Parshas Shemini – The Middle of the Torah

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The Torah has not one but three midpoints. One is the Pasuk that starts the second half of the Torah, the other is the middle letter. And the third, found in Parshas Shemini, is the middle of the Torah in words. The exact middle is in between two words on either side of the divide. The Pasuk says[1], “And the goat of the Chatas Moshe examined and reexamined, and it was burned.” The division is between the two words to examine – Darash.

There must be some midpoint of the Torah. But it is not coincidental. HKB”H could have arranged it that any Halacha or incident could be that point. Therefore, we are obligated to ask what is lesson that is learned from where it is actually found. To explain that let us review what is taking place here.

The Parsha begins with the eighth day of the dedication of the Mishkan. After seven days of Miluim where Moshe does the Avoda and inaugurates the Mishkan, the eighth day is the first day of the Avoda of Aharon and his sons. According to most opinions this is on Rosh Chodesh Nissan[2]. Chazal teach that this day was honored with ten crowns[3]. Among them were the eighth day of the Miluim and the first day of the Avoda of the Cohanim, the first day of the Korbanos of the Nesiim, and Rosh Chodesh Nissan.

Each of those three occasions had a Korban Chatas associated with it. But that day also turned from a Yom Tov to Aveilus. On this day Nadav and Avihu brought an unwanted fire into the Mishkan and were consumed by a fire from Hashem. Aharon and his sons changed from Yom Tov to Aveilus. But Moshe commands Aharon and his sons to not mourn.

For a Cohen one of the Halachos of mourning is to not eat from Korbanos. The consumption of the Korban is part of the atonement, but as an Avel that is prohibited. This is learned from the Halachos of Maaser that it cannot be eaten when someone is an Avel. But here Moshe commanded them to eat from the Korbanos.

But when Moshe examines what happened to the various Korbanos, he found that one Korban Chatas was burned. Moshe turns to Aharon’s two surviving sons, Elazar and Isamar, and chastises them for burning Kodashim for no purpose. They were commanded to eat the Chatas even as mourners. Since the consumption of the Korban is part of the atonement, why was it not eaten?

This question is the midpoint. The Pasuk says that Moshe examined and reexamined and found that the Chatas was burned. The middle is at this point when Moshe realizes that according to his nevuah from Hashem Aharon and his sons had not followed his nevuah.

This question was really addressed to Aharon[4]. Elazar and Isamar remain quiet, and Aharon answers. The Gemarra in Zevachim as brought here by Rashi[5], explains a number of aspects of this conversation between Moshe and Aharon.

There is a differentiation between the various Korbanos that were brought that day. Some were Kodshei Shaah, a unique korban for this event. Others are Kodshei Doros, a Korban that will be brought throughout history and happens to also be brought today. The Chatas of the Miluim and Nahshon are Kodshei Shaah. They are only brought here. But the Korban of Rosh Chodesh is going to be brought every Rosh Chodesh throughout history.

Aharon says[6] that the Chatas that was burned was the one of Rosh Chodesh. Even though it is usually eaten, Aharon decided to burn it and not eat it. The other two Chatas were eaten as Moshe had commanded.

Aharon says to Moshe that your command was only for Kodshei Shaah. Even if those were eaten there would be no ramifications for history. But if we eat from the Chatas of Rosh Chodesh, there might be confusion and Cohanim would continue to eat from the Chatas for the generations. And there is a Kal Vchomer. If the lenient Maaser cannot be eaten as an Avel, for sure the more stringent Chatas cannot!

Moshe hears the logic of Aharon and remembers that Hashem’s command that the Korbanos could be eaten in Aveilus was only for the Kadshei Shaah. He admits that he forgot to tell this point to Aharon, and that Aharon’s logic was correct[7].

Based on this understanding we can explain why these words are the midpoint.

The Degel Machane Ephraim explains[8] that that this coming to explain that the written Torah is not complete without the Drashos of the Oral Torah. The written Torah is only half of the Torah that Hashem gave us. Without the explanation of Chazal, the Torah is not understood.

But this idea is not only in the words that are the midpoint, but the whole incident here.

Moshe is the source of the Written Law. Moshe was able to understand the entire Torah from within the first Luchos. Chazal say that the entire Torah was contained within the first Luchos[9]. But after the sin of the Eigel that level of Torah remained only by Moshe. Everyone else needed the Torah to be learned from within the Oral Law.

Chazal define a number of people as connected to the source of the Oral Law. Among them were Aharon and Yehoshua. Aharon is described as the foundation of the Oral Law. Moshe taught the written Torah, and Aharon accepted it and expanded it through the Oral Law.

Another is Yehoshua. He is the primary student of Moshe. He is described as the moon which reflects the light of the sun[10].  But the Gemarra says that this was an embarrassment. Since the moon does not reflect the light of the sun completely, the Torah of Yehoshua was lacking. When Moshe died, a large number of Halachos were forgotten. And those who knew Moshe and then Yehoshua said. “Woe the embarrassment, alas for the shame that the Torah was diminished.”

The original foundation for this diminution of transmission was when Hashem diminished the light of the moon. Originally the moon reflected the sun perfectly. But when the moon asked that only one king could rule, Hashem diminished its light. This means that in any transmission there cannot be a perfect transfer. Most importantly this is in the transmission of Torah. There is the lessening of the generations.

Even in the change from Moshe to Yehoshua this takes place.

Chazal teach[11] that the Chatas of Rosh Chodesh is to rectify that lack. Hashem says, “Bring a Chatas because I reduced the moon.” This is the difficult to comprehend, but Hashem is saying that since I reduced the moon the world is now lacking. And for that a Chatas needs to be brought.

By the Chatas that was burned all three ideas came together. This is a Drasha of Orla Law that Aharon learns, and it concerns the Chatas of Rosh Chodesh of the moon. The Darash is saying that once first Luchos are broken, we need Aharon to teach the oral Law, since we have lost the level of Moshe.

A different understanding of this:

If we put these ideas together, Hashem is ‘saying’ that because of the diminution of the moon ultimately there will be an Oral Law that will not transmit the written law completely. As much as we will try to make sure there is no reduction, the way Hashem made the world after the sin of the moon, this is built in. The best we can do is bring the Chatas to atone for this.

Moshe has the original complete written law. But once it is transmitted to Aharon it can be unclear. But through the Oral law it can be relearned. Moshe is the sun, and his students are the moon. But Aharon manages to learn what Hashem wants. It is that the Chatas of Rosh Chodesh which is the Kodshei Doros should not be eaten. The other Chatas which are Kadshei Shaah, can be eaten. But the Darash of the Oral Law says to learn a Kal Vchomer to not eat the Chatas which atones for the transmission of the moon of the Oral Law.

And Moshe recognizes that he is incorrect in his transmission, and it needs the Torah of Aharon to learn out the Halacha of the Chatas of the moon.

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[1]  ספר ויקרא פרק י – (טז) וְאֵת שְׂעִיר הַחַטָּאת דָּרשׁ דָּרַשׁ משֶׁה וְהִנֵּה שׂרָף וַיִּקְצֹף עַל אֶלְעָזָר וְעַל אִיתָמָר בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן הַנּוֹתָרִם לֵאמֹר:

[2]  רש”י על ויקרא פרק ט – (א) ויהי ביום השמיני – שמיני למלואים הוא ר”ח ניסן שהוקם המשכן בו ביום ונטל י’ עטרות השנויות בסדר עולם

[3] ברייתא דסדר עולם רבה – פרק ז –  ויהי ביום השמיני (שם ט’) וגו’ אחר ז’ ימי המלואים ואחד בשבת הי’ ור”ח ניסן הי’ ובו ביום עמדו אהרן ובניו ורחצו את ידיהם ואת רגליהם מן הכיור ועבדו את כל העבודות והסדירום על הסדר ובו ביום התחילו הנשיאים להקריב שנא’ ויהי המקריב ביום הראשון ראשין למעשה בראשית ראשון לנשיאים ראשון לשכון שכינה בישראל שנא’ (מ”א ו’) ושכנתי בתוך בני ישראל.

[4]  רש”י על ויקרא פרק י פסוק טז – על אלעזר ועל איתמר – בשביל כבודו של אהרן הפך פניו כנגד הבנים וכעס:

[5] רש”י על ויקרא פרק י פסוק טז – שעיר החטאת – שעיר מוספי ר”ח ושלשה שעירי חטאות קרבו בו ביום שעיר עזים ושעיר נחשון ושעיר ר”ח ומכולן לא נשרף אלא זה ונחלקו בדבר חכמי ישראל (בת”כ) י”א מפני טומאה שנגעה בו נשרף וי”א מפני אנינות נשרף לפי שהוא קדשי דורות אבל בקדשי שעה סמכו על משה שאמר להם במנחה ואכלוה מצות

[6] רש”י על ויקרא פרק י פסוק יט –  הייטב בעיני ה’ – אם שמעת בקדשי שעה אין לך להקל בקדשי דורות:

[7] רש”י על ויקרא פרק י – (כ) וייטב בעיניו – (ת”כ) הודה ולא בוש לומר לא שמעתי:

[8]  ספר דגל מחנה אפרים – פרשת נצבים ד”ה לא – כמה פעמים וגם על (ויקרא י’, ט”ז) דרש דרש שהוא חצי אותיות

שבתורה (קידושין ל’.) שהוא רמז שאין התורה שבכתב נשלם אלא על ידי תורה שבעל פה כי לפעמים באו רבנן ובצרו חדא

[9]  ברכות דף ה/א – אמר רבי שמעון בן לקיש מאי דכתיב ואתנה לך את לוחות האבן והתורה והמצוה אשר כתבתי להורותם לוחות אלו עשרת הדברות תורה זה מקרא והמצוה זו משנה אשר כתבתי אלו נביאים וכתובים להורותם זה גמרא מלמד שכולם נתנו למשה מסיני:

[10]  בבא בתרא דף עה/א – זקנים שבאותו הדור אמרו פני משה כפני חמה פני יהושע כפני לבנה אוי לה לאותה בושה אוי לה לאותה כלימה

ספר פרי צדיק מאמר קדושת שבת – מאמר ז –  ודור המדבר שהם דורו של משה רבינו ע”ה שהוא פני חמה הם שורש ועיקר מקבלי התורה שבכתב שהוא אור החמה שהלבנה מקבלת האורה ממנה. ופני יהושע כפני לבנה הוא ראש למקבלי תורה שבעל פה

[11] רש”י על במדבר פרק כח – (טו) ושעיר עזים וגו’ – כל שעירי המוספין …ונשתנה שעיר ר”ח שנאמר בו לה’ … ומדרשו באגדה אמר הקב”ה הביאו כפרה עלי על שמעטתי את הירח: