The Soviet maternity hospital patients burst into the office to the head physician:
- What it is: according to your instructions clean underwear - for Jews only, better food - for Jews only, anesthesia - for Jews only...
- Comrades, you have to understand - their products are for export!
The birth of a child is a joyful event in the life of every family, which is usually accompanied by numerous congratulations and, of course, gifts for mom and her baby. According to Jewish law, a woman who gave birth to a child, not just accepts gifts but she must bring a gift to God. Our weekly Torah chapter obleges the mom to bring two sacrifices in the Temple at the end of postnatal ritual purification.
One of these offerings symbolizes the woman's gratefulness to G-d that He has honored her become a mother. Such offering seems entirely appropriate and justified. But the the second sacrifice, being a complete surprise, removes sin! What sin is in giving birth woman who selflessly, in severe agony, gave birth to a baby?
Many commentators of the Torah ask this question and there are several versions about what it is. For example, Talmud provides the following explanation: during childbirth a woman, experiencing excruciating pain, often swears she will never become pregnant again. Later, she regrets that and does not suppress it, so she must bring a sin offering. Here is another explanation: as pregnancy and childbirth pains are a consequence of sin of Hawa, a woman brings a sacrifice for sin.
Another explanation reveals the deeper meaning of this offering. In our lives situations happen that make us look at life differently. The birth of a child is one of those moments. Becoming a full partner of God in creating a new man, becoming a mother, a woman has the opportunity to understand the important role she plays in this world. Along with this the regret comes of how much time, attention and emotional energy is spent in the past on stupidity and false values. And the pain of remorse should encourage pregnant women to bring a sin offering.
This Saturday we will bless the month of Nisan which is coming next week. Nisan is the month of our liberation from Egypt, the month when the Jewish nation was born. Therefore, God established this month the first in the month countdown as we read in the additional passage of the Torah on Saturday. The sages say that because of the fact that we were delivered in Nisan in the past the future deliverance would happen in Nisan also. Redemption is not associated accidentally with the birth of our nation. In the near future with the coming of Moshiach we will feel like born again. And then we will realizing how little we appreciate and use our own spiritual potential! And lamenting about how much attention was focused on nonsense, we would bring a sin offering in the Third Temple.
Shabbat shalom!
Rabbi Shlomo Wilhelm