These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand’s Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion: #1376 – Talking While Washing Your Hands for Netilas Yodayim – Is There a Problem? Good Shabbos!

First Times Are Special

This week’s parsha contains the tragic incident of the death of Aharon’s two sons during the festive Chanukas Habayis of the Mishkan. They were inaugurating the Mishkan that they built over the past six months or so and the Shechina was about to descend. Unfortunately, Nadav and Avihu brought a “foreign fire” (there is a big machlokes as to exactly what they did wrong) and they died on the spot.

The pasuk says that Moshe called Mishael and Elitzafan, the sons of Uziel, to remove the dead bodies from the Mishkan (Vayikra 10:4). In other words, Moshe called on the living cousins of the deceased, rather than then living brothers (Elazar and Isamar), to remove the dead bodies.

A fascinating Daas Zekeinim M’baalei Hatosfos, citing the halachic Medrash Toras Kohanim, derives from here that, in general, kohanim may not come in contact with the dead. Had they been permitted to do so, we would assume that Elazar and Isamar would be the more natural candidates to remove the dead bodies of their brothers, Nadav and Avihu.

The Daas Zekeinim is astonished at this Toras Kohanim “for we see explicitly elsewhere that a kohen is prohibited from coming in contact with the dead” (Vayikra 21:1). Why, they ask, would this indirect incident be cited as a source for a halacha that we learn elsewhere explicitly?

Furthermore, they ask, Elazar and Isamar were regular kohanim. Why, then, could they not make themselves tameh by removing the bodies of their brothers? A kohen hedyot (regular kohen) is permitted to become tameh for a close relative who dies. It is only the Kohen Gadol who cannot become tameh even for a close relative. Why on earth is the Toras Kohanim saying that the reason why the cousins, rather than the brothers, needed to remove the dead bodies was because a kohen cannot do that?

The Daas Zekeinim M’baalei Hatosfos derive from here a fantastic chiddush that on the day that kohanim do the avodah for the first time, even regular kohanim have the status of a Kohen Gadol and are not permitted to become tameh, even from the dead body of a close relative.

This answers both questions: (This was the first day on the job for Elazar and Isamar. Therefore, they had the status of Kohanim Gedolim, who are not permitted to become tameh even for close relatives.) The Toras Kohanim was not referring to the general prohibition against kohanim becoming tameh. Rather, the Toras Kohanim says “from here we see that a kohen hedyot cannot be metameh l’meisim” – despite the fact that we know this from an explicit pasuk (Vayikra 21:1) – because a kohen hedyot cannot be metameh even for a close relative on the day of his inauguration! That is why they were not permitted to remove their brothers!

Rav Asher Dikker, a Rebbe in Lakewood, sent me an interesting vort from Rav Elyashiv, zt”l. Rav Elyashiv wrote that the reason a kohen has the status of a Kohen Gadol on the day he starts his avoda, and therefore cannot even be metameh l’krovim, is because all beginnings must be perfect. Therefore, on this day that the kohanim were starting their avodah for the first time, they all needed to have the status of Kohanim Gedolim. We want first times to be as perfect as possible. Therefore, we don’t want the kohanim to be tameh on that day, even though in the future, it is permitted under those circumstances.

Rav Dikker cites in this connection a famous Pnei Yehoshua in Maseches Shabbos concerning the miracle of Chanukah. What is the miracle of Chanukah? They could not find pure oil to light the Menorah when they wanted to re-inaugurate the Beis Hamikdash after it had been desecrated by the Syrian-Greeks. They found a single pure flask of oil and a miracle happened that it burned for eight days until they could produce new pure oil.

Everyone asks a basic question: The halacha is that Tumah hutra b’tzibbur, meaning that when all the kohanim are tameh, the service in the Beis Hamikdash can be done in a state of impurity. Why then were they so concerned about looking for pure oil? The answer is that this was the inaugural day of the Chanukas Hamikdash. At the time of inauguration, we don’t rely on leniencies. We don’t rely on the principle of Tumah hutra b’tzibbur. Beginnings need to be as perfect as humanly possible. B’dieved practices are not permitted at the time of inaugurations.

This, I once heard, is the idea behind the famous statement “Kol hascholos kashos” (All beginnings are difficult). The reason why all beginnings are difficult is because we need to try to make all beginnings perfect. Beginnings are not intrinsically difficult (as we traditionally understand the statement). Rather, they are difficult because it is necessary to make them as perfect as possible, and that is hard.

The Brisker Rav notes that in Parshas Tetzaveh, by the first time they brought the Korbon Tamid (daily offering), it says “Es hakeves haechad ta’aseh ba’boker v‘es hakeves hasheni ta’aseh bein ha’arbayim” (Shemos 29:39), whereas in Parshas Pinchas, by the Korbon Tamid, it says “Es hakeves echad ta’aseh ba’boker v’es hakeves hasheni ta’aseh bein ha’arbayim.” Why only in Shemos does it use the prefix “hay” (“the”) specifying “es hakeves haechad“?

The halacha is that if, for whatever reason, the morning Korban Tamid was not able to be brought, the afternoon Korban Tamid may still be offered. The only exception to this rule was the first time they were brought. The first time, they need to be paired exactly, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. That is because the first time everything needs to be done precisely correct.

Rav Elyashiv notes that when a Kohen Gadol begins his avodah for the very first time, he brings a Minchas Chinuch – a special flour offering to inaugurate his service in the Beis Hamikdash. In addition, the Kohen Gadol brings a daily mincha. Rav Elyashiv explains that this daily mincha can be understood as a kind of daily Minchas Chinuch – reflecting the idea that each day must be approached with the freshness of a first day. For a Kohen Gadol, each day on the job is like his first day.

Do we remember how it was the first time we did something? Do I remember the first shiur I ever gave? No!

Rav Elyashiv says the reason the kohen brings a mincha every day is because every day is like his first day.

The first time a person does something, he tries to do it to perfection. All the I’s are dotted and all the T’s are crossed. But with most people, when they do a job for ten, twenty, thirty, or forty years, their attitude changes: I will kvetch. I will get through it. No! The Kohen Gadol cannot be like that. Every day is a new beginning.

If that is the p’shat, we can say a new insight in the famous Rashi in Parshas Be’haloscha (Bamidbar 8:2). Rashi writes on the words “Va’ya’as ken Aharon” (And Aharon did so) “melamed she’lo sheena” (This teaches that he didn’t change). Each day was as enthusiastic and fresh and exciting as the previous day – no matter how many years he did this job of lighting the Menorah. That is how each of the activities of the Kohen Gadol need to be.

Transcribed by David Twersky; Jerusalem [email protected]

Edited by Dovid Hoffman; Baltimore, MD [email protected]

This week’s write-up is adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissochar Frand’s Commuter Chavrusah Series on the weekly Torah portion. A listing of the halachic portions for Parshas Shmini is provided below:

• # 005 – Medicines Containing Chometz
• # 050 – The Tuna Fish Controversy
• # 093 – Melacha Before Havdalah
• # 141 – Using a Mikveh for Non-Orthodox Conversions
• # 188 – Netilas Yadayim for Bread and Fruit
• # 234 – Netilas Yadayim at Breakfast: Is One “Washed Up” for the Day?
• # 278 – Netilas Yadayim and Chatzizah
• # 324 – Sefiras Ha’omer
• # 368 – Don’t Drink and Daven
• # 412 – Minhagim of the Days of Sefira
• # 456 – Gelatin: Is It Kosher?
• # 500 – Is Turkey Kosher?
• # 544 – Bedikas Chametz
• # 588 – The Aveil and the Haircut
• # 632 – Baal Teshaktzu – Abstaining From Unpleasant Behaviour
• # 676 – Buffalo, Giraffe, and other Exotic Animals — Are they Kosher?
• # 720 – A Guf Naki for Davening
• # 764 – Loaig Le’rosh – Respecting the Dead
• # 808 – New York City – Don’t Drink the Water?
• # 852 – Four Questions You Probably Never Asked
• # 896 – Women & Havdalah – Second Thoughts
• # 941 – Mayim Acharonim: Is It Necessary?
• # 983 – Pesach – Thoughts on the Hagaddah – Vol. II
• #1027 – Giving Shalom/Saying Hello To A Person in Aveilus
• #1072 – The Fly That Fell Into The Soup
• #1114 – Can You Change Your Minhag of When To Keep Sefira?
• #1200 – Bugs in the Soup – What Should You Do?
• #1245 – The Latest Kashrus Problem: Orange Juice
• #1287 – Oops! I Spoke After Netilas Yadayim – Now What?
• #1332 – Dunking Your Doughnuts in Coffee – Must You Wash Netilas Yadayim?
• #1376 – Talking While Washing Your Hands for Netilas Yodayim – Is There a Problem?
• #1420 – Using a Plastic Cup for Kiddush, Havdala or Netilas Yadayim?
• #1464 – Davening in a Porch Minyan During the Corona Pandemic – Is it a Good Idea?
• #1507 – An Interesting Sefiras Haomer Shaila

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