Shemini #2- Nadav & Avihu

perek yud pusuk aleph and bet- Nadav and Abihu sinned and were killed by hashem. 

וַיִּקְח֣וּ בְנֵי־אַֽ֠הֲרֹ֠ן נָדָ֨ב וַֽאֲבִיה֜וּא אִ֣ישׁ מַחְתָּת֗וֹ וַיִּתְּנ֤וּ בָהֵן֙ אֵ֔שׁ וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ עָלֶ֖יהָ קְטֹ֑רֶת וַיַּקְרִ֜יבוּ לִפְנֵ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ אֵ֣שׁ זָרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹ֦א צִוָּ֖ה אֹתָֽם:

And Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his pan, put fire in them, and placed incense upon it, and they brought before the Lord foreign fire, which He had not commanded them.

וַתֵּ֥צֵא אֵ֛שׁ מִלִּפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה וַתֹּ֣אכַל אוֹתָ֑ם וַיָּמֻ֖תוּ לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה:

And fire went forth from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.

what was their sin? 

Rashi says that Rabbi Yishmaeal says that they were drunk when they went into the mikdash. 

Q: What are other reasons to what their sin was? What did they do wrong?

Shemini #1- Kosher?

In this week's parsha it says in vayikra perek yud aleph pasuk bet

דַּבְּר֛וּ אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר זֹ֤את הַֽחַיָּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֹּֽאכְל֔וּ מִכָּל־הַבְּהֵמָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ:

“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: These are the creatures that you may eat among all the animals on earth:”

Question: Why did Hashem make a commandment to the jews regarding certain types of animals they cannot eat?

Answer: Rashi says, since the Jews are worthy of being alive, accordingly, Hashem created commandment that would separate them from unholyness and help them live. He did not make any restricting commandments to other nations.

This can be comparable to a doctor who had an incurable patient, therefore he let him eat whatever he wanted but for his patient that had to potential to live, he gave a restricting diet in order to ensure his health.

Israel is the curable patient and all the other nations are incurable

Source: https://www.chabad.org/parshah/torahreading.asp?aid=2492724&jewish=Shemini-Torah-Reading.htm&p=6#showrashi=true

Question: What are other reasons why hashem gave bnei yisroel restrictions on certain animals? Foods?  Are there any cases of a grey area?

Tzav #1

The Iban Ezra comments on the word הָעֹלָ֡ה: It is the burnt-offering so called because all of it ascends up to the Altar. This verse implies that one should not sacrifice the burnt-offering at night, because it must burn on the pyre all night. The word the pyre ends in an extra heh (or perhaps Hebrew contains both a masculine and a feminine form of the word).

Question: why else should you not do any sacrifices at night?

Tzav #3

In Perek Vav, Pasuk Alef it says צַ֤ו אֶֽת־אַהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֣יו לֵאמֹ֔ר זֹ֥את תּוֹרַ֖ת הָעֹלָ֑ה הִ֣וא הָעֹלָ֡ה עַל֩ מוֹקְדָ֨ה עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֤חַ כָּל־הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙ עַד־הַבֹּ֔קֶר וְאֵ֥שׁ הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ תּ֥וּקַד בּֽוֹ׃

Question: Why does it say “tzav”, command, instead of “daber”, speak, as the word is used in the previous pasuk?

Answer: Rashi says to show the urgency of the this action that Hashem wanted to convey.

What are other possibilities as to why Hashem used the word “tzav”, command?

Why did Hashem make this action seem so urgent?

Tzav #2

1And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,		אוַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־משֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר:
2Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering: That is the burnt offering which burns on the altar all night until morning, and the fire of the altar shall burn with it. (Leviticus 6:1-2)		בצַ֤ו אֶת־אַֽהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֣יו לֵאמֹ֔ר זֹ֥את תּוֹרַ֖ת הָֽעֹלָ֑ה הִ֣וא הָֽעֹלָ֡ה עַל֩ מוֹ

The parsha this week is tzav, literally meaning command. This parsha is about HaShem commanding us to serve him through korbanot. But tzav can also mean connect. These different meanings teach us that through HaShem’s commandments, and through serving Him, we also find ways to connect with him. 

The Lubavitcher Rebbe teaches us that there is still that Tzav- connection, even if someone does not follow all of the 613 mitzvot. The sages teach “even though he sinned, he is a Jew.” Of course we want to serve our role by following these mitzvot, and have a bigger connection because of it.

What other meanings does the word Tzav have? What do those meanings teach us? Why is it placed at the beginning of the parsha? 

Source: 

https://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/2077/jewish/Making-the-Connection.htm

Vayikra #2- Korbanot

Parshat Vayikra, Perek Alef PAsuk Daled

And he shall lean his hand [forcefully] upon the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted for him to atone for him.

דוְסָמַ֣ךְ יָד֔וֹ עַ֖ל רֹ֣אשׁ הָֽעֹלָ֑ה וְנִרְצָ֥ה ל֖וֹ לְכַפֵּ֥ר עָלָֽיו:

The context of this pasuk is Hashem speaking to Moshe and commanding him to teach bnei yisroel how to make KArbanot and the proper way to give them. Hashem gives Moshe a few rules about how the animal should look and then commands him to put his hands on the head of the burnt offering. There is a question on this as to why the Pasuk added the words “burnt offering” when it could have just said “upon its head.”

Rashis opinion is that it includes “burnt offering” to include any sacrifice that includes a burnt offering, and to show that the smicha burnt offering also requires hands on head. And since this Perek and Parsha deals with voluntary Karbanot offerings, this case requires extra words to include it.

What are other reasons a person has to put their hands on the korban's head?
What is the purpose of karbanot in general?

Vayikra #1- Little Aleph

In this weeks Parsha, פרק א , פסוק א the Pasuk Says:

"וַיִּקְרָ֖א אֶל־משֶׁ֑ה וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלָ֔יו מֵאֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד לֵאמֹֽר"

"And He called to Moses, and the Lord spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying" 

Question: Why is the word Vayikra in the first pasuk written with a small aleph? (The small aleph is only visible in a torah scroll)

Rashi says that Hashem uses the word "Vayikra" as opposed to another speaking verb because it is an affectionate term. For example this term is used by the angels when speaking to each other. When Hashem is speaking to other nations naavim he uses the world "Vaayikar" which is a less affectionate term. While Moshe was writing down the torah Hashem told him to write Vayikra to show affection however moshe was very humble and didn't want to seem greater then the other naavim so he wrote it w as a small aleph.

Question: What are some other opinions as to why this word is written with a small aleph?

Pekudei #3

In פרק לח פסוק כו, Bne yisrael is told that each person who is 20 years old or up has to give half a shekel towards building the mishkan. It says the total number of people of age were 603,550 men. What is the significance of the half shekel and of the number of men? Why is It mentioned? What is the significance of the age of 20?

Chizkuni says that even though half a shekel is not a lot of money, bne Yisrael relied on HaShem to provide the rest. 

Pekudei #2

In Perek 38 , Pasuk 21 it says:

אֵ֣לֶּה פְקוּדֵ֤י הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ מִשְׁכַּ֣ן הָעֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר פֻּקַּ֖ד עַל־פִּ֣י מֹשֶׁ֑ה עֲבֹדַת֙ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם בְּיַד֙ אִֽיתָמָ֔ר בֶּֽן־אַהֲרֹ֖ן הַכֹּהֵֽן׃

Rashi asks why does it says "Hamishkan" twice?

Rashi answers by saying that its repeated twice because its a hint to two Best Hamidkash's.

what are some ways of interpreting  משכן העדת ? What does it mean when it says  בְּיַד֙ אִֽיתָמָ֔ר?

Pekudei #1

"ויעשו את בגדי הקדש אשר לאהרן כאשר צוה ה' את משה"

“And they made the holy garments for Aharon, as G‑d had commanded Moshe.” (39:1)

Why was it necessary to stress “as G‑d had commanded Moshe”?

Because The words “as G‑d had commanded Moshe” are repeated 18 times in this parshah and 18 is equal to “chai” (חי) — “life.” The Torah informs us that throughout his entire life, Moshe continuously strove to do as G‑d commanded him.

What are alternative explanations as to why the pusuk stated that Hashem commanded Moshe to make Aharon’s garments? What are other words/phrases that seem unnecessary or repetitive in this week's parsha and what do they symbolize?