Put in the Time to Prepare for the Big Day

Parshat Tzav  / Shabbos HaGadol

 by Rabbi Avi Billet 

In the last four verses of the parsha, we see the warning and instruction given to the Kohanim as to where they are supposed to be for the 7 days leading up to the “Yom HaShmini” that will be described in the coming Parsha with chapter 9. 

 Verse 33 - And you shall not leave the entrance of the Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the day of the completion of your investiture days, he will inaugurate you for seven days. 

Verse 35 - And you shall stay day and night for seven days at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. You shall observe the Lord's command, so that you will not die, for thus I was commanded. 

I would argue that the message is clear. But is it? Are they stuck at the opening of the Tent of Meeting (Ohel Moed) for 7 days? What if someone needs a break? Or to relieve oneself? 

The Ro”sh makes an interesting comment as he notes the tradition that Moshe assembled the Mishkan each morning and disassembled it each night for the period of the 7 Inaugural days. While he doesn’t say this straight out, it could be suggested that the “rule” in question was only applicable while the Mishkan was standing. Once Moshe took it down at night, there is no longer an “opening of the Mishkan” to which they are confined. 

 Anyway, if that explanation is irrelevant, Chizkuni explains that the nighttime is for exactly the purpose of relieving oneself. His exact language (8:33) is “They shall not involve themselves with anything else, they should not go to another place. However, at night they may go out to take care of their needs (a euphemism for restroom activity). An example of [this kind of Bible-talk is] ‘and they cried for Moshe for 30 days’ as if to suggest there was no moment when they weren’t crying (?). And also ‘and you shall dwell in sukkahs for 7 days’ [does anyone stay exclusively in the sukkah for 7 straight days?]. And so too ‘and from the Mikdash he shall not leave.” In other words, that is their base, they have a task to do, but a short break is certainly reasonable and understandable. 

 Ramban and Rabbenu Bachaye are more direct, in quoting a “Braisa Shel Toras Kohanim” that the verse is simply instructing that there is no leaving that area, day and night, while there is Avodah (Mishkan service) that needs to be done. As long as there is work to do, their place is the Mishkan. When the service of the day is over, they are free to go. 

 Rabbenu Bachaye gives similar examples per the comment of Chizkuni (above) noting that the verses in Melachim describe the building of the Beis HaMikdash for 7 years, and the building of Shlomo’s palace for 13 years. Obviously the workers took breaks, including for Shabbos and Yom Tov, as the intention is that the work – over those periods of time – was ongoing on days which were work-worthy. So too, here, they were to be in the Mishkan when there was work to be done for the day. 

 Rabbenu Bachaye goes on, quoting a Midrash Tanchuma, which suggests the 7 days they were to sit at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting refers to the 7 days of mourning for Nadav and Avihu. This is similar to the 7 day waiting period before the Flood began (Bereshis 7:10), indicating that there is meant to be a 7-day mourning period before the event of devastation. 

The problem, obviously, is that in general we don’t know when disaster will strike, and so the time to mourn is after the event. God, however, who sees the future and is All-Knowing, knows what will be happening and so He gave them the tools for staying focused on the task at hand, and of being close to their brothers and sons for this 7 day period. 

No matter how we look at it, it is clear that the 7-day period is preparation for the Big Day, the day in which the Mishkan would be fully delegated and consecrated and put into action. 

 And sometimes a time commitment is necessary when seriously preparing for a Big Day. 

 This is a message for Shabbos HaGadol – the rabbi of a community prepares a special Drasha to help a community go into the holiday better prepared for the holiday. 

 It is worth the time of the congregation to make the effort to attend a Shabbos HaGadol drasha – take a serious amount of time to prepare for the Big Day, or should I say the Big Evening, the night of the Seder, when we intend to relive our collective experience of going out of Egypt. 

 May all rabbis give successful Drashas, and may their audiences be inspired to have a Chag Kasher V’Sameach, a very special Pesach holiday!