At the end of Menochos (110a) we find, "Said R'
Yitzchok: Why is it written, `This is the law of the sin
offering, and this is the law of the guilt offering'? [To
teach us that] Whoever delves into the laws of the sin
offering is considered to have sacrificed a sin offering, and
whoever delves into the laws of the guilt offering is
considered to have sacrificed a guilt offering."
Is a mere, superficial skimming through the portions dealing
with the korbonos sufficient to be termed that one is
"considered to have sacrificed" that sacrifice? Apparently it
is not enough. One should thoroughly understand what one is
saying. HaRav Aharon Cohen zt'l writes as follows in
the name of his father-in-law, the Chofetz Chaim
ztvk'l:
"We must understand in what manner one must recite the
korbonos so that they be as pleasing to Hashem as if
we had actually sacrificed them. We must know in what manner
we can truly fulfill the goal which Hashem promised us that
`whoever delves in the burnt offerings and the sin offerings
is considered as if he had sacrificed a burnt offering and a
sin offering in the flesh.' I heard a very apt parable from
my father-in-law shlita illustrating this:
"There was a man who esteemed Torah scholars. He was blessed
with one daughter who was the epitome of all fine character
traits; she was very pious and loved the Torah dearly. Her
father sought a husband for her who was learned and pious as
well. A matchmaker approached the father suggesting an
excellent young man who was thoroughly versed in all of
Shas. The father sent an esteemed scholar to meet the
candidate and see if he was really as good as the
shadchan claimed.
"`In what area of Shas do you particularly excel?' the
scholar asked him. `Oh, I know it from beginning to end,' the
young man replied. The scholar was astonished to hear that
such a young man could have acquired so much knowledge. He
began asking him questions and discovered that he was a
boor.
"The scholar wished to give him another chance and asked
again, `And where do you particularly excel?' The young man
said that he knew the order of the tractates perfectly:
`First comes Brochos, then Shabbos, after that
Eruvin and so on until Niddah, which is the
last.'
"`My good man,' said the scholar, `any bookbinder of
Shas can tell you that as well, and he must know the
order or else he wouldn't know what to write on the cover of
each volume and how to arrange them accordingly. But that is
a far cry from knowing what is inside!'
"The same applies here. Each morning we recite the order of
the korbonos, prefacing it with, `Abaye would arrange
the order...' enumerating which service preceded and which
followed, which was first, second etc., be it the incense,
the arrangement of the wood, the cleaning of the ashes from
the inner altar, the lighting of the lamps and so on. All we
learn from here is the exact sequence of the activities. But
we do not learn how they were performed: how the blood was
received, transported, sprinkled, the fist-measure, the
burning. From just knowing the sequence, we know nothing
about the sacrificial procedure. Is this to be considered as
if one had actually brought that sacrifice?"
Many of our major acharonim drew attention to the need
to understand these matters. The Sheloh Hakodosh, as well as
R' Eliezer Papo (in his Pele Yoetz), writes that it is
written in the Zohar that one must actually focus
one's mind and heart upon it. It seems that one who reads the
korbonos without paying attention to what he is saying
has not achieved the goals mentioned in the Zohar.
"It is important and proper to strengthen oneself and
actually study the order and details of the sacrifices, and
the order and details of the incense offering with
kavono and emotional stirring of the heart in order to
cause satisfaction to the Creator, Who pays good recompense
to those who obey His will" (Pele Yoetz: Korbonos).
And so was it ruled halachically in the Mishnah
Berurah, as follows:
"How good it is when one is accustomed to studying first
these matters from the gemora or from the works of the
Rambam, so that he will subsequently understand what he is
saying. And if he does this, it will then be accredited to
him as if he were actually sacrificing that offering. As for
that fact that he says each day, `Abaye used to arrange...'
and the process of preparing the incense — it is a
mitzvah to see that one understands exactly what one is
saying. (See what the Sheloh elaborated upon in his comments
to the sefer Yesh Nochalin (Biur Halocho, siman
alef)."
In the introduction which the Chofetz Chaim wrote to his son-
in-law's work, he adds that he found written as follows in
Rabbenu Bechaye: "And this means that one should delve into
the commentaries and the descriptions of how the
korbonos were sacrificed, just as Rabbenu Bechaye
wrote. That it does not mean that he should merely mouth and
recite the words of that portion superficially and textually
alone, without thinking about and attempting to understand
their significance. And thereby he will fulfill what is
written, `And our lips shall be substitute payment for
bulls.' "
This was one of the many reasons underlying the call of the
Chofetz Chaim to establish kollelim for the study of
Seder Kodshim which would devote at least several
hours a day to the review of the laws of korbonos.
*
"I will never cease to wonder," said the `Kohen Godol'
of the past generation, Maran HaChofetz Chaim, "why, of all
sidrei Shas, the one of Kodshim should be so
neglected! On the contrary, we should study it more than
others since it constitutes the study of Torah no less than
the others, but has the added advantage that studying it is
considered as if one had brought those sacrifices to the
Altar. Yet we find that the Torah world shunts it aside, as
it were, to the point that the masses are almost totally
ignorant of its laws. To our sorry discredit, most people are
not even familiar with the simple textual meaning of the
words relating to the avodoh, as the Rambam noted in
his introduction to Zevochim:
"If we were to suddenly be informed that the Beis
Hamikdosh was rebuilt, undoubtedly even the simplest Jew
would not spare the cost of traveling to Eretz Yisroel to
bring up a burnt offering before Hashem for transgressions,
and to offer up a thanks offering to Hashem for many of His
kindnesses and miracles which he experienced in his lifetime.
All the more so if he had inadvertently desecrated the
Shabbos, for example, for which he would have to bring a
chattos. He would surely make a great effort to go to
Eretz Yisroel and bring his sacrifice before Hashem to atone
for his sin.
"Should we not be greatly gratified that Hashem promised our
holy ancestors that He would credit the study of the laws of
the korbonos on an equal footing with actually having
brought those selfsame sacrifices? Should we not be thankful
that we need not make the great physical effort of traveling,
of expending a large sum of money, but having that
opportunity so close at hand, so easy to fulfill! Thus, each
one in his home, in his local beis medrash, can find
his atonement through the study of the sacrifices
corresponding to his particular situation and obligation.
"And in spite of it all, we are lax and lethargic..."
*
In his books, in his letters, in his essays, the Chofetz
Chaim continually enumerates the many auxiliary advantages
inherent in studying the subject of Kodshim, beside
the actual benefits of study.
Through studying Kodshim, a person actualizes the
verse, "And our lips shall be substitute payment for bulls"
(Hoshei'a 14:3). This shows that our lips can actually
absolve us of the obligation to bring those sacrifices which
we are required to bring.
Through this study, the Jewish people prepares itself
properly for the coming of Moshiach. "And should not
shame cover our faces," writes the Chofetz Chaim in several
places, "when that propitious time comes for the Beis
Hamikdosh to be rebuilt and the sacrificial service to be
reinstated [and we are not prepared?] Is it conceivable that
we undertake the construction of the Beis Hamikdosh
and not have a cadre of people who will know how to
implement the numerous intricate laws of the service clearly
and precisely?"
The Chofetz Chaim further mentions, in the introduction he
wrote for his son-in-law's work, the words of the Zohar
on Parshas Vayera, "`Whoever utters in the
botei midroshos and botei knessiyos the subject
of the korbonos and the details involved with each
separate type, and intends that his study be a substitute for
the actual sacrifice, be it to atone for a certain sin that
corresponds to that particular sacrifice (such as desecration
of the Shabbos etc.) — is assured that the evil angels
assigned to call up that very sin before the Heavenly court
will be rendered powerless to do evil, only to do good. It
further states there that Eliyohu Hanovi revealed this
particular secret to R' Pinchos.' "
A further advantage: Seder Kodshim involves a large
part of the weekly portions of the Torah. In his introduction
to Likutei Halochos on Kodshim, the Chofetz
Chaim writes: "And if we examine it, we can further
understand the great value of studying Seder Kodshim,
more so than the other sections of Shas, for in the
others we find entire tractates constructed upon one teaching
or chapter in the Torah, whereas here, the Torah devotes
large sections — almost the entire Book of
Vayikra in fact — as well as chapters in
Sefer Shemos, Bamidbor, Devorim, to these laws."
In other words, whoever studies these laws is covering a
major part of the written Torah and gaining solid knowledge
in it.
The Chofetz Chaim further writes (ibid.) that, "Aside
from all of those holy advantages which I have enumerated
above concerning the study of the service of the
korbonos, there is a supreme one: thereby a person
arouses in his soul an inner feeling and strong longing for
the avodas Hamikdosh; he promotes a fervent sense of
anticipation for Hashem's salvation and redemption. He longs
for that time when the Beis Hamikdosh will be rebuilt
and all that he has studied can be carried out in practice.
This too is one of the questions that is asked of a person
when he stands before the Heavenly Tribunal and makes his
final reckoning: "Did you await and anticipate the
redemption?"
*
The Chofetz Chaim was very active in promoting the idea of
studying Seder Kodshim. In his yeshiva in Radin, a
group of ten elite scholars devoted a daily session of four
hours to studying it in great depth. This study was initiated
in 5665 (1905) and carried on until the dispersal of the
yeshiva in 5674 (1914) with the outbreak of World War One.
When the Chofetz Chaim returned from his exile in Russia in
5681 (1921), he renewed it as an established study program.
His son-in-law, HaRav Menachem Mendel Zaks zt'l,
delivered a shiur to this group. The reinstatement of
this shiur was later related by R' Osher Ravinsky
zt'l who participated in it as one of the
talmidim of the Chofetz Chaim.
Some of his students were already studying Kodshim but
the Chofetz Chaim wanted this to be an official part of the
yeshiva and when he broached the idea, there weren't too many
enthusiasts. The students wanted to cover the more familiar
tractates being studied in other yeshivos, such as
Noshim and Nezikim. The Chofetz Chaim was
distressed by their reluctance and begged that at least some
time be devoted to this study.
"I saw," tells R' Ravinsky, "that he was greatly disturbed
over the fact. I organized a group of ten young men and
together we went to the Chofetz Chaim's house and told him
that we had decided to devote a daily session to it. His joy
was very evident and he even asked the rebbetzin to bring
some refreshments to celebrate the good news. She brought
wine and cake and in his uplifted spirits, he said the
following:
"I love all Jews. I love yeshiva students even more. But even
more do I love those who study Kodshim."
*
In an essay which the Chofetz Chaim published, he writes:
"We also found in the Babylonian exile, before the
reconstruction of Bayis Sheini, that Chagai Hanovi
received a prophecy to inquire by the kohanim about
the service of the Mikdosh.
"It is clear to me that if we had a prophet in these times,
he would surely receive a message from Hashem to ask the
kohanim to devote themselves to the study of the
avodoh and to prod them to delve into those laws.
"Therefore my brothers, we must prepare ourselves in every
possible way to gain knowledge about the Mikdosh, and
especially so the kohanim and leviim. They are
commanded and obligated in this more than others for if not,
they will be the first ones to be held accountable for not
having sufficiently prepared themselves to carry on the
avodoh. Torah scholars among the non-kohanim or
leviim should also be well-versed in the laws so that
they can advise the kohanim who come to them with
their questions. This is how it was with the Sanhedrin which
sat in the Lishkas Hagozis.
"In conclusion, it is our obligation to prepare ourselves
through the study of the laws of the Kodesh and the
Mikdosh and the sacrifices, so that we will not be
ashamed to show our faces before Moshiach. If we do
study those laws, we will be in a position to request-demand
from Hashem that He send Moshiach.
"For how long have we awaited him! If we are prepared, and
anticipating him, then surely He will send us Eliyohu Hanovi
and Moshiach Tzidkeinu, may it be speedily and in our
days. Amen!"
