Emor אמר

My Musing
This week's selection occupies itself with two questions- why enumerate the three animals rather than simply relate to the offering from cattle and why does an animal need to exist for a week, seven days, before being offered.
The midrash gives us the simple answer for the enumeration of three different offerings, the number begs us to map the animals to the Patriarchs. But the reason for seven days leads the midrash to an interesting analogy, the rules for humans are the same for animals.
Of course the analogy also begs a deeper question, are we also offering for God?

מדרש תנחומא (ורשא) פרשת אמור סימן יב
(ויקרא כב:כז) "שׁוֹר אוֹ כֶשֶׂב אוֹ עֵז כִּי יִוָּלֵד וְהָיָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תַּחַת אִמּוֹ וּמִיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי וָהָלְאָה יֵרָצֶה לְקָרְבַּן אִשֶּׁה לַידֹוָד"

"When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth, then it shall be seven days under the mother; but from the eighth day and thenceforth it may be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the LORD."

שור בזכות אברהם שנאמר (בראשית יח:ז) "וְאֶל הַבָּקָר רָץ אַבְרָהָם וַיִּקַּח בֶּן בָּקָר רַךְ וָטוֹב וַיִּתֵּן אֶל הַנַּעַר וַיְמַהֵר לַעֲשׂוֹת אֹתוֹ"
כבש בזכות יצחק שנאמר (בראשית כב:יג) "וַיִּשָּׂא אַבְרָהָם אֶת עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה אַיִל אַחַר נֶאֱחַז בַּסְּבַךְ בְּקַרְנָיו וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָהָם וַיִּקַּח אֶת הָאַיִל וַיַּעֲלֵהוּ לְעֹלָה תַּחַת בְּנוֹ"
עז בזכות יעקב שנאמר (בראשית כז:ט) "לֶךְ נָא אֶל הַצֹּאן וְקַח לִי מִשָּׁם שְׁנֵי גְּדָיֵי עִזִּים טֹבִים וְאֶעֱשֶׂה אֹתָם מַטְעַמִּים לְאָבִיךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר אָהֵב"

The bull is in the merit of Abraham as it says, " And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto the servant; and he hastened to prepare it."
The sheep is in the merit of Isaac as it says, " And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son."
The goat is in the merit of Jacob as it says, " Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savory food for thy father, such as he loves;"

מהו "טֹבִים"?, רבי ברכיה בשם רבי חלבו אמר, 'טובים לך שעל ידיהם אתה מקבל הברכות, וטובים לבניך שעל ידיהן מתכפר לבניך ביום הכיפורים' שנאמר, (ויקרא טז:ל) "כִּי בַיּוֹם הַזֶּה יְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם לְטַהֵר אֶתְכֶם מִכֹּל חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם לִפְנֵי יְדֹוָד תִּטְהָרוּ"

What is "two good kids"? Rabbi Berachai in the name of Rabbi Chalbo said, good for you that by their agency you receive the blessings and good for your children that by their agency they will receive atonement as it says, " For on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins shall ye be clean before the LORD."

"וְהָיָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תַּחַת אִמּוֹ", רבי יהושע דסכנין בשם רבי לוי אומר משל למלך שהיה נכנס למדינה והוציא כרוז ואמר כל אכסניין שיש כאן לא יראו פני עד שיראו פני מטרונה תחילה. כך אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא לישראל, 'בני, לא תביאו לפני קרבן עד שתעבור עליו השבת', שאין שבעה בלא שבת. ואין מילה בלא שבת.
אמר רבי יצחק, 'משפט אדם ומשפט בהמה, משפט אדם (ויקרא יב:ג) "וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי יִמּוֹל בְּשַׂר עָרְלָתוֹ" ומשפט בהמה "וּמִיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי וָהָלְאָה יֵרָצֶה לְקָרְבַּן אִשֶּׁה לַידֹוָד".

" then it shall be seven days under the mother", Rabbi Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of Rabbi Levi said it is analogous to a king who visits a new country and issues a proclamation and says 'all newcomers that are here will not see my face until they see my matron first.' Similarly said the Holy One blessed be He, to Israel, 'my sons, do not bring before me a sacrifice until it passes a Shabbat', since there is no seven without Shabbat. And there is no circumcision without a Shabbat.
Said Rabbi Yitzchak, the law for humankind is the law for animals. The law of man, "And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised." And the law of the animal " but from the eighth day and thenceforth it may be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the LORD."