Cytowanie Komentarza do Kapłańska 16:3

AND THIS IS THE BLESSING WHEREWITH MOSES THE MAN OF G-D BLESSED THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL BEFORE HIS DEATH. It states the man of G-d in order to indicate that his blessing will be fulfilled because he was the man of G-d, and the prayer of the upright is His delight.¹Proverbs 15:8. Now Scripture calls Moses our teacher the man of G-d, and so also the rest of the prophets,²The Sifre, Brachah 342, lists eighteen prophets of whom Scripture speaks as ‘men of G-d.’ Elijah,³I Kings 17:18. and others,⁴Those not identified by name. Thus: And there came a man of G-d to Eli (I Samuel 2:27), and other similar cases. but it does not state “the man of the Eternal;” instead it says Moses the ‘servant’ of the Eternal.⁵Joshua 1:1. Moses is the servant of the Eternal Who has created everything, and Moses’ conception of Him was like that of a servant who is afraid to behold his master. Moses was also the man of G-d, since all his deeds and words came by command of the Almighty (Ma’or V’shamesh). The reason is known to every student learned in [the mystic lore of] the Torah. So also by way of the Truth, [the expression ‘v’zoth habrachah’ (and this is the blessing) means that] “v’zoth is the blessing” [as explained further on], for From the Eternal has ‘zoth’ (this) come.⁶Psalms 118:23. — “By way of the Truth,” another name for the teachings of the Cabala, thus begins a new thought of Ramban. First he intimated that the reason for Scripture stating the man of G-d and not “the man of the Eternal” is known to every student of the mysteries of the Torah. And now he begins to explain, on the basis of the Cabala, the unique expression of v’zoth habrachah. Similarly it is said in the case of Jacob, ‘v’zoth’ (and ‘this’ is) what their father [Jacob] spoke unto them.⁷Genesis 49:28. It was this blessing that David meant when he said, ‘Zoth’ (this) came to pass unto me, because I have kept Thy precepts,⁸Psalms 119:56. alluding to Zion the city of David, for there the Eternal commanded the blessing, even life forever.⁹Ibid., 133:3. The student learned in the mysteries of the Cabala will understand. Our Rabbis meant this secret in their interpretation in Bereshith Rabbah:¹⁰Bereshith Rabbah 100:13. “‘v’zoth’ (and this is) what their father spoke unto them.⁷Genesis 49:28. A man like me is destined to bless you, and, from the very place where I [Jacob] concluded — from there will he begin. At the moment Moses our teacher rose to bless them, he began with ‘v’zoth habrachah’ (and this is the blessing) — from the very place where their father concluded. This then is the meaning of the expression ‘v’zoth’ what their father spoke unto them⁷Genesis 49:28. [their father Jacob told them that the next blessing they receive would be from a man who will begin with v’zoth — v’zoth habrachah]. He [i.e., the patriarch Jacob] said to them: When will these blessings reach you? From the time you accept the Torah, in which is written, ‘V’zoth’ (And this is) the Law etc. ”¹¹Above 4:44. For this word zoth alludes to the blessing which is the Torah, and this is the covenant, as it is written ‘Zoth’ (this is) My covenant.¹²Genesis 17:10. I have already mentioned this.¹³Ibid., 2:20 (Vol. I, p. 79); Exodus 25:3 (Vol. II, pp. 437-438).

The view that they entered intoxicated with wine holds that strange fire refers to wine that burns within a person like fire, as it is written Woe unto them that rise up late at night, when wine inflames them (Isaiah 5:11), which is literally a burning from the fire that the wine kindled within them. And although the commandment Do not drink wine or strong drink had not yet been given to them, nevertheless, following the principle of Offer it now to your governor (Malachi 1:8), they should have reasoned that one should not enter the King’s gate while drunk.
Strong evidence for this view comes from what is written And upon the nobles of the children of Israel He laid not His hand (Exodus 24:11). This implies that they deserved to have His hand laid upon them for having eaten, drunk, and feasted their eyes on the Divine Presence with the coarseness of heart that comes from food and drink. And our Sages said that the Holy One, blessed be He, did not want to disturb the joy of the Torah, so He waited for this day. But this is difficult to understand: why this day rather than another? Furthermore, this day too is called the day of His heart’s gladness, as our Sages interpreted: the day of His wedding refers to the giving of the Torah, and the day of His heart’s gladness refers to the dedication of the Temple. So He should have waited even longer.
But rather, on this day they repeated their folly and offered strange fire before the Lord that burned within them from the wine, and through excessive drinking they came before the Lord improperly. Therefore, the Lord did not want to wait any longer, lest the matter appear permissible in their eyes, for “one who commits a transgression and repeats it, it becomes permitted to him.” Thus, after the death of Aaron’s two sons, Aaron was commanded, With this shall Aaron enter into the holy place (Leviticus 16:3) — on the Day of Atonement, a day when a person afflicts his soul, for then he comes before his Creator in humility, not with coarseness of heart, for wine is a traitor; the arrogant man shall not abide (Habakkuk 2:5).

From an homiletical point of view, the words בראשית ברא אלוקים את השמים ואת הארץ are understood to mean "on account of three merits the universe was created, the merit of חלה i.e. giving the priest the first portion of a woman's dough, the merit of מעשרות i.e. the various tithes given to the Levite or the priest, and the merit of בכורים, bringing part of the first ripe produce to the Temple as a gesture of thanksgiving. This statement is based on all of these three commandments being described in the Torah at one place or another as ראשית"the first of something." (Numbers 16,2; Deut. 18,4; Exodus 23,19). Furthermore, our sages said (Bereshit Rabbah 1,6) "the universe was created for the sake of Moses who has been described as ראשיתin Deut. 33,21 וירא ראשית לו 'He regarded him as His .ראשיתThese three commandments called ראשיתnot only have a common denominator, but each one of them is also an allusion to "wisdom," something called ראשית. The word is translated as חוכמא , wisdom, by the Jerusalem Targum on Genesis 1,1. This is all because the letters in the commandment בכוריםthe first ripe fruit, allude to the Unity of G'd (according to Rabbi Chavell, the author means the three letters in the word ב-כ-ר allude to בינה insight, כתר crown, and ב=ראשית חכמה respectively). Similarly, the commandment of ,מעשרות tithing, is a reference to such superior wisdom as the number 10 is reminiscent of the Power of the One and only Creator. The commandment of חלה by its very definition represents the very first of a woman's productive activity, making bread and donating its first part to representatives of the spiritual leaders of the people, the priests.
As to the Midrash stating that the merit of Moses accounted for the creation of the universe, this is not only because we have seen that he is associated with ראשית but also because it was he who was found worthy to give the Torah to the Jewish people.
If you examine the word בראשית more closely you will observe that it contains an allusion to the building of the first Temple which stood for 410 years, corresponding to the word בזאת in the verse בזאת יבא אהרן אל הקד “equipped with this (410) Aaron will enter the Temple" (Leviticus 16,3). You are no doubt aware that our sages in Pesachim 54 have stated that the Temple was created before haven and earth. [the reference is to the plan for the eventual site of the Temple on earth, or to its counterpart in heaven. Ed.] This is the reason the Torah first wrote בראשית ברא"first G'd created something," and only afterwards to alert the reader that some things preceded the creation of heaven and earth. Seeing that according to Bereshit Rabbah (end of second chapter) G'd is reported as having envisaged the Temple as being destroyed and being rebuilt, the Torah wrote that to hint that there would come a time when G'd's presence would be withdrawn from the Jewish people.

את פרי החטאת אשר לו [AND AARON SHALL OFFER] THE BULL OF SIN OFFERING WHICH IS HIS — i. e. that mentioned above (v. 3). It teaches you here, by adding the words אשר לו, that it came (had to be purchased) from his own and not from the money of the community (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Section 2 2; Yoma 3b).