WHY ROAST THE KORBAN PESACH’S LEGS?

Dear Reader sh’yichyeh,

This Shabbos, Parshas Tazria, is also Rosh Chodesh Nissan, the month of redemption. In shul we read Parshas HaChodesh, which tells about Hashem’s words to Moshe in Egypt two weeks before the Exodus. Hashem instructed us to set the Jewish calendar by the monthly new moon and to regard Nissan as the “head of months.” G‑d also instructed the Jewish nation to bring the Passover offering, to eat it with matza and bitter herbs, and to abstain from leaven for seven days.

In a letter addressed to Anash, a letter that the Rebbe sends to “To my Brethren, Sons and Daughters of our People, wherever you are, G‑d be gracious unto you,” dated Erev Shabbos Rosh Chodesh Nissan of the year 5748 (which was a year of Hakhel), the Rebbe learns a special lesson from the Korban Pesach. This lesson can be applied to the mitzva of Hakhel as well.

Regarding the mitzva of Korban Pesach, the Torah (Parshas Bo 12:3) tells us: “Speak to the entire community of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month, let each one take a lamb for each parental home, a lamb for each household… And you shall keep it for inspection until the fourteenth day of this month, and the entire congregation of the community of Israel shall slaughter it in the afternoon… And on this night, they shall eat the flesh, roasted over the fire, and unleavened cakes; with bitter herbs they shall eat it… You shall not eat it rare or boiled in water, except roasted over the fire, its head with its legs and with its innards.’”

The Torah does not just tell us to roast the Korban Pesach; rather it specifies that it be “roasted over the fire, its head with its legs and with its innards.” What is the lesson to be taken from this, especially in a year of Hakhel?

In our personal lives, we have certain things that we consider to be the head, important and central to our beliefs and actions. Then there are things which are like the legs and innards, i.e. secondary and less important. One may feel that only the head needs to be “roasted on the fire” i.e. be inspired and filled with an inner (“not raw on the inside”) and fiery love to Hashem. Yet when it comes to the “legs and with its innards” it is not so necessary.

This is the lesson from these details of the Korban Pesach: Every part of our being must be permeated with the love and fear of Hashem. We should not leave any part of our lives uninspired to serve Hashem.

This is actually the true message from the mitzva of Hakhel as well. The Torah (D’varim 31:10) tells us: “Then Moshe commanded them, saying, ‘At the end of [every] seven years… when all Israel comes to appear before the L-rd, your G-d, in the place He will choose… Assemble the people, the men, the women, and the children, and your stranger in your cities, in order that they hear and in order that they learn and fear the L-rd, your G-d.’”

The mitzva of Hakhel is not just that every member of the Jewish people should serve Hashem, but also that every part of us be inspired to fear and serve Him. From the “Man” (i.e. strong things) in our lives all the way to the “child” (i.e. seemingly small and insignificant) parts of our lives, they must all be brought together to serve Hashem.

There is an interesting discussion about the Korban Pesach in the times of Moshiach:

The responsibility to bring one’s own or be part of a group who brings a Korban Pesach applies to all Jewish people. Yet, as is with many rules, there are two exceptions: If one is impure or “is far away” (BaMidbar 9:10) he is not able to bring it.

What is considered to be “far away?” The Gemara (P’sachim 93b) explains: “The Mishna states: What is a journey far away? From Modi’im and beyond, and the same distance on all sides [of Jerusalem]; this is R. Akiva’s opinion. R. Eliezer said: From the threshold of the Temple court and without. Said R. Yose to him: For that reason the Hei is pointed in order to teach that not because it is really afar off, but [when one is] from the threshold of the Temple court and without [he is regarded as being ‘afar off’].”

The Gemara continues: ‘Ulla said: From Modi’im to Jerusalem is fifteen miles. He holds as Rabba bar Chana said in R. Yochanan’s name: What is an [average] man’s journey in a day? Ten parasangs: five mils from daybreak until the first sparkling of the rising sun, [and] five mils from sunset until the stars appear. This leaves thirty: fifteen from the morning until midday, and fifteen from midday until evening [i.e., sunset]. Ulla Is consistent with his view, for Ulla said: What is ‘a journey afar off?’ It is any place whence a man is unable to enter [Jerusalem] at the time of slaughtering.”

The obvious question is: In modern times, we all have cars and trains and other ways of modern transportation. Anyone living in Eretz Yisroel can come to Yerushalayim in a matter of only a few hours. If so, would this exclusion of “living too far” ever apply anymore?

Interesting enough, many of the commentaries (Tiferes Yisroel, Pesach HaDvir) say no! They base their ruling on an interesting ruling of the Gemara. The Gemara (Ibid 94a) says: “Our Rabbis taught: If he was standing beyond Modi’im and is able to enter by horses and mules, you might think that he is culpable. Therefore it is stated: ‘and is not in a journey,’ whereas this man was in a journey.”

From the above is clear, that even with transportation available, one is still exempt if he lives far away. [See Yemos HaMoshiach B’halacha (Rabbi Avraham Gerlitzky) Vol. 2 pg. 457 for an in-depth discussion on the above.]

Let us finish with the Bracha: “Blessed are You, G-d, our G-d, King of the universe, who has redeemed us and redeemed our fathers from Egypt, and enabled us to attain this night to eat matza and maror. So too, G-d, our G-d and G-d of our fathers, enable us to attain other holidays and festivals that will come to us in peace with happiness in the rebuilding of Your city, and with rejoicing in Your service [in the Bet HaMikdash]. Then we shall eat of the sacrifices and of the Passover-offerings whose blood shall be sprinkled on the wall of Your altar for acceptance; and we shall thank You with a new song for our redemption and for the deliverance of our souls. Blessed are You, G-d, who redeemed Israel. Amen!”

Rabbi Avtzon is the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati and a well sought after speaker and lecturer. Recordings of his in-depth shiurim on Inyanei Geula u’Moshiach can be accessed at http://www.ylcrecording.com.