“…If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days…” (Vayikra 12:2)

RASHI: IF A WOMAN HAVE CONCEIVED SEED — R. Simlai said: Even as the formation of man took place after that of every cattle, beast and fowl when the world was created, so, too, the law regarding him is set forth after the law regarding cattle, beast and fowl (contained in the previous chapter) (Leviticus Rabbah 14:1).

Rashi tells us that the reason that the laws of a person’s tahara and kedusha are found after Parshas Shemini is to tell us that just as the creation of the animals was before man, so too the laws of the animals (toras habeheima) are written before those of man. Reb Leibel Eiger (1816–1888) asks, “There are no laws for animals – those are laws ABOUT animals for MAN. So, what does Chazal mean when they say, ‘Toras Habeheima’?”

When I saw his question, it struck a chord in my memory regarding a piece I wrote a couple of weeks ago. In Parshas Tzav we discussed the toras ha’olah. In that context I was not sure exactly how to translate the word “toras” and felt that “the laws” was inadequate, and to my chagrin that was how Artscroll translated this word almost every time. However, I found one time that they translated it as “the teachings”, which I believe is closer to its true meaning. In this vein Reb Leibel Eiger explains that there are lessons to be learned from the dietary laws of that which is permissible to be eaten and that which is forbidden to be eaten (see the Rishonim who discuss this idea at length).

Reb Leibel goes on to explain that Jews have three distinguishing characteristics that very much define who we are: We have bris milah on our body (representing our control of our desires), tzitzis on our clothing, and a mezuzah on our door. These three aspects generally characterize who we are in all of the things that we do, making it clear that our dedication to Hashem is foremost in our mind. Our physical pleasures, our comfort from the clothing that we wear, and the protection of our home, all have to be in sync with our service of Hashem.

As we are before Pesach and think about Klal Yisrael on the night of the plague of the firstborn, it is fascinating to note that they ate the Paschal offering, while girded to travel, and with blood on the doorpost, thus incorporating these three essentials into our character. The idea of the Exodus from Egypt was not to just free us of physical bondage, but to remove ourselves from a decadent culture in order to serve Hashem. Similarly, in the desert we also had special food, the Clouds of Glory around us, and our clothing was also taken care of by Hashem. That special generation created the eternal character of Klal Yisrael. (We might come back another time to discuss why some of this generation did not perform bris milah.)

As we prepare for Pesach by getting rid of the chometz in our home, we should remember that the sefarim hakedoshim say that chometz refers to the yetzer hara. We should understand that cleaning for Pesach, which is the precursor to being particular about that which we eat on Pesach, is the beginning of our ascension to the higher levels of holiness needed to reaccept the Torah, in about two months’ time.

May we merit that this year we are able to eat the actual Paschal Offering, and by doing so, raise the level of our fulfillment of our purpose in this world.