Prayer Podcast · Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe

00:00 - Intro (Announcement)
You're listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe from TORCH, the Torah Outreach Resource Center of Houston. This is the Prayer Podcast.

00:09 - Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe (Host)
All right, welcome back. My dear friends, welcome to the Prayer Podcast. It is so wonderful to be on the fourth part of the korbanot of the offerings section of our prayer. Previously we discussed the kior, which was the laver that was in the temple, and now we're going to be talking about the taking of the ashes. This is a very small portion of Leviticus, the beginning of parashat Tzav, the second portion in Leviticus, and it's just six verses that we read talking about the removal of the ashes. We're going to talk about the details of it, but let's first read it.

00:48
And the priest wore a robe and he went in a robe and he washed his hands and he washed his clothes and he washed other clothes and he took the clothes out of the camp to a clean place and the fire on the altar was set and there was no fire and the priest's wife was burning fire in the fire and the priest's wife was burning fire and the fire was set on the altar In English and Hashem spoke to Moses saying Command Aaron and his sons to say the following this is the law of the burnt offering. This is the burnt offering which must remain on its fire upon the altar all night until morning and the fire of the altar will be kept burning on it. The Kohen, the priest, will don his linen garment and linen breeches upon his flesh and will remove the ashes and this is about the portion of the removing of the ashes when the fire consumes the burnt offering on the altar and he will place them beside the altar. He will remove his garment and don other garments and carry the ashes outside the camp to an undefiled place. The fire upon the altar will be kept burning it may not be extinguished and the Kohen will burn wood on it every morning and arrange on it the burnt offering and burn on it the fats of the peace offering. A constant fire will be kept burning on the altar, it may not be extinguished. So this is six verses that we recite every morning as part of our korbanot, as part of our offerings, segment of our prayer.

02:57
So what is really going on over here? What is really happening here? So we have to know, firstly, that our sages teach us that every morning in the temple there was a lottery that was drawn. There was a lottery that was drawn who's going to do which of the labors in the temple? Who's going to do which service, the first one to be auctioned off the lottery was the removal of the ashes. Let me ask you a question how glamorous is that job To remove the ashes? Well, it was the first because it was a very, very powerful one. Why, our sages tell us Eish ha-mizbeach tukad bo, eish ha-mizbeach tukad bo, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. On the altar, our sages say no, no, not on the altar, on the Kohen. Who merits to do this job? Okay, meaning, if you want that fire, what was this burnt offering? This is a special offering to Hashem. It's a fire that doesn't extinguish. It's a very powerful part of the service of the temple. You want that fire to continue to burn within you. That's the job of removing the temple. You want that fire to continue to burn within you. That's the job of removing the ashes. Now, we know that. You know.

04:31
We mentioned this, actually, in one of our previous podcast episodes. We mentioned that when we eat, there are different components of the food that we eat. There is the physical component, there is the physical component and then there's the spiritual component. What's the spiritual component? That's all the vitamins and the nutrients that need to be distributed all across your body to different parts of your body and it gets distributed beautifully. But then there's what's known as the psolet, which is the garbage. The garbage needs to be taken out. You got to remove that garbage so that the rest of the body.

05:09
Now, what happens if, god forbid, someone is constipated, someone is not able to remove? It's very, very painful on a spiritual level and a physical level. On a physical level, we know. On a spiritual level, because there's junk within me that I got to clean myself out from. Our sages tell us something so important that garbage is our sins. So you know what you have to do with your sins. You have to repent, but then you have to erase them, take them out of the camp, remove them from your midst, don't let them. Oh, every day you're going to cry about it again no, no, no, no, no, no. You repented, you received forgiveness from heaven. Now take out the garbage, remove the ashes. It's done, what's done is done. I think from a mental health perspective, this is something so important.

06:06
You start your day every day anew. Oh, yesterday, yesterday, yesterday was you know what it's time to remove yesterday. Today, you have a bright new day. You're starting a new day. It's a whole new experience. Take out yesterday's garbage.

06:26
Okay, remove the ashes from yesterday. That was the first act that was done in the temple. Remove yesterday. You know why you can't live harping on yesterday, oh, I can't believe I did this. I can't believe I did that. Today is a new day, it's a new beginning. When do we say this Every morning? Ah, we have new opportunity. Today, we have new, we have what a privilege to start a brand new day. The sun is just rising, we have a whole new day ahead. Yeah, but I I'm no. What do I do? But yesterday, what will I? What do I do? That? That was take out the ashes. So fundamental.

07:06
The removal of accumulated ashes from yesterday's offerings is the first devotion of the day, the first devotion of the morning. Now, also, it's that the fire is continuous and it's never extinguishing. Our sages tell us that it's like our digestive tract. It burns the ingested food. It burns it, it's a heat and it removes the ashes. That's our bowels. Physically, like we mentioned, and spiritually, like we mentioned the nourishment from food, physical and spiritual. The physical component becomes waste and is removed. The spiritual component becomes waste and is removed. The spiritual component gives nutrients to feed the body.

08:00
But there's something else that we need to see in this portion that we read Is we see that there's twice in this six verses that the Kohen changes his clothes. Right the first time it says See, he wears his linen clothes, he removes the ashes and then he changes clothes again. So start fresh, you start fresh. You may have had a little bit of dirt yesterday, you were a little stained yesterday. Start fresh. You change the clothes. You don't walk around with the garments that are filthy. What does that mean? Meaning your baggage, think of life, think of our life. People today are walking with unbelievable heavy loads, heavy loads of baggage, of life, of experiences. The Kohen teaches us every morning take off the old clothes, take off the baggage. It's time to start a new leaf, a new beginning. I think this is so incredible. If you look at the commentaries on these verses. It's not many verses but it's so powerful.

09:20
The simple reading of the we talk about the, the Kohen's garments, the Kohen Sheld, the Kohen shaldan. Although the verse specifies only two of the priestly garments, the Talmud, derives that the Kohen's service is invalid unless he wears all of the four garments, meaning you get fully dressed up for the service, get fully dressed up. You can't just do a service in your workout clothes. Why we have to cherish. Every day you get ready, do you know? Oh, why are you all dressed up today? Well, I have an interview. Every day is an interview. Every day is an interview. Every day is an opportunity for greatness and we have to be dressed for it. Dress for your success. Right, you dress for it.

10:14
So I think that I think that it's important for us to take this little short lesson from the Chumash Hadeshan, from the donation or the taking of the ashes. You're removing it, you're getting rid of the past, you're getting rid of yesterday. Not that we're erasing it, but we're putting in front of us a new opportunity. That's the way we start our day. Every day. Again, six verses to remind us. You know what? Yesterday maybe it was a failure. Today's a new day, a new beginning. It's a new start. Today can be awesome and today will be awesome.

10:59
My dear friends, this is a little insight, a little illumination into the prayer of the Trumas Hadeshan. The taking of the ashes. Hashem should bless us all that we're able to remove all of the ashes of the past, burn it up, all the history, all of the baggage so we can move forward to a bright new day. Every day of our lives could be special, you know what? And if today is not such a great day, guess what happens tomorrow morning? It's a brand new day again. It's a brand new opportunity. Never forget the power of today being a new, fresh beginning and go get it. Don't let anything stop you, my dear friends.

11:41 - Intro (Announcement)
You've been listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe on a podcast produced by TORCH, the Torah Outreach Resource Center of Houston. Please help sponsor an episode so we can continue to produce more quality Jewish content for our listeners around the globe. Please visit torchweb.org to donate and partner with us on this incredible endeavor.