YINR 929: Tanach Yomi

“וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־אַהֲרֹן וּלְאֶלְעָזָר וּלְאִיתָמָר בָּנָיו רָאשֵׁיכֶם אַל־תִּפְרָעוּ וּבְגָדֵיכֶם לֹא תִפְרֹמוּ וְלֹא תָמֻתוּ וְעַל־כָּל־הָעֵדָה יִקְצֹף וַאֲחֵיכֶם כָּל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל יִבְכּוּ אֶת־הַשְּׂרֵפָה אֲשֶׁר־שָׂרַף ה׳” (ויקרא י׳:ו׳). “And Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, ‘Do not bare your heads and do not rend your clothes, lest you die and anger strike the...

“וַתֵּצֵא אֵשׁ מִלִּפְנֵי ה׳ וַתֹּאכַל עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֶת־הָעֹלָה וְאֶת־הַחֲלָבִים” (ויקרא ט׳:כ״ד). After Aaron and his sons perform the various korbanot as part of the inauguration ceremony, ה׳ sends a fire down to consume the various offerings: “Fire came forth before ה׳ and consumed the burnt offering and the fat parts on the altar” (verse 24). The important piece here is not the miraculous e...

“וַיִּצֹק מִשֶּׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה עַל־רֹאשׁ אַהֲרֹן וַיִּמְשַׁח אֹתוֹ לְקַדְּשׁוֹ” (ויקרא ח׳:י״ב). He poured some of the anointing oil upon Aaron’s head and anointed him, to consecrate him (verse 12). Chapter 8 of Leviticus is almost like the “ויקהל־פקודי” of the inauguration ceremony laid out by ה׳ at the end of Exodus. A key part of the ceremony is the pouring of the anointing oil on the vessels o...

“דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵייִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר כָּל־חֵלֶב שׁוֹר וְכֶשֶׂב וְעֵז לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ” (ויקרא ז׳:כ״ג). In the middle of discussing the sacrifices, the Torah takes a slight detour todiscuss the forbidden parts of animals—the fat and the blood. The fat and theblood are the parts of the korban that are sacrificed on the altar. The fatsare burned at the end of the day and the blood is sprinkled or poured...

“אֵשׁ תָּמִיד תּוּקַד עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לֹא תִכְבֶּה. וְהָאֵשׁ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ תּוּקַד־בּוֹ לֹא תִכְבֶּה, וּבִעֵר עָלֶיהָ הַכֹּהֵן עֵצִים בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר, וְעָרַךְ עָלֶיהָ הָעֹלָה, וְהִקְטִיר עָלֶיהָ חֶלְבֵי שְׁלָמִים” (ויקרא ו׳:ה׳–ו׳). “The fire on the altar shall be kept burning, not to go out: every morning the priest shall feed wood to it, lay out the burnt offering on it, and turn into sm...

“But if one’s means do not suffice for a sheep, that person shall bring to God as the penalty for that of which one is guilty, two turtledoves or two pigeons—one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering” (verse 7). וְאִם־לֹא תַשִּׂיג יָדוֹ דֵּי שֶׂה וְהֵבִיא אֶת־אֲשָׁמוֹ אֲשֶׁר חָטָא שְׁתֵּי תֹרִים אוֹ שְׁנֵי בְנֵי יוֹנָה לַה׳ אֶחָד לְחַטָּאת וְאֶחָד לְעֹלָה׃ The ability to bring a si...

Chapter 4 discusses a rarity—leaders taking responsibility for their actions. The Torah lists three possible scenarios where a leader must bring a communal offering. The first is a priest that makes a mistake. “If it is the anointed priest who incurred guilt, so that blame falls upon the people, he shall offer for the sin of which he is guilty a bull of the herd without blemish as a sin offering t...

“If his sacrifice is a Shlamim offering, if he brings it from cattle, whether male or female, unblemished he shall bring it before the Lord” (verse 1). וְאִם־זֶבַח שְׁלָמִים קָרְבָּנוֹ אִם־מִן־הַבָּקָר הוּא מַקְרִיב אִם־זָכָר אִם־נְקֵבָה תָּמִים יַקְרִיבֶנּוּ לִפְנֵי ה׳׃ Why is this korban called a shlamim? Rashi gives two answers. Both answers connect shlamim with the word shalom. His first answe...

“The priest shall scoop out of it a handful (kometz) of its choice flour and oil, as well as all of its frankincense” (verse 2). וְהֵרִים מִמֶּנּוּ בְּקֻמְצוֹ מִסֹּלֶתָהּ וּמִשַּׁמְנָהּ עַל כָּל־לְבֹנָתָהּ וְהִקְטִיר הַכֹּהֵן אֶת־אַזְכָּרָתָהּ הַמִּזְבֵּחָה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַה׳׃ What is a kometz? The Gemara in Yoma 47b explains that the word means handfuls. If the word was only "handfuls,"...

“If your offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you shall make your offering a male without blemish. You shall bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, for acceptance in your behalf before God” (verse 3).אִם־עֹלָה קָרְבָּנוֹ מִן־הַבָּקָר זָכָר תָּמִים יַקְרִיבֶנּוּ אֶל־פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד יַקְרִיב אֹתוֹ לִרְצֹנוֹ לִפְנֵי ה׳׃The Hebrew word for “without blemish” is תָּמִים (tamim). The...

“In the first month of the second year, on the first of the month, the Tabernacle was set up/ Moses set up the Tabernacle, placing its sockets, setting up its planks, inserting its bars, and erecting its posts.” (verses 17–18) וַיְהִי בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הוּקַם הַמִּשְׁכָּן׃ וַיָּקֶם מֹשֶׁה אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּן וַיִּתֵּן אֶת־אֲדָנָיו וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־קְרָשָׁיו וַי...

At the end of chapter 39, the people bring all the finished pieces of the Mishkan to Moshe for final approval. This seems like a prudent last step in the building of the Mishkan. When doing any construction project, it is important for the owner to review all the work to make sure everything is in proper order. But this scene also evokes three verses from the time of creation. “Thus was completed...

“These are the records of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of the Pact, which were drawn up at Moses’ bidding—the work of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.” (Exodus 38:21) אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדֻת אֲשֶׁר פֻּקַּד עַל־פִּי מֹשֶׁה עֲבֹדַת הַלְוִיִּם בְּיַד אִיתָמָר בֶּן־אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן׃ What are these “records”? According to Rashi, the “records”...

The last chapters of Exodus are a repeat of earlier chapters detailing the blueprints for the Mishkan. Why are these chapters repeated? One possible answer is to mimic the stories of creation. Recall that the first chapter of Genesis and the second chapter of Genesis seem to offer varying creation stories. However, the first chapter matches the earlier chapters of Mishkan by providing the blueprin...

“They made fifty copper clasps to couple the tent together so that it might become one whole.” (Exodus 36:18) וַיַּעַשׂ קַרְסֵי נְחֹשֶׁת חֲמִשִּׁים לְחַבֵּר אֶת־הָאֹהֶל לִהְיוֹת אֶחָד׃ Why were there fifty rings? The number fifty does not appear often in the Torah—certainly not as often as some of the other repeated numbers like 3, 7, 10, and 40. The width of Noah’s Ark was fifty cubits (Genesis 6...

Chapter 35 begins with yet another commandment to keep Shabbat. The text includes a specific law this time: “You shall kindle no fire throughout your settlements on the sabbath day.” (Exodus 35:3) לֹא־תְבַעֲרוּ אֵשׁ בְּכֹל מֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶם בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת׃ Why is this law singled out? The Gemara in Masechet Shabbat explains that the verse comes to teach that kindling fire was not permitted “throug...

In chapter 34, God gives Moshe and the people a redo of the giving of the Ten Commandments. This time, God handles things differently. Moshe is told to carve the tablets himself: “Carve two tablets of stone like the first, and I will inscribe upon the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you shattered.” (Exodus 34:1) פְּסָל־לְךָ שְׁנֵי לֻחֹת אֲבָנִים כָּרִאשֹׁנִים וְכָתַבְתִּי ע...

After the sin of the golden calf, God tells Moshe that an angel of God will now lead the people into the promised land. If God would dwell amongst the people, then God would end up destroying them because of their stubbornness. “When the people heard this harsh word, they went into mourning, and none put on finery” (Exodus 33:4). וַיִּשְׁמַע הָעָם אֶת־הַדָּבָר הָרָע הַזֶּה וַיִּתְאַבָּלוּ וְלֹא־שָ...

The sin of the golden calf requires more than a short blog post to discuss. The dynamic between Moshe, Aaron and the people is one aspect that is integral to understanding the story. This dynamic is best compared to Plato’s Cave. In this allegory, there are people trapped in a cave who only see a shadow play on the wall. Their entire reality is based on this “show.” One day, a man escapes and sees...

After the detailed description of the design of the Mishkan and the chief architects and builders, God reminds the people to keep Shabbat: “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely you shall keep My Sabbaths, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.’” וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ...

Chapter 30 discusses the golden incense altar. The altar was located inside the Mishkan structure in between the Shulchan and the Menorah right in front of the Holy of Holies. Why is the altar discussed here after the clothing of the Kohen Gadol and well after all the other vessels are discussed? Ramban explains that the altar is connected to the penultimate verse in the previous chapter where God...

After the descriptions of the priestly vestments, the Torah discusses the inauguration ceremony for the priests. Aaron and his sons are instructed to place their hands on various sacrifices and to be anointed with the special oil. Moshe is also instructed to: “Slaughter the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the ridges of his sons’ right ears, and on...

The Kohen Gadol had two pieces of clothing that reminded him of the people. The first was the ephod. On the shoulder straps of the ephod were two stones. Engraved on these stones were the names of the tribes. “Six of their names on one stone and six of their names on the other stone in the order of their birth” (verse 10): שֵׁשׁ מִשְּׁמֹתָם עַל־הָאֶבֶן הָאֶחָת וְאֵת שֵׁשׁ הַשְּׁמֹת הַנּוֹתָרֹת עַל...

The outer altar was made of wood and covered in copper. Covering an altar with a precious metal is a new concept in the Torah at this point. Throughout Genesis, many people built altars. Noah built one after the flood, Avraham built many altars at points of interaction with God. Moses also built an altar. For most of these altars, the Torah does not specify what material was used. Almost all of th...

“And make for the tent a covering of tanned ram skins, and a covering of Tchashim skins above” (verse 14) וְעָשִׂיתָ מִכְסֶה לָאֹהֶל עֹרֹת אֵילִם מְאָדָּמִים וּמִכְסֵה עֹרֹת תְּחָשִׁים מִלְמָעְלָה (שמות כו:יד) Two questions from this verse. First, why does the goat hair cover need two more covers? The second is what does Tchashim mean? Tchashim is translated as fine leather in some places. Tachash...