Tetzaveh                                                                                 Cohen Family

Rav Dovid Hofstedter, in his text Dorash Dovid, discusses the Korban Tamid (daily/regular sacrifice).  He asks, “What steps must one take in order to rise to spiritual heights? And how do we learn this from the Korban Tamid?”   The mitzvah of offering this korban appears in Parsha Tetzaveh - “This is what you must perform constantly on the Mizbe’ach (altar): two lambs, (each being less than) a year old, each day” (Shemos 29:38), and in Parsha Pinchas-“This is the burnt offering that you must bring to Hashem-two lambs daily, (younger) than one year old without blemish-a constant olah offering (Bamidbar 28:3).  Rashi explains that we need this second verse to teach us that we must offer the Korban Tamid every day for all time and that it is not a one-time mitzvah that was to be performed as part of the korbanos hamilu’im (special sacrifices to inaugurate the Tabernacle) listed in Parshas Tetzaveh.

Yet the Torah places the Korban Tamid as part of the korbanos hamilu’im, which are included in the inaugural process by which the Mishkan was sanctified.  Immediately following the commandment to offer the Korban Tamid, the Torah states (Shemos 29:44-45): “I will sanctify the Ohel Moed (Mishkan/Tabernacle) and the Mizbe’ach.  I will also sanctify Aharon and his sons…I will dwell among the people of Yisrael and I will be a Mighty Power for them.”  This indicates that the Korban Tamid was an integral part of the Mishkan’s inauguration and sanctification process.  

When inaugurating the Mishkan for the very first time it was certainly important for the proceedings to be performed in the purest, most spiritual manner possible.  This was the moment when the holy Shechinah was to come and dwell among the nation of Yisrael.  Therefore, Hashem commanded Moshe to offer a series of korbanos each day for seven days - the seven yemei hamilu’im.  Only after these seven days would it be possible to begin the regular order of korbanos prescribed in the Torah.

The Korban Tamid was part of the special process that sanctified the Mishkan, elevating it so that it would be fit to house the holy Shechinah. The Korban Tamid, therefore, contained the element of a beginning, of being part of an inauguration.  In Parsha Pinchas, however, the Torah teaches us a new lesson.  There the Torah repeats parshas hatamid, telling us that this korban is to be offered every single day, as long as the Mizbe’ach is functioning.  Thefore, the Korban Tamid also has the power to renew and recharge the sanctity of the Beis Hamikdash every single day.  From this we learn that it is not enough to instill this sanctity at the outset; even something that was created in sanctity must be renewed at the outset of every day in order to prevent its sanctity from slipping away.

Rav Hofstedter compares the inauguration of the Mishkan with one undertaking  a spiritual endeavor.   One must invest enormous energy at the outset of this project, so that one will have a solid basis to continue and to succeed.  This is similar to the role of the Korban Tamid in this week’s parsha, Tetzaveh.  In addition, however, we must remember what we learned about the Korban Tamid from Parsha Pinchas and begin one’s efforts each day anew, building on the strength of one’s previous accomplishments.  Once someone has attained a certain level in serving Hashem, one must remember that one will not be able to maintain that level without keeping a constant vigil.  One must invigorate oneself constantly with the inspiration to keep moving ever forward.  In this way one can be assured that one’s accomplishments will remain forever.