EVERY SINGLE DAY

“Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying: Command Aharon and his sons, saying: This is the law of the elevation-offering: It is the elevation-offering that stays on the flame, on the Altar, all night until the morning, and the fire of the Altar should remain aflame on it.” (Vayikrah 6:1-2)

The most famous olah (elevation or burnt-offering) was the olat tamid, the daily continual offering of a sheep in the morning and a sheep in the afternoon (see Shmot 29:38-39 and Bamidbar 28:1-8). The discontinuation of this offering is considered one of the five tragedies that occurred on the 17^th Tammuz (Mishna, Ta’anit 4:6). It is unclear whether this was the date it was discontinued during the era of the first Temple when the Babylonians besieged the city of Jerusalem, or during the times of the second Temple (see Tiferet Yisrael commentary). Why is the cessation of the daily burnt-offering considered to be such a major tragedy that it is commemorated on the major fast of the 17^th Tammuz?

Rabbi Yaakov ibn Chabib (Jerusalem, 16^th century) cites a mysterious passage in the introduction to his famous masterpiece Ein Yaakov. Rabbi Ibn Chabib records the passage from memory, but writes that although he saw it several years prior, he was never again able to identify its source: “[Rabbi Shimon] Ben Zoma said, ‘We have discovered a verse that it is more inclusive [of the essence of the Torah than any others] and it is (Devarim 6:4) “Hear O Israel, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is the one and only”; Ben Nanas said, ‘We have found a verse that is more inclusive [of the essence of the Torah than any others] and it is (Vayikrah 19:18) “You shall love your fellow as yourself – I am Hashem”; [Rabbi] Shimon ben Pazi said, “We have discovered a verse that is more inclusive [of the essence of the Torah than any others] and it is (Shmot 29:39) “You shall offer the one sheep in the morning, and the second sheep shall you offer in the afternoon.” A fourth [unidentified] rabbi stood up and proclaimed, “The law follows the opinion of Shimon ben Pazi, for it is written (Shmot 25:9) “Like everything that I show you, the form of the Tabernacle and the form of all its vessels; and so shall you do.”

What is the meaning of this debate? Why do each of the respective sages select their particular verse?  Furthermore, the first two opinions seem simpler to understand as the verses cited contain important elements of belief and practice, but what of the third opinion? Why, of all the verses in the Torah, does Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi select a verse that discusses the Divine command to offer two sheep in the Temple on a daily basis? In what way does that verse contain the essence of the Torah’s wisdom? And lastly, why does the fourth sage proclaim that Ben Pazi is more correct than the others and of what relevance is the verse that he cites to bolster his contention?

Rabbi Ibn Chabib explains that the three sages mirror the famous words of Shimon HaTzaddik in the second Mishna of Pirkei Avot; “The world depends on three things – on Torah study, on the service of God and on kind deeds.” These are the three pillars or foundations upon which the world is supported. Just as a builder cannot begin to construct a house until he has set strong and solid foundations, so too when God created the world, He did so upon these fundamental principles. Rabbi Shimon ben Zoma is of the opinion that Torah study is the basic foundation upon which everything else depends. Torah study, in turn, depends upon the knowledge and belief that there is a Divine Lawgiver who is all powerful and indivisible. The verse that most aptly expresses this is the first line of the Shemah which we are obligated to recite twice every day as our credo of belief. Ben Nanas focuses on the foundation of chesed, kindness, for it is perhaps more relevant to the masses than the foundation of Torah study. Society cannot exist without justice and kindness and that is why he selects the verse that calls upon us to “love our fellow as ourselves.” There is strong support for this opinion. Rabbi Akiva (Sifra, Kedoshim) called this mitzvah “a great principle of the Torah” and when a potential convert appeared before Hillel (Shabbat 31a) and asked to be taught the entire Torah while standing on one leg, Hillel replied; “What is hateful to you, do not do to others – that is the whole Torah, the rest is commentary, go and study it!” Ben Pazi, however, scrutinised the matter even more keenly than his colleagues. He noticed that there are two types of good deeds – those between man and his fellow, as expressed in the verse “love your fellow” and those between man and God, such as the sacrificial order in the Temple (the pillar of service identified by Shimon HaTzaddik). He selected the verse that speaks of the daily sacrifices for this verse is a fusion of belief and action – the result of believing in the Creator is that we must fulfil His will. It may be true that the first line of the Shemah addresses belief, but it does not address action. It may be true that the verse “love your fellow” addresses action, but only the “lower” level of deeds, those between man and his fellow and not the “higher” level of deeds, those between man and his Maker. The fourth sage concurs with Ben Pazi and offers support in the form of a verse from parashat Terumah: “Like everything that I show you, the form of the Tabernacle and the form of all its vessels; and so shall you do.” This verse also contains the two elements of belief/philosophy and action. The structure and purpose of the Tabernacle is rooted in the belief in God who desires that there should be a relationship between Himself – the transcendental, non-physical Creator – and mankind, the lowly, physical being of the created world. But knowledge of this relationship is insufficient, there must also be action, hence the verse concludes “and so shall you do.” Judaism is a religion of action, not just of belief, and as this verse indicates, all theoretical knowledge must be translated into tangible deeds.

There is another more contemporary explanation (I have heard this often but I am unsure what the source for it is) for the choice of Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi’s verse as the most fitting to summarise the Torah’s wisdom. The Shemah represents belief in the One and only God and is therefore vital to the continuity of Torah and mitzvoth. The mitzvah to love one’s fellow is the commandment that underpins all of the civil and societal obligations found in the Torah, for if one does not love his neighbour, what will stop him from stealing his property, damaging his goods, slandering his reputation or ignoring him in his time of need? But without the third verse – one sheep in the morning and another in the afternoon – the first two verses are not sustainable.  This seemingly unremarkable verse describes how a Jew should behave vis-à-vis his religious duties. Judaism is not an “on again, off again” project. It is a lifetime’s work that must be nurtured on a daily basis, no matter what. Just as the two tamid offerings were brought every day of the year, weekdays and Shabbat, festivals and fast days and even on Yom Kippur, come rain or shine; so, too, a Jew must fulfil his religious duties daily no matter what life throws at him or how difficult the task appears to be. Jews who want their Judaism to be sustainable will commit themselves to the precepts of their faith with relentless passion, drive and motivation and nothing will deter them from their mission. A Jew might believe in the one God and he might love his fellow, but unless he translates these concepts into daily practice, they will become nothing more than idealistic goals and unfulfilled desires.

 Lee, Chani Merryl & Naomi join me in wishing you Shabbat Shalom!   

Rabbi Liebenberg.

This week’s YouTube message: https://youtu.be/wbkOutnChSE?si=eQ13BOeBqmW5tNA2

For Pesach: https://youtu.be/lJaQIiUOymU