Friday-Daily Chitas [Chumash, Tanya] & Rambam Summaries [2nd of Nissan 5783]

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Friday, 2nd Nissan 5783/March 24, 2023

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Parshas Vayikra-Shishi

  1. The goat Chatas sin offering of an individual:
  • If an individual accidentally sins, he is to bring a female goat which is unblemished as a Chatas offering for Hashem. He is to rest his hands on the head of the goat and sacrifice it before Hashem in the same area as the Olah offering.
  • Offering the blood: The Kohen is to take from the blood and place it on the corners of the altar used for the incense. The remaining blood is to be spilled on the base of the Ohel altar.
  • Offering the animal: All of its fat is to be offered to the altar. Doing so will bring atonement and Hashem will forgive him.

 

  1. The sheep Chatas sin offering of an individual:
  • If an individual accidentally sins, and he bring a female sheep which is unblemished as a Chatas offering for Hashem. He is to rest his hands on the head of the goat and sacrifice it before Hashem in the same area as the Olah offering.
  • Offering the blood: The Kohen is to take from the blood and place it on the corners of the altar used for the incense. The remaining blood is to be spilled on the base of the Ohel altar.
  • Offering the animal: All of its fat is to be offered to the altar. Doing so will bring atonement and Hashem will forgive him.
  •  
  1. The Karban Olah Veyoreid for specified sins:
  • Anyone who has transgressed the following sins is responsible to bring a Chatas offering:
  • Swearing falsely: If an individual sins, by swearing falsely that he does not have testimony of something that he witnessed, then he will bear his sin.
  • Impurity: Likewise, an individual who touches an impure item or a Niveila and he became impure, and he forgot of his impurity and sinned [through entering the Temple or eating Kodshim].
  • Vow: An individual who made a vow and forgot and transgressed it.
  • The animal offering: Anyone who is guilty of the above is to confess his sin and bring his guilt offering before Hashem. It is to be a female sheep or goat, and the Kohen is to atone for him.
  • If he is poor-the bird offering: If one cannot afford to bring an animal then he is to bring two turtledoves or two young doves to the Kohen. The first is to be offered as a Chatas and have Melika performed on its head, by its neck area, although it is not to be beheaded. The blood of the Chatas is to be sprayed on the wall of the altar, and the remaining blood is to be poured on the base of the altar. The second bird is to be offered as an Olah.

Tanya Begining of Chapter 38 

Chapter 38: Speech versus thought of a Mitzvah

2nd Nissan/21st Adar 2

1.      Speech versus thought of a Mitzvah:

  • The thought of a Mitzvah is invalid withouts its speech or action: Based on the information in the previous chapter, one can understand the following law: The Talmud and Poskim rule that thought is unlike speech, and one who thinks the words of Shema in his heart and mind without verbalizing them, does not fulfill the Mitzvah. This applies even if he concentrates on the words in his mind and heart with all his might and strength. Nonetheless, he does not fulfill his obligation, and is required to repeat the reading. The same applies to Birchas Hamazon which is Biblical, as well as all other Rabbinical blessings, and prayer [that one who thinks the words in his heart and mind without verbalizing them, does not fulfill the Mitzvah].
  • The speech or action of a Mitzvah is valid even without its thought: On the other hand, if one verbalized the words, but did not have intent of the heart, he nevertheless fulfills his obligation, Bedieved, and is not required to repeat the prayer with exception to the first verse of Shema and the first blessing of Shemoneh Esrei.

 

2.      The reason that speech disqualifies the mitzvah and not thought: 

  • The G-dly soul requires no fixing-its purpose is to fix the animal soul: The [G-dly] soul [i.e. Neshama] does not require any refinement or elevation in it of itself with the fulfillment of Mitzvos, and it is rather performed solely for the sake of refining the animal soul and body.
  • Through speaking with the five parts one’s mouth and performing the Mitzvos with the other limbs of the body, one draws G-dliness to his body and animal soul. [Accordingly, one does not fulfill his obligation with thinking and concentration if it does not involve an action, as it does nothing to fulfill its purpose of refining the animal soul and body. Nonetheless, thought and concentration also play a vital role in the performance of a Mitzvah, as will now be explained.]

 

3.       The importance of thought despite its lack of disqualification:

  • Action without intent is like a body without a soul: The Sages state that prayer or other blessings without intent is like a body without a soul. [To understand this we must first give the following introduction in explaining the difference between the soul and body, as found amongst all creations of the world.]

 

4.      Everything, even a rock, has a soul:

  • Every creation contains a revelation of G-dliness which recreates its body every moment and prevents its return to nothingness.
  • This applies even to the inanimate, such as rock and earth.
  • In addition, every living creature contains a soul which is responsible for giving life to its body, each to their own level, and make the body feel alive.

 

5.      The G-dly energy found in the soul versus that found in the body:

  • Now, there is no comparison at all between the revelation of G-dly light that shines in the body, and that which shines in the soul of all living creatures.

Rambam, Hilchos Mamrim Chapter 4: 

Chapter 4: by what disputes is a person deemed a Zakein Mamrei

Halacha 1: The manner of dispute which deems one a Zakein Mamrei

  • If he is lenient while the Supreme Court is stringent: A person is deemed a Zakein Mamrei whether he argues for leniency or stringency regarding a law that carries a penalty of excision. Meaning, whether he is the one who rules to permit the matter while the Supreme Court rules to prohibit it, or vice versa, that he is the one who rules to prohibit the matter and the Supreme Court is the one who rules to permit it, he is nonetheless deemed a Zakein Mamrei.
  • If he bases his opinion on tradition: He is deemed a Zakein Mamrei even if he claims his opinion is based on tradition from his teachers, while the Supreme Court bases their decision on their personal opinion.
  • If he argues against a rabbinical decree: He is deemed a Zakein Mamrei if he argues on then regarding a decree they made in order to protect a prohibition which carries a penalty of excision.
  • An example by Chametz: For example, if he argued on the decree to prohibit Chametz from the sixth hour of the day of the 14th of Nisan, and ruled to permit it then he is deemed a Zakein Mamrei and is liable for death.

 

Halacha 2: The disputed subjects which deems one a Zakein Mamrei

  • A matter which can eventually lead to Kareis: If the dispute surrounds a law which can eventually lead to a penalty of excision, even though it itself does not contain a penalty of excision, nonetheless the dissenting sage is liable for death.
  • Therefore, the court must contemplate by every subject of dispute as to whether the matter can eventually lead to a penalty of excision, and if so then he is deemed a Zakein Mamrei, even if can only lead to this in a very far-fetched case, after 100 causes and effects.
  • This includes the following examples:
    • Erva and Nida: If they debated regarding this certain woman is an Erva, or is a Nida, then he is liable.
    • Cheilev: Likewise if they debated regarding if a certain food is Cheilev, then he is liable.
    • Leap year: Likewise if they debated regarding if a certain year should be a leap year, then he is liable, as this effects the prohibition of Chametz.
    • Monetary cases: Likewise if they debated regarding the ruling in a monetary case, then he is liable, as this effects the status of a marriage that will take place with this money.
    • Lashes: Likewise if they debated regarding if a person is liable for lashing, then he is liable, as this effects the status of a marriage that will take place with the money that would need to be paid by the executioner of the lashes if he was not liable.
    • Erechin and Charamim: Likewise if they debated regarding if a person is liable for a Cherem or Erechin payment, then he is liable, as this effects the status of a marriage that will take place with this money. The same applies regarding all the following cases as well, due to that the status of the money would affect the status of a marriage:
    • Pidyon Kodshim
    • Egla Arufa
    • Arla
    • Leket, Shichicha and Peiah
    • Tuma Vetaharah: Likewise if they debated regarding if a person is pure or impure with an Avi Avos Hatuma, then he is liable, as this effects whether one who enters the Temple is liable for excision.
    • Metzora
    • Sotah

Halacha 3: A dispute regarding the mitzvah of tefillin

  • If the subject in dispute cannot lead even in a far-fetched manner to a penalty of excision, then the elder is exempt from liability, with exception to the Mitzvah of Tefillin.
  • For example, if he says that one needs to make a fifth compartment in the head tefillin, then he is liable.
  • This law that a person is liable for matters relating to tefillin laws, is a tradition for Moses on Sinai.
  • He is not held liable for disputing any other law, whether it be relating to the Lulav, Tzitzis, Shofar, or anything of the like.

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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