Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”LTo sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email itistaught@gmail.comThe Lighting of the Menorah. Purification of the Levites. Levite Waving CeremonyThe Lighting of the MenorahThe Menorah was first lit on the first of Nissan, the same day that the inaugural offerings of the princes were brought (see last week's Parsha).On that day, the Menorah was lit first before any of the other services happened, including these princely offerings.Why then does the Chumash detail the lighting of the Menorah here instead of before the section on the princely offerings?Rashi explains that it is because upon witnessing the princely offerings, Aaron felt sad that neither he nor his tribe (Cohanim) participated.G-d replied that Aaron's role was greater. The Ramban cites the Be'er Yitchak who likens the offerings to a festive banquet which precedes the inauguration of a king's palace, while the lightening of the menorah is the palace being bathed in light which is the epitome of its glory.Thus the details of the Menorah's lighting are juxtaposed to the princely offerings.So G-d spoke to Moshe and told him to relate the following to Aaron in this regard:There was a stair in front of the Menorah upon which the Kohen would stand to prepare the lamps of the Menorah. And then the way that Aaron would kindle the Menorah would be by holding the fire to the wick until the flame rises on its own.Usually, the wicks of a candelabrum point in different directions so as to spread the light as far as possible. With the Menorah, all of the six side lamps (three on the east and three on the west) faced towards the middle lamp, so as to signify the fact that the Menorah was not lit for illumination but rather in fulfillment of G-d's commandment.So Aaron prepared and lit the Menorah himself, as he was so instructed. Scripture mentions this to praise him, since we might expect that although throughout his life he would light the menorah, on this first day, being that his sons Nadav and Avihu died we one might have expected that he would have delegated it to another Kohen, but he did not. Another reading is that Aaron kept his initial excitement regarding this commandment every time he lit the Menorah, it never became route for him.Scripture now details how the Menorah was made, which G-d showed to Moshe when he was having trouble understanding it. It was made out of a solid block of gold which was beaten out to be formed into its shape - from its large base to its more delicate flowers. It was formed in accordance with the fashion of a silver candelabra put in front of anoblemen. There is a Midrash (Tanchuma 3) that says that G-d at this point told Moshe to take the slab of gold and throw it into a fire and the gold formed into the Menorah on its own.Purification of the LevitesG-d then tells Moshe to draw the Levites over by telling them how fortunate they are to be G-d's assistants.He is then to purify them since some of them had become impure due to their contact with the dead.This should be done by sprinkling the "waters of purification" (made with the ashes of the red cow - to be discussed later in Bamidbar 19) upon them. They are then to have their entire bodies shaved - just like a metzora. This was because the work of the Levites in the Mishkan was to serve as an atonement for the first born Israelites to whom these responsibilities were initially intended for but then revoked after sinning with the Golden Calf. Since that was a sin of idolatry, and idol worship is called "sacrifices of the dead" and a Metzora is called "dead" it was befitting that the Levites were thus shaven.Their garments were then to be immersed and thus they would become pure.They are then to bring the following offerings:An Olah* offering: A young bull and fine flour mixed with oil as its meal offering.A communal sin offering (given on behalf of the entire community for committing idolatry**): Another young bull. While sin offerings were normally eaten by Kohanim, this offering was not but rather burnt in its entirety like the Olah offering. Also, this type of offering should usually have been a he-goat, however for this unique situation it was a bull.*Side note: Olah offerings had all the meat burnt on the altar.**Side note: Communal sin offerings were the only times bulls were brought on their own without another animal.The Levite Waving Ceremony.The Levites were then brought up before G-d and the Israelites lay their hands on them.And then Aaron perform three waving ceremonies pertaining to the Levites, similar to what is done with the guilt...
