The instructions of Korbanos are in third person- he. See 1:3, 1:14, 1:10, 3:1 - יקריב אתו, והקריב מן התרים, זכר תמים יקריבנו, אם־זכר אם נקבה תמים יקריבנו .
However, the Korban Mincha is stated in second person- you. See 2:11, 2:12, and 2:13 - אשר תקריבו, קרבן ראשית תקריבו , וכל קרבן מנחתך במלח תמלח.
In Shmoneh Esrei, all brachos follow the format of Nochach/Nistar, with one exception. Modim could follow the same format and end with Hatov Shemo, veLo na'eh lehodos. But it doesn't. It is stated in second person - hatov shimcha, lecha na'eh lehodos.
Reb Yaakov Emden in Beis Yaakov says that the eighteen verses in Yehi chevod correspond to the brachos in Shmoneh Esrei. It has been pointed out that all but one are lashon nistar - the fourth verse, Hashem Shimcha leolam va'ed Hashem Zichrecha ledor vador. It seems that this verse corresponds with Modim.
Why? What is the common denominator?
Rav Bergman (Shaarei Orah/Maamarim/Vayikra) points out that whereas other korbanos yield a benefit to the baalim, this is not true by a minchas nedava. No kapara at all (he quotes the Steipler in Zevachim as stating this) and the baalim never ever eats any of it. Even a Kohen doesn't eat from his own Mincha, because it's kallil. (This is an oddity that I never saw an explanation for until now!) Indeed, when discussing the Minchas Chotei, the Torah does not use the lashon nochach.
Lechoira, you can ask that one of the Menachos mentioned above is the Minchas Ha'Omer, that is mattir Chodosh, which is a tremendous benefit. But, remarkably enough, the Sifra says that the Torah introduces the parsha of Minchas Haomer with Im to teach you that you should be makriv as a nedava, not for the toeles of hetter - ואם תקריב מנחת בכורים!
ספרא, ויקרא דבורא דנדבה, פרשה יג ב-ג
[ב] ר' שמעון אומר "ואם תקריב מנחת בכורים לשם" – זו מנחה באה חובה. יכול נדבה? כשהוא אומר (ויקרא כג, י) "והבאתם את עמר ראשית קצירכם אל הכהן" למד שאינה באה אלא חובה.
[ג] ואם כן למה נאמר "ואם"? לומר אם אתם מביאים אותה לרצון מעלה אני עליכם כאילו נדבה הבאתם אותה, ואם אין אתם מביאים אותה לרצון מעלה אני עליכם כאילו לא הבאתם אותה אלא לצורך עצמכם.
Pretty cool, no?
Rav Bergman has a different mehalach, but I would suggest that the common denominator is that both by Modim and by Korban Mincha, you are not there to get anything. By Modim, you're not saying "Give," you're saying "thank you for what you've given." Sure, there are plenty of unctuous sycophants who only express gratitude to ingratiate themselves, but that is not the intent of the bracha of Modim.
The idea is that in both cases, one is approaching the Ribono shel Olam with absolutely no self interest, only to express respect and love and gratitude. Such a person is a ben bayis, not an outsider, and the relationship is Ich/Du, Lashon Nochach.
See the Bnai Yissasschar's "Agra D'kallah" on parshas Tzav, in the second piece in the parsha (b'sheim the talmidei habesh"t). I don't have it so I don't want to try to quote it.
ReplyDeleteThank you. The only time you need the physical book is on Shabbos and Yomtov. It's on Sefaria.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.sefaria.org/Agra_DeKala%2C_Tzav.2?vhe=Agra_DeKala,_Brooklyn,_N.Y.,_1993&lang=bi
Anyway, stripped of the jargon, the gist is that Minchas kohen means the tefilla of a true eved hashem. He should not ask to cure what hurts him or be given what he lacks, because his suffering really stems from a root problem in Shamayim, and bandages for a systemic infection are futile. His tefilla should be כליל, and לא יאכל.
That's the best this poor Litvak can understand it.
You mean your filter doesn't block chassidishe toirah!? It must be on the lightest setting.
Delete(I had to go to incognito mode....shhhhh)
DeleteAvudraham (if I remember correctly) explains that Chazal were mesakein Modim Derabanan because while one can rely on the Shaliach Tzibbur to express Hashem’s praises and beseech Him on his behalf, one must personally express gratitude. Based on this, Rav Elyashiv famously asked to be taught the English words “Thank you” so that he could personally express his gratitude to the American surgeon who operated on him.
ReplyDeleteWith this yesod, one can explain why Modim must be nochach - one must talk directly to HaShem, without any interlocutor, even more so that with any other part of tefillah! (I’m not even going to try to work out Yehi Chevod)
The Korban Minchah is an anomaly among korbanos, in that it has no soul to be offered as a reminder that one should intend to offer up his own life. Nevertheless, it is uniquely described as נפש כי תקריב, for Chazal tell us that it is brought by a poor person, who is considered to be offering up his own life. Every other korban serves as an intermediary if source, with its life being a mere representative if his own. The korban minchah, by contrast, cannot represent his life, for it has no life of his own. It is his act of supreme self-sacrifice, giving what little sustenance he has as an offering to HaShem, that is the korban! Perhaps that is why his offering alone merits reference b’lashon nochach.
These two concepts are connected. Gratitude is connection. A statement of “thank you” min hasafah velachutz is meaningless. Hodaah is intrinsically connected with bowing, hisbatlus, because one must negate the self that differentiates him from his benefactor in order to acknowledge the fact that his needs were out before those of his fellow. Kivayachol, HaShem was mitztamtzem to allow the appearance of gross physicality, in order to allow humans the opportunity to recognize Him and sanctify corporeality, gaining them eternal reward. One must recognize and express his gratitude for this directly, as no other can be mevatel his “zhich” to accomplish this end.
I should probably have stopped rambling several minutes ago, but better late than never…
מצויין
Deleteיישר כחך
Great use of the Abudraham and the Rashi by נפש.