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MIZRACHI EDUCATORS                 TORAT MIZRACHI




                  Rabbanit Shani Taragin





                                        Shemini to Acharei Mot,


                           Yom HaZikaron to Yom HaAtzmaut





             his year, the fifth of Iyar coin-  the camp, he returns to his tent. 3. On   Simultaneously  however,  we  are
             cides with the  parshiyot of   the eighth day, with special sacrifices,   reminded of the deaths that accompa-
      TTazria and Metzora, in which         he returns to the Mishkan. The cere-  nied the eighth day. Aharon wears the
       we learn of the laws of tzara’at, a spir-  mony of slaughtering a bird over fresh   same uniform as his sons did and reen-
       itual and physical malady that renders   water, dipping a live bird in its blood   acts their bringing of the ketoret. Every
       the inflicted tamei: limited from access   and then sending it away, marks the   year he dons white garments, symbol-
       to the Mikdash and removed from the   transition from life to death, the rebirth   izing the color of death, as he revisits
       social camp. These parshiyot are pre-  of the metzora. The metzora, whose dis-  the deaths of his sons, and all the sons
       ceded by Shemini, the narrative of the   ease surfaced on his body with white,   of Israel that have left the “camp of
       tragic deaths of Nadav and Avihu at the   dead-colored skin, is “brought back to   life,” like the metzora. Yet every Yom
       Mishkan’s inauguration.              life” with crimson-colored water and   Kippur – as he sprinkles the blood of
       The Torah charges the metzora to rend   bird’s blood, symbolizing the return to   the bull and the goat, like the sprinkling
       his garments, leave his hair to grow,   live, healthy flesh.              of the blood of the bird of the metzora
       cover his mouth and publicly declare   We may now understand the juxtapo-  – he reminds us that kappara may be
       his state of ritual impurity. Then, as   sition of the respective parshiyot read   achieved and the tumah of death shall
       an independent imperative, the Torah   at this time of year. After the deaths of   be removed.
       commands the metzora to live in iso-  Nadav and Avihu on Yom HaShemini    Every  Yom HaZikaron, dressed in
       lation. The first two commandments   (the eighth day following the inaugural
       remind us of the laws of mourning fol-  preparations, when the Shechina was   blue – together with our white – we
       lowing the deaths of Nadav and Avihu,   manifest), we encounter laws of defile-  remember the tragic deaths of our sol-
                                                                                 diers and terror victims, young sons and
       as Moshe had instructed Aharon and   ment related to childbirth and then the
       his remaining sons not to let their hair   pseudo-death of the metzora. But on   daughters, who remind us of our own
       grow and not to rend their clothes in   the same Shabbat, we also read of the   mortality. And the day after, as we read
       response to their loss, while the rest   process of purification and restoration   the parshiyot of transition from death to
       of the nation will “bewail the burning.”                                  life, from Shoa to Tekuma, from white
                                            to individual and communal life. The   to gold, crimson, and techelet, we raise
       In contrast, the metzora is not mourn-  following Shabbat, we read parashat   our flags and celebrate the “inaugura-
       ing for a relative, but for himself, as if   Acharei Mot, commanding Aharon to   tion” of the State of Israel, a modern
       he has died. As such, Chazal formu-  purify the Mishkan on Yom Kippur, as   manifestation of the Shechina’s return
       lated  that  “a  metzora  is  considered   he dons bigdei haBad, special white   to our midst.
       dead” (Rashi, Bamidbar 12:12, based   linen garments, and brings  ketoret,
       on Sifrei). That is why the last require-  annually revisiting this sons’ deaths.
       ment is mentioned separately; it con-
       stitutes the very essence of his “death.”   As he wears the white garments, the
       The metzora must detach himself from   Kohen Gadol detaches himself from
       communal life, in which the Shechina   his gold and crimson priestly vest-
       resides, separating himself from public   ments and wears the garments worn
       partnership in the community, from the   by a Kohen Hedyot, a regular kohen.
       life of the nation.                  Every Yom Kippur, the Kohen Gadol    Rabbanit Shani Taragin is Educational
                                            revisits  Yom HaShemini, the initial   Director of Mizrachi and the Director of
       The process through which he returns   consecration of the Mishkan. The core   the Mizrachi Matan Lapidot Educators'
       to “life,” as he makes his way back into   relationship between these two events   Program.
       society, consists of three stages: 1. He   is to annually restore the Mishkan to its
       returns to the camp by bringing two   earliest beginnings prior to impurities,   A member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau
       birds. 2. After seven days of residence in   when the Shechina was first manifest.   mizrachi.org/speakers



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