🔥בימ"ד עליון התכנסה: בקבלת הנחלת התורה שיעור ומשא בחובת התקופה ממנהיג הדור מרן רבי דוב לנדו שליט"א

Eliezer Meir Saidel: Time Limits - Tzav (JP)

In our parsha HaKadosh Baruch Hu commands us to not leave leftovers, “Notar,” from the  Korbanot  (Vayikra 8:32). If any leftovers do remain, we are commanded to burn them. Korbanot in which a part is eaten (some are not eaten at all, but are totally burned on the Mizbe’ach) have a fixed time limit for eating.

The concept of Notar is a very important concept that is directly related to Pesach, which is why I have devoted this shiur to it.

There are many aspects related to Pesach that are limited by time, in fact, the very foundation of Pesach is urgency.

One example is matzot. The whole raison d’etre of eating matzot on Pesach is because of haste – doing something with a time limit. Am Yisrael had to hurriedly leave Egypt. They could not leave their dough to rise as it normally would, so they had to bake it before it rose.

A Korban Pesach is sacrificed on the eve of Pesach and eaten that night. Any leftovers of the Korban Pesach the following morning, after dawn, must be burned (Shemot 12:10). The Chachamim reduced the time limit, i.e. the Korban Pesach must be eaten by midnight and not before dawn, to prevent error.

Why is it important to finish the Korban Pesach before midnight on the first night of Pesach? A sheep is a big animal. What harm is there in having less people in the group who ate each korban? The halacha is that the group should be large enough to polish off the entire korban (each must eat a minimum of a kezayit) so that there are no leftovers (Rambam, Hilchot Korban Pesach 2:4). 

Why not have fewer people in each group, have meat left over so that you can eat it for lunch on the first day of Pesach? Meat that is roasted and salted can easily remain fresh for 24 hours. Less cooking for the wives – who are overloaded anyway on Pesach!

The answer is obviously – because that is the way it happened in Egypt! We brought the Korban Pesach on the eve of the night before we left. We left with the dough strapped to our belts before it had risen. That is a good answer, but it doesn’t really answer the question.

The real question is – why did HaKadosh Baruch Hu want it to be that way? Why couldn’t HaKadosh Baruch Hu have commanded us to sacrifice the Korban Pesach two days before? A week before? HaKadosh Baruch Hu knew which day we would be leaving, why didn’t He give us time to make our bread normally, without rush?

HaKadosh Baruch Hu designed it specifically so that it would all be one big rush! And the question is why?

The answer is that there are two specific circumstances where HaKadosh Baruch Hu wants everything to be a big rush. One is Pesach and the other is in the Beit HaMikdash.

Undoubtedly the Exodus had to take place in a rush. Chazal say if Am Yisrael had remained one moment more in Egypt they would have been irredeemable. They were teetering on the brink of the 49th lowest level of impurity. The Haggadah says that HaKadosh Baruch Hu knew exactly when the point of no-return would occur and redeemed us in the nick of time.

However, the question remains – why wait so long? Why not redeem us one year before when we were not on the brink, without the rush? And the answer is that HaKadosh Baruch Hu wanted it to be a rush. It had to be a rush otherwise Pesach would not achieve the purpose for which it was created.

The entire purpose of Pesach is to atone for the sin of Adam HaRishon who was lax in performing HaKadosh Baruch Hu’s mitzvot, which resulted in the sin of the Tree of Knowledge. Sefer Meir Panim says the root cause of it all was the mistaken notion – that there was no rush! If that mindset had not existed, the sin would never have happened. The atonement had to be centered around the exact opposite. The Exodus and Pesach are characterized by a mindset of urgency.

The Mikdash is also centered around a mindset of urgency. There is a well-known concept throughout the Shas that the Kohanim are “zrizim,” “quick” or “diligent” in their work. The Beit HaMikdash is a copy of Gan Eden, in which Adam HaRishon sinned. 

If Adam HaRishon would have served HaKadosh Baruch Hu in Gan Eden like the  Kohanim serve in the Beit HaMikdash, we would all still be in Gan Eden. Therefore, things in the Mikdash have set time frames, so that what went wrong with Adam HaRishon will not recur. The purpose of the service in the Mikdash is to atone for that sin.

So, we see that Pesach and the Mikdash are both one big rush. However, it is not a mad rush, it is more of a -– comfortable pace with a time limit.

The pilgrims to the Beit HaMikdash do not have to gulp down the Korban Pesach in three seconds, almost choking as they go. Allowing Am Yisrael to finish eating the Korban Pesach until midnight allows everything to be conducted calmly, while enjoying the joy of the festival. The focus is not hysteria, but rather avoiding distractions.

HaKadosh Baruch Hu demands that we lead lives serving Him without distraction, that we focus entirely on HaKadosh Baruch Hu every minute of the day. This applies year-round, but is accentuated during Pesach and in the Mikdash.

This does not mean that we should never sleep, eat, drink, go to the bathroom, spend time with the family, work for a living, take a vacation, keep up to date with the news, etc. All HaKadosh Baruch Hu requires from us is that while we are doing these things, which are essential to living a normal life, that our minds remain focused on one thing and one thing only – that we are doing all these things as part of our service of HaKadosh Baruch Hu.

When a person lives their life that way, they remain focused on their purpose in life and are not distracted. Distracted people are easy prey for the yetzer hara.

Let us use our time this Pesach wisely, remaining focused and not getting distracted by the yetzer hara. Devoting our time entirely to grabbing as many mitzvot as we can, uplifting Am Yisrael, bringing people together rather than driving them apart, healing rather than damaging – reuniting our nation.

 

Parshat HaShavua Trivia Question: For many Korbanot, “Tenufa” is an essential component. What is Tenufa?

Answer to Last Shiur’s Trivia Question: What is the difference between the Marcheshet and Machvat pans? The Machvat is a flat pan/skillet with no walls. The Marcheshet is a pan with walls, a kind of a baking tin – to support the dough from the sides. Thus, dough baked in a Marcheshet can have a softer consistency than dough baked on a Machvat.

(JP) = Jewish Press

😡סערת עולם התורה שלא שוככת: מה הקטע שצנזרו ממשא מרן ראש הישיבה רבי משה הלל הירש שליט"א בפני הרבבות?

 

רבם דקרו: מדוע צונזרו חלק מדברי מרן רה"י הגרמ"ה הירש שדיבר בכינוס שנערך בפני אלפים בב"ב ובשידור ישיר בפני רבבות ברחבי הארץ נגד פגעי הטכנולוגיה? בנוסח שקיבלו העיתונים אישור לפרסום, ערכו להם עסקנים את הדרשה והשמיטו משם קטע בו דיבר ע"כ שיש לדאוג להחליף סים או טלפון לסינון יותר מהודר. האם זה בגלל שלא נוח לאנשי ועדת הרבנים לעניני תקשורת שמרן הרב הירש אומר על המכשירים הכשרים שהם לא מסוננים? תלמידי מרן רבי משה הלל הירש מתבטאים בכאב: זה ממש רבם דקרו!. הנה הקטע שהעסקנים השמיטו מדבריו: הטלפונים: יש טלפונים כשרים, אפילו כשרים, שבחורים שיש קצת חכמה, יכול להכנס לכל מקום שרוצים. יש טלפונים שזה הרבה הרבה יותר קשה להיכנס, צריכים כל אחד יברר בעצמו מה הטלפונים אלו. וכל אחד מחויב להשיג טלפון כזה, וכל אחד יכול לעשות עם כרטיס סים לשנות את הטלפון שלו שלא יהיה אפשר להכנס לשום דבר. רק דבר אחד, אמנם זה קשה מאוד מאוד מאוד בטלפונים אלו להיכנס לדברים לא טובים, אבל יש בחורים שיש כוח על כל דבר, הכי טוב, גם כן לעשות כניסה לדברים לא טובים ולשנות את זה. אבל לא צריכים לחשוש של זה. אבל, אם אבא רואה שאחרי כל זה הבן שלו מידי הרבה זמן על הטלפון, לא להגיד סתם זה בסדר. צריכים לחשוש בכל זאת.

Google translation

Why were some of Maran ..... words censored, as he spoke at a conference held before thousands in the B.A. and broadcast live to tens of thousands across the country against the harms of technology?

In the version that the newspapers received permission to publish, activists edited the sermon for them and omitted a section in which he spoke about the need to change a SIM or phone to a more sophisticated filter. Is it because it is inconvenient for the members of the Rabbinical Committee for Media Affairs that the conservative Rabbi Hirsch says about kosher devices that are not filtered?

The students of Maran Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch express their pain: This is really what they have been stabbed with!

Here is the section that the activists omitted from his speech:

The phones: There are kosher phones, even kosher, that guys who are a little smart can get into anywhere they want. There are phones that are much, much harder to get into, everyone should find out for themselves what these phones are. Everyone is obliged to get such a phone, and everyone can change their phone with a SIM card so that it will not be possible to get into anything.

Just one thing, it is true that it is very, very difficult to get into bad things with these phones, but there are guys who have power over everything, the best, also to get into bad things and change .....This. But we shouldn't be afraid of this.

But, if a father sees that after all this his son is on the phone for too long, not just saying it's okay. We should be afraid anyway.

The Least Expected Are Seeing Things......

 [...] f we are living through a chapter of that same unfolding story (yetzias mitzrayim), we may be closer to the turning point than we think. The signs are there: a world order that feels increasingly unstable; an enemy under mounting pressure that still refuses to yield; a surge of hostility that defies reason. But all that will be over in a moment, as the Divine Will changes it in one stroke.

And so, this year, when we sit at the Seder and say, “In every generation, a person is obligated to see themselves as if they personally left Egypt," we don’t need to stretch our imagination quite so far. For the first time in a long time, it doesn’t feel like ancient history-it feels immediate.

And one day-soon, and all at once-the shift will come. And when it does, those who held their nerve, who stared into the darkness and still believed in the dawn, will simply nod and say: of course. The Exodus never really ended. It has been unfolding all along-until we finally learn to recognize it while we are still inside the story.

Rabbi Dunner is the Senior Rabbi of Beverly Hills Synagogue in California

[excerpt from a longer article https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/424741]

Reb Ginsbourg: Consecration

When, chronologically, did our Parashah's first verses occur?  [unedited]

Our Parasha’s description of the consecration and anointment of the Kohanim, and of the Sanctuary, begins with (8: 1-4): Hashem spoke to Moshe,,saying:’Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments and the oil of anointment, and the bull of the sin-offering, and the two rams, and the basket of matzot. Gather the entire assembly to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. Moshe did as Hashem commanded him. Moshe said to the assembly : ‘This is the thing that Hashem commanded to be done’.

Rashi comments:’ ‘Take Aaron: this section was stated seven days before the section of the Sanctuary and should have been states in Parashat Pikudei, which discussed the erection and consecration of the Sanctuary.

‘However, there is no ‘earlier and later’ in the Torah.

‘And the sin-offering..’:These are the ones mentioned in the section dealing with the command of the investiture in Parashat Tetzave, and now, on the first day of the investiture, Hashem came back and urged him in the matter at the time they were to be put into practice.’

‘This is the thing that Hashem commanded to be done: (Moshe said to the assembly):The things you will see me doing before you, have all been commanded to me by Hashem that they be done; so do not think that I am doing them for my own honor or for my brother’s honor.’

The Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh elucidates:’Take Aaron..’: This was said before the erection of the Sanctuary, and the reason it was said here, to tell us that all the laws of the korbanot - in all of their details -were said earlier, as it was for their performance that Aaron and his sons were made Kohanim - and they could not have been elevated to this role until Moshe taught them all the details of this work, and he - Aaron - accepted the role and the service, as it was commanded.

‘Only then did Hashem say to Moshe:’Take Aaron.., as it was for this that he was made Kohen; further, had this not been been the case, you would find that one of the people would bring a korban offering, and it would not be known what was to be done with it.

‘This is the thing that Hashem commanded’:To make known to them - lest any come to dispute, in the manner of Korach and his followers - so that there Will not be an opening to anyone who disputes, to say that he was doing so inadvertently, as Moshe made known - at the time of the deed - that it was by Hashem’s command, and not by his independent volition.’

The Malbim offers a different understanding of the commandment ‘to take Aaron and his sons’, commenting:’There are three defects in the transgressor which require attention: First, since he has been distanced from Hashem by his transgression - and out of shame, takes care to be ‘out of His sight’; second: from the punishment that has been decreed for his transgression- for which the prayers on his behalf by another, can cause the punishment to be ameliorated, as long as he has repented; the sinner himself: even if Hashem has forgiven him, he still feels shame, until full forgiveness is granted.

‘Ali three of these were applicable to Aaron :as to being distanced, by Moshe drawing him nearer - calling to him, by Hashem’s command - he was drawn again closer to Hashem.

The second matter, Moshe knew that he had prayed to spare Aaron from punishment, and that Aaron had repented out of love.

‘As to the third matter, when the Torah states: ‘Take Aaron with his sons’ - ‘with’ denoting that Aaron was the principal, and the sons anciliary to him, and only called in his merit, he knew that he had been granted full forgiveness - for, if not so, it would have been the opposite: his sons being the principals, and he being forgiven, as anciliary, in their merit.’

Rav Yosef Chaim Shneur Kotler adds:’it would appear that the reason for the assembly of all the people in these seven days of training, was because the spread of the Shechina in the Sanctuary, meant its entry into the heart of each individual, as is written;’And I shall dwell in your’ - plural - ‘midst’, as our Sages expound:’ Within each person.

‘Therefore all the deeds that were done on this day, had to be done by all of the people, as Moshe said ‘to the assembly(8:5):’This is the thing that Hashem commanded you to do; then the glory of Hashem will appear to you’ - and all that was done by Aaron and his sons were as emissaries of all the people, and were as if done by them - simply stated.

‘Therefore, all the sanctification and anointing and clothing the kohanim in their garb of glory (which was also part of their sanctification) was performed by Moshe, as were all the korbanot offered during these seven days.

‘There were two sides to this: One: that Moshe was the emissary of Hashem in the sanctification and atonement of the Kohanim, so that they would be prepared for their role and service; and second: to also be the emissary of Bnei Israel, in this sanctification of the Kohanim , and to consecrate the Sanctuary.

‘During these seven days, Moshe was attired in a white garment - and not in the priestly garments - suggesting that his service was a special teaching for that hour, implying that he was then acting only as the emissary of Hashem - however, this may not necessarily be the case, as the requirement to perform the priestly service only in the priestly garments was only innovated after the erection of the Sanctuary - and til then, there was not this requirement

Rav.Shimshon Raphael Hirsch notes that in these seven days, Moshe Rabbeinu plays a role different from his primary role, as teacher and transmitter of the Torah - here ‘he himself is the one who performs the mitzvah, as he fulfilled the role of Kohen - whereas the kohanim who partook of the korbanot, were thereby being sanctified to be kohanim.

‘At that time, it was made clear to them, that Moshe was the transmitter of the Torah, and that - for all generations - the Kohen was subject to the yoke of the Torah and its teachers - the role of the kohen, was to perform the Torah - not its teaching, as the teaching of Torah is not one passed down by fanily ties - as it is in other religions.’

Abarbanel notes:’All that Moshe was commanded in our Parasha, and in Parashat Tetzave - including the assembly of all the people - was so that all would see the consecration of Aaron and his sons, and behave towards them with the proper honor and awe.

‘Moshe said there to the whole congregation:’This is the thing that Hashem commanded to be done’ - meaning: Do not think that to honor my brother, I am doing that which you are witnessing - that is not the case, because all that I am doing, Hashem commanded, and by His command - and not from my heart - I am doing it all.’

A parting gem from Rav Ahron Kotler:’Rashi’s comment, that our parsha was said seven days before the erection of the Sanctuary - as it relates with the first seven days thereafter - requires our consideration.

Why did the Torah alter the chronological order of the events ? - even though we hold that ‘there is no earlier and later in the Torah’, surely there must be a reason for doing so: to precede the later to the earlier.

‘Indeed, Ramban disagrees with our Rashi, and holds that the parshiot occurred in the order in which they are brought in the Torah - that Parashat Vayikra and the opening section of Parashat Tzav were said on the first of the seven days of מילואים: of ‘training’, at which time, the Sanctuary was already erected, but Moshe dismantled it, though the Shechina had not yet descended into it.

‘As the Sanctuary was already constructed, the call to Moshe was ‘from the Tent of the Meeting’ lt was therfore necessary to precede the commands of the korbanot, as in these seven days ‘of training’ korbanot were offered in the Sanctuary - after the commandments as to the korbanot, the Parasha of ‘Take Aaron’, was said.

‘However, according to Ramban, the passuk: ‘And the cloud covered the Tent, and the glory of Hashem filled the Sanctuary’ - written at the end of Sefer Shemot - was not written in its order - but brought forward - as the Shechina did not descend till the seventh of these days.

‘Ramban writes, that the reason for this, is that this passuk concluded the parshiot describing the construction of the Sanctuary - this, as the Ramban states -signifying the end of the galut, the residence of the Shechina denoting the return of the nation to the lofty level of the Avot - and therefore, by the glory of Hashem filling the Sanctuary, the subject of Sefer Shemot was completed.

‘We can also - in this way - expound Rashi’s approach - the change in the order of the parshiot is because of the completeness of Sefer Vayikra -as its main subject is the service of the korbanot - the Sefer also being called:’the Torah of the Kohanim’ - as this service is at the heart of their role.

‘For this reason, the Torah changed the order, and first brought the laws of the korbanot - and only after this, the matter of the construction of the Sanctuary - as its main function was to serve as the place where the korbanot were to be offered - therefore the matter of the korbanot preceded the matter of the Sanctuary, as they were its objective.

‘By changing the order of things, the Torah teaches us that a person right at the outset, has to have in his mind, the final objective - so important is this lesson, that the Torah saw the need to change the order, and to precede the later to the earlier.’

[post rec'd motzae Shabbos]

Rabbi Michael Freund: Before the Door Opens....

It is precisely at the threshold between message and moment, that this special Haftorah’s relevance to our own time becomes unmistakable.

On the Shabbat before Passover, known as Shabbat HaGadol (the “Great Sabbath"), we read a special Haftorah drawn from the closing chapter of the prophet Malachi (3:4-24). It is a passage that stands at the intersection of past and future, weaving together memory, warning and hope into a single, powerful message.

At first glance, the text appears to be a familiar prophetic rebuke. Malachi speaks of a people who have grown lax in their spiritual commitments, whose service of G-d has become perfunctory rather than heartfelt. He calls for a return to authenticity, envisioning a time when “the offering of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasing to the Lord as in days of old" (3:4).

But the prophet is not merely longing for a bygone era. He is issuing a challenge to all of us.

“I will draw near to you for judgment" (3:5), G-d declares, identifying a range of moral failings such as deceit, exploitation and injustice. These are not abstract sins. They reflect a society in which ethical boundaries have eroded, where right and wrong are no longer clearly distinguished and where convenience often triumphs over conscience.

It is a sobering message, particularly on the eve of Passover, a holiday that celebrates not only physical liberation but moral purpose. The Exodus from Egypt was not simply about escaping bondage; it was about becoming a people bound by law, responsibility and higher ideals.

Freedom, the Haftorah reminds us, is never meant to be an end in and of itself. It is a means to something greater.

And yet, just as the prophet’s words seem to build toward condemnation, the tone shifts in a striking and unexpected way.

“For I, the Lord, have not changed; and you, the children of Jacob, have not been consumed" (3:6).

In a single verse, Malachi offers reassurance that is as profound as it is enduring. Despite human failings, despite moments of distance and doubt, the covenant between G-d and the Jewish people remains intact. It is a relationship rooted not in perfection but in permanence.

That enduring bond is what has sustained the Jewish people across centuries of upheaval and uncertainty. It is what has allowed us to move forward even when circumstances seemed overwhelming and to rebuild even after moments of profound loss.

But survival alone is not enough.

TZAV Haftorah

“Return unto Me and I will return unto you" (3:7), G-d calls out.

With these words, responsibility comes into focus. The path forward requires effort. It demands that we look inward, that we examine not only the world around us but the choices we make within it. Redemption is not imposed from above; it is cultivated from below.

The prophet goes on to draw a distinction between those who serve G-d and those who do not, underscoring the idea that identity is not merely inherited but lived. It is shaped through action, through commitment, through the willingness to stand for something even when it is difficult to do so.

Only then, at the conclusion of the Haftorah, does G-d turn toward the future with one of the most stirring promises in all of Scripture: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord" (3:23).

Elijah, the harbinger of redemption, represents the possibility of transformation. He embodies the belief that history is not fixed, that brokenness can be repaired and that a better future lies within reach.

It is no coincidence that this promise is read just days before the Seder, when we pour a cup for Elijah and open the door in anticipation of his arrival. The gesture is simple, but its meaning is profound: redemption can come at any moment, if we are prepared for it.

And it is precisely here, at the threshold between message and moment, that the Haftorah’s relevance to our own time becomes unmistakable.

In recent years, the United States has witnessed a troubling rise in anti-Semitism. What was once confined to the fringes has increasingly entered the mainstream, manifesting itself in rhetoric, harassment and, at times, violence. Jewish communities that long felt secure now find themselves reassessing assumptions that once seemed unshakable.

But the prophet’s words caution us against viewing such developments in isolation. A society in which moral clarity is weakened, in which truth is contested and ethical standards are blurred, creates the conditions in which hatred can flourish. Anti-Semitism is not merely an anomaly; it is often a symptom of a deeper disorder.

That does not make it any less dangerous. But it does help explain why the response must be both external and internal.

Certainly, vigilance is essential. Hatred must be confronted and security strengthened. But alongside those efforts, there must also be a renewal of Jewish identity - a recommitment to the values, traditions and sense of purpose that have defined our people for millennia.

For American Jews, this should be not only a moment of concern, but of choice.

Should Jews retreat in the face of hostility, seeking safety in silence? Or do we respond by deepening our connection to who we are, standing more firmly and living more fully as Jews?

Shabbat HaGadol offers a clear answer.

Before redemption can arrive, there must first be a reaffirmation of identity. Before the door opens for Elijah, we must be ready to walk through it.

As we gather at the Seder table, recounting the story of our liberation and looking ahead to the future, the message of Malachi resonates with renewed force.

The world may be uncertain. The challenges may be real.

But the covenant endures. The Divine promise remains.

And redemption, as always, begins with us.

The Only Way The War In Iran Will Be Won

 

Yahrzeit of Moshe Ben Nachman Zt”l

 

Rav Moshe zt"l

הרב משה בן נחמן זצ"ל

Nissan 11 , 5030

Known As: Ramban

Father's Name: NachmanAdd Yahrzeit to Google Calendar

Yahrzeit of the Shelah Hakadosh Zt”l

 

Rav Yeshaya HaLevi Horowitz zt"l

הרב ישעיה בן אברהם הורוביץ זצ"ל

Nissan 11 , 5390

Known As: Shelah Hakadosh

Father's Name: Avrohom Horowitz

To read more about https://nertzaddik.com/tzadik-info/2843/

The Historic Shabbos Hagadol of 5786

oh, well, these only were available Motzae Shabbos Hagadol

 
 

 A GUTTEN SHABBOS HAGADOL!

The Great Israel Replacement

 Have we unknowingly created our own version of “replacement theology”? 
Not of people—but of place.

[PS. Listened to entire …..and love his humor esp. Near the end]

Somewhere along the way, even within the Jewish world, a subtle shift has taken place. Through changing language, evolving mindsets, and reinterpreted values, the centrality of the Land of Israel and Jerusalem has been pushed aside—replaced by comfort, familiarity, and identity rooted in other lands. PLEASE LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, AND SHARE! (It makes a big difference!) For questions or comments, you can reach us at Homeboundisrael@gmail.com Check out our website at Homeboundisrael.com If you want to help spread the truth of the Torah and make a tremendous kiddush Hashem, please partner with us and help support this amazing cause and help us get our Holy nation to return home to Eretz Yisrael so that we can finally bring Moshiach! https://homeboundisrael.com/donate For more information and inspiration, check out our website at https://homeboundisrael.com/ Homebound To Eretz Yisrael is an organization built to spread truth and Torah to Jews searching for the unfiltered truth about the Holiness of Eretz Yisrael, the land that Hashem designed specifically for the spiritual needs of Klal Yisrael, and how it plays a major role in our nation's destiny. We inspire and help Jews to return home, the Land promised to us by the creator of the universe. And we teach the Torah's perspective on the Holy Land, and why it is in every Jews best interest to live in Eretz Yisrael

💥שו"ת הדרכה מרתק עם מרן פוה"ד הרב זילברשטיין, הראב"ד הרב סילמן, רה"י הרב ברלין ורב העיר הרב בן שמעון

 

The Gulf Of Hormuz Art Show.....and Fuel Scarcity

You can stop the video whenever, but beginning is the dramatic sites at the Isle of Hormuz:

Now see this:

and you can sign off any time

Shabbos Hagadol: TZAV – The Fire on the Altar

 "The fire on the altar"

(Leviticus 6:5)

Nisan 9, 5786/March 27, 2026

 

"The fire burning on the Altar must never be extinguished." (Leviticus 6:5) 

To insure this be so, kohanim are commanded to feed the altar fires every morning with fresh timber and to daily tend to the altar flame. Neither rain nor sleet nor hail nor snow must ever be allowed to extinguish the eternal flame that rises up day and night, day after day, from the great stone altar that stands just east of the Temple Sanctuary. This is the flame that consumes the offerings of Israel, her public offerings made on behalf of the entire nation, and her private offerings made by individuals for an array of reasons, to atone, to rectify, to fulfill a commitment and to give thanks. 

This is the flame that is brought into the Kodesh - the Temple Sanctuary, and is placed upon the golden altar to kindle the incense offering performed each day by the kohanim. This is the flame that provides the metaphorical "rei'ach ni'cho'ach - the sweet savor" representing HaShem's deep pleasure with His children's yearning for closeness, yearning for His blessing, yearning to live in the warmth of His light. This is the flame that must never go out.

 

This flame first appeared atop the altar erected by Adam and Eve as they atoned for their transgression in Eden. This is the flame that burned upon the altar built by Noach, whose offerings were offerings of thanks and gratitude. 

This is the flame that torched up the dark night when Avraham asked "HaShem G-d, how will I know that I will inherit" the land? (Genesis 15:8) and HaShem told him "Take for Me three heifers and three goats and three rams, and a turtle dove and a young bird." (ibid 15:9) And "Now it came to pass that the sun had set, and it was dark, and behold, a smoking furnace and a fire brand, which passed between these parts." (ibid 15:17) 

This was the flame that blazed upon the altar at Moriah, built by Avraham to make an offering of his son Yitzchak, at G-d's command. This was the flame that consumed the ram whose horns, caught in a thicket, signaled to Avraham that this was the offering that HaShem truly desired. 

 

This is the flame that caught Moshe's attention, burning in a bush on Horev, the Mountain of G-d, burning, but not consuming, an unextinguishable flame from which HaShem spoke: "I am the G-d of your father, the G-d of Avraham, the G-d of Yitzchak, and the G-d of Yaakov." (Exodus 3:6) 

This is the flame that burned brightly at Sinai, as "the entire Mount Sinai smoked because HaShem had descended upon it in fire, and its smoke ascended like the smoke of the kiln, and the entire mountain quaked violently." (ibid 19:18) This is the flame that burned at the Tabernacle throughout all its stations in Sinai and Shiloh, where it burned for three hundred and sixty nine years. 

This eternal flame that has burned without pause through the ages now burns on the altar of earth and stone, built by man on the mountain of Zion in the heart of Jerusalem, on the very place in creation where the Tree of Knowledge once stood, where Adam first sinned and where atonement and attachment to HaShem is made possible. 

Of course it must never be allowed to falter. Of course it must be fed each day, nourished not just with fresh timber, properly hewn and dried, but with the love of G-d's children for their Father whose Presence fills the Temple Mount just as it filled Mount Sinai. Like so much of creation, HaShem has delegated His fire to man to attend to and care for, just as He first placed man "in the Garden of Eden to work it and to guard it." (Genesis 2:15) 

The altar flame, the eternal altar flame is now man's cosmic responsibility to guard and to keep afire. 

 

Not so the altar ashes, of which Aharon and his sons are commanded to gather up and take away each new day: "This is the Torah of the burnt offering: The burnt offering itself shall remain where it is burned upon the altar all night until morning, while the fire on the altar is kept going on it. The kohen shall dress in linen raiment, with linen breeches next to his body; and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and place them beside the altar. He shall then take off his vestments and put on other vestments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a pure place." (Leviticus 6:2-4) 

The altar ashes are not the altar flame. They are the remains of yesterday's offerings, yesterday's dreams and aspirations. They are not to be kept. They need be removed to make way for today's new dreams and aspirations, for today's new offerings. We mortals are blessed to live out our days and hours in the living presence of HaShem's eternity, made visible by the altar fire, made manifest by the two way conversation, the intimate atop-Mount-Sinai-huddle with HaShem via the performance of our offerings. 

But our offerings are, alas, time-bound as we are, and must be cleared off each day to make way for the new. In this way we can keep apace with HaShem, walk with G-d as our forefathers did, making new our selves each morning, being reborn every day and experiencing HaShem's blessing, His breath of life in our lungs, as we dare each dawn to meet the eternal in our own small way, to keep the fire going, to keep HaShem near and to bask in the warm glow of His eternal flame.

More on Shabbos HaGadol at https://templeinstitute.org/