Transcript

So bli neder and im yirtzeh Hashem apropos of yesterday's Hakdama to Sefer Shemos maybe we'll continue shortly bli neder with the Ramban's Hakdama to Sefer Vayikra but first just to circle back to the the question that we were discussing yesterday that the Ramban speaks of Galus and Geula with the Geula being fully realized outside of Eretz Yisrael. So we spoke about that a little bit yesterday. But the emes is when you think about it it's clear where the Ramban's conception in this context comes from. Galus Mitzrayim Hakadosh Baruch Hu foretells Avraham Avinu. Tells him

כי גר יהיה זרעך בארץ לא להם ועבדום וענו אתם ארבע מאות שנה וגם את הגוי אשר יעבדו דן אנכי ואחרי כן יצאו ברכש גדול.

So I think Rashi already in Parshas Lech Lecha al hasar Rashi says again we were only in Mitzrayim 210 years but the 400 years are measured from leidas Yitzchak. That already from leidas Yitzchak begin the כי גר יהיה זרעך. Even though Avraham Avinu is in Eretz Yisrael at that point. So it's clear that the galus is not defined in terms of Eretz Yisrael because the raya the 400 years are already being measured on some level it's already כי גר יהיה זרעך already misha'ah shenolad Yitzchak. And and then when you look in the psukim there in Bereishis lichora there's a the psukim are very meduyakim I was looking a little bit in the meforshim I couldn't find

ויהי השמש לבוא ותרדמה נפלה על אברם והנה אימה חשכה גדולה נפלת עליו ויאמר לאברם ידוע תדע כי גר יהיה זרעך בארץ לא להם ועבדום וענו אתם ארבע מאות שנה וגם את הגוי אשר יעבדו דן אנכי ואחרי כן יצאו ברכש גדול ואתה תבוא אל אבתיך בשלום תקבר בשיבה טובה ודור רביעי ישובו הנה כי לא שלם עון האמרי עד הנה.

So the placement of the pasuk of ואתה תבוא אל אבתיך בשלום is very strange lichora. It it breaks up Hakadosh Baruch Hu is giving Avraham Avinu a nevuah as to what the future holds for zera Avraham Avinu. So lichora after ואחרי כן יצאו ברכש גדול the Torah should have continued ודור רביעי ישובו הנה ודור רביעי will come back to Eretz Yisrael but not until then כי לא שלם עון האמרי עד הנה. And the Torah interrupts the flow of the nevuah about the zera Avraham Avinu and then it says but but you're not going to experience any of this ואתה תבוא אל אבתיך בשלום תקבר בשיבה טובה and then then the Torah resumes the the nevuah about what about the future of zera Avraham Avinu. But lemaiseh it's very meduyak because the Torah is sharply delineating no there is it is a davar shaleim already. The

וגם את הגוי אשר יעבדו דן אנכי ואחרי כן יצאו ברכש גדול

and Galus Mitzrayim is over. And and to make clear that the ודור רביעי ישובו הנה is is not that's not the when Galus Mitzrayim ends so the Torah bedafka interrupts with this pasuk of ואתה תבוא אל אבתיך בשלום תקבר בשיבה טובה and lichora it's also reflected In, right we know the Rashbam quoting a Yerushalmi in the beginning of Arvei Pesachim says that the Chazal were mesakein that the arba kosos keneged the ד' לשונות של גאולה. והוצאתי והצלתי וגאלתי ולקחתי. But the psukim go on to veheiveisi. So aren't there hamisha leshonos, aren't there חמש לשונות של גאולה? And Chazal should have been mesakein. I mean if the leshonos shel geulah sort of provide the the framework for the kosos, so why are we ignoring veheiveisi? No but אלא הם הם הדברים, that's that's exactly what we're learning in in our Ramban that ein hachi nami in terms of the destiny of Jewish history, of course the destiny of Jewish history is to to be in Eretz Yisrael. But in terms of Galus Mitzrayim and Geulas Mitzrayim, so Galus Mitzrayim and Geulas Mitzrayim wasn't defined in terms of Eretz Yisrael and you see that on both ends. You see that the galus began in with leidas Yitzchak when they were still in Eretz Yisrael. And then mimaila the geulah parallel to that, symmetrical to that, the geulah in terms of Galus Mitzrayim is already that's what the Ramban says, is already when they come to Har Sinai and שבו אל מעלת אבותם or the hashra'as hashchina which is then perpetuated in the Mishkan. So that represents Geulas Mitzrayim. So that's what the Yerushalmi says, the ד' לשונות של גאולה only go into velakachti. Again veheiveisi is of course that's what the the ultimate Jewish destiny is, is והבאתי אתכם אל הארץ. But but the termination of Galus Mitzrayim is the ד' לשונות של גאולה. Okay so maybe to somewhat elaborate in in the Ramban's Hakdama to Shemos we'll come back to it after that, but for today let's take a look again Ramban follows through with this yesod that each of the chamisha chumshai Torah have have a thematic unity. הספר הזה הוא תורת כהנים ולוים. That's Sefer Vayikra whereas Bereishis is Sefer Yetzira, whereas Sefer Shemos, Chumash Shemos is Galus veGeulah. Sefer Vayikra is Toras Kohanim

ולוים. יבאר בו ענייני הקרבנות כולן ומשמרת המשכן. כי כאשר היה ספר אחד בעניין הגלות והגאולה ממנו.

The previous Sefer, Sefer Shemos was devoted to Galus veGeulah. והשלימו בעניין אהל מועד וכבוד השם אשר מלא המשכן. So the Torah continues that with

צוהו בקרבנות ובשמירת המשכן שיהיו הקרבנות כפרה להן ולא יגרמו העונות לסילוק השכינה.

So the geulah was again not simply political, not simply geographical but spiritual שבו אל מעלת אבותם. So Toras Kohanim is is a way to perpetuate that hashra'as hashchina of the Mishkan that they shouldn't do anything to cause rachmana litzlan silluk haShechina due to cheit. ממימלא tzivahu bakorbanos

וצוה בכהנים הנגשים אל השם שיתקדשו. שהזהיר על טומאת מקדש וקדשיו. וגם שלא יהרסו לעלות אל השם.

kimo she'amar

דבר אל אהרן אחיך ואל יבא בכל עת אל הקדש מבית לפרכת אל פני הכפרת אשר על הארן ולא ימות כי בענן אראה על הכפרת. כאזהרת פן יהרסו אל השם לראות ונפל ממנו רב. ואחר כך יגביל המשכן כהגבלת הר סיני.

Yisrael. So just as by the Ramban's yesod that he hinted to in yesterday's hakdama to Sefer Shemos is that the Mishkan perpetuated the hashro'as hashchina which we had at Ma'amad Har Sinai. So the Ramban says that therefore you find an intentional parallel between Ma'amad Har Sinai where there was gvulo as to where everyone could go and you have the exact same thing by the Mishkan.

דבר אל אהרן אחיך ואל יבוא בכל עת אל הקודש,

Aharon Hakohein is not allowed to go into the Kodesh Hakodashim whenever he wants, however he wants. Parallel to

והגבלת את העם סביב לאמר. והנה רוב הספר הזה בקרבנות,

b'toras hakorban והלכות של הקרבן עצמו v'hamakrivim of the Kohanim uv'makom sheyitkareiv bo. And that shchutei chutz is assur, where in the Azarah you have to shecht the korban, etc. ויבואו בו קצת מצוות נגררות עם אלה, but there seem to be a few parshiyos that don't really belong l'fumya d'atya to Sefer Toras Kohanim. כי מתחילה ציווה בקרבנות הנדבה ואסר החלב והדם בעבורם. So the issur cheilev v'dam is here in Sefer Vayikra, says the Ramban. What's the pshat? Because basically the issur cheilev v'dam, which is obviously b'behemas chullin even by behemas chullin, is because the cheilev v'dam is that which is nitan al hamizbe'ach when you're makriv a korban. So even when basar ta'ava is mutar and even when we have shechitas chullin but that part of the animal which is meyuchad l'kapara, which is meyuchad l'achilas mizbe'ach, remains assur. So because of that, the issur cheilev v'dam again is sort of a corollary of dinei korbanos and therefore that's how it enters Sefer Toras Kohanim. ונגרר אחר זה להזכיר המאכלים האסורים ba'avur sheheim metame'im

והאוכל או הנוגע בהם בכל קודש לא יגע ואל המקדש לא יבוא.

So now the Ramban addresses another glaring question again on this conception that there's a thematic unity. What do you do with Parshas Shmini which has all the dinim of kashrus? Which זאת הבהמה אשר תאכלו and zos hachaya and ha'of and dagim. Which are kosher species? Which are non-kosher species? How does that... that's all Yoreh De'ah! How does that come into... how does that come into Sefer Toras Kohanim? So what did the Ramban say here? ונגרר אחר זה להזכיר המאכלים האסורים ba'avur sheheim metame'im

והאוכל או הנוגע בהם בכל קודש לא יגע ואל המקדש לא יבוא.

So if a person eats from a behema t'mei'ah, so not only is he over an issur in eating but he also becomes tamei. And since he becomes tamei, he can't come into the Mikdash, he can't be korbanos. I don't know, if you were running a Sefer Hilchos Shabbos, you wouldn't have a chapter on how to change a flat tire because if you get a flat tire on Friday and your way home and you're delayed too much, so rachmana litzlan it could be... I mean everything can connect up eventually. So what's the Ramban's explanation? דבר אל בני ישראל לאמר פרק י"א פסוק ב' in Vayikra.

זאת החיה אשר תאכלו מכל הבהמה אשר על הארץ. כל מפרסת פרסה ושסעת שסע פרסת מעלת גרה בבהמה אתה תאכלו.

So if it has split hooves and it chews its cud so then that's a osa sochailu, that's a kosher species. אך את זה לא תאכלו ממעלי הגרה וממפריסי הפרסה Es Hagamal but if it only has one of those two simanim no. את הגמל כי מעלה גרה הוא ופרסה איננו מפריס. So what's the end of the pasuk? Anyone remember? Anyone have a Chumash in front of them? Tamei hu lachem. No, the Torah should have said assur hu lachem. The Torah should have said the Torah should have said lo soychoilu. But the Torah formulates the issur achila beloshon tumah. Tumah the fact that this tumah associated with beheima what's the phrase? Beheima tameiah, right? That's the way we refer to kosher and non-kosher species is beheima tehorah and beheima tameiah, of tahor and of tamei. The fact that this tumah is not an additional din. The fact that this is beheima tameiah is also the shoresh of the issur achila. Ich vais. ובגדר כלאים שעטנז לא יעלה לך has nothing to do with tumah. Most issurei Torah are not rooted in tumah. But ma'acholos assuros the Torah says is rooted in the fact that these are minim tmeiyim. And and you see again the the counterpoint to מפרסת פרסה ושסעת שסע osa sochailu and what's the counterpoint? The counterpoint is tamei hu lachem. So klor, right? That's what the Ramban is calling our attention to, that the fact that it's that it's a beheima tameiah is the shoresh of the issur achila. Tumah and kedusha are tartrei de'sasrei. And that's what the Ramban is saying again. What Sefer Toras Kohanim really about is really about is really about avoiding Rachmana litzlan which would cause siluk hashchina. Again obviously obviously we have to be nizer and makpid on every din d'oraissa d'rabbanan, but especially what causes siluk hashchina especially is an aveirah which is defined as tumah. Not just that it's something which the Torah assers, but the Torah says that the shoresh of the issur is the fact that it's tamei. Tamei hu lachem. מבשרם לא תאכלו ובנבלתם לא תגעו טמאים הם לכם the pshuto shel mikra is that tmeiyim heim lachem is again the pshuto shel mikra there are other layers of meaning as well, obviously, but the pshuto shel mikra is that the mzi'us of tmeiyim heim lachem is is what underlies the mibsorom lo sochailu as well. And that's what the Ramban is saying that the reason the parsha of ma'acholos assuros comes in Toras Kohanim is because again Toras Kohanim is to is to avoid Rachmana litzlan the siluk hashchina. That hashras hashchina which was attained בשעת מתן תורה and that was perpetuated in the Mishkan, so Toras Kohanim is of those mitzvos which are devoted to avoiding Rachmana litzlan triggering a siluk hashchina. So korbanos which come for kapara, hence all of the dinei korbanos are are. come into this sefer. Hence the name Toras Kohanim, but also avonos of which are rooted in tumah, because tumah also even even if it's even if the person doesn't become tamei and then go into the mishkan. But but if a person is over an issur tumah, so the tumah is a tartie d'sasrei with kedusha with hashroas hashchina as well. That's why you have at the end of, at the end of parshas shemini, at the end of the parsha of ma'achalos asuros:

אל תשקצו את נפשותיכם בכל השרץ השורץ ולא תטמאו בהם ונטמתם בם כי אני השם אלקיכם והתקדשתם והייתם קדושים כי קדוש אני ולא תטמאו את נפשותיכם בכל השרץ הרומש על הארץ.

Tumah and kedusha are tartie d'sasrei. Again, Toras Kohanim is about preserving, safeguarding the kedusha of hashroas hashchina, so mimaila those issurei tumah belong to sefer Toras Kohanim. That's the Rambam's explanation. Alright, so we'll stop here. So...