“And Adonoy spoke to Moshe, saying: Command Aharon and his
sons, saying: This is the law of the burnt offering. It is the burnt offering
[which remains] on its pyre on the altar all night, until the morning, and the
fire on the altar will be kept burning on it.”
~ VaYikra 6:1-2
Command Aharon. There is no [use of the expression] Tzav [in
English, ‘command’] except when there is a sense of urging, immediately and for
future generations. Rabbi Shimon said: It is all the more necessary for the
Torah to urge [the fulfillment of a command] when it involves monetary loss.
~ Rashi on VaYikra 6:1-2
In his footnotes on this Rashi, Rabbi Avrohom Davis explains
that (according to Rashi) HaShem employed the word Tzav, denoting a particular
imperative, in recognition that the Kohanim did not receive any meat from the
burnt offering, only the skin. In light of the fact that their service in this
regard resulted in little benefit, they needed a distinct prompting.
People feel a willingness to give in different ways. Some
are more comfortable sharing their money, others freely give their time, while
still others more readily share their attention or feelings with their friends, family, and neighbors. While in this week’s parsha the word 'Tzav' is very directed and specific,
the message can be applied more broadly – when a mitzvah opportunity presents itself, and
you have the means to do it, yet it falls out of your comfort area of ‘giving’... consider seriously if you are facing your own personal ‘Tzav’ moment.
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