MIKDASH-BUILD
20 Tishrei 5757
Volume I, Number 5
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Table of Contents
- 1. SACRIFICIAL OFFERINGS FROM GENTILES (Part II)
- 2. THE WORD - FROM JERUSALEM
- 3. CORRESPONDENCE-- About the Ark
- 4. IN THE NEWS
SACRIFICIAL OFFERINGS FROM GENTILES (Part II)
by Elitzur Segal
(translated by Yirmiyahu Fischer)
A. SACRIFICES BY THE PATRIARCHS
[Note: Until the Torah was given the only code to serve G-d was the
covenant with Noachide, and it is assumed that the Jewish People were
also generally bound by these laws until then. See the paragraph about
the Noachide Laws in Part I.]
Offering sacrifices to G-d did not start with Noah and did not and with
him. Our rabbis teach us that Adam offered sacrifices to G-d. (Shabbat
28b, Avoda Zara 8a, Chulin 60a, Midrash Tehillim 39). This, however, is
not specified in the Scriptures.
Adam's sacrifices teach us that offering sacrifices to G-d is a deep
necessity in human nature, and it is not merely a viable alternative to
idolatry.
Adam's sons, Kayin and Hevel, also sacrificed, as it is written
(Bereishit 4:3), "At the finish of days, Kayin brought form the fruits
of the Earth and offering to G-d, and Hevel also brought, from the choice
sheep and their fat."
The deeds of Kayin and Hevel teach us that a gentile can also bring flour
offerings, and we will see later that many gentiles brought flour offerings.
The parsha of Kayin and Hevel may possibly teach us the reason for the
necessity of offering sacrifices. Kayin apparently the more moral one,
who brought only vegetation and would not shed animal blood, in the end
was found to be a murderer. Hevel, however, who spills animal blood, was
found to be pursued, and his sacrifice was desirable to G-d. This
teaches us that only killing and animal in holiness for the sake of
Heaven cleanses a person and prevents him from actually reaching
bloodshed. A misplaced piety, claiming that it is "not nice" to offer
sacrifices leads to a serious lowering of morality.
Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov offered many sacrifices.
Avraham built four alters. The first one near Shchem after he was
promised inheritance of the land (Bereishit 12:6), the second between
Beit-El and Ay (Bereishit 12:13, 13:4), the third in Hebron (Bereishit
13:18), and the fourth on Mount Moriah (the Temple Mount), in the place
G-d told him to offer Yitzchak, who in the end had a ram sacrificed in
his place Bereishit 22).
Yitzchak build one alter, after G-d appeared to him when he was expelled
by Avimelech. (Bereishit 26:25).
Yaakov, on his way from Padam Aram, erected a monument and poured oil on
its head. (Bereishit 28:18) From here it is apparent that a gentile can
libate oil, although our Sages do not discuss this explicitly.
At the covenant that Yaakov made with Lavan, it is stated, "And Yaakov
slaughtered animals on the mountain." (Bereishit 31:44) Nevertheless,
it is unclear whether the animals were slaughtered as a sacrifice to G-d
or if they were for regular consumption.
After the parsha of Shchem, Yaakov says, "Let us arise and ascend to
Beit-El, and I will make there an alter to G-d who answered me in my time
of suffering." (Bereishit 35:3) "And he built an alter there and the
place of G-d Beit-El." (Bereishit 35:6)
It is also reported that after he returned from Padan Aram, G-d revealed
Himself, and Yaakov erected a monument where G-d spoke to him, a stone
monument, "...and he libated wine on it and poured on it oil."
(Bereishit 35:14)
Before he went down to Egypt, Yaakov slaughtered animals to "the revered
by his father Yitzchak". (Bereishit 46:2)
B. SACRIFICES BY YITRO
In Parshat Yitro (Shmot 18:12) it is written, "And Yitro Moshe's
father-in-law took burnt offerings and peace offerings to G-d, and Aharon
and all the elders of Israel came to eat bread with Moshe's father-in-law
before G-d."
Our Sages use this verse as a cornerstone in the great disagreement
whether a gentile can bring both burnt offerings and peace offerings or
just peace offerings.
Those who say a gentile can bring peace offerings claim that the strait
forward understanding is that Yitro came before the Giving of the Torah,
and the Noachide laws applied even on Jews. Nevertheless, he sacrificed
burnt offerings and peace offerings. From there is a proof that it is
permissible for gentiles to sacrifice a peace offering.
Those who say that gentiles are allowed to sacrifice burnt offerings but
not peace offerings are forced to say that Yitro came after the Giving of
the Torah and converted to Judaism, and therefore could bring a peace
offering just like Jews. The implication is that anyone who says Yitro
came after the Giving of the Torah holds that a gentile can only offer
burnt offerings, since without this restriction there is no reason to
interpret the events out of the order that they were told.
C. SACRIFICES BY THE JEWISH PEOPLE BEFORE RECEIVING THE TORAH
At the Giving of the Torah, the Torah relates, "He sent the Jewish youth
and they offered burnt offerings and the sacrificed 'peace' offerings to
G-d, bulls."
Those who hold that gentiles can bring peace offerings bring evidence
from here, since Jews are offering both burnt offerings and peace
offerings before receiving the Torah.
Those who say that gentiles are forbidden to offer peace offerings
interprets "zevachim shlamim" differently, as "full offerings",
sacrificed whole without removing the skin and dividing the animal up
into limbs. There therefore hold that gentile sacrifices generally
require removing the skin and dismemberment.
Some answer (Psikta, "Vayehi bayom kalot Moshe") that we cannot learn
general principles from the Giving of the Torah, since it is a special
case. Likewise, we should bring evidence from the Passover Sacrifice in
Egypt, when Jews still had the status of Noachides, since it was before
the giving of the Torah. They nevertheless ate their Passover Sacrifice,
and the Passover Sacrifice is essentially a peace offering. From here we
know that a gentile can bring a peace offering.
Possibly, the special case answer was so obvious that our Sages did not
even have to mention it.
We should also mention that the straightforward understanding is that the
sacrifices that Yaakov offered were peace offerings, and the Ramban says
this. If so, there is another question on the opinion that gentiles
cannot offer peace offerings. The Torah Temima (Shmot 10:25) says that
the word "zevachim" is a general name for all sacrifices, not just peace
offerings.
It is interesting to point out that I was told that the latest group of
gentiles interested in offering sacrifices to G-d were interested in
specifically bringing peace offerings and not burn offerings.
D. RABEINU CHANANEL'S OPINION
Rabeinu Chananel in his commentary to the Talmud (Zevachim 116) writes
that even according to the opinion that gentiles can offer peace
offerings, the cannot eat them, unlike a Jew who eats a portion of his
peace offering. According to him the only difference between a burnt
offering and peace offering for a gentile is that a burnt offering is
completely consumed on the alter. With a peace offering, however, some
portions are offered on the alter, and the portion that would be eaten in
a Jew's sacrifice are burnt separately, also intended as a sacrifice.
Thus, there is little practical difference whether the sacrifice is a
burnt offering or a peace offering.
We can ask on Rabeinu Chananel that the Passover Sacrifice was eaten, as
we explained previously.
It appears the the desirable answer is that the Passover Sacrifice is a
special case for a special time.
E. A PHILOSOPHICAL UNDERSTANDING
I saw in several sources that a gentile a sanctify himself by breaking of
the physical. Sanctity by using the the physical, however, only exists
by Jews. Because of this, according to all opinions, a gentile can offer
only burnt offerings in the Beit HaMikdash. This is possible also for a
gentile, but eating in sanctity is possible only for Jews. This will
explain Rabeinu Chananel's position that even if a gentile offers a peace
offering, the sacrifice is expressed in that what should be eaten is
burnt as invalid sacrificial material. The gentile cannot eat in
sanctity. Only to Jews is the secret of sanctifying the physical
revealed, and only their eating can be holy.
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THE WORD - FROM JERUSALEM
by RABBI ZALMAN B. MELAMED
aired on Arutz-7 on September 26, 1996
Thank G-d, the government has opened the Hasmonean Tunnel in Jerusalem. The
Arabs, for their part, are fuming, and are showing it by rioting and
shooting. They do not accept the fact that the Jewish people have a share in
Old Jerusalem. Although our political leaders have explained over and over
that the tunnel does not pass under the Temple Mount, they refuse to
recognize our bonds with the city of Jerusalem.
I am happy and gratified that the government has made this move, which on
the face of it is really nothing special - although it was delayed for
several years. At the same time, I regret certain remarks of various
government ministers that imply that there is a "separation of rights" in
Jerusalem, as if to say that the Western Wall is ours, and the Temple Mount
is theirs, Heaven forbid. After all, the only value of the Wall for us is
the fact that it is the Wall of the Temple Mount, and that it is so close to
the Temple. The source of holiness for the Jewish people is within, on the
site on which stood our two Temples. Only because of our sins are we in a
situation wherein we cannot perform the purification ceremony required to
ascend to the Mount. But the fact that we therefore do not enter the site of
the Holiness does not imply that our connection to the place is waning; on
the contrary, it shows the sublime regard in which we hold the Temple
Mount.
We must therefore openly and unabashedly, over and over, declare the simple
truth that the entire Temple Mount is ours. It is the site of the two
destroyed Holy Temples, and is the place upon which the Third Temple will be
rebuilt - soon, with the help of G-d. We have not given up on the Temple
Mount, we have no authority to do so, and we will never do so. It is the
heart of Jerusalem, of the Land of Israel, of the world - and it is the
heart of the People of Israel. We have been promised by the Prophet Isaiah
(2,2), "It shall come to pass in the Last Days, that the Mountain of the
L-rd's House shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be
exalted above the hills, and all the nations shall stream unto it. And many
nations shall go and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the L-rd, to
the house of the G-d of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will
walk in His paths; for out of Zion shall go forth Torah, and the word of the
L-ord from Jerusalem." We are closer to the fulfillment of this prophecy
today than we have ever been. Even when we were in exile, we never abandoned
our claim to the Temple Mount - how much more so now that we have returned
to Jerusalem.
The Arab response to the opening of the tunnel in Jerusalem shows us
precisely how important it was to make such a move. It is an indication of
how crucial it is to perform actions that show that Old Jerusalem is ours
forever. It is not open for negotiations, and we do not have "partners" in
controlling it. It is totally ours.
The Arab response, using the weapons that we allowed them, is merely a
harbinger of things to come if, G-d forbid, the Israel Defense Forces
withdraw from the city of Hevron. Following such a scenario, every house
that is built, or every wall or garden that is established, could cause
riots that could seriously endanger the Jewish community there. It is
therefore forbidden to give up control over any part of the city of Hevron.
We must call upon the Jewish public to visit the old city of Jerusalem, and
not to be scared, but rather to show and strengthen our presence throughout
the walled city. It is our city, our holy city, the city of G-d, the city in
which our Kings ruled, the City of David, the Eternal City, the city that
will be rebuilt speedily in our days, Amen.
Table of Contents
CORRESPONDENCE-- About the Ark
Dear Yirmi:
[In your comment about SEARCH OF THE LOST ARKS ]
(Mikdash-Build Vol 1, No 4), I am somewhat puzzled by your
reference to money. What was money if not gold?...and it was that gold
that was used to make the Ark and the Temple Treasures.
"ALL the treasures" was used in both the historical accounts in Kings and
Chronicles. Ezra after all had a chance to edit or clarify the statement.
Anyway we will debate it live in the Web in January...don't forget to
join us. [For more information about the upcoming discussions of
this issue and other issues in TaNaCh, you can contact
Mike92620@Juno.com]
Michael ben Chaim
RESPONSE
Mike,
The description in Kings I 14:26 (almost the same as Chronicles II
12:9) of what Shishak took is:
"Vayikach et otzarot beit Hashem ve-et otzarot beit hamelech ve-et
hacol lakach. Vayikach et et maginei hazahav asher asah shlomoh."
What Shishak took from was the OTZAROT, the storehouses of gold
and silver which were used to finance the the Temple budget and also
included the the national treasures.
(See Elitzur Segal's article, "Otzar HaMikdash Kegorem Medini",
Yibane HaMikdash, issue 106. I hope to get it translated at some later
point to publish on our forum.)
Although the account says that he took "everything", it does not specify
that
he entered the Sanctuary or took holy vessels. The "everything" is thus
assumed to be all of the nations major monetary assets. It does, however,
specify one set of gold items, Shlomoh's golden shields. From the
mention of
one set of gold vessels not, we can deduce that the most significant
items
are explicitly mentioned.
DON'T YOU THINK THAT IF THE ARK WAS TAKEN THAT IT WOULD BE
WORTHY OF MENTION??!!?!
yirmi
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IN THE NEWS
(Arutz-7 News Brief: Friday, September 27, 1996)
TEMPLE MOUNT RIOTS
On the Temple Mount in Jerusalem today there were massive and violent riots
which erupted at approximately 12:10 PM. Mobs of Muslim worshippers began
throwing stones at Israeli police stationed at the site. Five Israeli
policemen
were injured and evacuated. Large forces of Israeli security forces were
on call
and entered the Temple Mount area and began to disperse the rioting masses
firing tear gas and rubber bullets. For the second time in a week, Jewish
worshippers at the Western Wall were temporarily evacuated until the area
was secured by the security forces.
(IMRA News and Observations from Israel 27.9.96)
ONLY 10,000 ARABS AT PRAYERS ON TEMPLE MOUNT
Israel Radio reports that despite calls from Yasser Arafat for a
massive turnout at Friday prayers at the Al Aksa Mosque on the
Temple Mount in Jerusalem, only 10,000 - a less than average
turnout - came to services. While the turnout represents the
second time Jerusalem and Israeli Arabs failed to respond to
Arafat's calls to come in their masses to prayers, the rebuff
today goes unnoticed because of violence after the services.
(Israel Radio, 27 September, 1996 + IMRA)
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Gathering en masse to arouse consciousness among the People,
its rabbis, and its leaders to rebuild the Beit HaMikdash
and return the Kohanim to their Service
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Email: Yirmiyahu Fischer
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