Tzav: There’s No Shame in a Wicker Basket

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Of the many korbanot (sacrifices) that a person may bring in his lifetime, one that the Torah speaks about in this week’s parsha is the chat’at, the sin-offering. It is quite incredible to imagine that in the times of the Beit Hamikdash, a person did not have to go to sleep at night with sin! Inevitably, we will slip up in one area or another during the day, but a person who lived in the times of the Beit Hamikdash could go and offer up a korban (sacrifice) as a rectification, and more importantly, as a step of closeness towards Hashem. The sin would dissolve as the fire of the sacrifice ascended. What a gift!

The verse (Vayikra 6:17-18) tells us ‘This is the law of the sin offering, in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, you shall slaughter the sin offering before Hashem…’ This verse seems wordy, especially as the Torah makes an effort to tell us that the sin offering is offered up in the same place as another offering, the burnt offering. Why do we need to know this piece of information? And why are these two offerings brought in the same place?

Rabbi Pliskin answers by bringing the Gemara Yerushalmi¹. The Gemara explains something so beautiful and sensitive. The Torah was concerned that an onlooker would see someone heading towards the Beit Hamikdash, ready to sacrifice their korban and they would say to themselves ‘Aha! Look at him! He’s headed to sacrifice a korban chat’as, a sin offering! I wonder what he’s done!’

Hashem wanted to preserve the dignity and privacy of the Jewish people, and for this reason, the sin offering is brought in the same place as the burnt offering so that people would have no way of knowing what it was brought for. Perhaps they are bringing a korban olah, a burnt offering, as a voluntary donation. Even though the person bringing this offering is guilty of an aveira (sin), Hashem ensures that the dignity of each Jew is maintained.

In the heart of a parsha that seems so occupied with our relationship with Hashem; bringing sacrifices, becoming holy through Temple service, the technical laws, the Torah sends us a beautiful message. Don’t do it at the expense of others. Don’t embarrass others. Protect the dignity of your fellow Jew.

This leads us to a fundamental question brought by Rav Bernstein. Is there a place for embarrassment in the Torah? What should a Jew be embarrassed about?

In the times of the Beis Hamikdash, there was a special time of year when all the farmers would bring their first fruits to Yerushalayim. This was a joyous ceremony where the farmers would hand over their bikkurim, their produce, to the Kohanim. During the process, there is a passage that the farmers had to recite known as ‘Vidui Bikkurim,’ the declaration of the first fruits. This passage is something we read in the Pesach Haggada, beginning ‘Arami Oved Avi,’ and it details in stunning majesty how Hashem took us out of Egypt and brought us up to the land of Israel, and all this leads to our debt of gratitude. The farmer then hands over his bikkurim to the Kohen, filled with joy at the blessing that Hashem has bestowed upon him.

The Mishna in Bikkurim tells us that some people were unfamiliar with Hebrew and would thus be unable to read through the passage fluently as part of the ceremony. Chazal therefore established that anyone who came to bring Bikkurim would first hear the passage from the Kohen, and then repeat it after him. This would spare those people who weren’t confident enough to read this passage in public much humiliation, since no-one would know who was fluent in Hebrew and who was unable to read, because everyone repeated it after the Kohen. A beautiful demonstration once more of the sensitivity of Torah and how we preserve the honour of our fellow Jews.

Yet, Rav Bernstein points out, what about the following scenario..?

Several farmers walked proudly to Yerushalayim, each carrying his beautiful new fruits, ready for the jubilant ceremony that awaited. One farmer, hailed from a rich family, carried his fruits in a splendid basket, weaved from gold, his fruits reflecting the royal glow, while the farmer beside him bore his produce proudly in a fabulous silver-lined basket. Behind them, trailed a farmer, descended from a poor family. His fruits sat weakly in a plain wicker basket, weaved himself with his work-worn hands. He walked at the back, in shame, at his modest contribution.

Hang on, asks Rav Bernstein, why didn’t the Rabbis make a law to protect this poverty-stricken farmer from shame? Why didn’t Chazal establish that everyone should carry their fruits in wicker baskets, so that no-one could distinguish between rich and poor?

Let’s go back to the beginning. A person bringing a sin offering sacrifices in the same place as one who brings a burnt offering to protect him from shame. Why does he need protection? Because sin is shameful. Bringing a korban chat’at is something that comes with embarrassment. It is no badge of honour.

Chazal were careful to create a law that protected people who weren’t familiar with the Hebrew passages, yet they didn’t make an effort to preserve the dignity of the poor. Why? Because, in the Torah’s eyes, someone who can’t afford silver and gold has nothing to be embarrassed about! Hashem gives riches, Hashem doesn’t give riches, what’s the difference? There is no shame in a wicker basket. But someone who didn’t have the familiarity with the Torah text, that is something worth being embarrassed about!

And now, we can turn inwards and ask ourselves: What are we embarrassed about? Are we ashamed of our wicker baskets: ‘I can’t give you a lift because my car isn’t fancy enough… I can’t have guests for Shabbos because my dessert isn’t perfect enough… I can’t go to that Bar-Mitzva because I’m not well-dressed enough…’

Or are we embarrassed of things that truly deserve our shame; our sin offerings, our shortcomings, our lack of inspiration and growth?

The Torah is telling us that what we are ashamed of says a lot about who we are and where we are headed. Are we trying to fix our sheitel and earrings to avoid shame, or are we trying to build our Torah knowledge and middot? When our embarrassment is in the right place, then we will be motivated to propel forwards and achieve great heights in our growth and in our lives!