“Wisdom built her house” [Proverbs, 9:1]. King Solomon, of blessed memory, said that our faith is compared to a wise woman, and the faith of the gentiles is compared to a foolish woman. Therefore, the verse began with “wisdom.” That is to say, our Torah contains only wisdom. It is compared to a clever woman who builds her house on many good pillars. She forbids her household many things. She finds ways to cook good food herself and to drink good drinks, and she prepares the table by herself. She works together with others. She calls her good friends to herself. So too is our holy Torah. It is prepared with all kinds of wisdom, like a table that is prepared with all sorts of good food. She invites all the people. She says: whoever is a fool and has no understanding, I will teach him wisdom. As the verse says, “come, eat my food and drink the wine that I have mixed” [Proverbs, 9:5]. Come to me and eat with me and drink my wine. Throw away your ways and accept wisdom. Thus, you will live long. He compares the faith of the gentiles to a foolish woman who talks about everything and causes many to stumble with her words, with her evil advice and her evil deeds. As the verse says, “the stupid woman bustles about; she is simple and knows nothing. She sits in the doorway of her house” [Proverbs, 9:13–14]. This means, the foolish woman is the opposite of the first, clever, woman that we mentioned above. The first one is clever and this one is foolish. She keeps talking and does not know about what she is talking. She is always looking out her door at the street. She has nothing prepared in the house. Therefore, she sits in the street. There is nothing to eat in the house, nothing to drink. So too is the faith of the gentiles. They left the shadow of the Holy One and they do not sit under the authority of the Holy One, like the foolish woman sits in the street before her door. The Midrash says about the verse, “she has hewn her seven pillars” [Proverbs, 9:1]. The wisdom of the Torah came from the seven heavens. If the person is worthy, he will inherit the world that has seven parts. That is to say, there are seven corners in the world. The Midrash says specifically that the Torah rests on seven pillars, since the number seven alludes to the heaven and also alludes to the creatures on the earth. The number seven is included in many commandments. The Sabbath is after seven days and the sabbatical year [shemitah] is after seven years. The Jubilee year is the fiftieth year after seven sabbatical years, and is after seven days. Sukkot is also seven days. The etrog has seven parts. The etrog is one; the lulav is the second. Then there are three myrtle branches. This is five all together, and there are two willow branches. All together this is seven. Mourning is seven days, and the wedding celebration is seven. Therefore, it is also shown here in the Torah portion that sacrifices were brought for seven days through the hand of Moses and through this he dedicated the altar. After the seventh day, Aaron and his children began to bring sacrifices on the eighth day. This was the first day of Nisan, when it was said.1Bahya, Shemini, Introduction.
“On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons” [9:1]. He dedicated Aaron and his sons to bring sacrifices in the Tabernacle on the first day of Nisan. Therefore, Moses brought sacrifices for seven days and on the first day of Nisan; ten kinds of honor were done for Israel. The Midrash says, “to the wanton men I say, do not be wanton” [Psalms, 75:5]. The dancer should not rejoice with his dance. Who knows what will be afterwards? See what is written concerning the creation of the world. The Holy One created the world, as it is written, “may the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in His works” [Psalms, 104:31]. That is to say, the Holy One rejoiced greatly with his creatures. Afterwards, the verse says, “His heart was saddened” [Genesis, 6:6]. That is to say, The Holy One regretted that he had created the world, because it had become so evil. If the Holy One did not engage in His joy for very long, how much more so, a person who does not know how long his joy will last. Also concerning Abraham, there was great joy. He was very important. He has killed five kings and the Holy One had given him a son at the age of one hundred years. All of this was a great joy to him. However, afterwards his joy soon ended when the Holy One ordered him to slaughter that same son. As soon as he came home, he found that his wife Sarah had died, and he had no place to bury his wife Sarah. He had to buy a field for four hundred gulden in order to bury her. Isaac also had great joy with wealth. The king and his ministers said to him. We saw many wonders with your father and with you, and they held him very important, and the people of the city of Gerar protected him. They argued with him in the end, and he was blind in his old age. This is a great travail, since a blind person is compared to a dead person. When this happened to the good pious Isaac who had been a sacrifice on the altar, what should have happened with another person with his joy? Jacob also had great joy in that the Holy One showed him a ladder standing at his feet. The ladder reached to heaven and angels were going up to heaven and other angels from heaven were going down to earth. The Holy One was speaking with him at the same time. In the end, he had many troubles with Laban and with Esau. The trouble with Dinah and that Joseph was lost for many years. This shortened his joy. If this happened to Jacob, what should happen to an ordinary person and his joy? Joshua had great joy. He caused Israel to inherit the land of Israel and killed thirty-one kings. All of Israel considered him very important because of this. They said that whoever would say one word against Joshua would be killed. In the end, he became old and died without children. This is a great travail even for an ordinary person, how much more so for a pious and important person. Therefore, one should hold no joy as insignificant. Eli the priest had great joy. He was a king and a priest and head of a court. In the end, he was sitting on his throne and he was told that the Philistines had captured the Ark with the Tablets. He was very frightened and fell back on his throne and broke his neck and he died, and his two children were killed in that war. When this happened to Eli, it can occur to any person. Also Elisheva, the daughter of Aminadav, was the wife of Aaron the priest. She saw great joy that no person in the world had seen such great joy. Her husband was the high priest and her brother-in-law, Moses Our Teacher, was a king and a prophet. Her two sons, Nadav and Avihu, were the highest priests after Aaron, her husband. Her brother was the most important chieftain among the Israelites, and he was called Nahshon the son of Aminadav. However, her joy was short when her two sons were burned in the Tabernacle, at the sacrifices. Therefore, each person should reflect on how he should behave in his joy. When he is rich, he should not wait until the poor person asks him for money. “Moses called Aaron and his sons” [9:1]. Moses said to Aaron: come here my dear brother, the Holy One wants to make you a high priest. Aaron responded: you exerted yourself in building the Tabernacle. How is it appropriate that I should be the high priest and not you? Moses responded: It is as great a joy for me that you are the high priest, as if I had been a high priest. When the Holy One wanted to send me to Pharaoh, I said: Aaron is older, let him go on this mission. The Holy One said to me: Aaron is full of happiness and joy that you should have the honor of this mission to Pharaoh. Just as you rejoiced with my honor, so too I will rejoice when you will be a high priest. The Holy One said to Moses: do not think that since you offered sacrifices for seven days, you will be a high priest. Therefore, call Aaron immediately and he will be a high priest. You, Moses, should also call the elders, expecting that they will testify that I made Aaron for a high priest and he did not make himself a high priest.2Bahya, Leviticus, 9:1.
Aaron should take a calf as a sacrifice, expecting forgiveness for the sin of the Golden Calf, which was a calf.3Bahya, Leviticus, 9:2.
The Midrash says that Israel brought a kid because they slaughtered a kid and dipped Joseph’s garment into its blood and caused anguish to their father, Jacob. Afterwards, they made the Golden Calf. Therefore, Israel should also bring a calf for the Golden Calf. Since Aaron was only involved with the Golden Calf through actions, but his thoughts were not part of it, they were for God. Therefore, it is written that Aaron’s calf was the calf for a sin offering. This comes from actions. However, concerning Israel, the calf was a burnt offering. This shows that Israel’s thought was evil, to make a foreign god from the calf.4Bahya, Leviticus, 9:3.
“Come forward to the altar” [9:7]. The Midrash says that Aaron thought that the altar was like an ox and he was afraid to approach the altar. He saw an ox standing before him. Thus, Moses came and said to Aaron: my dear brother, do not be afraid. Go to the altar. Ramban writes that one should not understand that Aaron had seen an ox, but Aaron was a righteous person and always had before him, in his thoughts, the sin that he committed, and he had committed no sins except for the making of the Golden Calf. Therefore, the Midrash says, that is to say, that Aaron thought that the sin of the Golden Calf was standing before him. Thus, Moses said to Aaron, go to the altar; your sin has been forgiven. “Making expiation for yourself and for the people” [9:7]. You should make expiation for your sins and afterwards for the sins of the people. Each person should first repair himself and afterwards he should punish the people.5Bahya, Leviticus, 9:7.
Three sorts of things were offered from the sacrifice. First the fat of the sacrifice, since the fat brings him to all the sins through which he engages in arrogance.
That is to say, when a person is fat, he is quick to commit sins. Then they offered the kidneys, and it is known that the essential advice in the person comes from the kidneys. The person commits sins through the advice of the kidneys. Afterwards, one offers the red meat. This is the blood of the person, which leads the person to sins.6Bahya, Leviticus, 9:9.
“Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them” [9:22]. Aaron raised his hands toward heaven and blessed the people with the priestly blessing.
“Moses and Aaron then went inside the Tent of Meeting” [9:23]. Here one asks a question. For what reason did Aaron go in with him? The explanation is that Moses taught him how to bring the incense. On the eighth day he taught him how to offer the incense. Another explanation is that Aaron had brought the sacrifices and incense and the fire did not come down from heaven. Aaron said to Moses: all of this is because of me, because of my sins at the Golden Calf. You, Moses, caused me to be embarrassed. Moses went immediately into the Tent of Meeting and prayed. The Shekhinah appeared and Moses and Aaron went out and were saying, “May the favor of the Lord” [Psalms, 90:17], that the Holy One should cause the Shekhinah to rest on Israel. However, the whole seven days that Moses brought the sacrifices the Shekhinah did not appear. The Israelites were ashamed and said to Moses. We have exerted ourselves greatly so that the Shekhinah should appear to us, so that we should know that the sin of the Golden Calf has been forgiven for us. Moses responded: my brother Aaron is worthy that through him the Shekhinah will appear. With this you will know that the Holy One has chosen Aaron to be the high priest. Thus, the Shekhinah appeared and a fire came down from heaven and burned the sacrifices and burned them completely. The Israelites praised the Holy One and fell on their faces out of great fear.7Rashi, Leviticus, 9:23.
Bahya writes that the fire that came to burn the sacrifices remained and was not extinguished the whole time that the Temple stood, until the days of King Solomon, of blessed memory. We find twelve times fire came down from heaven on the earth. Six times the fire came for good to burn the sacrifices. Six times the fire came for evil and to punish the people. The first fire was now. It came to burn the sacrifices in the Tabernacle. The second fire came in the days of Gideon. He desired a sign from the Holy One. He slaughtered a kid and a fire came from a rock and burned the kid. The third fire came from heaven in the days of Manoah, when the angel came to his wife. Manoah took a kid and slaughtered it. A fire came on the altar and reached to heaven. The fourth fire came from heaven in the days of David. A pestilence came upon the people. David bought a threshing floor to bring sacrifices. He brought the sacrifices and a fire came down from heaven to receive his sacrifices. The fifth fire came down from heaven in the days of King Solomon. He finished building the Temple, and when he brought sacrifices a fire came down from heaven and burned the sacrifices. One asks a question. Why did fire come down in the days of Solomon? There was still fire on the altar from the days of Moses that was not extinguished, even to the days of Solomon. The explanation is that King Solomon brought many sacrifices on the copper altar that was from Moses. It could not accept all of Solomon’s sacrifices. Therefore, Solomon had to sanctify the courtyard in front of the Temple in order to bring all of his sacrifices. He made a dedication of the altar on that day. One was not supposed to take the fire of the altar outside the sanctuary and a strange fire was not supposed to be brought to any altar. Therefore, the Holy One had to send fire from heaven. The sixth fire came from heaven in the days of Elijah, who warred with the false prophets. Elijah asked God that He should send a great fire, since he had poured much water on the altar. Therefore, much fire had to come to also burn the water. These are the six fires that were for evil. The first was that Nadav and Avihu were burned. The second fire was when the Israelites were angry with Moses in the desert and a fire came and burned the important leaders. The third fire came when Korah argued with Moses and it burned two hundred and fifty men. The fourth fire came in the days of Job and burned all of his houses. The fifth and sixth fires were through Elijah. Two fires came in his days and burned his enemies.8Bahya, Leviticus, 9:24.
“Put fire in it” [10:1]. The sin of Nadav and Avihu was that they brought strange fire, not from the Tabernacle, and wanted to bring incense, and this was not right. They thought that one must have fire on the altar to burn the sacrifices, and that there must be enough fire for the sacrifices. Therefore, they took other fire and they did not want to take the fire from the altar. This was a sin, in that they did not think that the Holy One could easily make much fire out of a little fire when it would be needed. The Midrash says that they were drunk with wine and wanted to do the service at the altar. Therefore, it was soon forbidden to drink wine, after the death of Nadav and Avihu. The Holy One said: I want to honor you more that you honored me. You brought an unholy fire, and I will bring a holy fire from heaven. The Holy One immediately brought two threads of fire and each thread divided into two threads and the two fiery threads went into the nostrils of Nadav and the two fiery threads went into the nostrils of Avihu.9Bahya, Leviticus, 10:1.
Since their sin was fire, therefore, they were killed with fire. Their souls were not burned in their bodies, but the soul had to separate from the body. How is it possible that their souls should be burned, since they were very righteous people? Our sages say that Moses said to Aaron. I thought that this would happen to us, expecting that the Temple would be sanctified by important people. However, now we see that Nadav and Avihu were much better than us, since the house was sanctified through them. The Holy One said: through my important ones will I be sanctified, so that all of Israel will fear. Since they were important, we remember their death on Yom Kippur. Their death is mentioned in Ahrei Mot. The death of the righteous atones for Israel. Their bodies were also not burned, as is written here in scripture, that they carried the bodies of Nadav and Avihu out of the Tabernacle by their garments after their deaths. From here our sages learned that when a person is guilty of being burned, they also did the same. They melt lead and pour hot lead into the throat of the person who is guilty of being burned. Only this throat and lungs are burned. His soul goes out and the body of the person remains intact. The people of Sannecherib were also killed with this punishment, when they camped before Jerusalem. An angel came and blew a fiery thread into each of Sannecherib’s men and they were all killed. Thus, the people of Sannecherib merited that their garments and bodies remained whole. They were not burned because they were the descendants of Japhet and Noah. When Noah became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent, Japhet and Shem, his children, came and covered him. Therefore, Japhet merited that his descendants with Sannecherib now were killed and their garments remained on their bodies and also that their bodies were covered after their death. We are descended from Shem. Therefore, we were worthy to have zizit on our garments because Shem had covered his father.10Bahya, Leviticus, 10:2.
“Aaron was silent” [10:3]. Aaron was silent and did not cry when his two sons lay dead before him in the Tabernacle. Therefore, Aaron merited that the section on wine drinking was said to Aaron alone and not to Moses. The whole Torah was told through Moses, but this one section was told through Aaron alone.11Rashi, Leviticus, 10:3.
Bahya writes here that a mourner is obligated in five ways. The mourner is not supposed to bathe, and anoint with oil. He is not supposed to sleep with his wife, and should not engage in any kind of business. One should not study Torah as this is considered completely joyful. The mourner should not engage in anything joyful. Engaging in business is also called joyful.12Bahya, Leviticus, 10:3.
Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the children of Uzziel, the uncle of Aaron and commanded them to carry out Nadav and Avihu from the Tabernacle. They were buried outside the gate of the Israelites. Moses commanded Aaron and Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons that they should not let their hair grow as the mourners used to do. They should also not tear their garments. Moses said that all of Israel would cry for Nadav and Avihu, since they were the most important after Moses and Aaron.
Imre Noam asks a question. Why does the Talmud teach that one should tear one’s garments from a verse in the Prophets and Writings? It would have been better if the Talmud had learned about tearing the garments from the verse relating to Moses Our Teacher in the Torah itself. The explanation is because the Talmud wants to learn more rules from the verse in the Prophets and Writings that relate to tearing the garments. All of this is learned from one verse in the Prophets and Writings and these rules are not shown in the Torah. The rule is that when one tears the garments, one should be standing. One should not sit and tear. The other rule is that one must tear the length of a fist. All of this is shown in the verse from the Prophets and Writings.13Imre Noam, Leviticus, 10:6.
Baal ha-Turim writes. “And consumed them” [10:2]. The word “them” contains an extra vav. This teaches us that Nadav and Avihu committed six sins. The first: they brought a strange fire. The second: they made legal decisions before Moses, their teacher. The third: they were drunk and wanted to do the service. The fourth: they did not have wives. They considered themselves very important and therefore did not have any children. Therefore, this was a great sin for them. The fifth: they wanted to become very rich. The sixth: they did not take any advice from any person.14Baal ha-Turim, Leviticus, 10:2.
Baal ha-Turim writes further that Nadav and Avihu were dragged out with a long spear, since Mishael and Elzaphan were not supposed to enter to take them out.15Baal ha-Turim, Leviticus, 10:4.
“Wine or other intoxicant” [10:9]. You should not drink wine or other drinks that make a person drunk. Similarly, when a person wants to issue a ruling about something, he should not be drunk.16Baal ha-Turim, Leviticus, 10:9.
Bahya writes that wine has three aspects. It makes someone sleepy, brings a person to arrogance, and destroys the person’s reason. All three things are found in this passage. The first is sleep, about which the Torah writes here. “When you enter the Tent of Meeting” [10:9]. That is to say, do not sleep when you will come into the Tent of Meeting. This comes from drinking wine. Jacob also said that a ladder stood at his head that reached to heaven. Jacob said: if I had known that this was a holy place, I would not have slept. Therefore, the Holy One forbade drinking wine, expecting that you should not sleep when you come into the Tabernacle. The second thing was that wine leads to arrogance. Therefore, it says, “to distinguish between sacred and profane” [10:10]. That is to say, when a person is arrogant, everything is equally holy or not holy, impure and not impure, in his eyes. The third is that wine confuses his reason. Therefore, it is written here, “you must teach the Israelites” [10:11], since to issue rulings from the Torah one needs clear reason and clear wisdom. King Solomon wrote very negatively about one who is a drinker. The verse says, “do not ogle that red wine” [Proverbs, 23:31]. That is to say, do not let the wine entice you when it is beautifully red. “As it lends its color to the cup” [Proverbs, 23:31]. Whoever gives his eyes to the goblet to drink; he will not have anything left in his purse. “As it flows on smoothly” [Proverbs, 23:31]. He will sell everything from his house; he will not leave anything. That is to say, the house will be empty and cleared out because of his poverty.17Bahya, Leviticus, 10:9.
“These are the creatures that you may eat” [11:2]. The Torah wrote the laws with wisdom and in order. The Torah first tells us that one should not eat an animal that is not kosher, and does not have the proper signs. The animals were created from the earth. This is related to the earth since there are four types of creation. One is from the earth. The second is from water. The third is air. The fourth is fire. Therefore, the animals are mentioned first, which were created from the earth, how one should deal with them. Then it tells us in the next section about the creatures from the water, like fish, which ones are permitted to eat. The third section talks about creatures from the air. These are the birds and everything that lives in the heights. They fly through the air. It tells us which ones are permitted to eat. In the fourth section it talks about the creatures that are fire. The verse says, “the lizards of every variety” [11:29]. This means, the turtles. There are two types of turtle; one is called ‘arod in the Talmud,18The ‘arod is mentioned in B. Hullin, 59a and 127a. From the description in the Talmud, it seems to be a mythical animal. and the other is called salamander. It is created when one heats a furnace constantly, day and night, for seven years. A creature comes out of this oven that is called a salamander and if this creature is without fire for a moment, it will die. Just like a fish that cannot live without water, so too the salamander cannot live for a moment without fire. When Rabbi Akiva came to this verse, he said: “How many are the things You have made, O Lord;You have made them all with wisdom” [Psalms, 104:24]. The Midrash says that the Holy One only commanded Israel not to eat non-kosher animals and not the gentiles, since the Holy One saw that they would not observe it. A parable. A person goes to his barn to load some grain. He loads up the donkey and the dog. The dog throws the grain from himself; he was never accustomed to this. The owner goes and removes the burden. So too, the Holy One saw that the gentiles would not keep the commandments, so He removed them from them. A parable. A physician goes to two sick people. One of them is very weak; he will not live. The physician says that he should be given as much food and drink as he wants. The physician goes to the other sick person who will live. He forbids that he should be given everything to eat and drink, but only cool things and not others, since it would harm him. The one who he ordered to be fed everything died, and the one who had had ordered not to be given everything to eat remained alive. The people asked him: what did you do? The physician said: I saw that the person would die. Therefore, I allowed him to drink and eat everything. However, I saw that the other sick person would remain alive. Therefore, I forbade him to eat and drink certain things. So too are Israel, who are prepared for the eternal life. Therefore, I command the commandments and Torah to him. However, the gentiles are prepared for Gehenna. Therefore, I do not command them any commandments and no Torah.19Bahya, Leviticus, 11:2.
“Fins and scales” [11:9]. Those fish that have scales and fins are permitted to be eaten. They can swim well in the upper parts of the water because they have scales. However, those that have no scales must lie on the bottom in the mud of the water. They are not healthy. Whoever eats them becomes cold from them and his heart becomes stopped up.20Bahya, Leviticus, 11:9.
“You shall not eat of their flesh and you shall abominate their carcasses” [11:11]. The Torah says that one should not eat the non-kosher fish and also should not buy or sell them. There are eight types that one should not deal with them. Four of them, because they are very important, therefore one should not do business with them. Four of the eight are because they are very despicable and it is not proper to do business with them. One should not do business with the first four with charity money, since the Holy One said that you should not make a profit for the charity. I have enough money; all the gold and silver is mine. Therefore, it is forbidden to do business with it. Perhaps it will become very necessary to use the money and it will have been lent out for interest and in the meantime, the poor people will die, heaven forbid. One should also not do business with the sanctified money from the Tabernacle or Temple. The third is that one should not do business with the firstborn of an animal that has acquired a defect. The fourth is that one should not do business with fruits from the Sabbatical year. Four things are disgusting and one should not do business with them. Meat of an animal that died of natural causes, or an animal killed by another animal, or unclean creatures and insects. When a dead animal occurs in his household, he is allowed to do business and sell it, but he should not buy dead animals as merchandise to do business with them. He is not allowed to do this.21Bahya, Leviticus, 11:11.
“The following you should abominate among the birds” [11:13]. The verse teaches us that there are more pure birds than impure birds. Therefore, we mention the impure ones in the Torah because they are few in number. The verse does not have to mention the pure ones. When one knows what is impure and their names, then one can know which ones are not mentioned are pure. Since the Torah wants to speak briefly, therefore the Torah tells us which are impure because they are few. Among the animals, the impure ones are more numerous than the pure ones. Therefore, the Torah tells which ones are pure, so that one should understand which are impure. Bahya writes here that the Holy One forbade some animals and birds because they are very evil and only have anger within them. They tear apart other domestic and wild animals with their anger. The Holy One does not love this and forbade bringing them as sacrifices. Therefore, He also forbade Israel to eat from them. Whoever eats from these animals and birds, he will also have bad attributes of anger and murder.22Bahya, Leviticus, 11:13.
Bahya asks a question. Why does the Torah count eight creeping things that are impure? That is to say, the person who touches them is impure. The verse did not count the snake among the creeping things. This teaches us that whoever touches the snake is not impure. Bahya asks a question here. How is it that the snake should not be impure? The explanation is that the snake is not impure so that the person should not be afraid to touch it and should kill it. If it had been impure, the person would have separated himself and not killed it. Similarly, a lizard also has poison like a snake that the Torah only forbade to eat, but one is allowed to touch it, expecting that one would kill it.23Bahya, Leviticus, 11:30.
“You shall sanctify yourselves and be holy” [11:44]. It is known that the person is born with an evil inclination and he has desires for all the delights of the world. However, the good inclination does not come immediately into the person and is a guest. He has no helper in the body that should support him. Thus, it is very difficult for the person to be able to do something good with his intellect. The evil inclination does not allow him; he has lived in the body for a long time. Therefore, the Holy One had to command commandments and prayer, fasts, charity, and acts of lovingkindness, expecting to torment the body so that the intellect and the good inclination should have some help to compel the body to do good. Thus, when the person wants to eat and drink, his evil inclination goes along with everything. His body will soon be destroyed. Therefore, the person must decide whether to engage in pleasure, and also not to have too much to do with women and engage in speaking obscenity. It is a great sin. He comes to Gehenna through speaking evil words with his mouth.24Bahya, Leviticus, 11:44.