Transcript
One of the pillars of the world, in my opinion, is a person that every night at midnight is at the Western Wall praying for the Jewish People, Rabbi Nachman Zeev Frank. I try very much to go over the ideas that are in these podcasts to make sure I’m aligned with those that I revere, concepts of bringing down the Beis Hamikdash, the consciousness of the Third Temple to the world.
When it came to the subject of the essence of the Beis Hamikdash, which is the service, the sacrifices, I express my hesitation. We live in such a crazy world, a mixed-up world, where people are grappling with such basic concepts as gender, abortion. People are so not clear on things that are absolutely clear to a person who has a Torah perspective.
There are so many people that I talk to that actually think that in the Third Temple there won’t be sacrifices. There won’t be animals and no blood, like the story I spoke about when I was in Florida, of the great tzaddik, Rav Nachum of Chernobyl. When the man from the Galil was appalled when he came to the Beis Hamikdash and saw the blood and the animals. So I said to him, maybe I should avoid this subject. What do you think? He said to me, Rav Baruch Ber, what can I tell you? Growing up as a kid, every erev Pesach I saw my father crying from the morning into the night in his inability to bring the Korban Pesach.
I talked to another tzaddik, Rav Nosson Fisher, and he told me, Rav Baruch Ber, do you know that your name is exactly Gematria, the numerical value, of Korban Pesach, 500 exactly? So with the blessing of these two great people and with Hashem’s help, try to once again bring down, get clarity, on a very, very lofty subject, a makif, the Pascal Lamb, the Korban Pesach.
Let’s begin with a riddle. What does the mitzvah of sanctifying the new moon, the concept of chatzos, midnight, and the Pesach Lamb all have in common? Take a minute and think. On a simple level, check it out. All three of these things are in Chapter 12 of Shemos. One chapter, three huge ideas.
On a deeper level, we’ve already discussed two of these things. Rosh Chodesh is the time of renewal. It’s a turning point between the disappearance of the moon and the birth of the new moon. Chatzos is the darkest hour, the turning point where day begins, where redemption begins. So, too, historically, the Korban Pesach has been a catalyst for renewal for the Jewish People, starting way back when, when the Jewish People became a nation. So too, when Yehoshua crossed over the Jordan River, the first thing that he did was circumcise the Jewish People and bring the Korban Pesach.
In Kings, Chapter 23, King Yoshiyahu, after purifying the land of the idolatry of his father, the first thing that he did was bring the Korban Pesach. At the end of Tanach, King Chizkiyahu, in an attempt to unite the Jewish People, institutes the Korban Pesach. These three mitzvos are bound up in one chapter, because their essence is one — renewal. The interface between exile and redemption.
In Song of Songs the verse says, “The voice of my beloved comes, leaping over the mountains, bouncing over the hills.” The commentaries explain that when the Jewish People were in Mitzrayim they were in a state of ritual defilement, not worthy of redemption. Hashem jumped. He sprung. It says that Hashem jumped over the doors, pasach al ha’petach. The Korban Pesach is a door, an opening of understanding to help us, G-d willing, understand deeper this lofty concept of sacrifices.
The Korban Pesach is a user-friendly sacrifice for many reasons. The Rambam counts 16 of the 613 mitzvot in the Korban Pesach alone. One half of the Tractate of Pesachim is dedicated to expounding on the laws of the Pesach. We know so much about it. It was such an amazing event to behold. Every single male and female had to be present for the Korban Pesach. Every single person ate a portion of the Pascal Lamb. Each family got together and formed a group.
Most importantly, even when the Jewish People were ritually impure, and certain times in history, even when there wasn’t even a Beis Hamikdash, the Passover Lamb was brought. This provided an amazing interface between exile and redemption. It is a fascinating subject which is controversial, and I won’t go into it, this idea if it’s possible, or even obligatory, for us to bring the Korban Pesach today, even though there is not a Beis Hamikdash.
One thing is clear, that almost every single one of us will be at a Seder, and therefore, let’s get practical. What can we do now in the days, in the hours leading up to the night of the Seder in order to hasten the redemption?
Listen to the words of the Midrash Tanchuma, Parshas Tzav, number 14. Why does it say, this is the Torah of the burnt offering? That the Jewish People should occupy themselves with reading the Torah of the burnt offering, and it’s as if they actually offered it. This is what Rav Shmuel bar Abba said, that Hashem said to the Jewish People, even if the Temple is destined to be destroyed in the future, and the sacrifice is nullified, do not allow yourselves to forget the order of the sacrifices, but rather be careful to read about them and review them. If you occupy yourselves with them, I’ll count it to you as if you were occupied with bringing them themselves.
So, too, the Midrash continues, and it says, when Chizkiyahu was shown the form of the Third Temple, he described it with all of its measurements. The prophet Yechezkel responded to Hashem and says, but we’re in exile, and You say to me to go inform the Jewish People about the form of the Temple? Are they able to fulfill what You’re telling them? Wait for them to come out of exile and only afterwards I’ll tell them. Said Hashem to Yechezkel, because my children are in exile, the building of my Temple should be idle? Go and say to them to occupy themselves with reading about the form of the Temple, and in reward for occupying themselves with it, I’ll count it as if they were occupied with building the Beis Hamikdash.
Baruch Hashem, today there is ArtScroll. There is an amazing introduction to the Korban Pesach in the beginning of Chapter 5 of the ArtScroll Mishnayos, and also in Masechtas Pesachim. Consider learning about the Pascal Lamb in these days, and even more important, we’re all going to read the Haggadah. Let’s read it with intention. Let’s know what we’re saying. Listen to the words of the Haggadah itself.
Before we raise up the second cup we say the blessing, “Blessed are You, king of the universe, who redeemed us and redeemed our fathers from Egypt. You brought us to this night on which we eat matzah and maror. Hashem, bring us to celebrate future festivals and holidays, and let us be happy in the rebuilding of Your city and joyful in Your service. There we shall eat of the Passover offerings, whose blood will be sprinkled upon the sides of Your altar for acceptance. We shall then thank You with a new song for our redemption and for the deliverance of our souls. Blessed are You, G-d, who has redeemed Israel.”
Believe the words. Consider yearning for the Beis Hamikdash. Consider shedding a tear like Rav Nachman Zeev’s father. We’ve just opened the door. It’s called Korban Pesach, the Pascal Lamb. Let us walk through this portal and expand our minds to concepts that are beyond us.
Today, like 3,000 years ago, we live in exile. There’s a lack of clarity. It’s really easy today to just space out and get distracted and sidetracked by thousands of interesting things that have absolutely nothing to do with the real purpose of life. Don’t let society limit your consciousness to things that are lofty. May our learning and our yearning and the words of our prayers push the supernal buttons of mercy until we merit the coming of Eliyahu HaNovi to announce the arrival of a Mashiach and the building of the Third Beis Hamikdash where we’ll all partake of the Korban Pesach this year in Yerushalayim.
