פרשת צו

Dvar Torah

Respect others... Always

(ויקרא ו:ב) צַו אֶת־אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת־בָּנָיו לֵאמֹר זֹאת תּוֹרַת הָעֹלָה הִוא הָעֹלָה עַל מוֹקְדָה עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כָּל־הַלַּיְלָה עַד־הַבֹּקֶר וְאֵשׁ הַמִּזְבֵּחַ תּוּקַד בּוֹ

“Command Aaron and his sons… this is the law of the Olah-offering” (6:2)

Hashem told Moshe to teach Aaron about the laws of the Olah-offering, which were brought every evening from public funds.  Rashi expresses concern with the word “command”; since it is a very demanding and strong term.  Rashi says, “Command” can only be understood as an expression of urgency (and caution)”.  Indeed, many things, can make a Korban not usable, but what could be so urgent about this offering?

Rashi quotes the Talmud in Tractate Kiddushin (29a) which says, Rabbi Shimon explains that the Pasuk is urging the Kohanim to be extremely careful, if the Korban becomes unacceptable, there might be a loss of money.

The question is obvious; is there nothing more important then the money spent?  The Torah does not urge the Kohanim to be so careful so not to make any mistakes on other things like the intricate and complex Halachot of slaughtering, cleaning, and checking of the internal organs, but when it comes to money we are getting an extra warning.

Rashi is pointing out a very important lesson in how we should treat Mitzvot.  In truth, there are many things to be so conscious of when bringing a Korban.   Rabbi Shimon explains that even when serving Hashem, we need to think about others.  When we are bringing a Korban for someone, we may find it easier to tell them that it is not usable instead of finding a way to help it remain OK.  Since this Kurban was brought with public money, one might tell themselves that it is OK if they make a mistake since the public has more money.  

This is not only true with Korbanot but also in every Mitzvah that we perform.  Sometimes we may get so involved in one Mitzvah that we don’t realize we might be bothering or insulting another person.  We need to be aware of what we are doing and how it’s affecting other people’s feelings.

Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Questions

1) The פרשה begins with an interesting change from its usual wording. What change is there?

(רש"י ויקרא ו:ב)

2) Why does the תורה change this word here? (רש"י ויקרא ו:ב)

3) Why should the כהן change his clothes when cleaning of the מזבח? (רש"י ויקרא ו:ד)

4) What should be on the מזבח always? (ויקרא ו:ה)

5) What is done with a קרבן שלמים? (ויקרא ז:יא-כז)

6) What is done to a person that eats from a קרבן שלמים? (ויקרא ז:כ)

7) What is פגול? (רש"י ויקרא ז:יח)

8) When did משה take אהרון and his sons for them to bring a קרבן חטת? (רש"י ויקרא ח:ב)

9) What did he take them for? (ויקרא ח:א-י)

10) Why did they need to bring a קרבות חטת? (רש"י ויקרא ח:ב)

11) Usually, when we find a שלשלת in the תורת, it implies that someone was hesitating. Why do you think that there is a שלשלת here? (מפרשים) (ויקרא ח:כג)

12) What happened on the שבעת ימי המילים? (ויקרא ח)

Torah Math

Korbanot (Sacrifices) and Prayers. The book of Vayikra is all about Korbanot - Sacrifices. Before we begin to learn all about them, let us take a moment to think about how they apply to us today.  The word "Korbanot" includes the word "Korov" (near or close); a sacrifice was a means of approaching Hashem, supplicating for Divine forgiveness or demonstrating appreciation for Divine assistance, and bringing oneself closer to Hashem. How do we achieve this today? Through prayer. Prayer  testifies to Hashem's mastery of the world, gives us an opportunity to thank Hashem and allows us to ask for Hashem's assistance.

TORAH TRIVIA!

Super Stumper Question:

This a question to ask others and discuss the answers.

Answer to last week’s question:

The only Bracha only on a Wednesday or Thursday is Eruv Tavshilin.

Question of the week:

How is it possible to read the same portion of the Torah eight times in two weeks as a regular Torah reading?

 FOOD Section!

Can you guess what this recipe connects to this week’s Parsha?

Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Seared Cake

INGREDIENTS

Strawberries

1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Pinch of salt

Cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

2 large eggs at room temperature

1 3/4 cups soymilk

4 tablespoons unsalted margarine, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, toss together the strawberries, honey, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt until evenly combined. Transfer to the baking sheet, along with the juices. Roast in the oven until slightly charred, about 15 – 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

To make the cake, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cardamom in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, soymilk, melted margarine and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Stir with a spatula until just combined.

Lightly grease an 11-inch fry pan with cooking spray, then pour in the batter. Top with the roasted strawberries and about half of their liquid. Bake until golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 – 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Serve with powdered sugar or fresh whipped cream.