Weekly Halacha Yomit: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch

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Daily Kitzur Limud (Week 28)

This week's learning:

14th of Tamuz

6 Jul 09

173:2 - 175:3

15th of Tamuz

7 Jul 09

175:4 - 176:7

16th of Tamuz

8 Jul 09

176:8 - 177:8

17th of Tamuz

9 Jul 09

121:6 -end

18th of Tamuz

10 Jul 09

177:9 - 178:3

19th of Tamuz

11 Jul 09

178:4 - 179:8

20th of Tamuz

12 Jul 09

179:9 - 180:8

"Baruch Hashem Yom Yomi"
Insight on this week's learning
By Daniel Cohen, Programs Director, World Mizrachi

This week, we commemorate the Fast of 17 Tammuz. Our learning this week is interrupted to study some of the laws of fast days. We are taught that 5 calamities occurred on 17 Tammuz – one of which being the cessation of the twice-daily tamid offering. This was during the siege of Jerusalem in the First Temple period – since no more animals could be obtained, the tamid offering could no longer be brought. While this is no doubt a sad occurrence, one could question how this is equal to the other tragedies of the day (see Kitzur 121:4) – e.g. the breaching of Jerusalem's walls, Moshe breaking the tablets, etc.

In a most unusual and fascinating Midrash quoted by the Maharal in Netivot Olam (Netiv Ahavat Re'ah, Chapter I, 52), we are told of a discussion regarding the one most important pasuk in the Torah. Now, if I was to ask you right now what you would consider the most important pasuk in the Torah, I am sure you would come up with the obvious ones. Maybe try having a guess now…

Well, the first two opinions are totally unsurprising and you may have well said these answers yourselves: Ben Zoma chooses the pasuk of Shema Yisrael. Ben Nanas then says his choice is VeAhavta LeReiacha Kamocha (love your friend as yourself). However, the last opinion, of Ben Pazi cites a seemingly strange pasuk:

The one lamb you shall offer up in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer up in the afternoon. (Shemot 29:39)

Although this pasuk is dealing with the daily tamid sacrifices, surely we could have thought of other more important psukim to quote?! Not only that, but the conclusion of the Midrash reports that

Rav Ploni stood on his feet and said, ‘The halachah is like Ben Pazi.’

The (undisputed) conclusion of the midrash seems to be that the most important pasuk in the Torah is neither Shema Yisrael, nor VeAhavta LeReiacha Kamocha, but one about daily sacrifices?! How can this be so?!

The classic answer given to this is that given by the Maharal. The pasuk regarding the tamid is the most important since it represents permanent consistency in our Judaism. One might have thought that the most important things in Judaism involve the 'big' ideas of loving our fellow man, or loving Hashem totally. The Midrash concludes that this is not the case – the most important aspect of our religion is the daily, regular application of Judaism in our lives. This crucial idea is best represented by the tamid sacrifice which was constantly and consistently offered twice every day in the Temple. That is, until the tamid could no longer be brought – on 17 Tammuz.

Now perhaps we can understand why the loss of the korban tamid was such a great tragedy. Although, according to some opinions, we pray our tefillot in place of the sacrifices, this is not on the same level as the tamid itself. We have lost much of this daily devotion to Hashem and this loss is to be mourned. One can only hope that we merit to witness the prophecy of Zechariah (8:19) where he describes how all our fast days will become days of joy in the future:

So said the Lord of Hosts: The fast of the fourth [month], the fast of the fifth [month], the fast of the seventh [month], and the fast of the tenth [month] shall be for the house of Judah for joy and happiness and for happy holidays – but love truth and peace.

If you have any comments or feedback, please email daniel@worldmizrachi.org .

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