The offering of the wicked is an abomination; even when he will even bring it for promiscuity.

Transcription

1 פרשת בא When our ancestors wished to build the second Beis HaMikdosh, we read about the message they received from their neighbors (Ezra Perek 4/P sukim 1-3). ו י ש מ ע ו צ ר י י ה וד ה וב נ י מ ן כ י ב נ י ה ג ול ה ב ונ ים ה יכ ל ל ה' א... ל 'קי י ש ר א ל: ו י ג ש ו א ל ז ר ב ב ל ו א ל ר אש י ה אב ות ו י אמ ר ו ל ה ם נ ב נ ה ע מ כ ם כ י כ כ ם נ ד ר וש ל א...ל'קיכ ם ו ל ו א נ ח נ ו ז ב ח ים מ ימ י א ס ר ח ד ן מ ל ך א ש ור ה מ ע ל ה א ת נ ו פ ה: ו י אמ ר ל ה ם ז ר ב ב ל ו י ש וע וש אר ר אש י ה אב ות ל י ש ר א ל לא ל כ ם ו ל נ ו ל ב נ ות ב י ת ל א... ל 'קינ ו כ י א נ ח נ ו י ח ד נ ב נ ה ל ה' א...ל'קי י ש ר א ל כ א ש ר צ ו נ ו ה מ ל ך כ ור ש מ ל ך פ ר ס: The enemies of the tribes of Yehuda and Binyamin heard that the exiles were building a sanctuary for Hashem, the G-d of Israel. They approached Zerubavel and the family heads and they said to them, We will build with you because this way we will seek your G-d and it is to Him that we bring offerings from the days of Asar Chadon the King of Assyria who has brought us up to here. Zerubavel, Yeshu a and the other family heads of Israel said to them, It is not for you and for us to build the House for our G-d; we alone together will build the House for the G-d of Israel as Koresh the King of Persia commanded us. It is likely that we have divined Rashi s commentary even before reading it: ויאמרו נבנה עמכם - היו אומרים כך למען תתבטל מלאכת הבית על ידיהם שלא לבנות עוד: They said, We will build with you They said that in order that the building of the Beis HaMikdosh would stop because of them and not continue to be built any longer. This confrontation is reminiscent of one that took place some two millennia earlier. In Parshas Vayishlach there is some type of temporary rapprochement between Eisav and Yaakov Ovinu. As each are about to go upon their separate ways, we read (B reishis Perek 33/P sukim 12-17): ו י אמ ר נ ס ע ה ו נ ל כ ה ו א ל כ ה ל נ ג ד ך: ו י אמ ר א ל יו א ד נ י י ד ע כ י ה י ל ד ים ר כ ים ו ה צ אן ו ה ב ק ר ע ל ות ע ל י וד פ ק ום י ום א ח ד ו מ ת ו כ ל ה צ אן: י ע ב ר נ א א ד נ י ל פ נ י ע ב ד ו ו א נ י א ת נ ה ל ה ל א ט י ל ר ג ל ה מ ל אכ ה א ש ר ל פ נ י ול ר ג ל ה י ל ד ים ע ד א ש ר אב א א ל א ד נ י ש ע יר ה: ו י אמ ר ע ש ו א צ יג ה נ א ע מ ך מ ן ה ע ם א ש ר א ת י ו י אמ ר ל מ ה ז ה א מ צ א ח ן ב ע ינ י א ד נ י: ו י ש ב

2 ב י ום ה ה וא ע ש ו ל ד ר כ ו ש ע יר ה: ו י ע ק ב נ ס ע ס כ ת ה ו י ב ן ל ו ב י ת ול מ ק נ ה ו ע ש ה ס כ ת ע ל כ ן ק ר א ש ם ה מ ק ום ס כ ות: Eisav said, Let us travel and let us go and I will go opposite you. Yaakov said to him, My master knows that the children are soft and the sheep and cattle with their young are my responsibility and if I push them one day all the sheep will die. Let my master pass by his servant and I will lead slowly according to the work that is before me and according to the [needs] of the children until I will come to my master to Seir. Eisav said, I will place some of the people who are with me to be with you and Yaakov said, Why is it that I find favor in the eyes of my master? Eisav returned to his path that day towards Seir. Yaakov travelled to Sukkos and he built there a house and he made huts for his cattle; therefore he called the name of the place Sukkos. And we cannot ignore in this context the verse in Amos (Perek 9/Posuk 11) which reads: ב י ום ה ה וא אק ים א ת ס כ ת ד ו יד ה נ פ ל ת ו ג ד ר ת י א ת פ ר צ יה ן ו ה ר ס ת יו אק ים וב נ ית יה כ ימ י ע ול ם: On that day I Hashem will establish the fallen Sukkah of Dovid and I will close their breaches and I will raise up their destructions and I will build it as in the olden days. The final and permanent establishment of the House of Dovid HaMelech, the building of the Beis HaMikdosh and the restoration of all of Am Yisroel in Eretz Yisroel will not be performed by the nations of the world; it will be the sole project of HaKodosh Boruch Hu for His people. There will be no partnerships. As Rashi and the other commentators note, this prophecy is referring to the monarchal dynasty of the House of David. And we read in the prophecies of Bil am (B midbar Perek 23/Posuk 9)): כ י מ ר אש צ ר ים א ר א נ ו ומ ג ב ע ות א ש ור נ ו ה ן ע ם ל ב ד ד י ש כ ן וב ג וי ם לא י ת ח ש ב:

3 From the top of the mountains I will see him-israel and from the hill I shall view him; behold it is a nation that shall dwell alone and not be numbered among the countries. The common theme among these three selections cannot be ignored. Israel is expected to keep itself separate and distinct in all phases of its life the holy, the political and the mundane. This separateness allows us to maintain our identity of Am Yisroel, undiluted by mixing it with the identities of foreign nationalities or individuals. It is therefore with surprise that we read the words of Moshe Rabbenu to Par o at their final meeting before the Exodus in our Parshas Bo. Par o addresses Moshe following the ninth plague, Makkas Choshech (Sh mos Perek 10/Posuk 24-26)): ו י ק ר א פ ר ע ה א ל מ ש ה ו י אמ ר ל כ ו ע ב ד ו א ת ה' ר ק צ אנ כ ם וב ק ר כ ם י צ ג ג ם ט פ כ ם י ל ך ע מ כ ם: ו י אמ ר מ ש ה ג ם א ת ה ת ת ן ב י ד נ ו ז ב ח ים ו ע לת ו ע ש ינ ו ל ה' א... ל 'קינ ו: ו ג ם מ ק נ נ ו י ל ך ע מ נ ו לא ת ש א ר פ ר ס ה כ י מ מ נ ו נ ק ח ל ע ב ד א ת ה' א... ל 'קינ ו ו א נ ח נ ו לא נ ד ע מ ה נ ע ב ד א ת ה' ע ד ב א נ ו ש מ ה: Par o called to Moshe and he said, Go and serve Hashem; only your sheep and your cattle will stay [in Egypt]; also your children will go with you. Moshe said, Also you will give in our hands offerings and burnt-offerings and we will make them for Hashem our G-d. Also our cattle will go with us; not a hoof will remain [in Egypt] because from it we will take to serve Hashem our G-d; we will not know with what we will serve Hashem until our coming there. Isn t it astounding? At the very moment when Israel will leave Egypt, begin forging itself as an independent nation, Moshe looks to Par o for a contribution? Rashi mitigates our question with a commentary that appears on one of the P sukim that immediately follow the tenth and final plague, Makkas Bechoros. We read (Perek 12/P sukim 31-32): ו י ק ר א ל מ ש ה ול אה ר ן ל י ל ה ו י אמ ר ק ומ ו צ א ו מ ת ו ך ע מ י ג ם א ת ם ג ם ב נ י י ש ר א ל ול כ ו ע ב ד ו א ת ה' כ ד ב ר כ ם: ג ם צ אנ כ ם ג ם ב ק ר כ ם ק ח ו כ א ש ר ד ב ר ת ם ו לכ ו וב ר כ ת ם ג ם א ת י:

4 Par o called to Moshe and to Aharon at [the] night [of Makkas Bechoros] and he said, Arise and go out from my people also you, also B nei Yisroel and go serve Hashem as you spoke. Also your sheep, also your cattle take like you spoke and you shall bless me also. Rashi writes: גם צאנכם גם בקרכם קחו - ומהו כאשר דברתם, גם אתה תתן בידינו זבחים ועולות: Also your sheep, also your cattle take What does like you spoke [in the continuation of the verse mean]? [It means that which Moshe said to Par o earlier:] Also you will give in our hands offerings and burnt-offerings. That is, Moshe Rabbenu was not soliciting any type of gift from Par o, and certainly not Korbonos that would be brought to celebrate the Exodus. Rather, Par o in the verse cited before demanded that when Israel will go to serve G-d that they leave their cattle and flocks in place. To that Moshe responded to Par o that when they will leave Egypt we will not take their cattle and flocks from Egypt over the opposition of Par o. The opposite will be true. Par o will urge them to take their cattle and flocks. And why is that, evidently, according to Rashi? That is discerned from the verse s conclusion. Par o asked to be blessed! As Rashi writes in continuation: קחו כאשר דברתם וברכתם גם אתי - התפללו עלי שלא אמות, שאני בכור: Take like you spoke and bless also me Pray for me so that I will not die because I am a first-born. In the earlier P sukim Moshe tells Par o that the latter will have a complete change of heart and so it was that Par o begged Moshe to use the animals that Par o released as a merit for him that they would be offered on his behalf. Of course, we have no reason to think that Moshe had any intention of seeking Par o s welfare; rather he prophesized and Par o s words validate that prophecy. In contrast to Rashi s understanding of Moshe s words that: ג ם א ת ה ת ת ן ב י ד נ ו ז ב ח ים ו ע לת

5 Also you will give in our hands offerings and burnt-offerings many of the commentators do not view the explanation exactly the same or even with any similarity. Ramban writes emphatically: גם אתה תתן בידינו זבחים ועולות - לא אמר משה דבר זה על מנת להעשות, ולא עשה כן כלל, אבל הם דברי חיזוק. יאמר כי תכבד מאד יד ה' עליו ועל עמו, עד כי גם זבחים ועולות וכל אשר לו יתן בעד נפשו. ובאמת כי כאשר אמר להם וברכתם גם אותי, היה נותן ברצונו כל מקנהו לכפר עליו, אבל לא עלה על דעת משה לעשות זבח רשעים תועבה )משלי כא/כז (, 1 כי ה' חפץ דכאו, לא לכפר עליו, רק להענישו ולנער אותו ואת כל חילו בים. Also you will give in our hands offerings and burnt-offerings Moshe did not say this for the purpose that it would be done. Nor did he do this whatsoever. Rather, these are words to show strength. He was saying to Par o that the Hand of G-d would weigh very heavily upon him and upon his people to the extent that he would be willing to give offerings and burnt-offerings to save his life. In fact, when Par o said to Moshe and Aharon, You will bless me also he would have wilfully given all of his cattle to atone for himself. However, Moshe never considered to offer this offering of the wicked which is abominable because G-d wanted to put Par o down, not atone for him. He wanted to punish him and to shake him 2 and his entire army in the sea. 1 The entire verse reads: ז ב ח ר ש ע ים ת וע ב ה אף כ י ב ז מ ה י ב יא נ ו: The offering of the wicked is an abomination; even when he will even bring it for promiscuity. 2 The Torah describes what occurred after B nei Yisroel crossed the Red Sea and the waters returned to their normal position. We read (Sh mos Perek 14/P sukim 26-27): ו י אמ ר ה' א ל מ ש ה נ ט ה א ת י ד ך ע ל ה י ם ו י ש ב ו ה מ י ם ע ל מ צ ר י ם ע ל ר כ ב ו ו ע ל פ ר ש יו: ו י ט מ ש ה א ת י ד ו ע ל ה י ם ו י ש ב ה י ם ל פ נ ות ב ק ר ל א ית נ ו ומ צ ר י ם נ ס ים ל ק ר את ו ו י נ ע ר ה' א ת מ צ ר י ם ב ת ו ך ה י ם: Hashem said to Moshe, Stretch out your hand over the sea and the waters will return upon Egypt, upon its chariots and its horsemen. Moshe stretched out his hand over the sea and towards morning the waters returned to their

6 Or HaChaim HaKodosh presents his explanation: גם אתה תתן בידנו. קשה איך שאול ישאל עבד ה' זבחי א...ל 'קים מאיש בזוי וטמא והגם בזבח רשעים 4 אשר הרים פיו בקדוש ישראל נוסף על היותו נכרי החפץ לה' 3 strength and Egypt were fleeing towards it and Hashem shook up Egypt in the midst of the sea. Rashi writes: וינער ה' - כאדם שמנער את הקדירה והופך העליון למטה והתחתון למעלה, כך היו עולין ויורדין ומשתברין בים, ונתן הקדוש ברוך הוא בהם חיות לקבל היסורין: Hashem shook - Like a person who shakes a pot and turns that which is on top to the bottom and that which is on bottom to the top. That is what happened to the Egyptians. They went up and down in the sea and were broken in the sea. Hashem extended their lives so that they could be afflicted even more. וינער - ושניק, והוא לשון טרוף בלשון ארמי והרבה יש במדרשי אגדה: He shook [Onkelos renders it] u sh nik. This is an expression of something being mixed up in Aramaic. This term appears often in the Aggadic Midrashim. 3 The entire verse reads: ו י אמ ר ש מ וא ל ה ח פ ץ ל ה' ב ע ל ות וז ב ח ים כ ש מ ע ב ק ול ה' ה נ ה ש מ ע מ ז ב ח ט וב ל ה ק ש יב מ ח ל ב א יל ים: Sh muel said to Shaul, Does G-d want burnt-offerings and offerings as much as He wants there to be listening to the voice of Hashem? Behold, listening [to G-d] is better than offerings; to attend [to G-d s Word] is better than the fats of the rams. 4 This verse was cited earlier. Rashi explains: אף כי בזמה יביאנו וכל שכן כשהוא מביאו להרשיעו ובעצה רעה כגון קרבנות בלעם ובלק שלא היו מביאים אלא לקלל את ישראל: Even when he brings it for promiscuity [If the offering of the wicked person is abominable even when he does not bring the offering as an abomination:] all the more so if he brings it for wickedness and with an evil counsel such as Bil am and Bolok who brought their offerings to curse Israel.

7 )חולין יג ב( אך ורק לא לשאול ממנו. אכן דברי פי לרבות 6 שאמרה תורה איש איש 5 דקדק בלשונו ואמר 'ועשינו' שהיה לו לומר 'לעשות' לה' א...'קינו אלא נתכוונו חכם 7 לומר שהוא יתן בידם מקנה הראוי לזבחים ואנחנו נעשה לה' א...ל'קינו לצורך עצמנו אלא שהוא ימציא להם מתנה שיסתפקו ממנה לזבחיהם לה' גם בזה לא קשה אומרו זבחים ועולות לתנא שאמר )מנחות עג ב( שאין מקבלין מאומות העולם אלא עולה ולא שלמים והרי מקרא מלא דיבר הכתוב כאן זבחים ועולות ולדברינו לא קשה: Also you will give in our hands it is difficult how Moshe Eved Hashem could request offerings for G-d from this disgraceful and impure person [Par o] who raised his mouth against the Holy One of Israel [Hashem], besides the fact that he was not Jewish. Does G-d want the offerings of the wicked? And even though the Torah has a special drasha to teach that non-jews can bring Korbonos, but one should not to request them to bring them. But the wise Moshe carefully chose his words. And he said we will do when he should have said to do for Hashem. But, Moshe s intent [with the words Also you will give ] was that Par o would give animals that were fitting to offer as Korbonos and we, Israel, will make for Hashem Our G-d for our needs. Par o will provide us with a gift and will be sufficient to provide for the offerings of Israel to Hashem. 5 The entire verse reads: ד ב ר א ל אה ר ן ו א ל ב נ יו ו א ל כ ל ב נ י י ש ר א ל ו אמ ר ת א ל ה ם א יש א יש מ ב ית י ש ר א ל ומ ן ה ג ר ב י ש ר א ל א ש ר י ק ר יב ק ר ב נ ו ל כ ל נ ד ר יה ם ול כ ל נ ד ב ות ם א ש ר י ק ר יב ו ל ה' ל ע ל ה: Moshe, speak to Aharon and to his sons and to the entirety of B nei Yisroel and you shall say to them, a man, a man from the House of Israel and from the convert in Israel who will offer his korban for all of their vows and all of their donations that they will offer a vowed offering or a promised offering that they will give for Hashem to be brought as a burnt-offering. 6 The extra statement of,איש even though the Posuk makes it clear that it is discussing B nei Yisroel, teaches that there are people other than Jews who can bring offerings. That is, non-jews. 7 This is based on a verse in Koheles (Perek 10/Posuk 2): ד ב ר י פ י ח כ ם ח ן ו ש פ ת ות כ ס יל ת ב ל ע נ ו: The words of the mouth of a wise man find favor; the lips of the fool will swallow him up.

8 This explanation solves the issue of the Tanna in Masseches Menochos who holds that we only accept Olos burnt offerings from non-jews and not Shelamim even though the Posuk here writes zevachim 8 and Olos. According to our explanation it is not difficult 9. Thus, Or HaChaim HaKodosh understands that Moshe s words were that the ownership of the animals would be transferred from Par o to B nei Yisroel and then, since the animals were the possession of Israel they would be offered in the merit of Israel, not in Par o s merit whatsoever. That is the implication of,ועשינו we will do, according to Or HaChaim. We will make the offering for ourselves. We have learned three answers for the same question. Although their answers differ, Rashi, Ramban and Or HaChaim agree with the premise of the question. It seems unfathomable to solicit Korbonos from a non-jew. It is even more unfathomable to solicit to Korbonos from Par o Melech Mitzrayim and want to bring them for his benefit! If this would be the entire picture we would have another example of multiple explanations dealing with the same issue. 8 Zevachim means Korbonos. However, when used in the context of Olos and Zevachim, the implication is that Zevachim refer to donated animals that can be eaten, in contrast to Olos which are donated animals that are completely burnt. The Zevachim that are donated and can be eaten are Shlomim. Part of Shlomim are burnt on the altar, part given exclusively to Kohanim and part to the one who brought the Shlomim. They may be eaten in Yerushalayim by anyone who is tahor. The Gemara deals with the question of the opinion that says that non-jews can only donate Olos and not Shlomim because non-jews are ineligible to eat Korbonos. Since our verse discusses Par o donating Olos and Zevachim, it implies that non-jews can donate Shlomim. 9 See the previous note. There is no proof from our verse that non-jews can donate Shlomim since Par o did not donate anything to the Mishkan, according to Or HaChaim. Par o gave a gift to Israel and Israel donated its animals.

9 However, a vital part of the picture is missing. What is missing is the Midrash Sh mos Rabba (Parshata 14/4) that challenges the very premise that was the basis of the three commentators that we have learned until now. The Midrash writes 10 : ויאמר משה גם אתה תתן בידינו זבחים ועולות, אמר ליה משה לא תהא סבור שאנו נזבח משלנו 11 ]כולם[ )כלום( אלא גם אתה תתן בידינו זבחים ועולות שנקריב להקדוש ברוך הוא על שמך, וגם מקננו ילך עמנו. Moshe said, also you will give in our hands Zevachim and Olos Moshe said to Par o, You should not think that we will make the offering from all of our animals but also you will give in our hands Zevachim and Olos that we will offer to G-d in your name, and also our cattle will go with us. It is clear that this Midrash contradicts the commentaries that we have seen so far. The contradiction is so extreme that the Netziv who takes this Midrash as the p shat writes: גם אתה וגו'. עוד ימעט לנו צאן ובקר שלנו אלא גם אתה וגו', וכן היה, והיינו שאמר פרעה וברכתם גם אותי, והוא על קרבנותיו כמו שיבואר שם: Also you etc. even more. Our supply of sheep and cattle will be lessened so you, Par o, will have to give us. And so it was. That is what it is written that Par o said, You will bless also me and that refers to Par o s offerings that came from his cattle. Now we are perplexed. 10 See Torah Shleima to our verse where and note 48 which presents us with variant texts of the Midrash that have their own implications. 11 Based on Torah Shleima it appears that כולם is the correct text but many of the commentaries had the text.כלום Thus in the text itself we both wrote, indicating that is not preferred. The translation follows the כלום is the preferred text and כולם.כולם preferred text of

10 According to the Midrash it was proper to accept Korbonos from Par o and to offer them in his name and Moshe even prophesized that such would be the case 12. Many of the Meforshim deal with this question. HaKodosh, Chasam Sofer Al HaTorah and Malbim. See, for example, Sh Loh In all of the answers there are two basic approaches, as we have seen above. One approach, that which we brought first, was to seek to understand the verses to mean that Moshe did not solicit korbonos from Par o and did not make offerings on his behalf. The other approach follows the Midrash and explains that Moshe did offer Korbonos for Par o from the latter s flocks. We will attempt to present an approach that may mitigate between the two approaches, accounting for the easily understood objections raised by Ramban and Or HaChaim as well as dealing with the Midrash that explicitly says that the verses that were cited are to be read and understood according to their translation, i.e. Moshe did take offerings from Par o. We will preface our explanation with an incontrovertible fact. It is clear from the Torah, and Rashi emphasizes this more than once, that despite the confrontable nature of the meetings of Moshe and Aharon with Par o, Moshe was careful to maintain a high level of respect, kavod, towards Par o. We see that first in the introductory meeting that Moshe and Aharon had with Par o. We read in Parshas Sh mos (Perek 5/Posuk 3): ו י אמ ר ו א... ל 'קי ה ע ב ר ים נ ק ר א ע ל ינ ו נ ל כ ה נ א ד ר ך ש לש ת י מ ים ב מ ד ב ר ו נ ז ב ח ה ל ה' א... ל 'קינ ו פ ן י פ ג ע נ ו ב ד ב ר א ו ב ח ר ב: 12 It would seem that we do not need to infer from here that Moshe Rabbenu solicited the offerings from Par o, the implication rejected by Or HaChaim HaKodosh. Rather, Moshe was foretelling that such would be the case and his words here were prophetic, not making a request.

11 Moshe and Aharon said, The G-d of the Hebrews appeared to us; let us go a three-day journey in the wilderness and we will bring offerings to Hashem our G-d, lest we be hit by pestilence or the sword. That is, according to the wording of the verse, Moshe and Aharon expressed concern lest Israel be harmed. In fact, though, that was not the case. In reality, they meant, and Par o understood, that he was being threatened. He was being warned that his refusal to allow Israel to serve their G-d would result in him being smitten by the plague or by the sword. If such was their intent, why didn t Moshe and Aharon say so explicitly? Rashi writes: פן יפגענו - פן יפגעך היו צריכים לומר, אלא שחלקו כבוד למלכות. Lest we be hit Lest you be hit they should have said [since they referring to Par o whom they were addressing]. Rather, they gave honor to the royalty. That is, despite the harsh message Moshe and Aharon delivered that threatened Par o with death 13, they preserved the dignity of the king by not being overly explicit. We read G-d s Words to Moshe and Aharon at the beginning of Parshas Voera (Sh mos Perek 6/Posuk 13): ו י ד ב ר ה' א ל מ ש ה ו א ל אה ר ן ו י צ ו ם א ל ב נ י י ש ר א ל ו א ל פ ר ע ה מ ל ך מ צ ר י ם ל ה וצ יא א ת ב נ י י ש ר א ל מ א ר ץ מ צ ר י ם: Hashem spoke to Moshe and to Aharon and He commanded them to B nei Yisroel and to Par o King of Egypt to take B nei Yisroel out from the Land of Egypt. What was the content of that command regarding Par o? Rashi explains, in the first explanation that he brings: 13 Rashi writes: פגיעה זו לשון מקרה מות היא: This usage of the word פגיעה means an event of death.

12 ואל פרעה מלך מצרים - צום עליו לחלוק לו כבוד בדבריהם And to Par o King of Egypt Hashem commanded them to give honor to Par o in the words that they would speak to him 14. One final time we find Par o being treated respectfully and this time at the instance of their most heated confrontation. We read (Perek 11/Posuk 8) regarding Moshe s words in anticipation of the aftermath of Makkas B choros: ו י ר ד ו כ ל ע ב ד י ך א ל ה א ל י ו ה ש ת ח ו ו ל י ל אמ ר צ א א ת ה ו כ ל ה ע ם א ש ר ב ר ג ל י ך ו אח ר י כ ן א צ א ו י צ א מ ע ם פ ר ע ה ב ח ר י אף: All of these your servants will come down to me and bow down to me saying, Go out, you, and all of the people that at are at your feet and afterwards I will go out ; Moshe went from Par o in fury. Rashi writes: וירדו כל עבדיך - חלק כבוד למלכות שהרי בסוף ירד פרעה בעצמו אליו בלילה )שמות יב/לא ) 15 ויאמר קומו צאו מתוך עמי ולא אמר לו משה מתחלה וירדת אלי והשתחוית לי: All of your servants will come down He gave honor to the royalty because, in the end, Par o himself came down to Moshe at [the] night [of Makkas B choros] and said, Arise, go out from among my people. Moshe did not say to him from the beginning [in our verse], you will come down to me and you will bow before me. 14 As noted immediately above, Moshe and Aharon already gave honor to Par o. since none of the commentators say that our Posuk, with its command of giving honor, was said earlier, this means that Moshe discerned on his own that such was G-d s Will. With our Posuk, that which was his behavior of choice has now been designated as a Divine commandment. 15 The entire verse reads: ו י ק ר א ל מ ש ה ול אה ר ן ל י ל ה ו י אמ ר ק ומ ו צ א ו מ ת ו ך ע מ י ג ם א ת ם ג ם ב נ י י ש ר א ל ול כ ו ע ב ד ו א ת ה' כ ד ב ר כ ם: Par o called to Moshe and Aharon at night and he said, Arise and go out from the midst of my people, also you and also B nei Yisroel, and to serve Hashem as you spoke.

13 After this introduction we can now use the principle that has been enunciated so clearly, המלכות,כבוד giving honor to the king, as a way of interpreting an exceptional expression by Moshe in the verse under discussion. That verse reads: ו י אמ ר מ ש ה ג ם א ת ה ת ת ן ב י ד נ ו ז ב ח ים ו ע לת ו ע ש ינ ו ל ה' א... ל 'קינ ו Moshe said, Also you will give in our hands offerings and burnt-offerings and we will make them for Hashem our G-d. Although in summary we might have said that Moshe told Par o that he would also give animals for the Korbonos, the precise way of reading the verse is that he would give zevachim v o los, offerings and burnt-offerings. We have noted before when different types of korbonos are mentioned, zevachim refers to Shlomim, the korbon in which all three possible beneficiaries: the altar, the Kohanim and the owners participate 16. Unlike the Korban Oloh which is burned in totality upon the mizbeach, many people can enjoy physical enjoyment from the Sh lomim. The Korban Oloh is different. Rav Hirsch (Vayikro Perek 1/Posuk 3) tells us that the word Oloh, which means ascent, defines its purpose. He writes: שעולה נובעת מן הצורך והשאיפה לעלות ולהתקדם. The term Oloh stems from the need and the ambition to ascend and to go forward. He continues: כבר הערנו במקום אחר )בראשית כב/ב(: כל חומר שאיננו חי נכנע לכוח משיכת האדמה; ומכאן השקפת השפה העברית: היא מתארת כל התפתחות לפריחה 16 Rashi to Vayikro Perek 3/Posuk 1) writes: שלמים - שמטילים שלום בעולם. דבר אחר שלמים שיש בהם שלום למזבח ולכהנים ולבעלים: Sh lomim they place peace in the world. Another explanation- they are called Sh lomim [lit. peaces] because they include shalom for the altar, the Kohanim and the owners.

14 ולחיים, לרוחניות ולטוב...כעליה והתרוממות...המביא עולה יודע, שהוא זקוק ומסוגל להתקדם אל הטוב והא...ל'קי. We have pointed out elsewhere that all matter which is not alive is subject to the gravity of the ground and land. And thus, the outlook of the Hebrew Language [regarding Oloh] is that it describes a development towards flowering and life, towards spirituality and towards goodness, ascent and being raised. One who [donates and] brings a Korbon Oloh knows that he is required to and able to go forward towards that which is good and that which is Divine. With these inspirational words of Rav Hirsch, we can understand that throughout the entire Torah and Nach, whenever the Torah discusses the two types of voluntary donated offerings Oloh and Zevachim, we find that the Torah mentions Oloh first. The Torah mentions Oloh first to give precedence to the personal aspiration of growth and spiritualty that will imbue the subsequent Sh lomim with a deep objective and long-lasting meaning, not a shallow and temporary sense of feeling good because everyone is pleased at the moment. We will now see many examples where the Torah mentions both Oloh and Zevachim/Sh lomim and Oloh always is written first. We read in Parshas Yisro (Sh mos Perek 18/Posuk 12): ו י ק ח י ת ר ו ח ת ן מ ש ה ע ל ה וז ב ח ים ל א... ל 'קים ו י ב א אה ר ן ו כ ל ז ק נ י י ש ר א ל ל אכ ל ל ח ם ע ם ח ת ן מ ש ה ל פ נ י ה א... ל 'קים: Yisro, the father-in-law of Moshe took an Oloh and Sh lomim for G-d and [then] Aharon and all of the elders of Israel came to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moshe before G-d. At the end of Parshas Mishpotim, in regard to Mattan Torah, we read Sh mos Perek 24/Posuk 5): ו י ש ל ח א ת נ ע ר י ב נ י י ש ר א ל ו י ע ל ו ע לת ו י ז ב ח ו ז ב ח ים ש ל מ ים ל ה' פ ר ים: He sent the lads of B nei Yisroel and they brought up burnt-offerings and they offered bullocks for Zevachim of Sh lomim to Hashem.

15 When the Mishkan was dedicated on that first day of Nissan following the Exodus, we read (Vayikro Perek 9/Posuk 22): ו י ש א אה ר ן א ת י ד יו א ל ה ע ם ו י ב ר כ ם ו י ר ד מ ע ש ת ה ח ט את ו ה ע ל ה ו ה ש ל מ ים: Aharon raised his hands towards the people and he blessed them and he came down from doing the sin offering 17, the Oloh and the Sh lomim. We continue to read in Sefer Vayikro (Perek 17/Posuk 8): ו א ל ה ם ת אמ ר א יש א יש מ ב ית י ש ר א ל ומ ן ה ג ר א ש ר י ג ור ב ת וכ ם א ש ר י ע ל ה ע ל ה א ו ז ב ח: You shall say to them any man from the House of Israel and from the convert who will sojourn in your midst who wishes to bring up an Oloh or Zevach. And there in Parshas Emor we continue (Perek 23/Posuk 37): א ל ה מ וע ד י ה' א ש ר ת ק ר א ו א ת ם מ ק ר א י ק ד ש ל ה ק ר יב א ש ה ל ה' ע ל ה ומ נ ח ה ז ב ח ונ ס כ ים ד ב ר י ום ב י ומ ו: These are the appointed times of Hashem that you shall proclaim them as Holy Convocations to bring an offering to Hashem an Oloh or a mealoffering or a zevach or a wine libation, an item for a specific day, on its day. Sefer B midbar makes its contribution as well as we learn in Parshas Sh lach (Perek 15/Posuk 5): ו י י ן ל נ ס ך ר ב יע ית ה ה ין ת ע ש ה ע ל ה ע ל ה א ו ל ז ב ח ל כ ב ש ה א ח ד: One quarter of a hin of wine you shall do for a libation for the Oloh or for the Zevach for one sheep. Shortly thereafter in Parshas Sh lach we read (ibid. Posuk 8): ו כ י ת ע ש ה ב ן ב ק ר ע ל ה א ו ז ב ח ל פ ל א נ ד ר א ו ש ל מ ים ל ה': When you bring a young bullock as an Oloh or Zevach to fulfil or as Sh lomim for Hashem. 17 With one exception, whenever the Torah writes regarding an obligatory Chattossin offering and an Oloh-donated burnt-offering, Chattos is written first.

16 This same pattern finds itself in the Novi as well. Regarding the capture of the Aron HaKodesh we read in Sh muel I (Perek 6/Posuk 15): ו ה ל ו י ם ה ור יד ו א ת א ר ון ה' ו א ת ה אר ג ז א ש ר א ת ו א ש ר ב ו כ ל י ז ה ב ו י ש מ ו א ל ה א ב ן ה ג ד ול ה ו אנ ש י ב ית ש מ ש ה על ו ע ל ות ו י ז ב ח ו ז ב ח ים ב י ום ה ה וא ל ה': The Levites lowered the Aron HaKodesh and the box that was with it that contained the golden vessels and they placed it on the large stone and the people of Beis Shemesh raised up Olos and offered Zevachim on that day to Hashem. In that same Sefer we read Sh muel s rebuke of Shaul HaMelech (Perek 15/Posuk 22): ו י אמ ר ש מ וא ל ה ח פ ץ ל ה' ב ע ל ות וז ב ח ים כ ש מ ע ב ק ול ה' ה נ ה ש מ ע מ ז ב ח ט וב ל ה ק ש יב מ ח ל ב א יל ים: Sh muel said, Does G-d want Oloh offerings and Zevachim as much as he wants listening to the voice of Hashem? Behold, listening to G-d is better than a Zevach, to attend [to G-d is more preferable] than the fats of rams. Finally, we read in Divrei HaYamim II (Perek 2/Posuk 7): וכ כ ל ות ש למ ה ל ה ת פ ל ל ו ה א ש י ר ד ה מ ה ש מ י ם ו ת אכ ל ה ע ל ה ו ה ז ב ח ים וכ ב וד ה' מ ל א א ת ה ב י ת: When Shlomo concluded to pray the fire descended from Heaven and it consumed the Oloh and the Zevachim and the Glory of G-d filled the House. After these many examples, the Posuk that we are discussing does seem exceptional. The exceptionality can no longer be ignored: ו י אמ ר מ ש ה ג ם א ת ה ת ת ן ב י ד נ ו ז ב ח ים ו ע לת ו ע ש ינ ו ל ה' א... ל 'קינ ו Moshe said, Also you will give in our hands offerings and burnt-offerings and we will make them for Hashem our G-d. Why does the Zevachim offering here in this verse precede the Oloh offering? And this question presents us with a possible answer.

17 Moshe Rabbenu was not soliciting Korbonos from the evil Par o King of Egypt. What he was doing was prophesizing how Makkas Bechoros would finally break Par o and he would seek G-d s blessing, as did occur. But Moshe Rabbenu knew that whatever true feelings that Par o may express, it was likely that that they would not be long-lasting. And with that, he expressed how Par o would be tested if and when he would seek the Divine blessing of the Ribbono Shel Olom. The test would be by offering the Sh lomim first, a Korbon that is relatively easy for all concerned, an offering that is far less a sacrifice than the Korban Oloh. If after offering the lesser sacrifice of Sh lomim, Par o would then seek a Korbon Oloh, one that implies aspirations for the Divine then that would demonstrate sincerity. For those for whom such sincerity is a given, the progression is seeking Hashem through the Korban Oloh and then knowing that in reality the ascension is not one of sacrifice but rather one that allows the enjoyment that the Sh lomim supplies. But Par o, whose sincerity was far from proven, would have to demonstrate that sincerity by expressing a desire to go beyond the Sh lomim and reach the level of Oloh. It would not have been sufficient to tell Par o to bring an Oloh only; that would not have been an indication of his sincerity since there would not have been a further step to take following it. And, of course, a Sh lomim offering alone would not demonstrate his sincerity whatsoever. However, there are two sources that seem to contradict the principle that is being presented here. The first, chronologically, occurs at the coronation of Shlomo HaMelech. We read in Divrei HaYomim (I Perek 29/P sukim 20-22): ו י אמ ר ד ו יד ל כ ל ה ק ה ל ב ר כ ו נ א א ת ה' א... ל 'קיכ ם ו י ב ר כ ו כ ל ה ק ה ל ל ה' א... ל 'קי א ב ת יה ם ו י ק ד ו ו י ש ת ח ו ו ל ה' ו ל מ ל ך: ו י ז ב ח ו ל ה' ז ב ח ים ו י ע ל ו ע ל ות ל ה' ל מ ח ר ת ה י ום ה ה וא פ ר ים א ל ף א יל ים א ל ף כ ב ש ים א ל ף ו נ ס כ יה ם וז ב ח ים ל ר ב ל כ ל י ש ר א ל: ו י אכ ל ו

18 ו י ש ת ו ל פ נ י ה' ב י ום ה ה וא ב ש מ ח ה ג ד ול ה ו י מ ל יכ ו ש נ ית ל ש למ ה ב ן ד ו יד ו י מ ש ח ו ל ה' ל נ ג יד ול צ ד וק ל כ ה ן: Dovid said to the entire congregation, Bless, please, Hashem your G-d and the entire congregation blessed Hashem the G-d of their fathers and they prostrated and bowed to Hashem and to the king. They offered Zevachim to Hashem and brought up Olos to Hashem on the morrow of that day one thousand bullocks, one thousand rams, one thousand sheep and wine libations and multitudes of Zevachim for all of Israel. They ate and they drank before Hashem on that day with great happiness and they crowned Shlomo ben Dovid a second time and they anointed him for Hashem as the leader and Tzadok as the Kohen. Here the Zevachim are noted before Olos! However, when we view a parallel verse in Melachim that was written when the Beis HaMikdosh was dedicated we read (Melachim I Perek 8/P sukim 62-64): ו ה מ ל ך ו כ ל י ש ר א ל ע מ ו ז ב ח ים ז ב ח ל פ נ י ה': ו י ז ב ח ש למ ה א ת ז ב ח ה ש ל מ ים א ש ר ז ב ח ל ה' ב ק ר ע ש ר ים וש נ י ם א ל ף ו צ אן מ אה ו ע ש ר ים אל ף ו י ח נ כ ו א ת ב ית ה' ה מ ל ך ו כ ל ב נ י י ש ר א ל: ב י ום ה ה וא ק ד ש ה מ ל ך א ת ת ו ך ה ח צ ר א ש ר ל פ נ י ב ית ה' כ י ע ש ה ש ם א ת ה ע ל ה ו א ת ה מ נ ח ה ו א ת ח ל ב י ה ש ל מ ים כ י מ ז ב ח ה נ ח ש ת א ש ר ל פ נ י ה' ק ט ן מ ה כ יל א ת ה ע ל ה ו א ת ה מ נ ח ה ו א ת ח ל ב י ה ש ל מ ים: And the king and all of Israel together with him brought offerings to Hashem. Shlomo offered Sh lomim that he offered to Hashem: 22,000 cattle and one hundred twenty thousand sheep and they dedicated the House of G-d the king and all of B nei Yisroel. On that day, the king sanctified the inside of the chotzer-courtyard that was in front of the House of Hashem because he made there in the chotzer the Oloh and the meal-offering and the fats of the Sh lomim because the copper altar that was before Hashem was too small to contain the Oloh and the meal-offering and the fats of the Shlomim.

19 So, there, even though the Sh lomim were mentioned first, we see in the subsequent verse that in fact the Oloh was offered first 18. There is a second time where we find Sh lomim preceding Oloh and that is when King Yehu wanted to rid the kingdom of the false prophets that became so powerful during the reign of Achav. We read in Melachim II (Perek 10/Posuk 24): ו י ב א ו ל ע ש ות ז ב ח ים ו ע ל ות ו י ה וא ש ם ל ו ב ח וץ ש מ נ ים א יש ו י אמ ר ה א יש א ש ר י מ ל ט מ ן ה א נ ש ים א ש ר א נ י מ ב יא ע ל י ד יכ ם נ פ ש ו ת ח ת נ פ ש ו: The false prophets came to offer Zevachim and Olos and Yehu placed outside eighty men and he said to them, Anyone who will flee from the people that I will bring to you, he [who lets him escape] shall lose his life. This instance is most similar to that of our verse regarding Par o. Here Yehu wanted to uncover who were the unfaithful and who were the disloyal. He wanted to remove the false prophets. Davka the Korbonos were brought in the improper order for that would be the test if those who came were true prophets or false ones. The true prophets would have seen that the order was improper and disassociated themselves from that false service. The false prophets identified with it and wanted to partake and thus were identified as to their true nature. Our Parshas Bo is the Parsha of the Exodus and our verse teaches us an extraordinary lesson. For the last plagues, Par o was punished and his freewill was taken from him. G-d hardened his heart so that he would not submit himself to G-d s Will until the time that G-d deemed it necessary for the Exodus to take place. However, when the time came for Par o to submit himself, following Makkas Bechoros, Hashem no longer hardened his heart and Par o submitted himself to the overwhelming Divine Will and heavenly power. 18 This explanation is not in consonance with the one offered by the explanation ascribed to Rashi in Divrei HaYomim. Malbim there endorses that explanation.

20 He said, as Moshe knew, bless me also and Moshe did not take that opportunity from him. Par o was allowed to attempt to repent and he was given a special opportunity to do so and a special test that would identify ongoing sincerity or a temporary bout of conscience that would soon depart. Of course Par o failed the test. That is the lesson of next week s Parshas B shalach where we will read Hashem s revelation regarding Par o, Par o s actions and Hashem s response. We read (Perek 14/P sukim 4-8): ו ח ז ק ת י א ת ל ב פ ר ע ה ו ר ד ף אח ר יה ם ו א כ ב ד ה ב פ ר ע ה וב כ ל ח יל ו ו י ד ע ו מ צ ר י ם כ י א נ י ה' ו י ע ש ו כ ן: ו י ג ד ל מ ל ך מ צ ר י ם כ י ב ר ח ה ע ם ו י ה פ ך ל ב ב פ ר ע ה ו ע ב ד יו א ל ה ע ם ו י אמ ר ו מ ה ז את ע ש ינ ו כ י ש ל ח נ ו א ת י ש ר א ל מ ע ב ד נ ו: ו י א ס ר א ת ר כ ב ו ו א ת ע מ ו ל ק ח ע מ ו: ו י ק ח ש ש מ א ות ר כ ב ב ח ור ו כ ל ר כ ב מ צ ר י ם ו ש ל ש ם ע ל כ ל ו: ו י ח ז ק ה' א ת ל ב פ ר ע ה מ ל ך מ צ ר י ם ו י ר ד ף אח ר י ב נ י י ש ר א ל וב נ י י ש ר א ל י צ א ים ב י ד ר מ ה: I Hashem will harden Par o s heart and he will pursue them and I Hashem will be glorified through Par o and through his army and they will know that I am Hashem, and they did so. It was told to Par o that the people fled and Par o s heart and that of his servants reversed towards the people and they said, What is this that we did that we sent Israel from our service? Par o harnessed his chariot and he took his people with him. He took six hundred choice chariots and all of the chariots of Egypt and officers over all of them. Hashem hardened the heart of Par o King of Egypt and he pursued B nei Yisroel and B nei Yisroel went out with the upper hand. When G-d said that he would harden Par o s heart at the Red Sea, that was a prophecy. The prophecy was fulfilled only because Par o again demonstrated that he deserved that punishment. He, Par o had a change of heart and therefore G-d punished him. Had Par o not have had that change of heart, then he would not have had that repeated punishment of the loss of his freewill. Free will is the hallmark of independence. Free will is the sign that Israel can accept the Torah because they are responsible for their actions. The freedom of the Exodus is not only a release from the shackles of physical slavery, it is the freedom of thought that is released as well.

21 How much we must seek to understand our exercise of our freedom of thought at the very same time when we celebrate our freedom from physical enslavement. Perhaps the next time that we recite: ברוך אתה ה' א...ל'קינו מלך העולם שלא עשני עבד We bless Hashem Who did not make me a slave we will contemplate the full meaning and implication of that freedom from slavery and we will direct our thoughts to Him through having the intent of the Korban Oloh and be able to offer our thanks, with the intent of the Korban Sh lomim to Him Who has provided us with that freedom. Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Pollock