After the introduction of the concept of sacrifices, the Torah addresses the kohanim and explains the various laws that apply to the korbanos. One of the laws states, והבשר אשר יגע בכל טמא לא יאכל , the flesh that touches any contaminated thing may not be eaten.
The second part of the posuk states, והבשר כל טהור יאכל בשר, but of the flesh, any person may eat the flesh. The משך חכמה notes that it appears that the word והבשר is extra. When the Targum translates this posuk, he explains the words כל טהור, anyone can eat the flesh, to mean that anyone who has purified himself with the intention to eat the holy food. One who wants to eat קדשים has to go to the mikvah with the intent to purify himself for kodshim. Therefore, answers the משך חכמה , the Torah states the word והבשר to remind the person that, before you purify, have in mind for the בשר.
There was a person who had often come to see the בעל התניא that, now, started to hang out with the maskilim, people who advocated the abandonment of Jewish observance and embraced secularization. The בעל התניא called him over to tell him that, if he hangs out with these types of people, they could have a very negative influence on him. The man answered, “Rabbi, you think they could influence me? I'm not that easily swayed! Just look at how much time I spend with the chasidim and I didn't become a chasid!”
The בעל התניא answered him that it doesn't work that way. He quoted our posuk which says, “flesh that touches impurity don't eat.” This means that even the slightest touch by something that's impure can make one impure too, whereas, by קדושה, holiness, the Torah says, כל אשר יגע בבשרה יקדש whatever touches its flesh becomes holy. Rashi explains there that it's talking about where the impure korban absorbed the taste of the pure one, that it, too, has to go on the mizbaiach. For sanctity to influence others, it has to be absorbed; contact alone is insufficient. Continued the בעל התניא “you will not be influenced by the chasidim unless you absorb what they have to offer; however, you are endangering your soul by mere contact with the maskilim.
Reb Menachem Mendel of Kotzk asked: why is it that when something that's pure touches something impure it becomes impure; why wouldn't it be the opposite, that the pure has the greater power and makes that which is impure, pure by touch? The Gemara says that Hashem's payback for good is much greater than the punishment for bad, so why wouldn't the pure make the impure pure when they touch?
He answers, that when something is impure it's impure without a doubt so it has the power to make something else impure. However, with purity, it's much harder to know if someone is totally pure. Does anyone really know what’s going on with someone else or even themselves, to know if everything is one hundred percent pure that by mere touch can purify? That’s why, just by touch, the purity can't make something else pure. However, when one wants to become pure with the proper intention to become pure, if he goes to people that are pure and can absorb from them, then he can become pure. This teaches us to be very careful who are friends are and to try to attach ourselves to good people with the intention of letting ourselves absorb from them!
The second part of the posuk states, והבשר כל טהור יאכל בשר, but of the flesh, any person may eat the flesh. The משך חכמה notes that it appears that the word והבשר is extra. When the Targum translates this posuk, he explains the words כל טהור, anyone can eat the flesh, to mean that anyone who has purified himself with the intention to eat the holy food. One who wants to eat קדשים has to go to the mikvah with the intent to purify himself for kodshim. Therefore, answers the משך חכמה , the Torah states the word והבשר to remind the person that, before you purify, have in mind for the בשר.
There was a person who had often come to see the בעל התניא that, now, started to hang out with the maskilim, people who advocated the abandonment of Jewish observance and embraced secularization. The בעל התניא called him over to tell him that, if he hangs out with these types of people, they could have a very negative influence on him. The man answered, “Rabbi, you think they could influence me? I'm not that easily swayed! Just look at how much time I spend with the chasidim and I didn't become a chasid!”
The בעל התניא answered him that it doesn't work that way. He quoted our posuk which says, “flesh that touches impurity don't eat.” This means that even the slightest touch by something that's impure can make one impure too, whereas, by קדושה, holiness, the Torah says, כל אשר יגע בבשרה יקדש whatever touches its flesh becomes holy. Rashi explains there that it's talking about where the impure korban absorbed the taste of the pure one, that it, too, has to go on the mizbaiach. For sanctity to influence others, it has to be absorbed; contact alone is insufficient. Continued the בעל התניא “you will not be influenced by the chasidim unless you absorb what they have to offer; however, you are endangering your soul by mere contact with the maskilim.
Reb Menachem Mendel of Kotzk asked: why is it that when something that's pure touches something impure it becomes impure; why wouldn't it be the opposite, that the pure has the greater power and makes that which is impure, pure by touch? The Gemara says that Hashem's payback for good is much greater than the punishment for bad, so why wouldn't the pure make the impure pure when they touch?
He answers, that when something is impure it's impure without a doubt so it has the power to make something else impure. However, with purity, it's much harder to know if someone is totally pure. Does anyone really know what’s going on with someone else or even themselves, to know if everything is one hundred percent pure that by mere touch can purify? That’s why, just by touch, the purity can't make something else pure. However, when one wants to become pure with the proper intention to become pure, if he goes to people that are pure and can absorb from them, then he can become pure. This teaches us to be very careful who are friends are and to try to attach ourselves to good people with the intention of letting ourselves absorb from them!
No comments:
Post a Comment