BS”D
ADAM’S ANIMAL
ACCENTUATED: PARSHAT Vayikra
Shira Smiles Shiur 5779
Adapted by Channie
Koplowitz Stein
Sefer Vayikra, often referred to as Sefer
Hakohanim because of the preponderance of mitzvoth and details relating to korbanot/sacrifices,
actually begins with Hashem’s calling to Moshe with instructions about these sacrifices.
However, in these introductory verses, Hashem identifies the bearer of the
sacrifice as an adam. The Torah usually calls this man ish. While
both adam and ish are translated by definition as man, the
connotations suggest differences between the two terms. It is the specific
allusions that adam brings to mind that our commentators discuss and
that will form the substance of this shiur.
Our meforshim/commentators are in agreements
that Hashem is turning our attention back to that first Adam. Just as Adam did
not bring an offering from anything stolen, says Rashi, so must all our
offerings come from that which is honestly ours. Since Adam was the only man on
earth, everything belonged to him, and therefore his offering could not be from
anything stolen. However, asks Rav Moshe Goldstein in Shaarei Chaim,
shouldn’t the emphasis then be on the animal rather than on the man? And herein
lies the crux of our discussion.
There are different kinds of offerings in addition to
those mandated for Shabbat and the holidays. Until the giving of the Torah, all
sacrifices were offerings of gratitude. When Adam sinned, he brought death to
the world, and, since the Torah had not yet been given to man, Adam could not
bring a sin offering to atone for the sin writes Rabbi Pincus z”l. Rabbi Pincus
z”l cites the medrash that tells us Hashem consulted first with Wisdom and
asked what is to be done with one who sins. Wisdom answered that the sinner
must suffer the consequences of his sin forever. Hashem then asked Prophecy, and
Prophecy answered that the sinner must die. Finally, Hashem consulted the
Torah. The Torah answered, “Let the sinner bring an offering and his sin will
be forgiven.” Adam, however, had not yet received the Torah and therefore did
not have this option.
But bringing the sacrifice is not meant to be an empty ritual. One is meant to
envision himself upon the altar, for the animal represents him, and he feel as
though he himself is being slaughtered to atone for his sin. That is the
context that brings expiation.
Why does Hashem forgive us? The Sam Derech,
cites the Yalkut Shimoni in explaining the love Hashem bears for Bnei
Yisroel. While we may cite that Hashem regards us as His firstborn or as His
special treasure, it is His considering us His dear child Ephraim whom He plays
with that predisposes Hashem to forgive us as one would forgive a wayward
child. But a child is different from Adam, for a child is growing and
developing, thinking of future possibilities, while Adam was fully formed as an
adult. We are like that child, searching for ways to grow closer to Hakodosh
Boruch Hu.
Because we are always changing, we are also compared
to the moon which is in a constant state of renewal. But, although the moon is
constantly changing, it carries its past with it into the present and into the
future. So too do we, Bnei Yisroel carry our past with us not just as history
to be studied, but as part of our present-day identity: We are to see ourselves
as personally being redeemed from Egyptian slavery; we are to perceive
ourselves at Mount Sinai receiving the Torah. We take the past and give it new
vibrancy in the present, something Adam was incapable of doing. The animal we
bring as an offering has the ability to refresh us and remind us of our
newness.
This is the difference between Yaakov and Esau, even
from birth and by their names, writes Rabbi Roberts. Yaakov, the “heel”, always
felt lowly and humble, ever striving to reach higher. Esau on the other hand,
always considered himself a finished product. His name in Hebrew is connected
to finished and done [osuy]. His arrogance birthed an Amalek, an
arrogant nation numerically equivalent to ram/lofty/arrogant.
Rabbi Belsky z”l uses our Rashi to take us on a
different path that connects Adam to the bearer of the offering. Certainly,
when Adam was created, all the world belonged to him. But for most of his life,
he shared the world with children and grandchildren. Therefore, the sacrifice
the Torah must be alluding to must be Adam’s first sacrifice, the sacrifice of
the primordial bull. And, like Adam, we must attempt to serve Hashem with our
best and our finest.
What was special about this bull? All subsequent
animals were born with their bodies first, and their horns grew later. The
primordial bull of creation arose fully formed from the earth, its horns
appearing first followed by the rest of its body. When one thinks of a bull,
one realizes that every part of the bull is useful to mankind, its skin for
leather, its milk, its meat after it is ritually slaughtered. Only its horns
serve no human purpose, but serve the bull both as grandeur and defense. When
man brings his sacrifice, he must come putting his own ego and pride on the
altar, dedicating his desires and grandeur to the service of our Maker. Sharing
everything we have, not just our material wealth, with others and in Hashem’s
service.
Getting back to Rashi’s comment, if we use our gifts
purely for selfish purposes, we are stealing from Hashem Who has given us these
gifts for the performance of mitzvoth, whether “religious” obligations or
“social” mitzvoth.
We must always behave honestly in all our dealings,
for Hashem accepts the prayers only from those who come to Him in truth.
Dishonesty brings destruction. Rain is withheld because of dishonesty. [Hashem
brought the Biblical flood because of thievery, says the Torah, while in
contrast, the city of Nineveh was saved from destruction because the people
returned all the stolen goods in their possession. CKS]
But theft is not limited to money. As Rabbi Sheinerman asks
in Ohel Moshe, have you ever stolen your boss’ time for personal
business while on the job? Or have you used money from questionable business
practices to fund your children’s yeshivah tuition? Just as you would
undoubtedly never use stolen money to commission a parochet to donate to
cover the aron kodesh in your shul, so should you not use dishonest
profits for any purpose, certainly not for a holy purpose, adds Rabbi Pincus
z”l. Doing so, writes Rabbi Druck, would be like stealing from your neighbor
and then displaying it in his face. Since honesty in one’s dealings with one’s
fellow man is the mainstay of society, a yeshivah begins the study of Gemmoroh
with Eilu Metziot that deals with how to handle objects one finds rather
than with Berachot/Blessings. We start by teaching our children the
importance of money and of honesty. As Rabbi Mordechai Druck z”l writes, when
our souls arrive at the heavenly court, we will not be asked whether we fed our
children kosher food, but whether we educated them about kosher money.
Rabbi Mordechai Ezrachi brings an additional nuance to
our allusion to Adam. It was not just that Adam did not bring a stolen animal
as an offering to Hashem, but his offering raised no feelings of jealousy in
other human beings. Similarly, we pray that we neither envy others nor raise
envy in others through our actions or our possessions. Before you can bring a korban,
writes Rabbi Moshe Goldstein in Shaarei Chaim, be a man of integrity
like Adam.
The Ohr Doniel quoting the Ketav Sofer
introduces a profound idea into our discussion. He posits that we are not
talking about using animals or merchandise stolen from others for our
sacrifice; a person would not be so brazen. But if someone offers an animal as
his sacrifice without his having the proper intention, he is stealing from the
animal; he is stealing the animal’s opportunity for elevation. After all,
everything in creation, animal, vegetable or mineral can become spiritually
elevated when it is used with proper intent for a spiritual purpose. [Think sheimos
– it’s generally just paper, or, on the other extreme, the human body which
housed the spiritual soul. CKS] Without the proper intent it is not proper teshuvah
and does not change the dynamic of the sin. Rabbi Zvi Meir Silberberg notes
that when a priest suspected that a sinner bringing the sacrifice did not have
the proper mindset, he would call over the Levites to sing and arouse the
emotions of the sinner to inspire him to do proper teshuvah. On this
note [!], the Modzitzer Rebbe feels that the gate of song and the gate of teshuvah
are in fact one and the same gate that awakens us to come closer to Hashem’s
heavenly palace.
There is yet another overwhelming reason that Adam is
alluded to in bringing these sacrifices, writes Rabbi Kofman z”l in Mishchat
Shemen. After all, Adam, as the progenitor of all mankind, carried within
his own soul the souls of all future mankind. Therefore, we all have to act in
ways that will be praiseworthy to Adam. Each of our souls passes through Meorat
Hamachpelah, Adam’s final resting place, on our final journey and we each
must answer to Adam Harishon how we have helped rectify Adam’s sin. Our
whole lives must be dedicated to this rectification, adds Rabbi Dunner z”l.
We do not have a Beit Hamikdosh to bring animal
sacrifices to Hashem, but we can still dedicate our lives to being humble,
giving of ourselves Hashem and to others, and living a life of honesty and
integrity. That is how we today bring our offerings to Hashem, striving for
closeness to Him, as did Adam Harishon with his sacrifice.