1 month ago

Tzav: Clothes Make The Man And The World

By Rabbi Tuvia Bolton

This week’s reading begins with the commandment of ‘Trumat HaDeshen”; removing the ashes of the burnt sacrifices of the previous day before beginning the new day’s service in the Temple.
The Torah (Leviticus 6:4) tells us that the Cohen (priest) had to change his clothes from Temple garments to ordinary ones before he did this.

At first this is not understood. Removing the ashes was also a Temple service. And it was no dirtier than, for example, slaughtering the sacrifices or throwing their blood on the altar. Why did he have to change clothes? What is so important about clothes?
And most important; what does all this mean to us now?

To understand here are two stories

The first is about the fourth (Chabad) Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rebbe Shmuel.
The Rebbe was totally devoted to the service of G-d day and night.
But it so happened that he and another great Rabbi, (I heard that it was Rabbi Yisroel Salanter) had to visit a certain high Russian Minister in order to try to rescind an anti-Semitic decree hanging over the heads of Russian Jewry.
But the only way to see this Minister was in his palatial home where they would have to remove their hats and head coverings before entering and also be confronted to the immodest dress and behavior of the women there.
But with no alternative they arrived at the mansion full of hope and trepidation. Upon entering, both were requested by the doorman to remove all head coverings and they had no choice but to comply.
Rabbi Yisroel winced as he did so but to his amazement Rebbe Shmuel removed his hat and Yarmulke with ease, almost as though he enjoyed it!
(note: The head covering in Judaism is a remembrance that the Creator is above our understanding; so we must fear, love and obey Him constantly.)
Rabbi Yisroel was truly puzzled but said nothing as they walked slowly into the Minister’s office.
As they entered Rabbi Yisroel immediately cast his eyes to the floor so as not to see the nakedness of the women before him. But he noticed that the Rebbe looked straight ahead and never tried to avert his gaze even once from what was going on.
The meeting was successful and their goal was miraculously achieved. But after they left the mansion Rab Yisroel could not hold back his amazement, turned to the Rebbe and asked.
“Tell me, my friend. I admire your courage and your great wisdom in convincing the Minister to change his mind. But I don’t understand how you could remove your head covering so easily? For me it broke my heart to do so!”
“Ahh, that!” Grinned the Rebbe and he lifted his hat with one hand and with the other gently lifted the front of the toupee he had put on especially for the occasion; his head had, in fact, been covered all the time!
“Very inventive!” said Rab Yisroel. “But what about in the room; why didn’t you at least look down what with all the crosses on the walls and the immodest dress there.
“Here, have a look!” Replied the Rebbe as he removed a pair of glasses from his pocket and handed them to his friend. “When I entered his room I put on these, they are so thick I almost couldn’t see a thing! You see, I came prepared!”

The second story is about the Baal Shem Tov.
When the Baal Shem Tov passed away in the year 1760 his son, Rabbi Tzvi, took his place as spiritual director. But after one year his departed father visited him saying that he should give the position to Rav Dovber (aka ‘The Magid) of Mezeritz.
Rabbi Dovber was a holy genius in all aspects of the Torah and possessed the powers of prophecy, blessing and integrity. But he was very humble and quiet.
Rabbi Tzvi gathered all the Chassidim together and announced that he was vacating his place for Rabbi Dov Ber. Then, when Rabbi Dovber, as expected refused saying that he was not a leader etc Rabbi Tzvi removed the white mantle of leadership given to him by his father, the Besh’t, and put it on the shoulders of Rabbi Dovber.
Immediately a noticeable change occurred to Rabbi Dov Ber; he became a different person and transformed to be the leader of the Chassidim.

This answers our questions about the why the Cohen changed garments to remove the ashes.

True the removal of the ashes was part of the service, but it was a part that dealt with ‘outside’ of the Temple. It was only a preparation for the holy service and that has to be done with different garments.
Just as the Rebbe’s toupee and thick glasses and the Magid’s cloak enabled them to go ‘down’ from their normal spiritual selves.
And this is a lesson to us. Every Jew is a holy Temple but we must remember that the things we do ‘outside’ in ‘ordinary’ garments (in our normal lives) are no less important than our ‘holy’ service.
Indeed, precisely these ‘outside’ endeavors are the goal of Judaism. Only by going out of ourselves into the world can we perfect the world via Moshiach.
Moshiach will be a true Jewish leader, a King, who build the Third Holy Temple and gather all the Jews to the Holy Land to do all that is written in the book of Leviticus.
Then (as we say thrice daily in ‘Alenu’) all mankind will desire ONLY the truth: that G-d alone is creating everything CONSTANTLY and there is nothing except for Him.

But it all depends on us to bring Moshiach even one moment sooner. And not much is lacking. We are standing on the merits of thousands of years of Jewish efforts, efforts, faith and suffering.
Now it could be that just one more good deed, word or even thought; especially if done in joy, can tilt the scales and bring the total redemption. with ……

Moshiach Now!

Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
Yeshiva Ohr Tmimim
Kfar Chabad, Israel

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