BSD
CHOCHMAS NASHIM: SIYUM YOMA, SHLACH, KORACH, CHUKAT AND TAMMUZ
By: Suri Stern
As those in Daf Yomi complete masechet Yoma this week, we learn about the infighting of the Kohanim/priests as they vie to receive the parts of the animals for sacrifice which will feed them and their families. Torah is not a history book, but meant to teach us lessons.
In parshat Shlach, we see ten out of twelve spies returning from the land of Israel and speaking badly about the land.
In parshat Korach, we have tens of thousands of Jews killed when Korach leads a rebellion. His intentions might have been for the good, but his questioning of Moshe and G-d, lead to Korach being swallowed up by the earth.
Tammuz is a month in which we start the three weeks of mourning, starting on the 17th of Tammuz. It commemorates the day thousands of years ago when the enemies of the Jews surrounding Jerusalem laying siege to the land because Jews did not treat each other with respect.
When I learned the masechet of Yoma in mishnayot, I loved learning of the details of the work of the kohen gadol/high priest and his work in the Temple on Yom Kippur, it appeared to be such a perfectly ideal choreographed day, so serene and perfect. Not so learning about the nitty gritty and details and conflicts, the back scene, of what actually went on in the holy temple on the holiest Jewish day of the year.
I belong to Hadran Long Island, a group of women here in the five towns and long island who learn daf yomi. We were commenting on the bloodiness of the sacrifices, the seeming heartless act of pushing a live animal off a mountain to act as a kapparah/atonement for the sins of the Jews for that year.
I’ve thought about these incongruities. Spies go to Israel for the purpose of returning to tell the Jews how wonderful the land is, to encourage them to enter and conquer, and the spies fail. Korach wants the opportunity to serve G-d in the temple, he fails. On the holiest day of the year, priests are vying to get their share of the sacrifices.
It appears to me that possibly the horror we feel about the spies, Korach and most importantly the conflicts in the Temple and the animal pushed off the ledge are meant to horrify us, as perhaps G-d is horrified that we need to bring sacrifices to G-d for atonement, as we sin daily against G-d, even though He blesses us daily with His good. The entire day of atonement, Yom Kippur, was created as a result of the sin of Adam and Eve, who brought sin into the world.
Spending time learning about the details of the service on Yom Kippur is a somber reminder that without this opportunity provided by G-d to atone, and but for this opportunity to atone, we would have been punished with severe punishments. Gratitude to G-d for giving us an opportunity to atone, and not punishing us as we commit each sin.
As I reap my strawberries in my yard and watch the blueberries, raspberries and vegetables grow and ripen, I think of the other times of year in which the Jews brought the first of their produce to the temple to thank G-d for the bounty. For bounty, for mercy, feeling grateful.
As we read this week’s torah portion of Chukat, which are laws which have no rational basis and we do simply because G-d told us to do them, we are reminded that G-d controls the world, He knows best, and we have faith that as our Father, He acts mercifully and always in our best interest . We struggle with our humanity versus the beautiful soul which G-d blew into man. Gratitude, it’s a good thing.
Shabbat shalom.
-Suri