CONGREGATION MELECH YISRAEL OF TORONTO

{8:24} He brought Aharon's sons; and Moshe put of the blood on the tip of their right ear, and on the thumb of their right hand, and on the great toe of their right foot: and Moshe sprinkled the blood on the mizbeah round about. {8:25} He took the fat, and the fat tail, and all the fat that was on the inwards, and the cover of the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right thigh: {8:26} and out of the basket of unchametz (unleavened) bread, that was before HaShem, he took one unchametz cake, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and placed them on the fat, and on the right thigh: {8:27} and he put the whole on the hands of Aharon, and on the hands of his sons, and waved them for a wave-offering before HaShem. {8:28} Moshe took them from off their hands, and burnt them on the mizbeah on the olah offering: they were a consecration for a sweet savour: it was a korban made by fire to HaShem. {8:29} Moshe took the breast, and waved it for a wave-offering before HaShem: it was Moshe' portion of the ram of consecration; as HaShem commanded Moshe.

Amazing, is it not? I believe Moshe did all this by memory! You will probably say that Moshe wrote down everything HaShem instructed him to do and was referring to the instructions as he performed each task. That he followed the instructions provided by HaShem, probably complete with illustrations, just like how we follow instructions to put together a piece of unassembled furniture, yes? No! The passages we just read are after the fact, they are written in the past tense. We are reading about what Moshe did. It was already done when this was written down. So how did Moshe remember what to do, considering the great detail and the consequences that followed any mistakes?

I think the answer lies in the fact that when HaShem commanded Moshe, he did not take anything HaShem told him lightly. Every word that proceeded from the mouth of the L-rd, Moshe took pains to study, remember and properly apply, perfectly. Did Moshe possess some kind of super-human power in order to accomplish this? Obviously not, he was just a regular guy!

Many of us have trouble remembering the commandments of HaShem from one moment to the next. Does that mean they are so complex that our minds cannot handle all these rules and regulations? How many of you reading this drash (commentary) are employed by a company, which has a handbook of company policies and procedures? Did you not have to learn these policies and procedure in order to perform your job properly? Could there be consequences if you fail to properly follow policies and procedure? Do you see what I am getting at? We will take the time to study and put to memory policies and procedures required for our employment, but when it comes to HaShem’s Torah, we shudder at the prospect of having to remember His commands and would therefore, prefer to accept the erroneous notion that they have all been done away with by Yeshua. No need to study or remember any of it, right? Funny, but that is not what the psalmist, David Melech Yisrael (King of Israel) expressed to us. He did exactly what Moshe did and obviously applied memorizing HaShem’s Torah to his own life:

Tehillim (Psalms) {119:1} Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the Torah of HaShem. {119:2} Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart. {119:3} They also do no iniquity: they walk in His ways. {119:4} You have commanded us to keep Your precepts diligently. {119:5} O that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes! {119:6} Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all Your commandments. {119:7} I will praise You with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned Your righteous judgments. {119:8} I will keep Your statutes: O forsake me not utterly. {119:9} Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Your Word. {119:10} With my whole heart have I sought You: O let me not wander from Your commandments. {119:11} Your word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against You. {119:12} Blessed are You, HaShem: teach me Your statutes.

Have you hid HaShem’s Word in your heart so that you might not sin against Him? Obviously Moshe did, David HaMelech (the King) did as well, should we not also do the same considering the alternative?

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Jack (Ya'acov) Farber