Devar/5770/Ki Tisa
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< Devar | 5770
עברית
וְרָחֲצוּ אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו, מִמֶּנּוּ, אֶת-יְדֵיהֶם, וְאֶת-רַגְלֵיהֶם. (שמות ל:יח,יט)
English
'Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and the base thereof of brass, whereat to wash; and thou shalt put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.
And Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat. (Ex 30:18,19)
The "laver" was used by the Cohanim to wash their hands and feet prior to their entering the Temple to perform their duties, as it is written: When they go into the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, that they die not (ibid 20).
These ablutions were not performed in order to cleanse them of filth, but to remove ritual impurity. In the morning before commencing the services in the Temple, they "sanctified" their hands and feet. But during the day they did not do so unless their hands happened to become ritually impure or if they became distracted from their hands. A Cohen does not need to sanctify [his hands] between each service, rather he sanctifies them just once in the morning, and then he may perform the services all day and all night. This is only if he did not leave the Temple, and did not sleep, and did not urinate, and did not distract his mind from his hands; but if one of these four occurred to him, he must re-sanctify his hands (Laws of Approaching the Temple 5:3).
There is a commandment to sanctify from the "laver" mentioned in our verse -- but if he sanctified from one of the other Temple vessels, even though he didn't use the laver, his service is proper. If that is so, what does the Torah mean by that they die not? That is to tell us that the Cohen who performed the service without having sanctified his hands and feet initially, is liable for a Heavenly death-sentence. But then what do we need the "laver" for?
The Torah is telling us that one who wishes to rise in holiness, should prepare his vessels (and himself!) so they are ready to serve God, may His name be blessed. There is no comparison between the one who performs a commandment as it happens upon him, and the one who constantly prepares himself and directs himself to seek out the commandments and perform them with the proper attention. Even though both performed the commandment, the latter receives a much better reward, since he subjugated his "evil inclination" and directed himself towards his God. Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel (Amos 4:12).
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