Ten Minutes of Torah

with

Rabbi Chaim Weiner

 

 

Vayikra  – 5767

 

 

ויקרא ד:ב

 

(ב) דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר נֶפֶשׁ כִּי תֶחֱטָא בִשְׁגָגָה מִכֹּל מִצְוֹת ה' אֲשֶׁר לֹא תֵעָשֶׂינָה וְעָשָׂה מֵאַחַת מֵהֵנָּה:

 

Leviticus 4:2

 

Speak to the Israelite people thus: When a person unwittingly incurs guilt in regard to any of the LORD's commandments about things not to be done, and does one of them –

 

 

 

 

Ramban:

 

When a person unwittingly incurs guilt. The reason for the offerings of the erring soul is that all sins, even if committed unwittingly, produce a particular stain upon the soul and constitute a blemish thereon, and the soul is only worthy to be received by the Creator when it is pure of all sin. … It is for this reason that that the erring soul brings an offering, through which it becomes worthy of approaching unto God who gave it.

 

S. R. Hirsch

 

When a person unwittingly incurs guilt. An unwitting sin occurs as the result of losing focus. This means that at the moment of action the person fails to understand the importance of what he is doing. .. This lack of concern and attention to detail in one’s life is the ‘sin’ behind the error.

 

 

QUESTIONS

 

  1. What problem are these commentators addressing?
  2. How do they differ in their understanding of the guilt involved?

 

 

 


 

ANSWER TO LAST WEEK’S QUESTIONS:

 

  1. According to Rashi, why are we told that Oholiab was of the tribe of Dan?

 

One may have thought that there was hierarchy in the order of the importance of the tribes. The tribes that descended from Jacob’s wives were considered by some more important than the tribes that descended from their maidservants. Dan was the lowest of the tribes. The Torah emphasis that Oholiab was from the tribe of Dan to emphasise that the Mishkan was for the entire people of Israel, and Moses did not show any favouritism in his appointments.

 

  1. Can you explain why Rashi makes this comment on Exodus 35, and not on Exodus 31. Rashi usually makes a comment at the first occasion that a problem appears in the Torah.

 

The first time that Oholiab is mentioned God is addressing Moses. Moses needs to know which tribe Oholiab was from in order to find him. The second time is when Moses is speaking to the people. We assume that Oholiab has already been appointed, and the people know who he is. There is no need to mention which tribe he is from. Rashi only comments the second time that the tribe is mentioned, because mentioning the tribe is only a problem the second time around.

 

 

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Ten Minutes of Torah was prepared by Rabbi Chaim Weiner, based on the methods of Prof. Nechama Leibowitz. Rabbi Weiner studied and corresponded with Prof. Leibowitz for several years.

 

 

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