Par sh at T za v

T hought s O f Sin
Ra bbi Ari Kahn

In last week’s Parsha we discussed the spiritual and psychological dynamics of the
Sin Offering (Hatat). This week's Parsha opens with the Olah, an offering which is
entirely consumed by fire. The Rabbis have a tradition that explains the purpose
of this offering:

Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai taught, the "Olah" is brought for hirhur halev -
contemplation of the heart (Vayikra Rabbah 7:3)

This idea is further explained in the Jerusalem Talmud:

The Olah brings about "kappara"- expiation- for thoughts of the heart.
(Yerushalmi Yoma 8:7 45b)

These two passages teach us that "sinful” thoughts of the heart necessitate
forgiveness. At first glance this idea seems strange, especially from a
contemporary western perspective. After all, we live in a society that condones
consensual behavior between adults. Most certainly, ones thoughts are private,
and no "sin" or harm takes place if one has mere thoughts. In some circles,
thoughts and fantasies are encouraged, and are seen as a part of a healthy, well-
adjusted mind. Yet here we have the opposite teaching: mere thoughts can be sin,
and therefore forgiveness is required.

The idea that thoughts must be controlled is a very basic one, found in the third
chapter of the Sh’ma:

And it shall be to you for a fringe, that you may look upon it, and remember
all the Commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that you seek not
after your own heart and your own eyes, which incline you to go astray.
(15:39)

The Talmud explains:

But where do we find [warnings against] the opinions of the heretics, and
the thoughts of immorality and idolatry? — It has been taught: ‘After your
own heart’ refers to heresy; and so it says, ‘The fool hath said in his heart,
There is no G-d’. ‘After your own eyes’: this refers to the thoughts of
immorality. (B’rachot12b1)

What, then, is the connection between the Olah and the thoughts for which it
compensates? The Midrash explains:

1
See also -Midrash Rabbah - Numbers XVII:6
 Thus taught our Sages, the Olah is completely Holy, because it was not
brought for sins. The "Asham" was brought for theft, but the Olah was not
brought for sin or theft, rather for thoughts of the heart." (Tanchuma Tzav,
13:13)

Here the Olah is called "completely holy", referring to the fact that the Olah,
literally translated as "ascending", is completely consumed by the fire, and man
derives no benefit from it. This is further explained by some commentaries to the
verse:

And G-d said to Moshe saying: ‘Command Aharon and his children saying,
these are the instructions of the Olah (Burnt offering) it is an Olah which
shall burn on the Altar the entire night, until morning. And the fire of the
altar shall be kept burning in it" (Vayikara 6:1-2)

The Olah is an offering which brings about forgiveness for thoughts. Just as a
person’s passions burn at night, this sacrificed animal, which represents the
physical side of the person, burns all night, until only spirit is left2. There is
nothing "physical" left of the offering. This idea is illuminated by the Zohar:

The essence of the offering is that it is analogous to the sin, and that a man
should offer to G-d his desires and passions, for this is more acceptable
than all. Blessed are the righteous that they bring this offering every day
[metaphorically]. However, the actual [physical] offering is better, because
it brings blessing on all worlds.’ (Zohar, Vayikra, Page 9b)

This relationship between the physical and spiritual worlds can be further
elucidated by a passage in the Talmud:

"Thoughts of sin are "kashe" (harder or more difficult) than sin." (Yoma 29a)

Rashi explains this passage,

"Sexual passion is more difficult to contain than the act itself".(Rashi Yoma
29a)

According to Rashi, the term "kashe" means more difficult. Rashi understands this
teaching to mean that thoughts of sin are more difficult to control than actually
committing the sin itself. This explanation does not indicate which is more serious,
or for that matter if a thought of sin is actually a sin in and of itself. Rashi only
states that thoughts of this type are more difficult to control, a statement that we
may understand on various levels. As we have already noted, many people do not
consider thoughts a religious or moral issue, and it is more difficult to control
something that is not considered to be a problem in the first place. On the other
hand, crimes of the heart are never known by others, and far less societal
pressure to conform is brought to bear in such areas. As a general rule we may

2
See Torah Shelemah Tzav note 9
say that intrinsically, thoughts are more difficult to contain, and most people
have greater success exercising control over their actions than their thoughts.

Ironically, according to Rashi's analysis reward for controlling thoughts would be

greater than the reward for avoiding an "actual" sin, following the principle
taught in the Mishna in Avot: "In accordance with the difficulty is the reward".
Even though a “real” sin in the world of action is worse, one would nonetheless
receive a greater reward for avoiding thoughts of sin.

The Rambam, in the Guide for Perplexed, has a radically different understanding:

You already know the teaching "Thoughts of sin are "kashe" (harder or more
difficult) than sin." (Yoma 29a). I have a wonderful explanation: If a person
sins it is generally due to circumstances which result of his being a physical
creature, namely a person will sin due to the animal side of himself. But the
thoughts are the treasure of a person which follow his "form" (his image of
G-d) and if a person sins with their thoughts, then they have sinned with
their greatest asset... the purpose of the mind is to cling to G-d, not to slip
below (to the animal).(Guide for the Perplexed 3:8)

The Rambam explains that thoughts of sin are" kashe", are worse than sin! A
person is made up of two parts- the animal/ physical and the intellectual/spiritual.
Therefore, if a person sins with their body, it is understandable: The body is
physical, and therefore has all sorts of physical urges and animal instincts. The
mind, on the other hand, is the manifestation of our image of G-d. To sin with
one's mind is therefore a greater desecration than sinning with one's body. There
is one caveat: Man is punished, in general, for action, not thought. Nonetheless,
sinful thoughts may be more spiritually debilitating.3

The image of the Olah now takes on new meaning. The person who has sinned
with their mind has, in effect, turned their spiritual side into something animal.
Therefore the animal offering brought to make amends for such a sin must be
completely consumed by fire, indicating that the mind must be completely
dedicated to the spiritual. This idea may be illustrated by a second teaching by
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, the authority who had taught that the Olah is brought
for forbidden thoughts:

"Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said, in addition: Whoever puts the words of Torah
on his heart (mind) is saved from thoughts of sin, thoughts (fear) of the
sword, fear of tyranny, idle thoughts, thoughts of the evil inclination,
thoughts of sexual licentiousness, thoughts of evil women, thoughts of
idolatry, fear of being controlled by others, and obsessive thoughts... (Tana
d'Bei Eliyahu Zuta, Chapter 16).

Here, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai teaches that there is an antidote to sinful
thoughts, namely, Torah. As we have seen, the mind represents the image of G-d
3
Similarly, Rav Tzadok HaKohen notes, that the fantasy, which accompanies masturbation, is “worse” than the actual
physical act. See Takanat Hashavin 64b-65a.
and the spiritual side of man. This image is what enables us to have a
relationship with G-d; therefore, the person whose mind is involved in words of
Torah is spared the types of thoughts which haunt man.

The Zohar further explains this idea:

IF HIS OBLATION BE A BURNT OFFERING. R. Hiya cited here the verse: ‘For
my thoughts are not your thoughts, said the Lord’ (Isa. LV, 8). ‘The Thought
of G-d’, he said, ‘is the fountain-head of all, and from that Thought spread
forth ways and paths in which the Holy Name might be found and fittingly
established. From that Thought, too, issued the stream of the Garden of
Eden to water all. On that Thought depend all beings above and below, and
from that Thought come the Written and the Oral Torahs. The thought of
man is also the fountain-head of his life, and from it stretch ways and paths
to pervert his ways in this world and in the next. From that thought issues
the defilement of the Evil Inclination to work harm to him and to all, and
from it come error and iniquity and presumptuous sin, idolatry, fornication
and bloodshed; wherefore it says, “my thoughts are not as your thoughts”.
Hence it says, first of all, “If his oblation be a burnt- offering”, for the
“burnt-offering” (‘olah) has reference to “that which goeth up” (‘olah) on
the heart, to wit the thought, and therefore the first offering mentioned is
the burnt-offering.’ (Zohar, Vayikra, Page 6a)

This teaching reminds us of the passage in Talmud, taught in the name of Rabbi
Yishmael, that if the Evil Inclination takes control of a person the remedy is to be
"pulled" into the House of Study:

Even so did the Holy One, blessed be He, speak unto Israel: ‘My children! I
created the Evil Desire, but I [also] created the Torah, as its antidote; if you
occupy yourselves with the Torah, you will not be delivered into his hand,
for it is said: If you do well, shall you not be exalted? But if you do not
occupy yourselves with the Torah, you shall be delivered into his hand, for it
is written, ‘Sin couches at the door’. Moreover, he is altogether preoccupied
with you [to make you sin], for it is said, ‘and unto thee shall be his desire’.
Yet if you will, you can rule over him, for it is said, ‘and thou shalt rule over
him’.
Our Rabbis taught: The Evil Desire is hard [to bear], since even his Creator
called him evil, as it is written, ‘For that the desire of man's heart is evil
from his youth’. R. Isaac said: Man's Evil Desire renews itself daily against
him, as it is said, ‘[every imagination of the thoughts of his heart] was only
evil every day’. And R. Simeon b. Levi said: Man's Evil Desire gathers
strength against him daily and seeks to slay him, for it is said: ‘The wicked
watches the righteous, and seeks to slay him; and were not the Holy One,
blessed be He, to help him [man], he would not be able to prevail against
him, for it is said: ‘The Lord will not leave him in his hand.’
The School of R. Ishmael taught: My son, if this repulsive [wretch] assails
you, lead him to the schoolhouse. (Kedushin 30b).
There is a tension between the physical and spiritual aspects of man; Rabbi
Yishmael's advice is to bring the battle onto your own turf. The Kotzker Rebbi
once commented on this passage in Talmud: Don't think for one second that the
Yetzer Hara isn't waiting for you in the House of Study as well!4 The only
difference Rabbi Yishmael's advice will afford you is "home court advantage".

Man's role in this world is to elevate the physical. To facilitate this, man's mind,
which is the core of his spirituality, and according to the Rambam is his tzelem
Elokim, must remain pure, focused, and spiritual. The insidiousness of thoughts
or fantasies of sin is that the physical/animal has attained dominion over the
spiritual, and the battle is thus lost before it is begun.

The Temple, as we saw in last week's parsha, is a place where errant

man is rehabilitated. The sin offering, with the powerful cathartic
imagery we examined last week, helps man when he has actually
performed a sin. The Olah, which is described at the beginning of this
week's parsha, is brought for the "sin" of forbidden thoughts. As the
entire animal is consumed by the fire, man's thoughts should now be
turned towards the redirection of all his mental energies, entirely to G-d.

4
Emet Mikotzk Tizmach section 630.