Questions — Parshah Tzav
Chapter 6
Why is the explanation of the rules for Burnt Offering explained in two ways: 1) as a set of general rules for the general Israelite in Vayikra, and 2) as a set of ritual rules for the Priests in Tsav. Why aren’t they explained completely in one place?
What Burnt Offering is being described in Tsav? Why is the altar cleared in the morning? How do we account for this distinction in our rules around prayer?
Having the fire on the altar burning constantly makes it function like a Ner Tamid, but it is not the Ner Tamid. Is there a conflict of purposes having the altar function as cooking fire and light generating fire? What is more important, the sacrifice or the fuel that burns with the sacrifice?
Elsewhere we learn that the women of the Cohen families can eat of the Cohen’s share from the sacrifices. In the grain offering the cakes made from the grain are eaten “in the enclosure of the Tent of Meeting.” Women would not be there/ Do the unleavened cakes have to be eaten there in their entirety? Is there a time limit for eating them? Do the Priests have to stuff themselves beyond what they would prefer to eat?
What is the sacrifice of the Burnt Offering described before the anointment offering? Does it follow the grain offering as an association? What can we learn from the juxtaposition of the two offerings?
The anointment offering is made with Choice Flour and soaked in Oil. Is the anointment a kind of luxury or are the luxury goods used in the anointment intended to elevate the dignity of the ceremony? Why then, is it not eaten? Why do we need to know that this is the practice for all time?
Why does the section on the Purification offering need to begin with the formula, “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to Aaron and his sons thus:”? We already know that these words are aimed at Aaron and his sons.
Why is there not a rule for which type of vessels are used for boiling the offering? Why is it boiled? In this case what purifies seems to take on the impurity. Why?
In 6:23 we are told that the offering can not be eaten from if the blood is used to make expiation for sin? Is there any other instance when a specific sacrifice can be used for two purposes?
If the priest’s garment gets blood spattered it needs to be cleaned. In some sacrificial religious practices outside of Israelite religion. What are the underlying values of cleaning versus not cleaning?
Chapter 7
What is a reparation offering? Is this another Priestly offering? {The parts not offered on the altar out of the reparation [Ha-Asham] offering can be eaten, as long as the offering is only used as a purification offering and not as a purification offering [Hatat]?
Why are some parts of the offerings that can be retained by the priests kept by them individually and others as commonly available to all of the “sons of Aaron”? As in: The individual priest keeps the grain of the grain offering, but not the bread or wafers made from grain or the cooked bread items soaked in oil.
Clearly, the fact that the distribution of goods to the priests being allocated through their work in the sacrificial cult raises the issue that the priests might act in their priestly capacity selfishly and self-interestedly. Why is there nothing said to warn them that this is a problematic situation? Or is it? The rabbis strongly opposed making a living from teaching Torah. Was this a reaction against a perceived normative mercenary attitude among the Priestly class (Sadducees)? Is this method of financially supporting the priests the only way that things could be done? Was it the only way that was known at the time? Was it the way things worked in the temples of the pagan gods?
Why is the offering at the fulfillment of a vow [Nedavah] allowed to be eaten on the second day and the well-being offering [Ha-Todah] only allowed to be eaten on the day?
Verses 7:19-21 discussed contacts of the animal offerings with something impure. This refers to either any impure thing, or a person who is in a state of impurity. The punishment for the person who is impure who touches the sacrifice is karet. This is an extreme punishment. Some commentators argue that this is here because there has been a discussion of non-Priests eating from the sacrifice. Since these people would be less aware of the intricacies of the Temple rules they need to be warned harshly. Still, there are sacrifices that are made after a person realizes that they have done something. Why is there no escape hatch for those people who transmitted impurity inadvertently and unintentionally?
Does the fact that the well-being have the greatest economic benefit to the priests underline the issue of corruption? Individual Israelites could choose which priests to make their offerings. What hidden dynamics might occur in this situation? This question pushes in a negative direction which might go too far. Perhaps a better question would be: how did the social dynamics of the interaction between the priests and the people work? What is within the range of possibilities? In the later prophetic dismissal of the values of the sacrifices an indirect questioning of the success of the system of the sacrificial cult?
Chapter 8
Verse 8:5 - “Then Moses said to the community, ‘This is what the Lord has commanded to be done.” Has Moses explained what is to be done or is this all he said, as in, see what I do now, this is what the Lord commanded to be done?
The process that Moses goes through washing, dressing and anointing Aaron and his sons seems very intimate for a public act? Does it seem more proper for Moses to do this than someone else? Does the tribal/familial aspect of the priesthood make more sense if we see it inside the frame of intimacy?
Why doesn’t Aaron have a turban?
The priest lay hands on the bull to be sacrificed? Why doesn’t Moses engage in any laying on of hands, especially as he is transferring some of his authority to Aaron and the whole priestly line going forward?
Why are the parts of the bull that are not consumed on the altar burnt outside of the camp? Why isn’t everything consumed on the altar? Why is even the doing mentioned? All the more so, this stands out when we see that the first ram that is offered is consumed in its entirety. Why is the ram offering washed in part and the bull offering not at all?
What is the significance of the daubing of Aaron and his sons with blood in various specific places? Everything is on the right side. If this is a kind of parallel with the anointing of the altar or the dashing of the altar with blood why aren’t they marked on all four sides, however one might consider that done on a person. Though, perhaps this is the reason that they are daubed in a process that moves down the body laterally. Hmm. The remainder of the blood that Moses uses to daub them with gets dashed against all sides of the altar.
What is the significance of the raise the roof gesture that Moses seems to cause the priests to use in their elevation offering of the cakes oiled bread? Is this the normal way that an elevation offering will be done?
Why does Moses get a very special part of the offering as his own portion? Is Moses of the priestly class or not? After the sacrificial cult was established did he get a share of what was common to all of the priests?
Moses anoints the priests with both oil and blood in a way that it gets on their garments, but we are not told that these garments then are to be cleared. Are they cleaned later?
Why is the flesh that can be eaten boiled and not roasted?
Is this ritual done once or everyday for ten days?
Why does failure to remain stationed at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting have such a harsh punishment? Is this an ordeal or a test?
