When my children were young we had a game we used to play occasionally around the Shabbos table. The game involved trying to think of names of different Parshios that had the same Shoresh in their name. In other words, to find for example Parshas Vayishlach, Parshas Shelach, and Parshas Beshalach those are three Parshios that have the same Shoresh in the name of the Parsha. There is one other which is three and maybe you can figure it out. There are numerous that are just two. It was sort of a challenge at the Shabbos table. You can't play it every week but every year or so we would try to come up with names of Parshios.
This week is Parshas Tetzaveh and naturally it would come up at the Shabbos table that Parshas Tetzaveh and Parshas Tzav come from the same Shoresh (root word) and then we would go on. The question that we will deal with today is what is that connection between Parshas Tetzaveh and Parshas Tzav? Or better yet, let me start from another direction.
We find very many times that Moshe Rabbeinu is told (דַּבֵּר, אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), speak to the Jewish people. Or Emor Lahem, say to the Jewish people. What is the difference between Dabeir and Emor? So we have a concept that one is speaking in a soft tone and one is speaking in a tough tone. Dabeir and Emor each have their own meaning. On rare occasions we find Tzavei or Tzav, command the people. Very often we have (כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ) Ka'asher Tzivcha Oscha Elokim in the past tense but that Moshe Rabbeinu is told to go to the Jewish people and Tetzave or Tzav that is rare indeed.
We find it here in the beginning of this week's Parsha. The commandment of Tetzave in regards to the lighting of the Menorah as is found in 27:20 (וְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זָךְ כָּתִית--לַמָּאוֹר: לְהַעֲלֹת נֵר, תָּמִיד). Interestingly enough we find it again in Parshas Emor in 24:2. (צַו אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זָךְ כָּתִית--לַמָּאוֹר: לְהַעֲלֹת נֵר, תָּמִיד). So we have a second time that regarding the Menorah specifically we find the command of Tzav. Of course we find it as well in the beginning of Parshas Tzav where the Parsha discusses the bringing of the Olah at night. What I mean to say is that there was not a lot of Avodah done in the Bais Hamikdash at night, but the burning of the parts of the Korbanos which had not been completely burned by day or if there was not enough time to burn it at all there is a (צַו אֶת-אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת-בָּנָיו לֵאמֹר) that says (זֹאת תּוֹרַת הָעֹלָה: הִוא הָעֹלָה עַל מוֹקְדָה עַל-הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כָּל-הַלַּיְלָה, עַד-הַבֹּקֶר, וְאֵשׁ הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, תּוּקַד בּוֹ) as is brought down in Vayikra 6:2. That there is a Mitzvah to burn the Eimurin overnight. There too, we have this expression of Lashon Tzav.
Halo Davar Hu! What is the similarity between the two? Rashi in Parshas Tzav says (אין צו אלא לשון זרוז מיד ולדורות). Tzav is a language of Ziruz, being Mizareiz someone. Telling someone to get it done. Inspiring someone to do it. So that when Tzav is used it is a Lashon that requires an extra amount of Zerizus in the performance of the Mitzva. What is similar about the lighting of the Menorah and the burning of the leftover Eimurin overnight that would say that that similarity requires a Lashon Ziruz? There is something unique about these two. Because you see the Bais Hamikdash was a daytime enterprise. It has Mitzvos which are to be performed all day, even the lighting of the Menorah is done by day. What we find unique about these two Mitzvos is that they go through the night. (הִוא הָעֹלָה עַל מוֹקְדָה עַל-הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כָּל-הַלַּיְלָה, עַד-הַבֹּקֶר). In the case of the Neiros as it says in this week's Parsha by 27:21 and Vayikra 24:3 (יַעֲרֹךְ אֹתוֹ אַהֲרֹן מֵעֶרֶב עַד-בֹּקֶר). We find the commandment that these two Mitzvos are just about unique in the Bais Hamikdash since they are Mitzvos which have to be done in the overnight period. If the Menorah would go out at night it would have to be relit. Although there was a time during the day for the lighting but it was an overnight Mitzvah. Something which required a Ziruz overnight.
It is human nature that when night comes we sort of turn off. When night comes we feel that it is a time for relaxation, it is a time to take it easy. Chazal interestingly have two contradictory expressions. It says in Maseches Eiruvin 65a (21 lines from the bottom) (א"ר שמעון בן לקיש לא איברי סיהרא אלא לגירסא), night was created only for Torah study and it says (a line above that) (אמר רב יהודה לא איברי ליליא אלא לשינתא) that night was created for sleeping. Indeed it depends on the person. Somebody who is capable of Learning learns, of course sleeping time is also at night. That struggle is a constant struggle. A Mitzvah which is an overnight Mitzvah, a Mitzvah which takes place after the sun has set at a time when a person can tell himself I need to go to sleep, I need to rest, I need to relax. That Mitzvah needs a special Ziruz.
We find a third Mitzvah in the Bais Hamikdash and that is not mentioned in a Posuk but is mentioned in a Mishna in Maseches Tamid. The Leviim had a Mitzvah of Mishmar, guarding the Bais Hamikdash at night. That guarding was Lav Dafka to guard from thieves but the honor of the Bais Hamikdash is that there is a guard there all the time. The Mishna says that the Kohanim would go around and check to see if the Leviim were where they were supposed to be and if they were awake. If they were asleep the Mishna says that the Kohen had permission to light the clothing of the sleeping Levi which would certainly awaken him and make sure that he doesn't do it again. Again, we find this idea of Ziruz Dafka for something which is at night. The truth is we find a third Mitzvah where we have a Lashon of Tzav and we say it every day in Korbanos from Parshas Pinchas. (צַו אֶת בְּנֵי יִשרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם. אֶת קָרְבָּנִי לַחְמִי לְאִשַּׁי רֵיחַ נִיחחִי. תִּשְׁמְרוּ לְהַקְרִיב לִי בְּמועֲדו). That is the Mitzvah of the Korban Tamid. You see the Korban Tamid is at the edge of the night. It is the very first morning Mitzvah. It would be performed at the first light on the horizon, the Korban Tamid would be brought. Here again, it is easy for a person to say I am tired and I need to stay in bed. Ziruz is an awakening. The Menorah represents Torah study. Night time is a time for Torah study. People are strange. People tell themselves that they are tired and that they have to go to sleep, they can't be in the Bais Medrash, Mishmar is too hard and they Drei around their house doing all sorts of silly things anyway and don't go to sleep.
Sleep is a funny Yeitzer Hora. Eating is something which gives a person pleasure. While going to sleep is pleasurable to many people, actual sleep is an unconscious thing and it really gives people no pleasure at all. A very strange Yeitzer Hora. Ziruz is a requirement of the Torah to be Mizareiz when it comes to the night. Nothing will happen to you if you get an hour less sleep tonight. Nothing will happen. You won't get sick from it G-d forbid, you certainly will not have any fatal reaction to it. You will be fine. Shabbos will come and you will catch up a bit. Nothing will happen if you are in the Bais Medrash a little longer. No negative thing will happen. It is the Yeitzer Hora that pulls us out. So many people have told me that Mishmar is such a beautiful thing. If it is such a beautiful thing then why aren't you there, where are you? Ziruz Mai'erev Ad Boker, from evening until morning. The light of the Menorah is the light of Torah.
This week is Parshas Tetzaveh and naturally it would come up at the Shabbos table that Parshas Tetzaveh and Parshas Tzav come from the same Shoresh (root word) and then we would go on. The question that we will deal with today is what is that connection between Parshas Tetzaveh and Parshas Tzav? Or better yet, let me start from another direction.
We find very many times that Moshe Rabbeinu is told (דַּבֵּר, אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), speak to the Jewish people. Or Emor Lahem, say to the Jewish people. What is the difference between Dabeir and Emor? So we have a concept that one is speaking in a soft tone and one is speaking in a tough tone. Dabeir and Emor each have their own meaning. On rare occasions we find Tzavei or Tzav, command the people. Very often we have (כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ) Ka'asher Tzivcha Oscha Elokim in the past tense but that Moshe Rabbeinu is told to go to the Jewish people and Tetzave or Tzav that is rare indeed.
We find it here in the beginning of this week's Parsha. The commandment of Tetzave in regards to the lighting of the Menorah as is found in 27:20 (וְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זָךְ כָּתִית--לַמָּאוֹר: לְהַעֲלֹת נֵר, תָּמִיד). Interestingly enough we find it again in Parshas Emor in 24:2. (צַו אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זָךְ כָּתִית--לַמָּאוֹר: לְהַעֲלֹת נֵר, תָּמִיד). So we have a second time that regarding the Menorah specifically we find the command of Tzav. Of course we find it as well in the beginning of Parshas Tzav where the Parsha discusses the bringing of the Olah at night. What I mean to say is that there was not a lot of Avodah done in the Bais Hamikdash at night, but the burning of the parts of the Korbanos which had not been completely burned by day or if there was not enough time to burn it at all there is a (צַו אֶת-אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת-בָּנָיו לֵאמֹר) that says (זֹאת תּוֹרַת הָעֹלָה: הִוא הָעֹלָה עַל מוֹקְדָה עַל-הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כָּל-הַלַּיְלָה, עַד-הַבֹּקֶר, וְאֵשׁ הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, תּוּקַד בּוֹ) as is brought down in Vayikra 6:2. That there is a Mitzvah to burn the Eimurin overnight. There too, we have this expression of Lashon Tzav.
Halo Davar Hu! What is the similarity between the two? Rashi in Parshas Tzav says (אין צו אלא לשון זרוז מיד ולדורות). Tzav is a language of Ziruz, being Mizareiz someone. Telling someone to get it done. Inspiring someone to do it. So that when Tzav is used it is a Lashon that requires an extra amount of Zerizus in the performance of the Mitzva. What is similar about the lighting of the Menorah and the burning of the leftover Eimurin overnight that would say that that similarity requires a Lashon Ziruz? There is something unique about these two. Because you see the Bais Hamikdash was a daytime enterprise. It has Mitzvos which are to be performed all day, even the lighting of the Menorah is done by day. What we find unique about these two Mitzvos is that they go through the night. (הִוא הָעֹלָה עַל מוֹקְדָה עַל-הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כָּל-הַלַּיְלָה, עַד-הַבֹּקֶר). In the case of the Neiros as it says in this week's Parsha by 27:21 and Vayikra 24:3 (יַעֲרֹךְ אֹתוֹ אַהֲרֹן מֵעֶרֶב עַד-בֹּקֶר). We find the commandment that these two Mitzvos are just about unique in the Bais Hamikdash since they are Mitzvos which have to be done in the overnight period. If the Menorah would go out at night it would have to be relit. Although there was a time during the day for the lighting but it was an overnight Mitzvah. Something which required a Ziruz overnight.
It is human nature that when night comes we sort of turn off. When night comes we feel that it is a time for relaxation, it is a time to take it easy. Chazal interestingly have two contradictory expressions. It says in Maseches Eiruvin 65a (21 lines from the bottom) (א"ר שמעון בן לקיש לא איברי סיהרא אלא לגירסא), night was created only for Torah study and it says (a line above that) (אמר רב יהודה לא איברי ליליא אלא לשינתא) that night was created for sleeping. Indeed it depends on the person. Somebody who is capable of Learning learns, of course sleeping time is also at night. That struggle is a constant struggle. A Mitzvah which is an overnight Mitzvah, a Mitzvah which takes place after the sun has set at a time when a person can tell himself I need to go to sleep, I need to rest, I need to relax. That Mitzvah needs a special Ziruz.
We find a third Mitzvah in the Bais Hamikdash and that is not mentioned in a Posuk but is mentioned in a Mishna in Maseches Tamid. The Leviim had a Mitzvah of Mishmar, guarding the Bais Hamikdash at night. That guarding was Lav Dafka to guard from thieves but the honor of the Bais Hamikdash is that there is a guard there all the time. The Mishna says that the Kohanim would go around and check to see if the Leviim were where they were supposed to be and if they were awake. If they were asleep the Mishna says that the Kohen had permission to light the clothing of the sleeping Levi which would certainly awaken him and make sure that he doesn't do it again. Again, we find this idea of Ziruz Dafka for something which is at night. The truth is we find a third Mitzvah where we have a Lashon of Tzav and we say it every day in Korbanos from Parshas Pinchas. (צַו אֶת בְּנֵי יִשרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם. אֶת קָרְבָּנִי לַחְמִי לְאִשַּׁי רֵיחַ נִיחחִי. תִּשְׁמְרוּ לְהַקְרִיב לִי בְּמועֲדו). That is the Mitzvah of the Korban Tamid. You see the Korban Tamid is at the edge of the night. It is the very first morning Mitzvah. It would be performed at the first light on the horizon, the Korban Tamid would be brought. Here again, it is easy for a person to say I am tired and I need to stay in bed. Ziruz is an awakening. The Menorah represents Torah study. Night time is a time for Torah study. People are strange. People tell themselves that they are tired and that they have to go to sleep, they can't be in the Bais Medrash, Mishmar is too hard and they Drei around their house doing all sorts of silly things anyway and don't go to sleep.
Sleep is a funny Yeitzer Hora. Eating is something which gives a person pleasure. While going to sleep is pleasurable to many people, actual sleep is an unconscious thing and it really gives people no pleasure at all. A very strange Yeitzer Hora. Ziruz is a requirement of the Torah to be Mizareiz when it comes to the night. Nothing will happen to you if you get an hour less sleep tonight. Nothing will happen. You won't get sick from it G-d forbid, you certainly will not have any fatal reaction to it. You will be fine. Shabbos will come and you will catch up a bit. Nothing will happen if you are in the Bais Medrash a little longer. No negative thing will happen. It is the Yeitzer Hora that pulls us out. So many people have told me that Mishmar is such a beautiful thing. If it is such a beautiful thing then why aren't you there, where are you? Ziruz Mai'erev Ad Boker, from evening until morning. The light of the Menorah is the light of Torah.
