Tzav 5783: Your Wish is my Command External Inbox

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March 26, 2023

8 min read

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Tzav (Leviticus 6-8 )

GOOD MORNING! Perhaps one of the greatest challenges that most people face is the daunting task of trying to raise responsible and moral children. Of course, a big part of the problem is that they live with our imperfect selves; they observe everything we do and they learn from every choice that we make. Thus, to be better parents we also have to be the best possible version of ourselves – at all times.

It can be particularly confusing to a child when we contradict ourselves. Consider the following: when you want your kids to abide by your curfew and they grumble about it, but then you say, “my house, my rules!” Yet, when you want to get them to clean up the kitchen and the living room, suddenly it becomes “our house.”

Of course, inevitably, when you ask them to help clean and organize they ask, “Why, who’s coming over?” They are clearly thinking, “Hey, if it’s okay for us to live like this usually, why are we bothering to clean now?” This implies another question: “If it’s okay for us to live this way normally, why do we care how it looks when someone else comes to visit?”

The real issue is that they (and we) are focused on the chores of putting things away and cleaning, as opposed to the overarching goal of living in an organized and clean home environment. Unfortunately, we are sometimes more motivated by what others may think of us than with living in a way in which we would be truly proud.

The point is that you can’t fool kids – they immediately pick up on this inherent contradiction – especially when it means more work for them. Of course, this week’s Torah reading has a message relevant to this very topic.

This week’s Torah portion is called Tzav, which is almost universally translated as “command.” Similarly, the word mitzvah is etymologically rooted in the word “tzav,” which is why mitzvot are generally translated as commandments. This is, at best, an incomplete translation.

In fact, because this inexact translation of the word mitzvot as commandments is so universally ingrained, this seems to have led to the common mistranslation of the Hebrew words Aseret Hadibrot as the Ten Commandments – the proper translation is really the Ten Statements – a concept that we will explore in another column.

Returning to this week’s portion, the name of the portion is derived from the first verse.

“Command Aaron and his sons, saying [...]” (Leviticus 6:2).

This week’s Torah portion begins with Moses being charged to prepare his brother Aaron and Aaron’s children with the responsibilities of being the priestly caste of the Jewish people – the Cohanim. The great medieval commentator known as Rashi comments that the Hebrew word “tzav” (“command”) means to enthusiastically encourage (the Cohanim) both this generation and succeeding generations of Cohanim (see Rashi ad loc).

This would seem a little incongruous. After all, have you ever tried “commanding” someone and found that the person being commanded feels either “encouraged” or “enthusiastic”? Hardly. For a proper illustration of this concept try “commanding” your spouse to do the dishes and let me know how that works out for you.

In addition, what does Rashi mean when he says to encourage Aaron and his sons and future succeeding generations as well? Commanding this generation of Cohanim to do their duty would seem difficult enough; how would this possibly last for succeeding generations?

There are several ancient Aramaic translations of the Torah (they are about two thousand years old). Interestingly enough, two of the more commonly used Aramaic translations on this verse translate the Hebrew “tzav” as “paked,” which means to appoint. Not coincidentally, this is also the exact same word that Moses uses when he asks the Almighty to appoint a leader in his stead over the Jewish people – “Yifkod Hashem [...]” (Numbers 27:16). This is a very important concept to understand.

When God first chose Moses to go lead the Jewish people out of Egypt, a week long conversation ensued. Strangely enough this consisted, primarily, of Moses arguing with the Almighty. This would seem very odd; after all, if God is telling him to go how can Moses possibly argue?

The answer is that the Almighty was asking Moses to accept a position of leadership and responsibility, both of which have to be accepted willingly. This is why when Moses finally accepted the mission to go with Aaron to Pharaoh the Torah used the same exact language of “tzav” – “Vayetzavem al Bnei Yisroel” (Exodus 6:13).

This is not unlike the distinction between a manager and a regular employee. An employee has an obligation to do as he is instructed during the hours he is employed. A manager has the responsibility of getting the job done. The difference between the two is considerable; a worker leaves at the end of the day, but a manager leaves when the job is done.

The same is true when it comes to the Torah and the mitzvot (which is also a derivative of the Hebrew word tzav). The mitzvot are much more than action items for us to fulfill, they represent a responsibility and acceptance of God’s vision for the world. The responsibility of management can be quite stressful and onerous, and this requires buy-in.

This is why God had to ask the Jewish people if they were willing to accept the Torah. Ordinarily, a king can order his subjects to do whatever he wants. In fact, the seven universal Noahide laws were imposed on the world and its inhabitants in this manner. The seven Noahide laws are basically the house rules for living in this world, and God being the owner of this “house” imposed His “house rules” on all of mankind.

But the Torah and mitzvot are different; they aren’t merely a collection of rules and obligations we must observe. Instead, they represent a complete agenda for the perfection of the world – and at Mount Sinai the Jewish nation signed on for the responsibility to see this vision fulfilled.

This is why God had to ask us if we were willing to accept the Torah. Because assuming responsibility cannot be legislated – it has to be accepted. This is also why, according to our sages, each and every future soul of the Jewish people had to be present at Mount Sinai and agree to sign on for this obligation.

This is what the word tzav means in our Torah portion as well. The Almighty is telling Moses to appoint Aaron and his sons to the permanent role of Cohanim, and to do it in an encouraging and enthusiastic manner so that they would feel the same way. They aren’t being commanded, they are being asked to accept a sacred responsibility. Once they accepted it, they must continuously transmit the enthusiasm and acceptance of this holy responsibility for succeeding generations.

The concept of a bar/bat mitzvah is the same. It’s about reaching the age of responsibility and the only way to properly impart to our children what it means to reach the age of maturity is to help them understand what it really means to be a Jew. The Jewish people have accepted a sacred responsibility upon themselves and we must help our children understand that the Torah and mitzvot are part of that sacred responsibility.

In other words, it isn’t just about observing all the mitzvot on a personal level, because that goes without saying. It’s about understanding what you trying to accomplish. Just as with a house, the real goal is not about your personal “chores,” it’s about asking what kind of home do you want to live in?

The sacred responsibility of every Jew is to bring God into this world – and how we comport ourselves as a people will ultimately establish whether we are enabled to create a permanent and lasting home for the Almighty. We must stop focusing solely on our personal chores and open our minds to the overall mission of the type of world we want to build.

Torah Portion of the Week

Tzav, Leviticus 6:1 – 8:36

This week's Torah portion includes the laws of: Burnt Offerings, Meal Offerings, High Priest’s Offerings, Sin Offerings, Guilt Offerings, and Peace Offerings. It concludes with the portions of the Peace Offerings that are allotted to the Priests and the installation ceremony of the Priest for serving in the Sanctuary.

Candle Lighting Times

The price of greatness is responsibility.
— Winston Churchill

Happy birthday to our exceptional father,

Joseph Rackman,

on the four and three quarter year anniversary
of his bar mitzvah.
Until 120! … In good health and sound mind.
“Is it your birthday or my birthday?”

Sophia & Steven
Anya & Chaim
David & Robyn
Sasha & Andrea

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