Timeless TorahChisaron Kis...No Cover (6:2)
The Midrash asks, “Why does the verse refer to the laws of the Olah (Burnt) offering as Torah? Perhaps one might say: When the Holy Temple stood, we were able to bring sacrifices and achieve atonement. But now when there is no Temple, how are we to achieve forgiveness? Says Hashem: If you will study the Torah (meaning the laws) of the Olah, I will consider it as if you had actually brought the sacrifice.”
The K’sav Sofer (son of the famous Chasam Sofer) explains that it is no coincidence that the Midrash chooses to derive this novelty - that learning the laws of an offering is equivalent to bringing one - specifically in regard to an <em>Olah. </em> Each korban (sacrifice) had its purpose. A Chatas (Sin offering) was brought by one who had inadvertently violated a Torah prohibition, such as eating forbidden meat, while the <em> Korban Olah</em> (Burnt offering) was to atone for impure thoughts.
Thus it is specifically with regard to the Olah that we derive the rule, “Learning its laws is as good as bringing one.” Since the Olah /atoned for impure thoughts, it makes abundant sense that purifying one’s thoughts through Torah study should stand in its stead. But for a korban whose purpose was to atone for having actually transgressed a physical sin, perhaps studying and thinking about its laws would not be enough.
The whole idea of a “thought-sin” seems almost foreign to one living in Western society. After all, what I think is no one’s business but my own. So while we might acknowledge that it is wrong to act immorally, merely thinking about sin seems harmless. You know, as long as I don’t follow through, then no harm done.
Nonetheless, the Torah clearly warns us, “Do not stray after your thoughts and after your eyes.” In contrast then to the present day attitude that it’s okay to think about, and even talk or joke about sin as much as we want, the Torah sees things differently. “The eyes and the heart,” say our Sages, “are the two ‘agents’ of sin.” /First the eyes see, then the heart desires, until one ultimately goes ahead and sins.
In truth, thinking or talking about sin is just a devious form of acclimatizing oneself to actually sin. Toy with an idea long enough, even in jest, and it no longer seems foreign to go to the next step - doing it.
Indeed, if you give the matter some thought, you will see that society has already gone one step further. They have taken blatant immorality and created a lexicon whereby sin no longer sounds so evil. By using a subtle turn-of-phrase, one can easily avoid “calling a spade a spade.” Call a pig “Artiodactlya suiformes suidae sus scrofa” (its scientific name), and it just doesn’t sound like a pig anymore.
In regards to the Olah sacrifice, Rashi comments on our portion’s namesake, Tzav/Command. “Why are the laws of the Burnt offering related as a Tzav/Command? Because “Tzav” is an expression of encouragement and urging, which is especially needed in connection to the Olah since there is a monetary loss (in Hebrew: Chisaron kis).”
Commentaries are puzzled by this statement. What type of Chisaron kis (monetary loss) is there to the priests when they assist a Jew in bringing his Korban Olah? On the contrary, the Kohanim used to receive the animal’s hide as a form of payment for their assistance!
The Hebrew/Aramaic word kis means a pouch. Thus, a chisaron kis usually means, “something that causes a loss to one’s money pouch.” But the term kis also means a covering, which allows us to render the phrase chisaron kis as “lacking a cover.” All of our bodily entry points have a covering, which we can use to avoid sinning with them. We can close our eyes to avoid seeing evil. We can (as the Talmud suggests) fold our earlobes into our ears to avoid hearing evil. We can close our mouths to avoid sinning with them. But the mind has no covering. It is only with great effort and practice that one can train one’s mind to focus on pure thoughts, and keep it from wandering to places it shouldn’t.
All of the above makes possible this homiletical interpretation of Rashi’s explanation. The Torah must especially Tzav/Command, i.e. urge the Jew to be alert with regard to the Burnt Offering. Since this offering corresponds to the vagaries of sinful thoughts, it is a situation of chisaron kis - where a covering is lacking, for the mind has no cover with which to protect it! Therefore, special care and concern must be given to this area of our service to G-d.
It is no small matter that we often refer to the holiest of men as “pure-minded individuals.” So while controlling our thoughts is no simple task, Torah study, as we have noted, provides us with the strength and wherewithal to subjugate our thoughts and regulate not only our bodies, but our minds as well .
Click here to download this class- Login to post comments