Nobody Left To Die? - Lag Ba'omer 5769

Lag Ba’omer is a happy day because the Talmidim of Rabbi Akiva stopped dying. If they all died in the first 32 or 33 days there were no more Talmidim to die, so then what was the big Simcha that they stopped dying?  A possible Teretz was suggested. It doesn’t mention in the Gemara that all the Talmidim died in one year. It does say that they died during this period. It might have been spread over a number of years. This would answer the question.

Three Thirds Of Sefira - 5769

There are no special Halachos for Lag Ba’omer except that we don’t say Tachanun that day. The Ohr Gedalyahu says, the 49 days of Sefira are divided into three parts. The three parts are K’neged 1) Torah, 2) Avoidah, and 3) U’gmillas Chasadim. Each of the three is during one third of the Sefira. That is, the first third that include the days of Pesach is K’neged Avoidah. Pesach is of course a Yom Tov of Avoidah, as the whole Klal Yisrael brings a Korban. The second third is K’neged Gemillas Chasadim. Pesach Sheini falls during the middle third. It was a Chesed that Hashem made it that you could make up a Mitzvah that you missed. The last third is K’neged Torah because we lead up to Matan Torah. Lag Ba’omer marks the end of the second third. We enter into the time of Hachanah in the Derech of Kabbolas Hatoirah. One of the Shittos is that the Man started to fall on Lag Ba’omer. For 30 days there was Matzah and it took another 3 days for the Man to fall. Chazal even say, Loi Nitna Toirah Ela L’oichlei Hamon which is sort of Merumaz that the Man started then and was a Hachanah for Kabbalas Hatoirah. This may explain why the Talmidim of Rabbi Akiva stopped dying. The Talmidim might have had some faults in other areas of Avoidas Hashem, however, that certainly could not be said regarding their Torah learning. So during this third of Sefira that corresponds to Torah the Talmidim didn’t die. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai who is known as the Meyaseid of Torah Hanistar, has Lag Ba’omer as his Yahrtzeit. This makes a lot of sense based on what we are saying that it is at the beginning of this third that is K’neged Torah. There are seven Sefiros during the seven weeks of Sefira. Chesed, Gevura, Tiferes, Netzach, Hoid, Yesoid, Malchus. An easier way to remember this is again dividing the days of Sefirah into thirds. The days with Pesach in it, corresponds to Chag, Chesed & Gevurah. This is the period of Avoidah. The middle period, which corresponds to Gemilas Chasadim have the Sefiros that spell the word Tena meaning give, Tifferes, Netzach, and Hoid. The last third which correspond to Torah spell Yam, Yesoid and Malchus which is the Yam Shel Torah.

Kehuna Konondrum - Emor 5769

In the beginning of the Parsha we are told about the Dinim of Tumas Kohanim and we find different laws for Kohen Hedyot and Kohen Gadol.  In Perek Chaf Alef Posuk Bais where the discussion is regarding Kohen Hedyoit, it says Ki Im Lishairoi Hakaroiv Ailav L’imoi Ul’aviv, mother first and father second. In Perek Chaf Alef Posuk Yud Alef where the discussion is regarding Kohen Gadol, it says V’al Kol Nifashois Meis Loi Yavoi L’aviv Ul’imoi, father first mother second. The Da’as Zikainim Ba’alei Toisafois explain, the Torah’s language has it that the greater Chiddush will be second. By the Kohen Hedyot it goes with Loi Zu Af Zu, with mother, father, son, daughter, and brother. Imoi is first because we are 100% certain that she is his mother. There are no witnesses that he is the father, we go with Chazakah and Roiv. We assume that he is the father. This is said by Kohen Hedyot where it is Mutar to be Metamei for these Kroivim. By Kohen Gadol where we are talking about being Asur to be Metamei to Kroivim, the bigger Chidush is the mother, because the father is only known with a Chazakah.

This is Shver. If he is not really his father, then the child is not a Kohen and could be Metamei anyway for this person so why is Aviv the bigger Chiddush? There are 3 Teirutzim for this Shverkeit.

1) The Kli Chemda B’sheim the Chasam Soifer asks, why is a Kohen not allowed to be Metamei? It says in Perek Chaf Alef Posuk Ches that V’kidashtoi Ki Es Hashem Elokecha Hu Makriv Kadoish Yiyeh Lach. It is because he does the Avoidah in the Beis Hamikdash. Once Roiv Paskens that he is a Kohen and can bring a Korban, now he is not allowed to be Metamei except for the seven Kroivim. 2) The Malbim says, it is talking about the Mitzvah of being Metamei. For a mother it is certainly a Mitzvah, however, for a father, perhaps it is not his real father so it is a bigger Chiddush and is still a Mitzvah. 3) At the point that the Parsha says Emor El Hakoihanim, the only Koihanim in the world were Aron, Elazar, and Isamar. They all were not Kohanim because their father was a Kohen. During the Yimei Miluim, Moshe declared them Kohanim with Nevua. By them they are Kohanim no matter what, so the whole Kasha falls away.

Spontaneous Demonstration? - Acharei Mos 5771

The Mishna in Yoma says and we say in the Machzor that part of the job of preparing the Kohen Gadol for the Avoda is that they made him swear that he wouldn’t do things differently than required. This is because the Tzedukim attempted to do things differently. They had different Shittas about how the Ketores was to be offered. Therefore the Kohen Gadol was made to swear that he wouldn’t do anything different. After that Shevua the Kohen Gadol would step away and weep because they had accused him of being a Tzeduki and the Sanhedrin that made him swear would weep because there is a terrible punishment for one who is Choshed Bich’shairim.  

A difficulty with this is if it had been a spontaneous action when the people were Choshed him then it makes sense that he was weeping and they were weeping. However, it is not so because it is setup in the Mishna that one is required to make the Kohen Gadol swear. Once someone is required to do it, it is just part of the Seder Hadevorim and they are not being Choshed Bich’shairim. They were just doing what the Mishna says that they are obligated to do when they prepared the Kohen Gadol. The fact that the Sanhedrin & the Kohen Gadol turned aside to weep is something that is Tzorech Iyun Gadol.  

Tzibur - Acharei Mos 5771

In the Avoda of Yom Kippur there is a word that is striking. It is striking because it does not belong. During the Avodah of the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur we say Sas V’ira Dam Haparah L’toch Hamizrak Shebo Dam Hasair. We say and different versions of the Avoda have it phrased one way or the other, however, essentially we say the Kohen Gadol poured the Dam of the Par into the blood of the Sa’ir so that the Kohen Gadol can mix it well. This was part of the Avodah. The blood was mixed in order to be sprayed on the Mizbaiach, Bain Habadim, Paroches, and the Mizbach Hazav. This is found in Rashi to the Posuk in 16:18 (וְלָקַח מִדַּם הַפָּר, וּמִדַּם הַשָּׂעִיר, וְנָתַן עַל-קַרְנוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, סָבִיב) that (וכפר עליו: ומה היא כפרתו, ולקח מדם הפר ומדם השעיר, מעורבין זה לתוך זה)

What does it mean Sas that he rejoiced, was there a special joy in mixing the blood?

The (previous) Belzer Rebbe says that the Par is the Korban that the Kohen Gadol brings and says Viduy for himself or the second Par that is for his family. The Sa’ir on the other hand is Mechapeir for all of Klal Yisrael. When it comes to Yom Kippurim we are afraid to be judged alone, we want to be judged with the Klal of Klal Yisrael. B’soch Ami Anochi Yosheves. So the Kohen Gadol when he only has the Dam Hapar, it is only Mechapeir for him and his family and there is a Pachad. However, Sas V’ira Dam Haparah L’toch Hamizrak Shebo Dam Hasair, the Kohen Gadol rejoices when he mixed the Dam of the Par with the Sa’ir of Klal Yisrael so that when the Dam is sprayed as a Kaparah for Klal Yisrael that he is not judged by himself and he is part of the Kaparah with Klal Yisrael.

This is the message here. The Maharal regarding the Seder Shel Pesach mentions a similar idea. Many of the Halachos specifically regarding the Korban Pesach are meant to give a Chizuk to the concept of the idea of a Tzibbur of Klal Yisrael. The Korban Pesach was eaten in a Chaburah (a group of people). That was done so that they should not be individuals but that they should be together as a group. As a group they had to be B’yachad as one. They had to be previously designated to be part of that group. That Achdus of Klal Yisrael was symbolized in the roasting of the Korban Pesach. When you roast meat it comes together as opposed to cooking when it falls apart. It symbolizes the prohibition of not breaking the bones. Everything had to stay as one rather than being taken apart. It was symbolized by the fact that the whole Chabura had to sit together for the entire Seder. You couldn’t hop around from one Seder to another Seder or from one Rebbe to the next for a Tisch. You had to sit together. This is the idea that he says regarding the concept or the idea of the Seder Shel Pesach.