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On the eighth day, following the seven-day inauguration of the Mishkan, our parsha tells us, “Moshe called Aharon and his sons, and the elders of Israel. He said to Aharon, ‘Take a calf of the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish, and bring them before the Lord’” (Vayikra 9:1-2). Rav Moshe Feinstein z’’l is curious as to why the command to bring the calf was issued without also referencing its preparation. For instance, both the Korban Pesach and the Korban Tamid mention a four-day preparation period prior to being offered. Why is it absent here? Rav Moshe answers his question as follows: “It seems that the reason why it was deemed proper to simply offer the calf without referencing its preparation is in order to teach us that immediately after we finish performing a mitzvah, we should move quickly to begin a whole new one.” (Sefer Kol Ram, Parshat Shemini 45:2).
For seven days, the people enthusiastically and unreservedly invested their whole beings into the dedication of the Mishkan – establishing an earthly structure capable of housing the divine presence. On the eighth day, however, after reaching the spiritual climax of their weeklong efforts, the people are not afforded the opportunity to rest. They are not told to “take it easy and relax.” Rather, they are immediately given a new mitzvah to do! Thus, they were not commanded about the preparation of the calf because they had to take on this new mitzvah instantly and without hesitation. Now, this is not to say that the preparation for the sacrifice was not done. It was. However, its omission in the text teaches us about the importance of moving from one mitzvah to the next with alacrity and purpose, and that even though we may have completed one mitzvah, we still are obligated to take on many more. As Rav Moshe notes, “A person should not say after he fulfills a mitzvah that he is exempt from another one. Rather, he must seek out another mitzvah opportunity straightaway. It is for this reason that once we’ve completed reading the Torah on Simchat Torah, we immediately begin it anew! This,” says Rav Moshe, “is how we should act regarding every mitzvah” (Ibid.).
The job of a Jew is never done, because there is always another mitzvah to take on, another act of chesed to undertake, another spiritual gain to be made. This Shabbat, may we reflect upon the various mitzvot we do, and let us ask ourselves, “Do I want this mitzvah to be over with so I can move on to other things?” Or, “If and when this mitzvah is over with, I can’t wait to move on to other mitzvot?” Every mitzvah is an opportunity, a free gift, given to us by our Creator to help us further develop and refine our spiritual selves while elevating those around us. Let us take advantage of that free gift by grabbing ahold of each opportunity that presents itself, let us seek those opportunities out, and let us all continue to move from mitzvah to mitzvah, creating a world infused with holiness and righteousness, bringing us all closer to that day when “God shall be sovereign over all the earth. On that day, God shall be one, and His name shall be one!” (Zechariyah 14:9).
Shabbat Shalom!
- Rabbi Dan
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