>> Torah portion
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SPEED
LIMIT
Self Imposed I imits
Parshat Tzav: Leviticus 6:1-8:36,
Deut. 25:17-19; / Samuel 15:2-15:34.
WALK FOR
ISRAEL
p
arshat Tzav continues our
However, it does not recall God's
education about the rules
creation of the world; rather, it recalls
governing the sacrificial rites
God's cessation from creation on the
of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. The
seventh day. It appears that the con-
parshah also describes the
cept of holiness is synony-
consecration of Aaron and
mous with the concept of a
self-imposed limit.
his sons to be the kohanim,
the ministers of these holy
This message of the holy
rites.
as defined by the notion of a
limit is implied in the com-
In both cases, blood is
given a prominent role.
mentary of Rashi. The text
The blood of the offering
teaches, "A perpetual fire
is sprinkled on the altar, or
shall be kept burning on the
in front of the cloth cover-
altar, not to go out:'
ing, or poured out in front
The Talmud teaches that
i Tzvi
of the altar — but it is not
the flames took the shape
rman
consumed as part of the
of a lion and blazed as bril-
sacrifice that is eaten.
liantly as the sun. According
Regarding the consecration of Aaron to the midrash, this fire was hot enough
as the kohein gadol, the high priest,
to turn the animals to ash, yet it did not
the Torah teaches, "Moses took some
melt or scorch the copper covering of
of its blood and put it on the ridge of
the altar or the wood that formed the
Aaron's right ear, and on the thumb of
altar's core. The Mishkan, which was
his right hand, and on the big toe of
the focal point of holiness, was a mani-
his right foot:' The blood seems to be
festation of imposed limits, even on the
an important ingredient in this ritual
physical properties of nature.
of granting a unique status to the
This message of self-imposed limits
kohanim.
is the underlying lesson learned from
Yet, in both the sacrificial rituals and the prominence of the otherwise pro-
the laws of kashrut, the Israelite nation hibited blood in the consecration of
is enjoined from consuming blood. In
the Mishkan and the priests. As Rabbi
kashrut, meat is soaked and salted to
Jonathan Sacks often comments, reli-
avoid the prohibition of consuming
gious ministerial office is often easily
blood. The reason given for this is that
abused. As the conduit to the holy, the
blood is the nefesh, the life force, of the priest could easily extort the visitor.
animal. But this does not explain its
The use of the blood was to impart the
prominence in the Mishkan.
message that holy is a matter of limiting
The Mishkan is the epitome of all
oneself.
that is holy as it is the dwelling place
While the sacrifice was slaughtered
of God. Many classic and modern
and offered, the blood was separated
exegetes have pointed out that the
and treated differently. Similarly, when
Mishkan is an anomaly in that it is a
an animal is slaughtered for food, there
finite structure, built by finite beings,
is potential for the blood lust to mani-
as a dwelling place for the Infinite.
fest itself unbridled. The prominence
And it is an even more limited section
and prohibition of the blood served as
of the Mishkan that is called the Holy
reminder that holy is a matter of impos-
ing a limit on our natural exhibitions of
of Holies. Similarly, the sacrifices that
are more limited in their consumption
power.
and purpose are similarly called holy
Whether it is God ceasing to create
of holies. How does the more finite
on the seventh day, the priest within
translate into the more holy?
the confines of the Sanctuary or sim-
In the Friday evening Kiddush, we
ply eating a steak, holiness is the act of
refer to Shabbat as a zecher l'ma'ase
self-restraint.
breishit, a commemoration of the
Rabbi Tzvi Klugerman is head of school at
creation of the world. Shabbat is con-
Akiva Hebrew Day School in Southfield.
sidered the holiest day of the week.
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March 13 • 2014
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