Beyond Orthodox Conversion to Judaism

By Rav Moshe Sternbuch


Limits of human comprehension

“He shall take out the ashes beyond the encampment” (6:4).

At the end of hilchos me’ilah, the Rambam discusses an important principle. He
notes that even inanimate objects such as wood, stone, dust and ashes can acquire sanctity, in which case someone who misappropriates them for some secular use commits a transgression. This teaches us not to assess the significance of mitzvos or aveiros on the basis of our own limited understanding. All positive and negative commandments
were decreed by the Creator and their true value and significance derives from this very fact alone. That is why sanctity can attach to even seemingly valueless objects and be subject to special mitzvos, even if our imperfect human comprehension finds this difficult to grasp.

Sharing TORAH

“A continual fire shall be lit on the altar…” (6:6).


Rashi cites the Gemara that this same light was the one that was used to light the
menorah. The light of the menorah symbolizes the light of Torah. The Torah of a talmid chochom is primarily located in his heart and mind, since he is meant to conceal his knowledge from others as much as possible. For this reason, the appropriate location to house the menorah was the innermost part of the Mishkon and Bais Hamikdosh, the Heichol.

However, Hashem clearly wants the talmid chochom to disseminate his knowledge
to others and let them benefit from the light of his Torah, and when he does so he enjoys special siyata diShmaya, (heavenly help) which, in turn, illuminates the Torah that he has internalized even more. The halacha cited by Rashi may be taken as a reference to this interplay between the talmid chochom’s own knowledge and its dissemination to others.

Importance of continuity

“…it shall not go out” (ibid.).

Chazal (Yerushalmi Yomo 4:6) tell us that even when the Bnei Yisroel were traveling,
the light of the mizbeiach was not extinguished. The fire’s existence was dependent
on complete continuity. Some people lower their moral or kashrus standards when traveling, and this posuk admonishes us to avoid such behavior.

Continuity and consistency are essential components for success in all areas of our
lives. For example, during bein hazemanim, yeshiva bochurim must be very careful not to slacken their study schedules any more than necessary to rejuvenate themselves for the following zeman. When the Chazon Ish zt”l was asked how much an avreich should learn during bein hazemanim, the response was that he should learn no less than eight hours a day, which is the amount of time a baal habayis (someone who works) is supposed to dedicate to Torah study each day according to the Rambam!

Eating as an Avodah

“Whatever remains from it shall be eaten by Aharon and his sons” (6:9).


The korban minchah did not have to be eaten by any specific kohein. By contrast, in
the case of a korban olah, the Torah specifically requires “the kohein who offers it as a sin offering” to eat it (6:19). How do we explain this difference between the two types of korbanos?

The Meshech Chochmah explains that the minim (early Christians) claimed that
animal sacrifices were cruel. Why should an animal have to be slaughtered just because a person sinned? In reality, the animal is fulfilling its purpose in this world and achieving a tikkun (purification), but in order to demonstrate that the kohein who slaughtered the animal is not guilty of sharing such heretical views, the Torah commanded that he specifically should be the one to eat it, whereas the korban minchah, which did not involve the danger of such theories, could be eaten by
any kohein.

Alternatively, the commentators (see Ramban at the beginning of Vayikra) explain
that a person should actually be shedding his own blood because of his sin, and by bringing a sacrifice he demonstrates that he is willing to give up his own soul for the sake of Hashem’s honor, with the blood of the animal serving as a substitute for his own. We know that the kohein eats the korban and the owner achieves atonement as a result.

This act of eating is no less an act of avodah than the previous acts constituting the avodos hakorbanos. By eating the flesh, the kohein is sublimating his physical desires for the sake of Hashem. It is therefore only appropriate that the same kohein who performs the zerikah, which, as the Ramban explains, symbolizes mesirus nefesh, should also eat that korban, since the act of eating represents a continuation of the same principle of dedicating everything we have, including our desires, to serve Hashem.

Habitual Mitzvos

“This is the offering of Aharon and his sons” (6:13).


Every kohein had to offer this minchas chinuch on the day of his inauguration, but
the kohein godol also had to offer a minchas chavitin every day. When a person is appointed to an important position, he initially feels great excitement and a sense of responsibility, but these feelings usually dissipate with time, as he becomes used to the new situation and it becomes routine. The kohein godol has to bring an offering every day in order to counteract this aspect of human nature. Each
day he must consider himself to have been reappointed to his position and to strengthen and dedicate himself completely to avodas Hashem.

Similarly, we tend to become more enthusiastic about mitzvos that occur at irregular
intervals, such as shofar or Arba Minim, than we do about those that occur on a daily
basis, such as tefillah and tefillin. We have to find techniques to maintain the same level of excitement and dedication that we felt when we first performed these mitzvos.

Remembering the past BUT focusing on the present

“He shall bring along with his thanksgiving offering unleavened loaves…with loaves of
leavened bread (7:12-13).

Each korban todah was accompanied by 30 loaves of matzoh and 10 loaves of chometz. The matzoh loaves symbolize the freedom from the misfortune endured by the person obligated to bring this offering and the chometz loaves symbolize the misfortune itself. Since it is no longer present, and a person tends to forget the extent of the danger he was in once the misfortune has passed, these ten loaves serve to remind
him of the extent of Hashem’s kindness.

However, the majority of the loaves are matzoh, because once the person has appropriately thanked Hashem in full cognizance of his past misfortune, and he has also drawn the necessary conclusions by changing his ways for the better, he should focus on his current positive situation and continue to improve his avodas Hashem.

CHUMROS

“You shall…keep the charge (mishmeres) of Hashem and you will not die” (8:35).

Mishmeres is a preventive measure, and all the gezeiros of Chazal serve as hedges to
protect the Torah. If we observe them, we “will not die,” because anyone who transgresses the words of the sages, who have set up these fences in order to increase Torah observance, deserves to die.

Similarly, chumros, when they do not stem from ignorance, and do not come at the expense of anyone else, are to be encouraged. In fact, it has been said that thanks to those of our ancestors who were stringent beyond the letter of the Shulchan Aruch, we have managed to observe the regulations of the Ahulchan Aruch itself. This applies with particular force on Pesach. The Zohar states that every chumrah that is adopted for the purpose of avoiding the severe prohibition of chometz may be compared
to an additional piece of jewelry that is added to a kallah on the day of her wedding.

Sacrificial substitutes

“This is the law for the burnt-offering, the meal-offering…” (7:37).



The Gemara in Maseches Menachos (110a) quotes a drashah by Reish Lokish on
this posuk that if one delves into the Torah, it is as if he has offered up a burnt-offering, a meal-offering, a sin-offering and a guilt-offering. Rava takes this a step further and says that anyone who delves into the Torah does not need any of these offerings at all.

The Chofetz Chaim zt”l explains that according to Reish Lokish, the avodah of the korbanos is the best and preferred option, whereas the possibility of studying their laws is only second-best. Rava, on the other hand, argues that delving into Torah is more important lechatchilah than the act of bringing the sacrifices and makes them entirely superfluous.

In a similar vein, the Zohar praises those who toil in Torah, stating that their place is in tiferes and they are therefore more important than prophets, who only reach the levels of netzach and hod. He concludes that someone who toils in Torah does not need to bring sacrifices, because the Torah itself is the main tool for acquiring faith.