Raboyseyee and Ladies,
Best If Used By- Use By- Best Served By- Best Eaten By & Other Expiration Dates:
According to many, the bottom line on eating food items past their expiration date is this: Food expiration dates – especially “best by” or “use by” are primarily indicators of quality and freshness, and not necessarily safety. Let’s go veyter: What we need to know: These dates indicate when a food product is expected to be at its peak quality (flavor, texture, etc.). The dates are a recommendation for best quality and don’t necessarily mean the food is unsafe to eat after the date. Typically, nothing giferlich will happen to the person eating the food product one day past its expiration or ‘use by’ date. Food is often safe to eat past the “best by” or “use by” date, as long as it’s stored properly and shows no signs of spoilage.
This is all excellent information, ober, how is at all related to our parsha which by chance will -this year- lead us mamish into the Pesach seder? Shoin, it so happens that our sages decided that one word in the entire parsha which contains 96 pisukim means that a certain food item -despite still being fresh and safe to eat, can in fact not be eaten and should one violate this law, this person is subject to korase a form of spiritual expiation, whatever that means. Growing up we were taught that Korase means something much worse. More on korase a bit later. What is that one word? Let’s meet “piggul” and get to the bottom of this issue. What’s that you ask?
Amidst the discussions on korbonis first introduced last week, and while laying out the details of how the offerings are brought and prepared, we encounter the concept of piggul — a status of invalidity that a korban can acquire based on the intent of the Koihen during its offering. Noch a mul (one more time please). The bottom line: From the words of the heylige Toirah we learn this: If the koihen had the wrong thoughts while preparing the korban before him, the entire sacrifice becomes invalid and one may not eat the portion left behind for consumption. His window has closed. This concept is a unique halachic phenomenon in the heylige Toirah law because it’s rooted in intention rather than in action or physical imperfection. The attending koihen merely had a thought about eating it after the expiration time and shoin, though he did not follow through on his intentions, the korban is now considered piggul and is forbidden. Wow! One last time: In halocho (Jewish law), piggul refers to a korban (sacrificial offering) that becomes invalid due to an improper thought by the Koihen during the service — specifically, a thought to eat or burn it outside its proper time. Even if everything is done physically correctly, the korban is disqualified because of the intent. Wow!
Nu, at this time, efsher you’re wondering about intentions versus actions? Does the RBSO punish us for intentions? If yes, we are all doomed! Or, is punishment reserved for those who commit an actual sin through action? Says the heylige Gemora that it’s taka emes that us Yiddin do not typically get punished for having bad thoughts. For mischievous thoughts, for lust in our hearts (and elsewhere), or any other thought that we should not be having -especially so just before reciting the Shema and the Shmonah Esray. Of course, I mention these because if you hearken back to your teenage years, you will avada remember that all sorts of lustful thoughts ran through our minds during that time. Why? Ver veyst?
Says the heylige Gemora Kiddushin (40a), azoy: “Hirhurei aveirah einam mitztarfim l’maaseh.” And in English: Thoughts of sin are not considered like an action. The RBSO does not punish a person for fleeting, unacted thoughts unless they lead to action. We live. That is very gishmak to read.
The bottom line: Just thinking about doing an aveirah (sin), without actually doing it, usually isn’t punishable in a strict halachic sense. Ober, that being stated, there seem to be exceptions and certain thoughts themselves are considered sins, especially when they’re sustained or ideologically dangerous. Examples include Avoidah Zoro (Idolatry) & Kefirah (heresy). Says the heylige Toirah (Bamidbar 15:39): “V’loi sosuru acharei levavchem v’acharei eineichem…” Do not stray after your hearts and eyes…leave it up to our sages who decided that these words are meant to include heretical or lustful thoughts. Says the Rambam that philosophical heresy and idol worship in thought are serious and punishable, even if you never act on them.
And if that’s taka how the system works, what is it about piggul? What is unique about piggul? Why did the RBSO decide to punish the koihen for a thought that popped into his head while sacrificing the animal? Just for thinking that he might eat the korban one day late? What’s pshat here? Shoin, let’s start by reading the one place in the entire heylige Toirah that mentions the word and concept of piggul. Says the heylige Toirah in our parsha (Vayikra 7:18), azoy:
“וְאִם הֵאָכֹל יֵאָכֵל מִבְּשַׂר זֶבַח שְׁלָמָיו בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי לֹא יֵרָצֶה הַמַּקְרִיב אֹתוֹ לֹא יֵחָשֵׁב לוֹ פִּגּוּל יִהְיֶה וְהַנֶּפֶשׁ הָאֹכֶלֶת מִמֶּנּוּ עֲוֹנָהּ תִּשָּׂא.”
“And if any of the flesh of the peace offering is eaten on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be reckoned to the one who offers it: it shall be piggul, and the soul that eats of it shall bear its iniquity.”
In plain English: the posik introduces a unique dynamic: not only can a korban become disqualified based on improper actions, but even improper intent -particularly regarding when the offering or its meat will be eaten — can cause the korban to become invalid. Ober, what is piggul? In halachic terms, piggul refers to a specific type of disqualification in korbonis resulting from the intent of the Koihen to consume or offer parts of the korban outside the allowable time. In plain English: a korban brought by an individual with good intentions can become disqualified (piggul) when the koihen in charge of offering the specific korban on behalf of the individual has bad intentions. What particular sin did the koihen commit? Was he thinking about his stock portfolio or 401K while doing his work? And who can blame him especially as our parsha coincides with a week plus where the averages fell dramatically? Isn’t everyone -no matter what they’re doing- checking their phones or monitors? Can we blame the koihen for being a shtikel distracted? For thinking how many more animals he will need to be assigned to make up for his losses? Or, was he thinking about his wife and or girlfriend? What terrible thought could this koihen have thought about that would render the entire sacrifice not kosher and the food portion left for him as piggul? And for that one thought, he’s liable for korase? And what is korase?
As an aside and to prove that we all suffer from lustful thoughts, the heylige Mishneh Ovois 5:5 teaches us this: “Ten miracles were performed for our forefathers in the Holy Temple: No woman ever miscarried because of the smell of the holy meat. The holy meat never spoiled. Never was a fly seen in the slaughterhouse. Never did the koihen Godol (High Priest) have an accidental seminal discharge on Yom Kippur. The rains did not extinguish the wood-fire burning upon the altar. The wind did not prevail over the column of smoke [rising from the altar]. No disqualifying problem was ever discovered in the Oimer offering, the Two Loaves or the Showbread. They stood crowded but had ample space in which to prostate themselves. Never did a snake or scorpion cause injury in Yerusholayim. And no man ever said to his fellow “My lodging in Yerusholayim is too cramped for me.”
That’s mamish quite a list of miracles and it should come as no surprise that we yearn for its rebuilding. Them were the good days of open miracles. Ober did you read that fourth miracle? It took a miracle for the koihen not to have an accidental seminal emission while in the holy temple and performing the avoido? What lustful thoughts was the koihen thinking about? What the hec was he doing in there with those animals, or other koihanim? What was he thinking about? Moreover, if the Mishneh goes out of its way to tell us that koihen never experienced a seminal discharge on Yom Kippur, are we to epes conclude that efsher maybe the regular Koihanim did suffer from such emissions on other days of the year? Ver veyst, and what’s pshat in this Mishneh? Nu, something is up, or was, if you chap, if the heylige Mishneh goes out of its way to mention that this was taka a miracle. What could have induced such emissions, ver veyst?
So happens that the Mishneh (Yoma 1:1) describes the preparations of the Koihen Gadol (High Priest) for Yom Kippur. It says that (8a-b) that seven days before Yom Kippur, the Koihen Gadol would be separated from his home and stay in a special chamber in the Temple called the Lishkas Parhedrin (the Chamber of Parhedrin) where he received training for the Yom Kippur service. one of the reasons given for this separation was to prevent any form of ritual impurity, including becoming a ba’al keri (someone who has had a seminal emission), which would render him temporarily unfit to perform the Temple service. The heylige Gemora (Yoma 2b-4a) elaborates on this and brings in the concern of a nocturnal emission, especially due to the stress or exertion. The fact that he did not become a ba’al keri during those days or on Yom Kippur itself is referred to by some sources as one of the miracles that occurred in the Beis HaMikdash. Wow!
And in our parsha mamish, we come across this posik (VaYikro 6:3): “And the Koihen shall put on his linen vestments and the linen pants he shall wear over flesh. And he shall lift the ashes of the burnt offering, consumed by the fire, that are on the altar. And he shall place them by the altar.” Says Rebbe Shimon: that the Koihen must wear all four of the priestly garments for ‘trumas hadeshen’ (removal of the garbage), and the Toirah emphasizes the tunic and pants. Why? Because the tunic atones for murder, and the pants atone for illicit relations. Why a koihen who had illicit relations was in charge, ver veyst but who are we to judge? Maybe the others were worse? Efsher a miracle was taka required so that the Koihen didn’t have an emission during the Avoida, ver veyst. The bottom line: it’s damn hard to control thoughts.
Says Rashi (Vayikra 7:18) azoy: Piggul occurs when the Koihen thinks at the time of offering that the korban will be eaten beyond its halachic time limit. The heylige Toirah then labels the entire offering as invalid, despite no physical defect or mistake in the process. That’s it? Well blow me down! Says the Mishneh (Zevachim 13:1) that piggul only applies if: The improper intent relates to time (e.g., planning to eat the korban past its time). Moreover, the koihen must have had this thought during a valid part of the sacrificial service, such as the shechitah, kabalas ha-dam, holachah, or zerikah, and if the korban was otherwise valid and fit for offering.
Shoin, let us review: It appears that the concept of machshavah ra’ah (bad thought) in Judaism is nuanced. In the context of sacrifices, a bad thought can invalidate the whole offering (piggul), showing how powerful thoughts can be. Moreover, should the koihen go ahead and eat his portion after it was declared to be piggul, he gets or is qualified to get korase. On the other hand, in Jewish ethical literature and halacha, improper sexual thoughts (hirhurei aveirah) are considered spiritually damaging, even if no action follows but we don’t really get punished though the heylige Gemora (Yoma 29a) says that thoughts of sin are worse than the sin itself — in some spiritual sense. Why is that? Ver veyst?
Another bottom line: Both cases show how intentions and thoughts can carry significant weight in Jewish thought: In piggul, an improper intention ruins an otherwise perfect korban. In personal conduct, improper thoughts (especially sexual) are seen as spiritually harmful, and something to work on refining. Just as a korban is disqualified by a bad thought, a person’s spiritual state can be “disqualified” or harmed by improper inner thoughts.
Ober, did the koihen Godol or other koihanim taka suffer from seminal emissions? Say it’s not so please. The good news: While technically possible, our sages don’t record cases of Kohanim having a seminal emission during the Avoidah. The system in the Mikdash was set up to prevent this from happening. With mikveh immersions, night watches, and halachic stringencies, this issue was tightly controlled. That being said, had it occurred, the Koihen would have to immediately stop, and the avoidah would be invalid from that point on.
And what is this korase punishment? How does it work? Shoin to chap korase (כָּרֵת), we need to learn some halacha and Kabbalah. The word Korase means “cutting off.” It’s a Divine punishment mentioned in the heylige Toirah as punishment for certain severe avayris (sins), like eating chomatze on Pesach, violating the heylige Shabbis, forbidden sexual relationships, etc. The root word כרת means “to cut,” and the heylige Toirah uses phrases like:
“וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא מֵעַמֶּיהָ” — That soul shall be cut off from its people.
Ober how does it work? Our Sages give us two choices; pick the pshat that talks to you. In spiritual excision, the idea is that the neshama (soul) is cut off from its source — from the RBSO and Olam HaBa (the World to Come). Says the Rambam (Hilchos Teshuvah 8:1) azoy: One who dies in a state deserving korase -his soul is cut off and destroyed; he has no portion in Olam HaBa (the world to come). Says the heylige Zoihar (and elsewhere in Kabbalah) that the soul is “severed” from the flow of Divine life-force (shefa), whatever that means and however that is manifested. It no longer has access to that spiritual vitality, unless tshuvah (repentance) repairs it.
Alternatively, or some might say that in addition, at times, korase also has physical consequences in this world which see to include: Premature death (before age 50 or 60). Says the heylige Gemara (Moed Katan 28a) and by Rashi, who explains that this is part of what “being cut off” means — the person’s life is shortened or ends unnaturally.
The good news: we don’t see much korase going on because -in reality- the RBSO is patient, and people might have done partial teshuvah, or the punishment might be delayed. There is more good news: it appears that Korase can be undone and yes, teshuvah is always possible. Says the Rambam (Hilchos Teshuvah 1:3), azoy: Even someone who did a big sin punishable by korase can repair it through genuine teshuvah. In fact, Yom Kippur, suffering, and teshuvah all combine to help cleanse the soul.
The bottom line: korase might not be a permanent sentence. The RBSO is seemingly always waiting for you to repent.
A gittin Shabbis and a very enjoyable Pesach wherever you find yourself.
The Heylige Oisvorfer Ruv
Yitz Grossman
