The Torah portion of Tzav is always read before Pesach, and in non-leap years is always read on Shabbat HaGadol (the Shabbat before Pesach).
This year it is the first Shabbat within a month of Pesach during which time we’re enjoined to study the laws of Pesach.
It therefore stands to reason that this Parasha relates (at least somewhat) to the holiday of Pesach.
Rabbi Rachamim Oved suggests four connections:
1) Costs of the Holiday
The beginning of the Torah portion speaks about the necessity to encourage the fulfillment of mitzvot that involve financial loss (i.e., expensive mitzvot). This encouragement is certainly necessary regarding the holiday of Pesach which involves numerous expenses.
The Midrash says that a person may sometimes want to do a mitzvah but his yetzer hara (evil inclination) might say to him, “Why should you do a mitzvah and diminish your wealth? Instead of giving it to others, give it to your children!” The yetzer tov (good inclination) says, “Give it (spend the money) for the mitzvah (of charity)! See how the verse expresses itself: “A mitzvah is like a candle.” Just as one can light thousands and thousands of torches from a lit candle and the candle is not diminished, so too, whoever gives money for a mitzvah does not have any diminishing of his possessions.” This is why it says, “A mitzvah is like a lamp and Torah is like light.”
The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that by using one’s money for a mitzvah, one elevates their entire soul to G-d since money can be used to buy food which sustains the soul. This is why the yetzer hara tries so hard to discourage a person from fulfilling these mitzvot. In order to overcome these inner arguments, one must summon an inner strength which, in turn, enlivens and elevates the performance of that mitzvah.
2) The Four who Need to Give Thanks
The Torah portion includes the section about the Thanksgiving (Todah) sacrifice. This sacrifice was brought by a person who went through any of the following dangerous situations: One who 1) crossed the sea 2) the desert 3) was in jail 4) or was gravely ill.
The Vilna Gaon explains that, with G-d’s miraculous help, the Jewish people survived all four of those troubles at the time of the Exodus. Specifically, they were enslaved and imprisoned in a country from which no slave had ever escaped, they went into the sea when it split for them, they were healed from all of their ailments when they received the Torah at Mount Sinai, and they transversed a vast and treacherous desert.
The four cups of the Pesach Seder correspond to these four situations. Specifically:
- The first cup, which is recited over kiddush, when we say ”Zecher LeYetziat Mitzrayim” (a remembrance to the Exodus from Egypt), corresponds to the entering and exiting from the sea, which was the culmination of the Exodus.
- The second cup, which is recited over the Haggadah, when we recount both about the suffering and the redemption, corresponds to the traversing of the desert, where the Jewish people experienced both suffering and great miracles.
- The third cup, which is recited over the Grace after Meals, corresponds to a person who is healed from illness since a sick person can’t eat much and when he is healed, he regains his appetite.
- The fourth cup, which is recited over Hallel, celebrating our entering the land of Israel, corresponds to one who is freed from jail since the Jewish people only achieved complete freedom when they conquered and settled in the Holy land.
Similarly, in the past, some had a custom to use the same measure of flour in the three matzot of the seder plate, as was used in three of the loaves offered with the Todah sacrifice.
3) The Kohanim Would Recognize
The Chatam Sofer explains why the Todah sacrifice is discussed in the Torah portion of Tzav and not earlier, in the portion of Vayikra. He points out that the portion of Vayikra is directed towards the Jewish people while that of Tzav is directed (mostly) to the Kohanim.
Most people only thank G-d for the extraordinary miracles they experience, such as when they are saved from life-threatening situations. People who are devoted to G-d like the Kohanim, however, see His miracles in daily occurrences and constantly thank Him for them as we say in the Amidah, “And for the miracles which You do with us every day.” The thanksgiving offering is placed in the portion addressing the Kohanim in order to teach us that one should follow the latter approach and not wait for an escape from near tragedy to thank G-d. This is why the verse says, “And when you sacrifice a thanksgiving offering to G-d, you should do so willingly - לִִּֽרְצֹנְכ ֶ֖ם תִּזְב ִֽחוּ.” According to Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz (the author of the Hafla’ah and teacher of the Chatam Sofer), this means that one should offer thanks out of their own cognizance (willingly) and not only when they are forced to do so by near dire circumstances.
One of the reasons we eat matzah on the night of Pesach is to symbolize that we departed from the impurity of Egypt (symbolized by chametz) and entered into the realm of holiness. We therefore eat only matzah just as the Kohanim in the Holy Beit HaMikdash ate all of the meal offerings as matzah rather than chametz.
As such, since on Pesach we are supposed to serve G-d as the Kohanim did, we should also thank Him at every turn and not only after unusual circumstances.
4) Learning about Sacrifices
The verse in Parshat Tzav says, “This is the Torah for the olah (burnt offering), mincha (meal offering), chatat (sin offering), milu’im (ordination offering), and shelamim (peace) offering.” The Talmud derives from this verse that whoever studies Torah (זֹֹ֣את הַתוֹר ָ֗ה) doesn’t need any of the offerings listed in the verse. (I.e., the verse can be read to mean that the Torah is “for,” meaning, instead of, the olah, mincha etc.)
The language in other verses is slightly different as it says, “This is the Torah of the Olah... Mincha... Chatat... Asham... Shelamim offering.” The Talmud says that these verses teach us that by studying about these sacrifices it’s as if we offered them. For this reason, if one becomes obligated to bring any of these offerings nowadays (when this is impossible), one should read the paragraphs in the Torah about these sacrifices and it’s considered as if he offered them. The expression “as if” indicates that it isn’t quite the same as the actual offering but it is a sufficient replacement.
The Chatam Sofer explains that when one studies about the sacrifices with the motive to receive atonement or to know how to bring the sacrifice, that is not quite on the level of bringing a sacrifice. Whereas if one studies these topics for no other reason except to know the will of G-d, then he is on a level where he doesn’t need the sacrifice at all.
As such this Parsha teaches us that until we rebuild the Third Beit HaMikdash (speedily in our days) when we will be able to sacrifice the Pesach sacrifice, we should study the laws of that sacrifice and it will be as if we had offered it. Alternatively, as explained, we can achieve the same level as having brought the actual sacrifice.
5) Kashering Ourselves
Another topic in this week’s Parsha which is timely for the Pesach season is that of kashering utensils. It is noteworthy that the second Boyaner Rebbe said that together with the kashering of one’s household utensils, one should also “kasher themselves” at this time, by doing teshuvah. In fact, the teshuvah of Pesach time is more exalted than that of the Yamim Nora’im (Days of Awe, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur) as the teshuvah of the Days of Awe is motivated by upcoming judgment. Since such a teshuvah stems from fear, it only transforms the intentional sins into mistaken sins but doesn’t erase them completely.
This is why we must go to the river to cast away our sins (Tashlich), as even after Teshuvah, there is a remnant of the sin which must be cast away. Whereas the Teshuvah of Pesach time is out of love for the miracles He wrought for us. Such a Teshuvah completely eradicates our sins and, indeed, transforms them into mitzvot.
Retrieving the Sins of Tashlich
In a similar way, the Sadigura Rebbe said in a somewhat jesting manner, that we go to the river to draw water for the matzot (a ceremony called “drawing mayim shelanu”) as we are retrieving the sins which we cast into the river at Tashlich which have now become mitzvot as explained above.
May we merit to bring the Parah Adumah and Pesach sacrifices this year!
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom UMevorach!
Copyright 2024 by Rabbi Aryeh Citron
