parshaמפרשי הפרשה

כלי יקר — אחרי מות שני בני אהרן / בקרבתם לפני ה' וימתו

Verse 1 says 'וידבר ה' אל משה אחרי מות שני בני אהרן' but doesn't tell us *what* Hashem said — the explicit speech begins in verse 2 with 'דבר אל אהרן.' Where is the content of the first speech?

ונוכל לומר שארבע מלות אלו 'בקרבתם לפני ה' וימותו', אינם מאמר הכתוב לנו אלא הקדוש ברוך הוא דיבר אל משה ארבע מלות אלו... 'בקרבתם לפני ה'', לפי שהיו קרובים אל ה' ביותר על כן דקדק הקדוש ברוך הוא עמהם לדונם אפילו על שגיאה קטנה כמו שנאמר 'וסביביו נשערה מאד', כי כל הקרב הקרב ביותר אל המלך אז ביותר הוא צריך להיות נזהר בכבוד המלך.

1 source · all verified

Opens as a working sheet — explore, annotate, and export.

Source 1 · Acharonim

Verified

כלי יקר

כלי יקר על ויקרא ט״ז:א׳

Kli Yakar on Leviticus 16:1

Achrei Mot

Q — Verse 1 says 'וידבר ה' אל משה אחרי מות שני בני אהרן' but doesn't tell us *what* Hashem said — the explicit speech begins in verse 2 with 'דבר אל אהרן.' Where is the content of the first speech?

A — Kli Yakar's striking read: the four words 'בקרבתם לפני ה' וימתו' are not the Torah's narration to us — they are *the speech itself*. Hashem told Moshe: this is the reason. 'בקרבתם לפני ה'' — *because* of their closeness. Those near to the King are held to a different standard: 'וסביביו נשערה מאד' (Tehillim 50:3), 'מדקדק עם סביביו כחוט השערה' (Yevamot 121b). Even a small slip becomes lethal at the highest proximity. The four 'extra' words are themselves the eulogy and the warning — the closer you are, the smaller the margin.

Full text on Sefaria ↗

Related sheets

Yamim Tovimימים טובים

Teshuvah, Community, and the High Holidays

Rosh HashanahYom Kippur

Sources on repentance, divine compassion, and communal responsibility during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The sources address the spiritual foundations of the Days of Awe, the stages and accessibility of teshuvah, the role of interpersonal reconciliation, and the place of collective turning toward God in High Holiday observance.

View Sources42 sources

Yamim Tovimימים טובים

The Essence of Yom Kippur's Atonement

Yom Kippur

Sources examine the intrinsic power of Yom Kippur itself to effect atonement, exploring both its biblical foundation and rabbinic interpretations of how the day's essential nature brings purification and forgiveness.

View Sources33 sources

Yamim Tovimימים טובים

Yom Kippur's Atonement: Divine Power and Repentance

Yom Kippur

Sources explore the relationship between Yom Kippur's intrinsic power to atone and the requirement of teshuvah. The Rambam, classical commentaries, and Talmudic sources address whether the day itself effects kapparah independently or whether repentance is a necessary condition for atonement to take effect.

View Sources30 sources

Machshavaמחשבה

Character Transformation Through Repentance

Jewish sources explore whether human nature is fixed or malleable, presenting the view that authentic repentance and spiritual effort can fundamentally transform a person's essential character. Biblical prophets, rabbinic sages, and medieval philosophers all affirm the possibility of genuine and lasting personal change.

View Sources30 sources

Yamim Tovimימים טובים

The Spiritual Purpose of Yom Kippur Afflictions

Yom Kippur

Sources explore why Jews abstain from food, drink, and other comforts on Yom Kippur. The sources present suffering not as punishment for its own sake, but as a catalyst for repentance, inner transformation, and ethical renewal—requiring both physical discipline and genuine abandonment of wrongdoing.

View Sources30 sources

Yamim Tovimימים טובים

Yom Kippur's Atonement and the Role of Teshuvah

Yom Kippur

These sources explore whether Yom Kippur atones intrinsically or requires repentance as a prerequisite. The texts examine biblical foundations, rabbinic debate, and medieval codification of the day's atoning power and its relationship to active teshuvah.

View Sources28 sources

Explore more

Teshuvah, Community, and the High Holidays The Essence of Yom Kippur's Atonement Yom Kippur's Atonement: Divine Power and Repentance

Find sources for your own idea