Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto’s talks are known throughout the Jewish world. They combine chassidic teachings and philosophy, along with tips for a better life. We have collected pearls from his teachings that are relevant to our daily lives. This week he comments on the Torah section of Tsav.
The verse that opens this Torah section is "Command Aaron and his sons saying, ‘This is the law of the burnt-offering.’" Rashi explains, "Whenever the word ‘command’ is used, it denotes one should do it urgently for that time and for all generations. Scripture stresses urgency especially where it entails a financial loss."
Why does the Torah command us especially here to urgently fulfill the commandments? We must also understand why our sages always bid us to do every commandment with alacrity. For instance, they tell us, "Do not say, 'When I have the time I will study’; perhaps you will never have the time." (Avot 2:4) Why does the Torah command us often to do things without delay? Why is this such an important quality?
To understand this, let's look at the difference between reciting Havdalah after Shabbat, when we recite a blessing on a fragrance, and reciting Havdalah after a holiday, when we don’t. Our sages explain that since our extra Shabbat soul departs after Shabbat and returns to heaven, we are concerned that the person's soul will leave with it. We recite a blessing on a fragrance during Havdalah after Shabbat, to comfort the soul after the extra soul left it.
In contrast, the special soul that a person gets during the holidays does not immediately leave at the end of the holiday. It leaves an impression on him for a long time and only slowly wanes and departs from him.
The difference is due to the form of the light that descends to us from Above. On Shabbat it is an “awakening from Above” - a light that is bestowed upon us regardless of our actions, built in since the Creation of the world. The light we get on the festivals, however, always depend on our actions and our dedication to God. The extra soul that comes with the festivals has a special relationship with us.
When Shabbat ends, its light goes away and our extra soul leaves us. During festivals, the festival’s impression remains in a person for a long time because, as mentioned, its light has a direct relationship to our actions and the actions of our ancestors.
For example, let’s look at the days of Purim that we experienced this week. On Purim, righteous people like Mordechai and Esther were ready to sacrifice their lives and do things above the usual. They prayed, fasted and repented for three days and these things effected a miracle in the world.
That is why the light of Purim does not leave us and why the special soul that descends on this day to those who utilize the festival properly remains inside a person for a long time or even for his lifetime.
Moreover, there is something about Purim which doesn’t exist in the other holidays, and which is not present at any other time when an extra soul descends into a person. One receives a special soul for Shabbat and a special soul for every holiday, but the most special soul of all is what he gets on the day of Purim.
We can derive an important lesson from this. It is known that in the Temple there were several ways how the sacrifices were assigned to the priests. There were sacrifices that were given out by way of a lottery and every priest who won the lottery would get to offer a sacrifice or do a certain service in the Temple. There were also sacrifices and services where all the priests would run to do them and the one who got there first got to do the sacrifice or the service.
These two ways of winning the Temple service were like the different ways a person gets an extra soul on Shabbat and the festivals. When a priest won a service by lottery, it was like an extra soul entering that priest on Shabbat. Heaven decided that he would offer the sacrifice and let him win it by lottery.
In contrast, a priest who merited to do a Temple service because he hurried and ran faster than everyone else, was like an “extra soul” entering him on Purim which stays with him a long period. Something done with alacrity and dedication, whether because of his self-sacrifice or his enthusiasm, ensures that an extra soul that will stay a long time with him even for years to come. It won’t leave him at the end of the festival.
That is why the Torah tells us here "Command Aaron and his sons, saying.” Whenever it concerns a commandment and entails a financial loss, one has to act fast. When a person rushes and does the commandment quickly, the effect of the commandment will stay with him for a long time. That's why Mordechai and Esther asked the Men of the Great Assembly, "Write our story down for generations." Because of their dedicated involvement in the events of Purim during that time, because they sanctified it and made it a special time, these days will not be forgotten for all generations.
We can learn from this that when a person fulfills a commandment with dedication and alacrity, the light he brings to his soul will remain with him for a long time. It is like the extra Purim soul that does not leave him immediately at the end of the holiday which may even remain with him for years to come.
That's why this week's Torah section says "Command Aharon." The term “command” implies alacrity to teach us that commandments done swiftly and with devotion, remain with a person throughout time and throughout his life. Every commandment that a person does enthusiastically remains with him and gives him the strength and the ability to withstand difficult situations. It strengthens and uplifts his soul because he was willing to sacrifice for it.
This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel