בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶך הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסוֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה
בְּרוּךֶ אַתֶה חֲוָיָה שְׁכִינּוּ רוּחַ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדַשְׁתַנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתֶיהֶ וְצִוְתָנוּ לַעֲסוֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה
בְּרוּכָה אַתְּ יָהּ אֱלֹהָתֵינוּ רוּחַ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קֵרְבָתְנוּ לַעֲבוֹדָתָהּ וְצִוְתָנוּ לַעֲסוֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה
Blessings for learning and studying Torah
Berakhot 11b:
Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu la’asok b’divrei Torah
Nonbinary Hebrew Project:
B’rucheh ateh Khavayah Shekhinu ruach ha’olam asher kidash’tanu b’mitzvotei’he v’tziv’tanu la’asok b’divrei Torah
Feminine God Language:
Brukhah at Ya Elohateinu ruach ha’olam asher keir’vat’nu la’avodatah v’tziv’tavnu la’asok b’divrei Torah
וַיַּקְרֵ֣ב מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶֽת־אַהֲרֹ֖ן וְאֶת־בָּנָ֑יו וַיִּרְחַ֥ץ אֹתָ֖ם בַּמָּֽיִם׃ וַיִּתֵּ֨ן עָלָ֜יו אֶת־הַכֻּתֹּ֗נֶת וַיַּחְגֹּ֤ר אֹתוֹ֙ בָּֽאַבְנֵ֔ט וַיַּלְבֵּ֤שׁ אֹתוֹ֙ אֶֽת־הַמְּעִ֔יל וַיִּתֵּ֥ן עָלָ֖יו אֶת־הָאֵפֹ֑ד וַיַּחְגֹּ֣ר אֹת֗וֹ בְּחֵ֙שֶׁב֙ הָֽאֵפֹ֔ד וַיֶּאְפֹּ֥ד ל֖וֹ בּֽוֹ׃ וַיָּ֥שֶׂם עָלָ֖יו אֶת־הַחֹ֑שֶׁן וַיִּתֵּן֙ אֶל־הַחֹ֔שֶׁן אֶת־הָאוּרִ֖ים וְאֶת־הַתֻּמִּֽים׃ וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֶת־הַמִּצְנֶ֖פֶת עַל־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ וַיָּ֨שֶׂם עַֽל־הַמִּצְנֶ֜פֶת אֶל־מ֣וּל פָּנָ֗יו אֵ֣ת צִ֤יץ הַזָּהָב֙ נֵ֣זֶר הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ וַיִּקַּ֤ח מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶת־שֶׁ֣מֶן הַמִּשְׁחָ֔ה וַיִּמְשַׁ֥ח אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּ֖ן וְאֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־בּ֑וֹ וַיְקַדֵּ֖שׁ אֹתָֽם׃ וַיַּ֥ז מִמֶּ֛נּוּ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֑ים וַיִּמְשַׁ֨ח אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֜חַ וְאֶת־כׇּל־כֵּלָ֗יו וְאֶת־הַכִּיֹּ֛ר וְאֶת־כַּנּ֖וֹ לְקַדְּשָֽׁם׃ וַיִּצֹק֙ מִשֶּׁ֣מֶן הַמִּשְׁחָ֔ה עַ֖ל רֹ֣אשׁ אַהֲרֹ֑ן וַיִּמְשַׁ֥ח אֹת֖וֹ לְקַדְּשֽׁוֹ׃ וַיַּקְרֵ֨ב מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֗ן וַיַּלְבִּשֵׁ֤ם כֻּתֳּנֹת֙ וַיַּחְגֹּ֤ר אֹתָם֙ אַבְנֵ֔ט וַיַּחֲבֹ֥שׁ לָהֶ֖ם מִגְבָּע֑וֹת כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ וַיַּגֵּ֕שׁ אֵ֖ת פַּ֣ר הַֽחַטָּ֑את וַיִּסְמֹ֨ךְ אַהֲרֹ֤ן וּבָנָיו֙ אֶת־יְדֵיהֶ֔ם עַל־רֹ֖אשׁ פַּ֥ר הַֽחַטָּֽאת׃ וַיִּשְׁחָ֗ט וַיִּקַּ֨ח מֹשֶׁ֤ה אֶת־הַדָּם֙ וַ֠יִּתֵּ֠ן עַל־קַרְנ֨וֹת הַמִּזְבֵּ֤חַ סָבִיב֙ בְּאֶצְבָּע֔וֹ וַיְחַטֵּ֖א אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וְאֶת־הַדָּ֗ם יָצַק֙ אֶל־יְס֣וֹד הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וַֽיְקַדְּשֵׁ֖הוּ לְכַפֵּ֥ר עָלָֽיו׃ וַיִּקַּ֗ח אֶֽת־כׇּל־הַחֵ֘לֶב֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־הַקֶּ֒רֶב֒ וְאֵת֙ יֹתֶ֣רֶת הַכָּבֵ֔ד וְאֶת־שְׁתֵּ֥י הַכְּלָיֹ֖ת וְאֶֽת־חֶלְבְּהֶ֑ן וַיַּקְטֵ֥ר מֹשֶׁ֖ה הַמִּזְבֵּֽחָה׃ וְאֶת־הַפָּ֤ר וְאֶת־עֹרוֹ֙ וְאֶת־בְּשָׂר֣וֹ וְאֶת־פִּרְשׁ֔וֹ שָׂרַ֣ף בָּאֵ֔שׁ מִח֖וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ וַיַּקְרֵ֕ב אֵ֖ת אֵ֣יל הָעֹלָ֑ה וַֽיִּסְמְכ֞וּ אַהֲרֹ֧ן וּבָנָ֛יו אֶת־יְדֵיהֶ֖ם עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ הָאָֽיִל׃ וַיִּשְׁחָ֑ט וַיִּזְרֹ֨ק מֹשֶׁ֧ה אֶת־הַדָּ֛ם עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ סָבִֽיב׃ וְאֶ֨ת־הָאַ֔יִל נִתַּ֖ח לִנְתָחָ֑יו וַיַּקְטֵ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶת־הָרֹ֔אשׁ וְאֶת־הַנְּתָחִ֖ים וְאֶת־הַפָּֽדֶר׃ וְאֶת־הַקֶּ֥רֶב וְאֶת־הַכְּרָעַ֖יִם רָחַ֣ץ בַּמָּ֑יִם וַיַּקְטֵר֩ מֹשֶׁ֨ה אֶת־כׇּל־הָאַ֜יִל הַמִּזְבֵּ֗חָה עֹלָ֨ה ה֤וּא לְרֵֽיחַ־נִיחֹ֙חַ֙ אִשֶּׁ֥ה הוּא֙ לַיהֹוָ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ וַיַּקְרֵב֙ אֶת־הָאַ֣יִל הַשֵּׁנִ֔י אֵ֖יל הַמִּלֻּאִ֑ים וַֽיִּסְמְכ֞וּ אַהֲרֹ֧ן וּבָנָ֛יו אֶת־יְדֵיהֶ֖ם עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ הָאָֽיִל׃ וַיִּשְׁחָ֓ט ׀ וַיִּקַּ֤ח מֹשֶׁה֙ מִדָּמ֔וֹ וַיִּתֵּ֛ן עַל־תְּנ֥וּךְ אֹֽזֶן־אַהֲרֹ֖ן הַיְמָנִ֑ית וְעַל־בֹּ֤הֶן יָדוֹ֙ הַיְמָנִ֔ית וְעַל־בֹּ֥הֶן רַגְל֖וֹ הַיְמָנִֽית׃ וַיַּקְרֵ֞ב אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֗ן וַיִּתֵּ֨ן מֹשֶׁ֤ה מִן־הַדָּם֙ עַל־תְּנ֤וּךְ אׇזְנָם֙ הַיְמָנִ֔ית וְעַל־בֹּ֤הֶן יָדָם֙ הַיְמָנִ֔ית וְעַל־בֹּ֥הֶן רַגְלָ֖ם הַיְמָנִ֑ית וַיִּזְרֹ֨ק מֹשֶׁ֧ה אֶת־הַדָּ֛ם עַל־הַֽמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ סָבִֽיב׃
Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water. He put the tunic on him, girded him with the sash, clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him, girding him with the decorated band with which he tied it to him. He put the breastpiece on him, and put into the breastpiece the Urim and Thummim. And he set the headdress on his head; and on the headdress, in front, he put the gold frontlet, the holy diadem—as יהוה had commanded Moses. Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the Tabernacle and all that was in it, thus consecrating them. He sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times, anointing the altar, all its utensils, and the laver with its stand, to consecrate them. He poured some of the anointing oil upon Aaron’s head and anointed him, to consecrate him. Moses then brought Aaron’s sons forward, clothed them in tunics, girded them with sashes, and wound turbans upon them, as יהוה had commanded Moses. He led forward the bull of sin offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the bull of sin offering, and it was slaughtered. Moses took the blood and with his finger put some on each of the horns of the altar, purifying the altar; then he poured out the blood at the base of the altar. Thus he consecrated it in order to make expiation upon it. Moses then took all the fat that was about the entrails, and the protuberance of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat, and turned them into smoke on the altar. The rest of the bull, its hide, its flesh, and its dung, he put to the fire outside the camp—as יהוה had commanded Moses. Then he brought forward the ram of burnt offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the ram’s head, and it was slaughtered. Moses dashed the blood against all sides of the altar. The ram was cut up into sections and Moses turned the head, the sections, and the suet into smoke on the altar; Moses washed the entrails and the legs with water and turned all of the ram into smoke. That was a burnt offering for a pleasing odor, an offering by fire to יהוה —as יהוה had commanded Moses. He brought forward the second ram, the ram of ordination. Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the ram’s head, and it was slaughtered. Moses took some of its blood and put it on the ridge of Aaron’s right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. Moses then brought forward the sons of Aaron, and put some of the blood on the ridges of their right ears, and on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet; and the rest of the blood Moses dashed against every side of the altar.
לכפר עליו. מֵעַתָּה כָּל הַכַּפָּרוֹת:
לכפר עליו THAT ONE MIGHT MAKE EXPIATION UPON IT from that time onward with all atonement sacrifices (i. e. that all atonement sacrifices might henceforth be offered upon it; the meaning is not that he sanctified it so that he might now offer an atonement offering for it or upon it).
... אבל בתוספתא של פרשת מלואים (תורת כהנים צו מלואים טו) ראיתי כפרה זו איני יודע מה היא מנין אתה אומר שלא היתה כפרה זו אלא שאמר משה בשעה שיצא הכרוז להתנדב במקדש דחקו ישראל איש ואשה והביאו שלא בטובתן תהא כפרה זו שלא יתנדבו דבר גזול למקדש וכן הוא אומר (ישעיהו סא ח) כי אני ה' אוהב משפט שונא גזל בעולה וכבר הזכיר רש"י גם זה בפרשת ואתה תצוה (שמות כט לו):
... in the Tosephta of the section of consecration I have seen [the following text]: “I know not what is this atonement for the altar. [I must say that] from here you learn that this atonement was only necessary because Moses said: ‘When the call was issued to bring freewill donations for the Sanctuary, the people pressured each other, both men and women, and some donated without their complete will; let this be an atonement so that they should not donate to the Sanctuary anything which had been taken by force.’ And so it also says, For I the Eternal love justice, I hate robbery in a burnt-offering.” Rashi has also mentioned this already in the section of V’atah Tetzaveh.
From "Repenting for our Mitzvahs" by Rabbi Naftali Silberberg
Every year when the month of Elul arrived, the great Jewish philosopher and sage Saadia Gaon (882-942) would leave his hometown, his family, and his disciples, and would embark on a month-long trip. During this month he would wander the countryside incognito, spending most of the time in the local synagogues where he would study and seclude himself in prayer. The discomfort of traveling brings atonement, and self-imposed exile as a form of penance was fairly common in times past.
Saadia Gaon’s students were mystified by his behavior. “Rebbe,” they would ask, “you are a righteous man who does not sin, and you have surely repented many times over for any of your youthful indiscretions. Why, then, do you annually subject yourself to a rigorous month of exile? What are you repenting for?”
“I will answer your question,” said Saadia Gaon, “by relating an incident which occurred during one of my Elul exiles.
“On one of my trips I was hosted by a wonderful Jewish innkeeper. This kind person treated all his visitors like royalty, and I was no exception. He made sure that I had enough to eat and drink, that my room was tidy, and my bed was comfortable. I remained in this inn for several days, and just as I was about to depart the village, apparently someone recognized me and the word quickly spread that Saadia Gaon was in town. Thus, as I was leaving, a large crowd gathered to bid me farewell.
“Suddenly, I saw the innkeeper fighting his way through the throngs. When he reached me I saw that tears were pouring down his distraught face. ‘Rebbe,’ he sobbed, ‘please forgive me!’
“‘Forgive you?’ I incredulously asked. ‘For what? You couldn’t have been kinder to me!’
“‘But, Rebbe... If I had only known who you really were... I would have treated you so much better!’”
Saadia Gaon concluded by saying, “every day we study more Torah and we gain a new understanding and a new appreciation for the Creator. Every day we must repent for the way we treated G-d yesterday. Yes, we were kind to the A-mighty yesterday, but if we would have known Him yesterday like we know Him today...”
When considering the bygone year, our sins against G-d and our fellow man are glaring, and beg for our attention. But when we repent for our wrongdoings of the past year, we should also include the time when we prayed... but without the proper focus and concentration. The charity we gave to a poor person... but with a grimace. The Shabbat we observed ... but without enthusiasm.
And as we commit ourselves to improving our good deeds, G-d will reciprocate and “improve” His good deeds towards us, and we will all be blessed with a wonderful year, and bountiful health, wealth and nachas from our children.
Every year when the month of Elul arrived, the great Jewish philosopher and sage Saadia Gaon (882-942) would leave his hometown, his family, and his disciples, and would embark on a month-long trip. During this month he would wander the countryside incognito, spending most of the time in the local synagogues where he would study and seclude himself in prayer. The discomfort of traveling brings atonement, and self-imposed exile as a form of penance was fairly common in times past.
Saadia Gaon’s students were mystified by his behavior. “Rebbe,” they would ask, “you are a righteous man who does not sin, and you have surely repented many times over for any of your youthful indiscretions. Why, then, do you annually subject yourself to a rigorous month of exile? What are you repenting for?”
“I will answer your question,” said Saadia Gaon, “by relating an incident which occurred during one of my Elul exiles.
“On one of my trips I was hosted by a wonderful Jewish innkeeper. This kind person treated all his visitors like royalty, and I was no exception. He made sure that I had enough to eat and drink, that my room was tidy, and my bed was comfortable. I remained in this inn for several days, and just as I was about to depart the village, apparently someone recognized me and the word quickly spread that Saadia Gaon was in town. Thus, as I was leaving, a large crowd gathered to bid me farewell.
“Suddenly, I saw the innkeeper fighting his way through the throngs. When he reached me I saw that tears were pouring down his distraught face. ‘Rebbe,’ he sobbed, ‘please forgive me!’
“‘Forgive you?’ I incredulously asked. ‘For what? You couldn’t have been kinder to me!’
“‘But, Rebbe... If I had only known who you really were... I would have treated you so much better!’”
Saadia Gaon concluded by saying, “every day we study more Torah and we gain a new understanding and a new appreciation for the Creator. Every day we must repent for the way we treated G-d yesterday. Yes, we were kind to the A-mighty yesterday, but if we would have known Him yesterday like we know Him today...”
When considering the bygone year, our sins against G-d and our fellow man are glaring, and beg for our attention. But when we repent for our wrongdoings of the past year, we should also include the time when we prayed... but without the proper focus and concentration. The charity we gave to a poor person... but with a grimace. The Shabbat we observed ... but without enthusiasm.
And as we commit ourselves to improving our good deeds, G-d will reciprocate and “improve” His good deeds towards us, and we will all be blessed with a wonderful year, and bountiful health, wealth and nachas from our children.
From Rabbi Rachel Barenblat, "Priestly Oridnation: Doing, Hearing, Walking" at https://velveteenrabbi.blogs.com/blog/2010/03/radical-torah-repost-priestly-ordination-doing-hearing-walking.html
Blood is a symbol of life-force in a visible and visceral way. As we will learn, contact with blood makes us tamei, charged with the power of spiritual impurity. And here, blood is used to mark Aaron and his sons as priests for all time.
I imagine it was still warm when Moses painted it on. According to God's instructions he anointed each man with blood in three places: the ridge of his right ear, his right thumb, and his right big toe. Why these three places? What can we learn from this esoteric ritual that speaks to our lives?
The ear was marked because it is a place where the outside world enters human consciousness. Once they were "earmarked" in this way, each new priest would hear things differently; perhaps only holy sounds now would enter, or the sounds that entered would become consecrated in a new way.
The thumb was marked in order to remind these men that matters of life and death resided in the work of their hands. They would be responsible now for the deaths of countless animals -- and, through their expiating actions, the lives of the entire community. Their hands would do God's work in the world, as they understood that work to be done, and needed to be consecrated with the substance which was God's alone.
And the toe? The toe seems insignificant, until something happens to it. A friend told me recently that he broke a toe -- one single toe! -- and found himself limping, in tremendous pain, for weeks. Our toes provide us with balance. Perhaps the anointing of the priests' toes served to remind them that only through the life God lends can we walk the path appointed to us. It warned them to mind their steps, and to be mindful that they walk the earth with constant and unflagging support from the One Who graciously lends us life.
When Moses slaughtered the ram and painted its life upon Aaron and his sons, it conferred holiness upon them. But they leaned on it first, and in so doing they conferred something upon it: the emotional significance necessary for its death to change them.
Blood is a symbol of life-force in a visible and visceral way. As we will learn, contact with blood makes us tamei, charged with the power of spiritual impurity. And here, blood is used to mark Aaron and his sons as priests for all time.
I imagine it was still warm when Moses painted it on. According to God's instructions he anointed each man with blood in three places: the ridge of his right ear, his right thumb, and his right big toe. Why these three places? What can we learn from this esoteric ritual that speaks to our lives?
The ear was marked because it is a place where the outside world enters human consciousness. Once they were "earmarked" in this way, each new priest would hear things differently; perhaps only holy sounds now would enter, or the sounds that entered would become consecrated in a new way.
The thumb was marked in order to remind these men that matters of life and death resided in the work of their hands. They would be responsible now for the deaths of countless animals -- and, through their expiating actions, the lives of the entire community. Their hands would do God's work in the world, as they understood that work to be done, and needed to be consecrated with the substance which was God's alone.
And the toe? The toe seems insignificant, until something happens to it. A friend told me recently that he broke a toe -- one single toe! -- and found himself limping, in tremendous pain, for weeks. Our toes provide us with balance. Perhaps the anointing of the priests' toes served to remind them that only through the life God lends can we walk the path appointed to us. It warned them to mind their steps, and to be mindful that they walk the earth with constant and unflagging support from the One Who graciously lends us life.
When Moses slaughtered the ram and painted its life upon Aaron and his sons, it conferred holiness upon them. But they leaned on it first, and in so doing they conferred something upon it: the emotional significance necessary for its death to change them.
From Prof. Baruch A. Levine "Is God Truly Everywhere? Sacred Space and the Role of Sacrifices" at https://www.thetorah.com/article/is-god-truly-everywhere-sacred-space-and-the-role-of-sacrifices
The greatest fear was that God would withdraw from the human community, and abandon His people. The operation of sacred sites, and especially of a central temple, actualized the presence of God in the Israelite and later Jewish societies. Pilgrimages were undertaken as one means of preserving this vital connection, and especially in later periods, delegations from the diaspora assumed an important role. . .
It is inevitable, given human nature, that the efficacy of sacrifice would be misunderstood as being automatic, leading worshippers to believe that performance of rituals was sufficient to secure God’s blessings without regard for the moral character of Israelite society. Remarkably, the Hebrew Bible preserves powerful critiques of cult and worship, mostly by the prophets of Israel, who denounce this mentality in unmistakable terms.
This has led some to conclude that the prophets objected to sacrificial worship, in essence, which is hardly the case. All biblical sources endorse the concept of God’s acceptance of sincere sacrifice, conveyed by Hebrew le-raṣon “acceptably, desirably.”
The greatest fear was that God would withdraw from the human community, and abandon His people. The operation of sacred sites, and especially of a central temple, actualized the presence of God in the Israelite and later Jewish societies. Pilgrimages were undertaken as one means of preserving this vital connection, and especially in later periods, delegations from the diaspora assumed an important role. . .
It is inevitable, given human nature, that the efficacy of sacrifice would be misunderstood as being automatic, leading worshippers to believe that performance of rituals was sufficient to secure God’s blessings without regard for the moral character of Israelite society. Remarkably, the Hebrew Bible preserves powerful critiques of cult and worship, mostly by the prophets of Israel, who denounce this mentality in unmistakable terms.
This has led some to conclude that the prophets objected to sacrificial worship, in essence, which is hardly the case. All biblical sources endorse the concept of God’s acceptance of sincere sacrifice, conveyed by Hebrew le-raṣon “acceptably, desirably.”