Chitas Idea

Angel of Death, No Constellation, 5 Prohibtions, Catalyst, Phillistine Wife

27 Sivan 5784

Chumash Rashi

“He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague ceased.” (Bamidbar 17:13)

What is meant by this verse? Doesn’t the Torah emphasize the positive over the negative, wouldn’t it have been more fitting for Aharon to stand “between the living and the dead?” Also what does this wording imply, why was there the living and dead not intermingled, did death “move” through the camp?

Rashi answers yes. This verse is talking about the Angel of Death; “He (Aharon) took hold of the angel and held him against his will.” He was moving from one side of the camp to the other, killing everyone in his way. That’s why Aharon stood as a barrier between those who the Angel of Death had already killed and those he was moving to kill.

Tanya

“Likewise, all created beings are finite and limited, for ‘from the earth to heaven is a journey of five hundred years…, and so, too, from one heaven to another is a distance of five hundred years.’” (Shaar Hayichud Vehaemunah, Chapter 7)

Even the heavens, the most spiritual of phyiscal creations, are inherently limited. No being, no star, no constellation is unlimited or has any independent power whatsoever. Therefore nothing and nobody other than Hashem derves our worship.

Rambam

“[It is possible] for there to be a person who eats one olive-sized portion of forbidden food and yet, he will be liable for five [sets of] lashes for it, provided he was warned for all five prohibitions that accumulated.

What is implied? For example, on Yom Kippur, a person who was ritually impure ate an olive-sized portion of forbidden fat from a consecrated animal that remained after its prescribed time. He is liable for lashes because he partook of forbidden fat, notar, because he ate on Yom Kippur, because he partook of consecrated food while ritually impure, and because he derived benefit from consecrated food, thus [violating the prohibition of] me’ilah.

Why do these prohibitions fall on each other? Because although it was forbidden to partake of the fat of this animal, it was permitted to benefit from it. Once he consecrated it, it became forbidden to benefit from the fat. Since the prohibition to benefit from it was added to it, the prohibition against [benefiting from] consecrated articles became added to it.

Although this fat was forbidden to an ordinary person, it was still permitted to be offered to the One on High. When it became notar, since it became forbidden to the One on High, [that] prohibition was added to an ordinary person.

This person was permitted to partake of the meat of the animal, although he was forbidden to partake of its fat. When he became impure, since its meat became forbidden an additional prohibition was added to its fat. When Yom Kippur commenced, all food became included [in the prohibition], since this prohibition affects non-consecrated food, it adds a prohibition to this fat. Similar laws apply in all analogous situations.” (Sefer Kedushah, Ma’achalot Assurot 14:18-19)

Here we have the first example of the very complicated Klal stated by Rambam in the beginning of 14:18, “One prohibition does not take effect when another prohibition is in effect unless one of these condition is met:

  1. both of the prohibitions take effect at the same time,
  2. the latter prohibition forbids additional entities
  3. the [latter] prohibition encompasses other entities.”

Thus, a person who

  1. Ate an olive-sized portion of forbidden fat (base prohibition, benefit not included)
  2. From a consecrated animal (2. because prohibition to benefit added)
  3. That remained after its prescribed time (2. because prohbition to offer to the One on High added)
  4. Is impure (2. because prohibition to eat meat added to prohibition of eating fat of consecrated animal, which must be offered on the altar by peace-offerings, see Vayikra 3:3)
  5. On Yom Kippur (3. because prohibition also encompasses non-consecrated food)

transgresses 5 prohibtions that are all added onto each other to make him liable for lashes.

Toras Menachem

“Moses said to Aaron, ‘Take the censer and put fire from the altar top into it and put incense. Then take it quickly to the congregation and atone for them, for wrath has gone forth from the Lord, and the plague has begun.’” (Bamidbar 17:11)

Why did the plague begin now? The Jewish people had complained many times before. Why was now the first time they were punished with a plague?

The Rebbe answers that the plague was actually still a punishment for the rebellion of Korach that was catalyzed by the subsequent complaints of the Jewish people. Even though Korach had incited an entire congregation against Moshe, nevertheless, the full punishment was not brought upon them until they actually rebelled. From this we can learn a powerful lesson concerning our attitude to others: Even if a person is lacking much in his personal level of observance, so long as he has not actively rebelled against G-d, one can be sure that he still finds grace in the eyes of the Almighty.

Tanakh

Shoftim Chapter 14: Samson goes down to Timnath looking for a phillistine wife he can marry to manufacture justifications for his battles against the Phillistines. He asks his parents to make the match. They question him as to his intentions but he reveals nothing. They travel down to Timnath together. On the way Samson splits from his parents as the traverse a vineyard (he was a Nazirite who wouldn’t even walk into a vineyard). On his detour a lion imposes on him. The spirit of Hashem comes over him and he tears it apart with his bare hands. He does not tell his parents. He goes down to meet her and she is good in his eyes. He returns after some time to marry her and makes another detour to see the carcass of the lion. A bee-hive with honey has taken nest within it. He scrapes up some honey and gives it to his father and mother. He does not tell his parents where it comes from. He makes a wedding feast and his wife’s father brings 30 Phillistine men. Samson poses them a riddle which they must solve within the 7 days of wedding celebrations, otherwise they owe him 30 sheets and changes of clothing, vice versa as well. The men plead with Samson’s wife to procure and reveal the answer. After 7 days Samson reveals it to her. She leaks it to the 30 Phillistines. Samson goes down to Ashkelon and strikes down thiry Phillistines and gives their clothing to the wedding companions. His wife is given by her father to another man, providing him with another pretext for vengeance.