Rabbi Frand on Parshas Tzav
These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi
Yissochar Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tapes on the weekly Torah
portion: Tape #92, Selling Non-Kosher Foods. Good Shabbos!
Double Entendre In the Word "Hoda'ah"
Among the sacrifices mentioned in this weeks parsha is the
Thanksgiving Offering. The Medrash tells us that in the future all
the sacrifices will be nullified, except the Thanksgiving Offering --
for there is always need to give thanks.
Rav Hutner z"tl, makes a very interesting point. "Todah" (thanks)
comes from the word "Hoda'ah", meaning giving thanks. However, the
word "Hoda'ah" also means to admit (as in the expression Hoda'as
ba'al din k'meah edim dami).
Rav Hutner says that it is no coincidence that the word for thanking
and the word for admitting are one and the same. In order for a
person to give thanks, he has to be able to admit that he needed
help. The first step in being grateful to someone for doing
something for you is the admission that you needed help and that you
are not all powerful. Therefore the Hebrew word for thanks and for
admission are the same.
How do we know whether the word "Hoda'ah" means admission or thanks?
Rav Hutner says that we need to look at the preposition that comes
after the word. The word "Hoda'ah" -- meaning admission -- is always
followed by the Hebrew preposition '"sheh..." (that). The word
"Hoda'ah" -- meaning thanks -- is always followed by the Hebrew word
"al ..." (for).
In davening [prayers] we have a Blessing of Modim, called the
Blessing of "Hoda'ah". How does it read? "Modim anachnu lach
sheh..." This indicates, that the first thing we have to do is not
thank G-d, but admit to G-d that we are dependent on Him. Once we
come to that understanding, then we can come to the end of the
blessing where we say "Nodeh lecha... ...al..." -- We thank You
for... Birkas HaHoda'ah is thus a two-stage blessing. It is a
Hoda'ah of admission at the beginning which climaxes with a Hoda'ah
of thanking at the end.
We Can't Appoint an Agent to Say 'Thank-You'
I recently saw a beautiful insight in the Avudraham. When the Chazan
says Modim, the congregation recites a prayer known as "The Rabbis'
Modim". Why is that? The Avudraham says that for all blessings in
the Shmoneh Esrei we can have an agent. For 'Heal Us', for 'Bless Us
with a Good Year', and so forth we can have a messenger -- the
Shliach Tzibbur can say the blessing for us. However, there is one
thing that no else one can say for us. We must say it for ourselves.
That one thing is "Thank You". Hoda'ah has to come from ourselves.
No one can be our agent to say 'Thank You'.
Glossary
Korban Olah -- Burnt Offering
Seudah Hamafsekes -- The meal of termination (of eating), prior to
the fast.
Kittel -- white robe worn by married men on Yom Kippur (by some on
Rosh Hashana as well)
Ani -- poor person
Hoda'as ba'al din k'meah edim dami-- An admission of a litigant is like
one hundred witnesses
Shliach Tzibbur -- the agent of the congregation (chazzan)
Personalities & Sources:
Chovos Halevovos -- Duties of the Heart; authored by R. Bachye Ibn
Paquda in 11th century Spain. Originally written
in Arabic and translated into Hebrew by R. Judah
ibn Tibbon in 12th century.
Rav Yitzchok Hutner -- (1907-1980) Rosh Yeshiva of Mesifta Chaim
Berlin in New York.
Avudraham -- classic work written in 1450 by R. Dovid ben Yosef
(1420-1494) on laws and commentary on prayers. Author
was student of Ba'al HaTurim (R. Yaakov ben Asher) and
was a rabbi in Seville.
This week's write-up is adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi
Yissochar Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tapes on the weekly Torah
portion (#3). The corresponding halachic portion for this tape is: #92 is:
Selling Non-Kosher Foods. The other halachic portions for Parshas Tzav from the Commuter Chavrusah Series are:
Also Available: Mesorah / Artscroll has published a collection
of Rabbi Frand's essays. The book is entitled:
and is available through Project Genesis On-Line Bookstore:
http://books.torah.org/
