“Let the Lord, the God of spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, who will go forth before them and come before them, who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the Lord will not be like sheep without a shepherd."
After Hashem confirms to Moshe that he will not enter Eretz Yisrael, Moshe asks that Hashem to appoint a successor to lead the nation, so that they will not wander in the desert like sheep without a shepherd. Hashem immediately responds to Moshe’s request and commands Moshe to anoint Yehoshua to serve as the next leader of Am Yisrael. Yehoshua is anointed, and in the following paragraph, we are commanded to bring the daily burnt-offering, the korban tamid.
The Lord spoke to: Moses, saying: Command the children of Israel and say to them: My offering, My food for My fire offerings, a spirit of satisfaction for Me, you shall take care to offer to Me at its appointed time.
What is the connection between Moshe requesting a successor and the korban tamid? Rashi suggests: HaKadosh Barukh Hu said to him, “Before you command Me concerning My children, command My children concerning Me.” The first passage involves Moshe telling Hashem what to do. It begins with a reversal of the usual: “Moshe spoke to Hashem, saying....” According to Rashi, the next section sets things back in their proper order, where Hashem commands Moshe. Still, we can ask why the korban tamid, of all mitzvot, emphasizes this?
The Mishkan Betzalel offers a beautiful explanation linking these two seemingly distinct directives. A leader, like a king, is totally committed to his people, constantly acting on their behalf. There is no personal time for a king, no moment when he is free from responsibility. He is on duty 24/7. Moshe’s request of HaKadosh Barukh Hu was that He appoint a leader who is like a king, like a shepherd. Just like sheep cannot be abandoned for a moment, so too, Bnei Yisrael cannot be abandoned for a moment.
HaKadosh Barukh Hu replies to Moshe: You are asking that Bnei Yisrael have a constant leader? You are asking Me to do something constant? Tell them to do something constant for Me. The korban tamid is offered twice daily. Please have Bnei Yisrael offer a daily sacrifice to show they are constantly connected to Me. If Bnei Yisrael do that for me, I will provide them with a leader that will care for them.
The introduction to Ein Yaakov cites a midrash that records a three-way dispute among tanna’im. They argue over which pasuk of the Torah is most comprehensive and all-inclusive. Ben Zoma suggests the pasuk of “Shema Yisrael”. Ben Nanas suggests, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But then Ben Pazi suggests a pasuk that describes the korban tamid: “One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the second lamb offer in the afternoon.”
The dispute is then resolved in favor of Ben Pazi. This is somewhat puzzling. It is easy to understand why Shema would be suggested, as it was the last words uttered by several martyrs throughout Jewish history. It is quite easy to understand why “ve-ahavta le-le’akha kamokha” would be suggested, as it encompasses the essence of interpersonal mitzvot. The third pasuk, about the korban tamid, seems to pale next to the first two choices – let alone be declared superior?
The significance of the korban tamid, as its name implies, lies in its constancy and consistency. It is the same sacrifice that we offer each morning and evening. It symbolizes the way we are to approach our avodas Hashem. Indeed – Shacharis and Mincha were instituted based on the korban tamid. We cannot have an attitude of, “Oh I davened or learned yesterday, let me take a break today.” We must act in a consistent, persistent, and unrelenting manner. If we serve God with consistency, He will provide us with the constant supervision and guidance of devoted and dedicated leaders.
May we be able to serve Hashem constantly, yet always with the excitement and enthusiasm as though it were new.
