Page 8 - HaMizrachi #8 Pesach

Rabbi Hershel Schachter

Korban Pesach

after the CHURBAN

s part of the tochecha found of the pasuk, ם ֶ כ ֲ חֹחי ִנ ַ חי ֵ ר ְּ ב ַ חי ִ ר ָ א אלֹ ְ ו, “I considered offering, to the exclusion of
in Parashat Bechukotai, we will not savor your satisfying aromas.” the other korbanot, which are brought
A read, ם ֶ כי ֵ ׁש ְ ּ ד ְ ק ִ מ ת ֶ א י ִ ת ֹו ּ מ ִ ׁש ֲ ה ַ ו, The difficulty is that the conclusion for the purpose of providing a rei’ach
“I will make your Sanctuaries desolate” of the pasuk is superfluous. If the Beit nicho’ach to G-d.
(Vayikra 26:31). Rabbi Yehudah 1 HaMikdash has been destroyed in terms 6
understands from this that a shul is of both its physical structure as well as The Emek Beracha makes an interesting
still called a mikdash and retains its its metaphysical kedusha, it should be comment on the beracha of Asher
kedusha even when in a state of ruin. obvious that G-d will not accept the Ge’alanu, recited on
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Rabbi Yehoshua expresses a similar aroma of korbanot brought in a non- Seder night: ן ִ מ ם ָ ׁש ל ָ כ ֱ א ֶנ ְ ו ...ּונ ָ ל ָ א ְּג ר ֶ ׁש ֲ א
opinion regarding the sanctity of the sanctified location. רי ִ ק ל ַ ע ם ָ מ ָ ּ ד ַ עי ִּג ַי ר ֶ ׁש ֲ א םי ִ ח ָ ס ְּ פ ַ ה ן ִ מּו םי ִ ח ָ ב ְּז ַ ה
Beit HaMikdash: ּ ה ָ ׁש ְ ּ ד ִ ק ה ָנ ֹו ׁשא ִ ר ה ָ ׁש ֹוד ְ ק ן ֹוצ ָ ר ְ ל ך ֲ ח ַּ ב ְז ִ מ, “Who redeemed us… and
ָ
אֹב ָ ל די ִ ת ָ ע ֶ ל ּ ה ָ ׁש ְ ּ ד ִ ק ְ ו ּ ה ָ ת ָ ע ְ ׁש ִ ל, “the original Instead, the Mishna understands that there we shall partake of the sacrifices
sanctification [of Yerushalayim and the this pasuk brings with it a double and Pesach-offerings, whose blood will
Beit HaMikdash] sanctified these areas admonition. First, it foretells that the be sprinkled upon the sides of your
for that time and sanctified them for all Beit HaMikdash will be destroyed. Yet, mizbe’ach for gracious acceptance.” The
future time.” Thus, ןי ֵ א ֶ ׁש י ִּ פ ל ַ ע ף ַ א ןי ִ בי ִ ר ְ ק ַ מ even after its destruction, the desolate significance of the word ן ֹוצ ָ ר ְ ל should
תִי ַּ ב, “we may offer korbanot [at the Beit Beit HaMikdash will retain its kedusha, be understood in light of the Netziv’s
HaMikdash site] even though there is no and the din ought to be ל ַ ע ף ַ א ןי ִ בי ִ ר ְ ק ַ מ observation that the Korban Pesach is
[Sanctuary] building.” תִי ַּ ב ןי ֵ א ֶ ׁש י ִּ פ. This is the basis of Rabbi unique in that it doesn’t have to provide
Yehudah’s opinion and what necessitates a satisfying aroma to G-d. Therefore,
How did Rabbi Yehudah learn that
the area of the Beit HaMikdash is the message of the next part of the pasuk. technically, we would be able to offer the
The second half of the pasuk informs
permanently endowed with kedusha? Korban Pesach even nowadays, based on
The simple understanding is that it is us that there is no purpose in offering the principle תִי ַּ ב ןי ֵ א ֶ ׁש י ִּ פ ל ַ ע ף ַ א ןי ִ בי ִ ר ְ ק ַ מ,
based on the sequence found in the such korbanot, for G-d will simply not be without the element of rei’ach nicho’ach.
pasuk. The verb, “I will make desolate,” interested in savoring the rei’ach nicho’ach May it be His Will that we should merit
is followed by the direct object, “Your of our korbanot. the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash,
Mikdashot.” This sequence implies that The Kaftor VaFerach writes that in so that we may then offer the type of
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even after their destruction, they retain 1257, Rabbeinu Yechiel MiParis, one Korban Pesach that will be brought ן ֹוצ ָ ר ְ ל,
the status of Mikdash. of the Ba’alei HaTosafot who moved providing a rei’ach nicho’ach to G-d.

However, one could have simply to Eretz Yisrael, advocated building (The original essay appears in Rav Schachter
understood the pasuk as foretelling that a mizbayach on the makom haMikdash on the Parsha, and in the newly released Rav
G-d will make desolate the structure and offering korbanot on it. The Netziv Schachter on the Haggadah.)
that had been hitherto recognized interprets his plans, as well as the
as the Beit HaMikdash, and not that tradition that the Korban Pesach was
the structure necessarily retains Beit brought after the destruction of the 1 Mishna Megillah 3:3.
HaMikdash status in its destruction. Second Beit HaMikdash (until the 2
Mefarshim on the Mishna do not seem to time of the fall of Betar), in light of his 3 Mishna Eduyot 8:6.
feel that the arrangement of the verb and explanation of the Mishna. 4 HaEmek Davar, Vayikra 26:31; Meishiv Davar 2:56.
direct object in the pasuk is particularly Siman 1.
compelling. It is most striking, he says, that the 5 Perek 6.
Korban Pesach is the one and only 6 pp. 77-78.
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The Netziv and the Binyan Tziyon offer korban never described in the Torah Rabbi Hershel Schachter is Rosh
a novel understanding of the exposition as providing a rei’ach nicho’ach. It was Yeshiva and Rosh Kollel at Rabbi Isaac
in the Mishna. The proof is not from the only korban offered in the post- Elchanan Theological Seminary of
the sequence, but from the second half churban period and which the Rishonim Yeshiva University

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