Tzav continues the story of love, betrayal, jealousy and restoration begun in Ki Tissa, the Golden Calf episode. Ki Tissa was a remarkable account of “the deep wound in G-d that results from Israelite infidelity, a statement of the profound interdependence of the Israelites not only on the rest of their world and on each other but on G-d — and G-d on the Israelites.” In Tzav, we see evidence of efforts to restore the ruptured relationship between Aaron and G-d at the same time that we see hints of an ongoing disturbance in the relationship.
In a pattern we’ve come to recognize, the portion is structured with a series of seven speeches, marked by variations of the introduction, “And the Lord spoke to (x,y,z), saying…” (וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה, אֶל-??? לֵּאמֹר) – Lev 6:1, 6:12, 6:17, 7:22, 7:28 and 8:1). The seventh speech (Lev 8:31) contains a surprise, though: “And Moses said to Aaron and his sons…” (וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל-בָּנָיו)
While we’d expect this seventh unit to begin as the first six did, va-yidaber Adonai (the Lord spoke), it begins instead with va-yomer Moshe (Moses said). In the rest of vs. 8:31, there is ongoing confusion about the source of the commands: “And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons: ‘Boil the flesh at the door of the tent of meeting; and there eat it and the bread that is in the basket of consecration, as I commanded, saying: Aaron and his sons shall eat it.'” (וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל-בָּנָיו, בַּשְּׁלוּ אֶת-הַבָּשָׂר פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, וְשָׁם תֹּאכְלוּ אֹתוֹ, וְאֶת-הַלֶּחֶם אֲשֶׁר בְּסַל הַמִּלֻּאִים: כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוֵּיתִי לֵאמֹר, אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו יֹאכְלֻהוּ) Who is “I”? It seems as though it should be G-d, but Moses delivers his speech in the first person in such a way that it seems to be Moses himself.
Two verses later, in Lev 8:33-34, Moses continues his instructions saying, “And ye shall not go out from the door of the tent of meeting seven days, until the days of your consecration be fulfilled; for He shall consecrate you seven days. As hath been done this day, so the LORD hath commanded to do, to make atonement for you.” (וּמִפֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֹא תֵצְאוּ, שִׁבְעַת יָמִים–עַד יוֹם מְלֹאת, יְמֵי מִלֻּאֵיכֶם: כִּי שִׁבְעַת יָמִים, יְמַלֵּא אֶת-יֶדְכֶם. כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה, בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה–צִוָּה יְהוָה לַעֲשֹׂת, לְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם) With the third person pronoun “He,” we clearly understand the words are coming through Moses but from G-d, and the last statement confirms it, “the Lord commanded.” This subtle shift focuses attention on the change in presentation in vs. 31, with the words seeming to come from Moses, not G-d.
One other oddity of presentation hints at the meaning. In Lev 6:3, as the G-d speaks to Moses, G-d says, “And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh…” (וְלָבַשׁ הַכֹּהֵן מִדּוֹ בַד, וּמִכְנְסֵי-בַד יִלְבַּשׁ עַל-בְּשָׂרוֹ) That added detail, “upon his flesh,” is striking. The word “flesh” (בְּשָׂר – basar) is used repeatedly throughout this section, twelve times to be exact. In only one instance, Lev. 6:3, does it refer to the flesh of a human being. Every other reference is to an animal sacrifice. In this way the text suggests that Aaron, like the sacrifice that substitutes for him and atones for him and the Israelites whom he represents, has an animal nature. Yes, part of his nature is also G-d-like, but here, the choice of the word basar focuses on that part of Aaron driven by instinct and emotion, ignoring his purpose-driven, G-d-like part.
On the one hand, we have a breach in the communication protocol, with Moses commanding Aaron, not G-d commanding Aaron through Moses. We could call this sloppy editing on the part of the redactor, but I believe it is more purposeful. Along with referring to Aaron’s “flesh,” his animal nature, I think the text suggests that all is not yet right in the world post-Calf. Aaron has not fully regained trust and stature.
Another interesting repeating word in this week’s portion is “excision” (generally applied in passive form – וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא – that person will be excised or cut off).
“Karet (‘excision’) is the biblical penalty, for certain offences, of being ‘cut off from the people’; for example, for failing to be circumcised (Genesis 17:14); for eating leaven on Passover (Exodus 12:19); and for committing incest (Leviticus 20:17).” In Tzav, the word appears four times:
- Lev 7:20 – But the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings, that pertain unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from his people (וְהַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר-תֹּאכַל בָּשָׂר, מִזֶּבַח הַשְּׁלָמִים אֲשֶׁר לַיהוָה, וְטֻמְאָתוֹ, עָלָיו–וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא, מֵעַמֶּיהָ).
- Lev 7:21 – And when any one shall touch any unclean thing, whether it be the uncleanness of man, or an unclean beast, or any unclean detestable thing, and eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings, which pertain unto the LORD, that soul shall be cut off from his people (וְנֶפֶשׁ כִּי-תִגַּע בְּכָל-טָמֵא, בְּטֻמְאַת אָדָם אוֹ בִּבְהֵמָה טְמֵאָה אוֹ בְּכָל-שֶׁקֶץ טָמֵא, וְאָכַל מִבְּשַׂר-זֶבַח הַשְּׁלָמִים, אֲשֶׁר לַיהוָה–וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא, מֵעַמֶּיהָ).
- Lev. 7:25 – For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, of which men present an offering made by fire unto the LORD, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people (כִּי, כָּל-אֹכֵל חֵלֶב, מִן-הַבְּהֵמָה, אֲשֶׁר יַקְרִיב מִמֶּנָּה אִשֶּׁה לַיהוָה–וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הָאֹכֶלֶת, מֵעַמֶּיהָ).
- Lev 7:27 – Whosoever it be that eateth any blood, that soul shall be cut off from his people (כָּל-נֶפֶשׁ, אֲשֶׁר-תֹּאכַל כָּל-דָּם–וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא, מֵעַמֶּיהָ).
In these instances, the sins that generate karet, excision, are eating the sacrifice of peace while unclean (7:20) with elaboration of that in 7:21; eating the fat of the sacrifice by fire; and eating the blood of the sacrifice.
The term raises multiple questions. Why karet, excision, and not the phrase used elsewhere, “he shall be put to death?” Milgrom suggests that “the penalty of karet is limited to purely religious offences and is never enjoined for offences such as murder, the penalty for which is judicial execution.”
It is curious that in contrast to referring to Aaron’s person in Lev 6:3 with בְּשָׂר – basar (“flesh”), the text refers to the Israelites in these four passages with נֶפֶשׁ – nefesh (“soul”). While basar focuses on the lifeless flesh of all creatures, nefesh focuses that flesh animated by the breath of G-d. This supports Milgrom’s analysis, and we can understand karet as a punishment for those who reject their full G-d-given humanity. They are ritually removed from among the living rather than judicially.
These passages also remind us of a profound biblical discomfort with meat-eating as it is segregated from other consumption and circumscribed with many regulations about what one can eat, where one can eat it and how one must eat it. Failure to meet these exacting requirements is subject to severe punishment. Interestingly, the punishment is cast in terms of the nature of a human being. One may appear to be alive, but ritually speaking, one is merely a carcass, not animated with the breath of G-d.
Similarly Aaron failed to fulfill his mission as a whole person, nefesh, much less a holy being. He is merely basar – flesh. While the word karet is not used for Aaron, he does, indeed, seem to be “cut off” from his formerly exalted position. References to him usually include his sons (Aaron and his sons), as if the mantle of authority is passing to them. Aaron was not in evidence during the building of the tabernacle, and communication with G-d remains disrupted. From being the man G-d assigned to be Moses’ “prophet” (Ex 7:1-2), to speak for him to Pharaoh, Aaron is now silenced and silent, flesh.
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