Adam's Animal Accentuated
Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein
Sefer Vayikra, often referred to as Sefer Hakohanim because of the preponderance of mitzvoth and details relating to korbanot/sacrifices, actually begins with Hashem’s calling to Moshe with instructions about these sacrifices. However, in these introductory verses, Hashem identifies the bearer of the sacrifice as an adam. The Torah usually calls this man ish. While both adam and ish are translated by definition as man, the connotations suggest differences between the two terms. It is the specific allusions that adam brings to mind that our commentators discuss and that will form the substance of this shiur.
Our meforshim/commentators are in agreements that Hashem is turning our attention back to that first Adam. Just as Adam did not bring an offering from anything stolen, says Rashi, so must all our offerings come from that which is honestly ours. Since Adam was the only man on earth, everything belonged to him, and therefore his offering could not be from anything stolen. However, asks Rav Moshe Goldstein in Shaarei Chaim, shouldn’t the emphasis then be on the animal rather than on the man? And herein lies the crux of our discussion.
There are different kinds of offerings in addition to those mandated for Shabbat and the holidays. Until the giving of the Torah, all sacrifices were offerings of gratitude. When Adam sinned, he brought death to the world, and, since the Torah had not yet been given to man, Adam could not bring a sin offering to atone for the sin writes Rabbi Pincus z”l. Rabbi Pincus z”l cites the medrash that tells us Hashem consulted first with Wisdom and asked what is to be done with one who sins. Wisdom answered that the sinner must suffer the consequences of his sin forever. Hashem then asked Prophecy, and Prophecy answered that the sinner must die. Finally, Hashem consulted the Torah. The Torah answered, “Let the sinner bring an offering and his sin will be forgiven.” Adam, however, had not yet received the Torah and therefore did not have this option.
But bringing the sacrifice is not meant to be an empty ritual. One is meant to envision himself upon the altar, for the animal represents him, and he feel as though he himself is being slaughtered to atone for his sin. That is the context that brings expiation.
Why does Hashem forgive us? The Sam Derech, cites the Yalkut Shimoni in explaining the love Hashem bears for Bnei Yisroel. While we may cite that Hashem regards us as His firstborn or as His special treasure, it is His considering us His dear child Ephraim whom He plays with that predisposes Hashem to forgive us as one would forgive a wayward child. But a child is different from Adam, for a child is growing and developing, thinking of future possibilities, while Adam was fully formed as an adult. We are like that child, searching for ways to grow closer to Hakodosh Boruch Hu.
Because we are always changing, we are also compared to the moon which is in a constant state of renewal. But, although the moon is constantly changing, it carries its past with it into the present and into the future. So too do we, Bnei Yisroel carry our past with us not just as history to be studied, but as part of our present-day identity: We are to see ourselves as personally being redeemed from Egyptian slavery; we are to perceive ourselves at Mount Sinai receiving the Torah. We take the past and give it new vibrancy in the present, something Adam was incapable of doing. The animal we bring as an offering has the ability to refresh us and remind us of our newness.
This is the difference between Yaakov and Esau, even from birth and by their names, writes Rabbi Roberts. Yaakov, the “heel”, always felt lowly and humble, ever striving to reach higher. Esau on the other hand, always considered himself a finished product. His name in Hebrew is connected to finished and done [osuy]. His arrogance birthed an Amalek, an arrogant nation numerically equivalent to ram/lofty/arrogant.
Rabbi Belsky z”l uses our Rashi to take us on a different path that connects Adam to the bearer of the offering. Certainly, when Adam was created, all the world belonged to him. But for most of his life, he shared the world with children and grandchildren. Therefore, the sacrifice the Torah must be alluding to must be Adam’s first sacrifice, the sacrifice of the primordial bull. And, like Adam, we must attempt to serve Hashem with our best and our finest.
What was special about this bull? All subsequent animals were born with their bodies first, and their horns grew later. The primordial bull of creation arose fully formed from the earth, its horns appearing first followed by the rest of its body. When one thinks of a bull, one realizes that every part of the bull is useful to mankind, its skin for leather, its milk, its meat after it is ritually slaughtered. Only its horns serve no human purpose, but serve the bull both as grandeur and defense. When man brings his sacrifice, he must come putting his own ego and pride on the altar, dedicating his desires and grandeur to the service of our Maker. Sharing everything we have, not just our material wealth, with others and in Hashem’s service.
Getting back to Rashi’s comment, if we use our gifts purely for selfish purposes, we are stealing from Hashem Who has given us these gifts for the performance of mitzvoth, whether “religious” obligations or “social” mitzvoth.
We must always behave honestly in all our dealings, for Hashem accepts the prayers only from those who come to Him in truth. Dishonesty brings destruction. Rain is withheld because of dishonesty. [Hashem brought the Biblical flood because of thievery, says the Torah, while in contrast, the city of Nineveh was saved from destruction because the people returned all the stolen goods in their possession. CKS]
But theft is not limited to money. As Rabbi Sheinerman asks in Ohel Moshe, have you ever stolen your boss’ time for personal business while on the job? Or have you used money from questionable business practices to fund your children’s yeshivah tuition? Just as you would undoubtedly never use stolen money to commission a parochet to donate to cover the aron kodesh in your shul, so should you not use dishonest profits for any purpose, certainly not for a holy purpose, adds Rabbi Pincus z”l. Doing so, writes Rabbi Druck, would be like stealing from your neighbor and then displaying it in his face. Since honesty in one’s dealings with one’s fellow man is the mainstay of society, a yeshivah begins the study of Gemmoroh with Eilu Metziot that deals with how to handle objects one finds rather than with Berachot/Blessings. We start by teaching our children the importance of money and of honesty. As Rabbi Mordechai Druck z”l writes, when our souls arrive at the heavenly court, we will not be asked whether we fed our children kosher food, but whether we educated them about kosher money.
Rabbi Mordechai Ezrachi brings an additional nuance to our allusion to Adam. It was not just that Adam did not bring a stolen animal as an offering to Hashem, but his offering raised no feelings of jealousy in other human beings. Similarly, we pray that we neither envy others nor raise envy in others through our actions or our possessions. Before you can bring a korban, writes Rabbi Moshe Goldstein in Shaarei Chaim, be a man of integrity like Adam.
The Ohr Doniel quoting the Ketav Sofer introduces a profound idea into our discussion. He posits that we are not talking about using animals or merchandise stolen from others for our sacrifice; a person would not be so brazen. But if someone offers an animal as his sacrifice without his having the proper intention, he is stealing from the animal; he is stealing the animal’s opportunity for elevation. After all, everything in creation, animal, vegetable or mineral can become spiritually elevated when it is used with proper intent for a spiritual purpose. [Think sheimos – it’s generally just paper, or, on the other extreme, the human body which housed the spiritual soul. CKS] Without the proper intent it is not proper teshuvah and does not change the dynamic of the sin. Rabbi Zvi Meir Silberberg notes that when a priest suspected that a sinner bringing the sacrifice did not have the proper mindset, he would call over the Levites to sing and arouse the emotions of the sinner to inspire him to do proper teshuvah. On this note [!], the Modzitzer Rebbe feels that the gate of song and the gate of teshuvah are in fact one and the same gate that awakens us to come closer to Hashem’s heavenly palace.
There is yet another overwhelming reason that Adam is alluded to in bringing these sacrifices, writes Rabbi Kofman z”l in Mishchat Shemen. After all, Adam, as the progenitor of all mankind, carried within his own soul the souls of all future mankind. Therefore, we all have to act in ways that will be praiseworthy to Adam. Each of our souls passes through Meorat Hamachpelah, Adam’s final resting place, on our final journey and we each must answer to Adam Harishon how we have helped rectify Adam’s sin. Our whole lives must be dedicated to this rectification, adds Rabbi Dunner z”l.
We do not have a Beit Hamikdosh to bring animal sacrifices to Hashem, but we can still dedicate our lives to being humble, giving of ourselves Hashem and to others, and living a life of honesty and integrity. That is how we today bring our offerings to Hashem, striving for closeness to Him, as did Adam Harishon with his sacrifice.