24 Mar TZAV: THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE

The first avodah
performed each
day in the Beis
HaMikdash was
trumas hadeshen, and
it is discussed in this
week’s parashah, as
it states (6:3) “He
shall lift out the
ashes…from the
mizbeach and put
them down next to
the mizbeach.”
A kohen, wearing
bigdei kehunah, and using a silver
shovel, would scoop up the equivalent
of a handful (kometz) of ashes from the
mizbeach, and he would place the ashes
at the east side of the kevesh (the ramp
of the mizbeach). The ashes miraculously
were dissolved or swallowed up into the
earth.
The Beis Yaakov (Ishbitz, 15) zt’l
says that the ashes removed from the
mizbeach represent the people who have
sinned so much until they were banished
from the kedushah. They have sinned and

are therefore removed. Nevertheless, we
shouldn’t think that there is no hope for
them. The ashes were placed alongside
the mizbeach. This indicates that even
those who have become distanced remain
with their specialness and potential. We
keep them near the mizbeach because
there is still hope for them to return.
In fact, all the korbanos tell us that there
is hope for the Jewish nation. Hashem’s
presence in the Mishkan showed the
nation that they were forgiven for making
the egel (see Rashi, Vayikra 9:23), and
similarly, the korbanos were to atone for
the Jewish nation so it would be clean
from aveiros.
This week’s parashah discusses the
process of bringing a korban chatas. It
states (6:18) “This is the law of the chatas;
in the place where the olah is slaughtered
shall the chatas be slaughtered…” This
mitzvah tells us that the chatas should
be shechted on the north side of the
mizbeach, in the same place where an
olah is shechted. Some explain that this is
to protect the baalei aveirah from shame.
A chatas is brought for an aveirah. If they

would bring their chatas to an area that is
solely designated for the chatas, everyone
would know that they had committed an
aveirah. Therefore, the Torah obligates
us to bring the chatas and slaughter it in
the same location as the olah. All who
see him there will think he is bringing
an olah, and they won’t know that he
performed an aveirah.
This is an excellent example of Hashem’s
compassion. Even when a person sins,
Hashem seeks ways to protect him from
shame.
The Kli Yakar explains that the mitzvah to
shecht the chatas at the place of the olah
is to teach us the potential of teshuvah.
An olah is the most precious korban (as
Chazal tell us). When one does teshuvah
and sacrifices a korban chatas, he shechts
it at the place of the olah to show that his
korban chatas is precious to Hashem as if
he brought a korban olah.
Similarly, the Ishbitze (Mei HaShiloach)
zt’l explains that a chatas is brought by
people who have aveiros, whereas an
olah is a korban for tzaddikim because
it isn’t brought to atone for aveiros. The

Torah tells the person who committed an
aveirah that he should shecht his chatas
with the tzaddikim who bring olahs.
This teaches us that when one wants to
improve his ways, he reaches the level of
the tzaddikim.
For a korban olah, the blood is placed on
the lower half of the mizbeach. The blood
of a chatas is placed on the four upper
corners of the mizbeach. This tells us
that those who do teshuvah reach higher
levels than the perfect tzaddikim. As the
Zohar (vol.1 129:) states, “In the place
where baalei teshuvah stand in gan eden,
the greatest tzaddikim can’t stand there.
They become closer to the King than all
the others. [And this is because] they
have a very strong desire to connect and
to be close to the King.”