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THE WEEKLY SIDRA- TZAV
Rabbi Moshe Greebel

When a Talmid Chacham (Torah scholar) renders a decision of Halacha (Torah law), it is of course, expected that the Talmid Chacham himself will abide by his own decision. In the first chapter of Pirkei Avos (Mishna 15), we see the following:
“Shammai would say, ‘Make your Torah regular…..’”

One of the ways, which Rabbeinu Ovadiya MiBartenura (1445-1530) of blessed memory, explained this phrase, is as follows: 
“…..I have found it written (?) that ‘Make your Torah regular’ means not to be strict with yourself, while lenient with others…..”
This refers to a Talmid Chacham who is rendering a decision of Halacha. If his decision is to be lenient, he personally may not be strict as far as he is concerned. The Torah decisions which he renders must be ‘regular.’ We return to Rabbeinu Ovadiya: 
“…..Or, do not be strict with others, while lenient with yourself. Rather, make the Torah regular. What is for you, is for others (as well).”

All decisions of Halacha must be universal, and applicable to all men alike. Pertaining to this subject of decisions by a Talmid Chacham, in this week’s Sidra, we read of what remains of the Mincha, a meal offering mixed with oil, cooked on the Mizba’aich (altar): 
“And its remainder shall Aharon and his sons eat; with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the Tent of Meeting they shall eat it.” (Vayikra 6:9)

That is, when it comes to the Mincha, any Kohanim may eat the remainder. However, when it comes to the livestock offering of a Chatas (sin offering), the Torah teaches: 
“The Kohain who offers it for sin shall eat it; in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the Tent of Meeting.” (ibid. 6:19)

Only the Kohain who actually offered the Chatas, may eat it, no one else. Why should there be a difference? For a response to this query, we turn to the text Meshech Chachmah. During the time of the second Bais HaMikdash, Torah Jews were continuously plagued by Minim, heretical Jews. Concerning the basic principle that the purpose of Korbanos (livestock offerings) was to attain forgiveness, these Minim would contrarily pose, “We understand that a person must atone for his sins, but, what are the sins of cattle that they should be put to death?”

That is, through a false show of compassion for livestock, which would be consumed by man in any event, the Minim attempted to display their piety. Therefore, the Korbanos offered by Minim had the status of a Mincha, simple flour and oil--something inanimate which could not be put to death. And so, concluded the Meshech Chachmah, when it came to the Mincha, a non living thing which was a preference of the Minim, the Torah was not particular about which Kohanim were permitted to consume it. However, when it came to the Chatas, in order to publicly display that he did not have any heretic thoughts, only the Kohain who specifically offered it, consumed it. He made a public showing that in the offering, the intent was the consuming. Concerning the Chatas, only the Kohain’s thoughts counted, which is why only he ate it. 

Now, something akin to this principle of only one possible person having the ability to accomplish a Mitzvah, can be seen from the Ramban (Rav Moshe Ben Nachman (1194- c 1270) of blessed memory, concerning Taharas HaMishpacha (family purity), wherein the wife counts her menstrual days of impurity. Why should the wife be believed when she declares to her husband that she is ‘clean’? The Ramban maintains that since it is her, and only her designated obligation to do the counting, as she is believed by herself to be accurate, so must she be believed by others as well, to be accurate. Simply put, there is no one else to do her counting. 

In essence, because only she is capable of calculating when her status of cleanliness begins, so too is it with the Kohain who is the only one to eat from his Chatas, since only his thoughts among all humanity, are the ones that actually decide the status of his Korban. And, went on the Meshech Chachmah, if we look into Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Dai’ah (Siman 246, S’if 67), we will see that the Rama (Rav Moshe Iserles 1520-1572) of blessed memory, learned that it is permissible for a Talmid Chacham to taste from what he rendered (to be Kosher), to make clear his rendering. That is, just as the Kohain who offered the Chatas, shows by eating it afterwards, that his thoughts throughout the process were proper, so too does the Talmid Chacham show by his eating what he rendered to be Kosher, that his deliberations were proper.

Perhaps, it might even be possible to see a further hint of the relationship from the Torah, between the principles of keeping the Torah regular and the Korban Chatas from the following Passuk (verse): 
“As the Chatas is, so is the Asham (guilt offering); there is one Torah for them; the Kohain who makes atonement with it shall have it.” (Vayikra 7:7)

Just as there is one Torah concerning the Chatas and the Asham, so too is there one Torah for us all, for those whom Halacha is rendered, and for the experts who render it. And, like the Kohain who offered a Chatas or Asham, our thoughts must also be always pure. 

May we soon see the G'ulah Sh'laimah in its complete resplendency- and in our times. Good Shabbos.

 

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