not

be TAMEY. These laws also relate to eating
TRUMOT & MAASROT.

E. See 11:44-45

    "...v'hitkadishtem, v'yehiytem KDOSHIM,
ki KADOSH ani"

     v'lo t'TAMU et nafshoteichem...."

    "ki ani Hashem ha'maale etchem m'eretz
mitzrayim,

     l'hiyot l'chem l'Elokim, v'heyitem
KDOSHIM ..."

     "... l'havdil bein ha'tamey u'bein
ha'tahor..."

     This finale of the section explaining
'one-day' TUMAH

connects the theme of Sefer Shmot, that
Hashem took us out

Egypt in order that we become His nation, to
the laws of

"tumah & tahara". To become God's nation, we
must be like Him.

Just as He is "kadosh" (set aside,
different), we must also be

"kadosh".

     Man's spirituality begins with his
recognition that he is

different than animal. Although man and
animal are similar in

many ways, man must realize that he was set
aside by God for a

higher purpose. God blessed man with special
qualities in

order that he fulfill that purpose. [See
Rambam in Moreh

Nvuchim I.1 regarding the definition of
tzelem elokim. It is

not by coincidence that the Rambam begins
Moreh Nvuchim with

this concept.]

     These laws of "tumat ochlim" teach Am
Yisrael that they

must differentiate between man and animal,
and between

different types of animals. By doing so, man
will learn to

differentiate between divine and mundane,
between "tamey &

tahor", and finally between good and bad,
right and wrong etc.

D. In previous shiurim, we explained how the
cycles of seven

found in Chumash relate to our need to
recognize the hand of

God behind nature. Why do you think that we
also find cycles

of seven in the laws of TZARAAT, ZAV, and
ZAVA that appear to

be the exact opposite, that is abnormalities
in nature?

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