We open with a brand new sefer this week that covers all of the various saw sacrifices that are to be brought in the newly constructed Mishkan. The first seventeen verses are about the olah and the animals that are offered. The second chapter is the Mincha offering from flour, oil, and this stuff called frankincense. The third chapter talks about the shelamim, a festive offering that is shared. The next couple of chapters outline chatas or sin offerings, which have different regulations depending on whom sinned against Hashem: the Kohein Gadol, the Sanhedrin, the King, and then everyone else. Finally, the asham or guilt offering is discussed. What is absolutely missing is the most central service of them all: Korban tamid or the continual offering.

We already were introduced to this regular service a few parshios ago:

וְזֶה אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי־שָׁנָה שְׁנַיִם לַיּוֹם תָּמִיד׃

Now this is what you shall offer upon the altar: two yearling lambs each day, regularly. (Ex. 29:38)

וזה. הטעם זה הקרבן, וכן זה יתנו (למטה ל’ יג) זה השיעור, וכן וזה אשר תעשה אותם (ברא’ ו טו), משה יעשה ככה שבעת ימי המלואים, ואחר כן אהרן ובניו: NOW THIS IS. Its meaning is: now this is the sacrifice. Similarly, the meaning of This they shall give (Ex. 30:13) is: this amount they shall give. Similarly And this is that thou shalt make it (Gen. 6:15). Moses shall do this during the seven days of consecration. Afterwards Aaron and his sons shall do likewise. (Ibn Ezra)

During the set up of the Mishkan, the Kohein had his job described in detail: to bring the tamid twice each day. It’s not found in our parsha. In next week’s Parsha, we find a part of it mentioned:

צַו אֶת־אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת־בָּנָיו לֵאמֹר זֹאת תּוֹרַת הָעֹלָה הִוא הָעֹלָה עַל מוֹקְדָה עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כׇּל־הַלַּיְלָה עַד־הַבֹּקֶר וְאֵשׁ הַמִּזְבֵּחַ תּוּקַד בּוֹ׃

Command Aaron and his sons thus: This is the ritual of the burnt offering: The burnt offering itself shall remain where it is burned upon the altar all night until morning, while the fire on the altar is kept going on it.

However, we do not get the command to bring the offering, rather, is the command to clean off the ashes:

וְלָבַשׁ הַכֹּהֵן מִדּוֹ בַד וּמִכְנְסֵי־בַד יִלְבַּשׁ עַל־בְּשָׂרוֹ וְהֵרִים אֶת־הַדֶּשֶׁן אֲשֶׁר תֹּאכַל הָאֵשׁ אֶת־הָעֹלָה עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְשָׂמוֹ אֵצֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ׃

The priest shall dress in linen raiment, with linen breeches next to his body; and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and place them beside the altar.

Where’s the offering?

Rashi is basically forced to explain the simple meaning of our Parsha as a private conversation between Hashem and Moshe Rabbeinu

ויקרא אל משה. הַקּוֹל הוֹלֵךְ וּמַגִּיעַ לְאָזְנָיו וְכָל יִשְֹרָאֵל לֹא שׁוֹמְעִין; יָכוֹל אַף לְהַפְסָקוֹת הָיְתָה קְרִיאָה, תַּ”ל וַיְדַבֵּר — לְדִבּוּר הָיְתָה קְרִיאָה וְלֹא לְהַפְסָקוֹת, וּמֶה הָיוּ הַפְסָקוֹת מְשַׁמְּשׁוֹת? לִתֵּן רֶוַח לְמֹשֶׁה לְהִתְבּוֹנֵן בֵּין פָּרָשָׁה לְפָרָשָׁה וּבֵין עִנְיָן לְעִנְיָן; קַ”וָ לְהֶדְיוֹט הַלּוֹמֵד מִן הַהֶדְיוֹט: ויקרא אל משה

AND HE CALLED UNTO MOSES — This implies that the Voice went on and reached his (Moses’s) ears only but all the other Israelites did not hear it). One might think that for the subsections there was also such a call! It, however, states, “[And the Lord called unto Moses] and spake (וידבר) [to him]”, thus intimating that a דבור, a complete section had (was preceded by) a call (e. g., in our text chapters 1—4), but not the subsections. And what purpose did these subsections serve (i. e., why are the larger sections broken up into smaller ones)? To give Moses an interval for reflection between one division and another and between one subject and another — something which is all the more necessary for an ordinary man receiving instruction from an ordinary man (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d’Nedavah, Chapter 1 9).

אליו. לְמַעֵט אֶת אַהֲרֹן; רַ’ יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר י”ג דִּבְּרוֹת נֶאֶמְרוּ בַּתּוֹרָה לְמֹשֶׁה וּלְאַהֲרֹן וּכְנֶגְדָּן נֶאֶמְרוּ י”ג מִעוּטִין, לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁלֹּא לְאַהֲרֹן נֶאֶמְרוּ אֶלָּא לְמֹשֶׁה שֶׁיֹּאמַר לְאַהֲרֹן, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן י”ג מִעוּטִין: לְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ, מִדַּבֵּר אֵלָיו, וַיְדַבֵּר אֵלָיו (במדבר ז’), וְנוֹעַדְתִּי לְךָ (שמות כ”ה) — כֻּלָּן בְּתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים. יָכוֹל יִשְׁמְעוּ אֶת קוֹל הַדִּבּוּר תַּ”לֹ קוֹל לוֹ, קוֹל אֵלָיו, מֹשֶׁה שׁוֹמֵעַ וְכָל יִשְֹרָאֵל לֹא שָׁמְעוּ: אליו

TO HIM — This is intended to exclude Aaron. Rabbi Judah said, “Thirteen communications in the Torah are stated, according to the wording of the text, to have been spoken to Moses and Aaron together; but corresponding to these there are thirteen which include expressions with a limitative force to teach you that they were spoken not to Aaron but to Moses only, with the view that he should communicate them to Aaron. The following are the thirteen limitations: (Numbers 7:89) “[And when Moses had come into the appointed tent] that He might speak with him, [then he heard the Voice] speaking unto him … [from between the two cherubim]: and he spoke unto him”; (Exodus 25:22) “and there I will be met by thee”; — all the thirteen instances you will find in Torath Cohanim (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d’Nedavah, Chapter 2 1. — I might, however, think that they (Aaron and all Israel) heard at least the sound of the Divine utterance (הדבור), even though they could not distinguish the words! However, in the text, Numbers 7:89: וישמע את הקול מדבר אליו,where it might have said לו‎…‎ ה]קול], it says אליו‎‎… ‎ה]קול], “And he heard the voice (הקול) uttering itself (מדבר) right up to him (אליו)” — consequently Moses alone heard the utterance, and all Israel did not hear it) (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d’Nedavah, Chapter 2 8).

What we are witnessing is a massive shift in how the Mishkan is going to function. While discussing the plans for the Mishkan, Hashem provided the following instruction:

וְנֹעַדְתִּי שָׁמָּה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְנִקְדַּשׁ בִּכְבֹדִי׃

and there I will meet with the Israelites, and it shall be sanctified by My Presence. (Ex. 29:43)

ונעדתי שמה. אֶתְוַעֵד עִמָּם בְּדִבּוּר, כְּמֶלֶךְ הַקּוֹבֵעַ מְקוֹם מוֹעֵד לְדַבֵּר עִם עֲבָדָיו שָׁם:

ונעדתי שמה AND I WILL BE MET THERE — I will come together with them in a conversation as a king who appoints a place of meeting where he will speak with his subjects.

Rashi makes the point that the tamid will function like a king holding court with his subjects. At the time of giving the outline of the Mishkan, the plan was to elevate the Jewish people from the impurity of Egypt with the giving of the Torah on Sinai. The regular offering was a manifestation of the desire of the King to regularly host his subjects, the Jewish people. This helps to explain why Moshe Rabbeinu was not meant to sit in judgment from morning until evening at the beginning of parshas Yisro. Hashem’s plan was to be ever present in the midst of the people. However, like every good home, Hashem has as a private place to which to retreat when no longer holding court:

וְנוֹעַדְתִּי לְךָ שָׁם וְדִבַּרְתִּי אִתְּךָ מֵעַל הַכַּפֹּרֶת מִבֵּין שְׁנֵי הַכְּרֻבִים אֲשֶׁר עַל־אֲרוֹן הָעֵדֻת אֵת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר אֲצַוֶּה אוֹתְךָ אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

There I will meet with you, and I will impart to you—from above the cover, from between the two cherubim that are on top of the Ark of the Pact—all that I will command you concerning the Israelite people. (Ex. 25:22)

ונועדתי. כְּשֶׁאֶקְבַּע מוֹעֵד לְךָ לְדַבֵּר עִמְּךָ, אוֹתוֹ מָקוֹם אֶקְבַּע לַמּוֹעֵד שֶׁאָבֹא שָׁם לְדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ:

ונועדתי AND [THERE] I WILL BE MET [BY THEE] — When I shall appoint you a place of meeting to speak to you that place will I appoint as the place of meeting whither I will come to speak to you.

Built into the plans of the Mishkan are two meeting places: one to meet with the people and one to meet with the prophet. This clearly seems to contradict our Parsha here in Vayikra! Rashi notes that there is an answer

ודברתי אתך מעל הכפרת. וּבְמָקוֹם אַחֵר הוּא אוֹמֵר וַיְדַבֵּר ה’ אֵלָיו מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֵאמֹר (ויקרא א’), זֶה הַמִּשְׁכָּן, מִחוּץ לַפָּרֹכֶת, נִמְצְאוּ שְׁנֵי כְתוּבִים מַכְחִישִׁים זֶה אֶת זֶה, – בָּא הַכָּתוּב הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וְהִכְרִיעַ בֵּינֵיהֶם: וּבְבֹא מֹשֶׁה אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, וַיִּשְׁמַע אֶת הַקּוֹל מִדַּבֵּר אֵלָיו מֵעַל הַכַּפֹּרֶת וְגוֹ’ (במדבר ז’), מֹשֶׁה הָיָה נִכְנָס לַמִּשְׁכָּן, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁבָּא בְתוֹךְ הַפֶּתַח, קוֹל יוֹרֵד מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם לְבֵין הַכְּרוּבִים, וּמִשָּׁם יוֹצֵא וְנִשְׁמָע לְמֹשֶׁה בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד (ספרי):ת

AND I SHALL SPEAK WITH THEE FROM ABOVE THE COVER — In another passage, however, it says, (Leviticus 1:1) “And God spake unto him out of the appointed tent, saying” — this is that part of the Tabernacle outside the partition veil whilst the ark and the cover were on the other tide of the veil — consequently we have two verses contradicting each other! But there comes a third verse and reconciles them: (Numbers 7:89) “And when Moses came into the appointed tent to speak with Him, he heard the voice speaking unto him from off the covering etc.” This verse explains exactly what happened. Moses came into the Tabernacle and as soon as he had passed the entrance a voice fell from heaven to the place on the cover which was between the cherubim, and from there it issued and was heard by Moses in the tent of meeting (outside the Holy of Holies; cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 58 and Rashi on Numbers 7:89).

The Mishkan is ultimately the dwelling place of Hashem’s presence, but it serves two purposes: a place to connect with the infinite on a personal level and a place to connect with the law that that brings you there. This shift in the narrative of Vayikra reveals a profound transformation in the role of the Mishkan. While the Tamid—the communal, constant heartbeat of the Tabernacle—was established as the primary vehicle for the King to hold court with His people, its absence here in the opening of Vayikra suggests a post-Golden Calf reality. By focusing instead on the private, nuanced call to Moshe from the Ohel Moed, the Torah emphasizes that the Mishkan was never meant to be merely a “sacrifice factory,” but rather the epicenter of divine communication and intellectual engagement. The Tamid ensures the Presence stays, but the Vayikra (the Call) ensures the Wisdom is transmitted. Ultimately, the Mishkan stands as a permanent Sinai: a place where the fire of the altar and the voice from between the Keruvim converge, teaching us that while the sacrifices bring us into the courtyard, it is the ongoing, meditative study of the Law that allows us to truly dwell within the Presence.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)