Removing the Ash of Negative Emotions
Tzav
The first Avodah that was done each day in the Beis Hamikdash was Terumas Hadeshen. One of the Kohanim would be selected by a lottery to go up onto the Mizbeach and take a panful of ashes. He would bring the ashes down the ramp and place them on the side of the Mizbeach, where it would become absorbed on the floor of the Temple courtyard.
In addition to the Terumas Hadeshen, the Kohanim would remove the excess ashes from on top of the Mizbeach. These ashes would be taken to a designated place outside of the camp.
The Avodah in the Beis Hamikdash is representative of and serves as a paradigm, for our own service of Hashem. This is specifically so with regards to Davening, which was established by the sages in place of the Korbanos when they could not be offered.
Our sages teach that a person should only start to pray after having experienced “Koved Rosh”. This refers to a sense of contrition and humility that comes from personal introspection. This preparation for Davening is like the Terumas Hadeshen which was a preface to the offering of the Korbanos.
Ashes represent “Pesoles” - negativity and decay. In our own lives, this refers to our inner negativity, our negative emotions and “baggage”. These create a barrier to being able to raise ourselves spiritually to engage in a meaningful service of Hashem and must be confronted and addressed.
The two types of ashes - the ashes that were placed on the floor of the Azarah and the ashes that were completely removed, represent two types of negative emotions. One type cannot be elevated. We must distance it completely and remove it from our camp. The other type is a negative emotion that has some good quality in it. It can be utilised in a positive manner and incorporated as a part of our Divine service.
Chassidus explains that these two types of “Pesoles” are Merirus and Atzvus; bitterness and depression.
We are supposed to serve Hashem with joy. Therefore, both Merirus and Atzvus, being negative emotions, are considered as “Pesoles”; undesirable states of mind. But there is a difference between them.
Merirus is feeling bad about our spiritual standing, but in a way that leads us to resolve to change and to take active steps to grow. There is a positive element within Merirus that ultimately leads a person back to Simcha. Atzvus on the other hand, is an overwhelming feeling of lowliness that leads us to despondency, and a sense of inadequacy and giving up.
Merirus is like the ashes that were placed by the side of the Mizbeach that remain within the Azarah. It can be elevated and used as a tool in our service of Hashem. But Atzvus, which has no redeeming quality must be pushed away and removed entirely from our experience, like the ashes that were removed from the camp.
Alternatively, the lesson of the two types of ashes is that we don’t need to address all of our negativity before we feel worthy to approach Hashem. Only a small shovel of ashes was removed in the Avodah of Terumas Hadeshen. Rather than being overwhelmed or becoming stuck in our negativity, each day, we should focus on one area of improvement and one shortcoming to address. The rest should be taken outside the sanctuary of our minds, to be dealt with at later time.
Before removing the ashes from the Mizbeach and taking them outside of the camp, the Torah teaches “he shall remove his garments and put on other garments”. The Kohen would have to change his clothing, to prevent his Priestly robes becoming soiled.
Even though the removal of the ashes was also a necessary part of the Temple service, it could not be compared to the actual Avodah that was performed inside the Beis Hamikdash. To highlight this, a more inferior set of clothing was worn for removing the ashes.
Rashi illustrates this with a parable, that the clothing worn by a servant when cooking for their master, should not be worn when pouring the master’s drink.
Cooking is a necessary preparation to be able to serve the meal, but the cooking is merely a means to reach the ultimate objective, to serve the meal and honour one’s master with it. Likewise the removal of the ashes was a necessary preparation, to create space to serve Hashem with the new offerings.
The same is true with the spiritual service of “removing the ashes”, which represents our inner work to confront and remove our negative emotions and baggage.
Whilst an important pre-requisite for a meaningful service of Hashem, this should only be a preparation to make space for a deeper emotional experience. Once we start our Avodah of davening itself, we must push away any sense of contrition, so that we can Daven from a place of positivity, true joy and love.
Like the Kohen removing the ashes, we don’t want our dealing with negative baggage to sully us, so we must ‘put on other garments’. But after we’ve removed our ashes, we divest ourselves of these ‘garments’, pushing away all association with the negative, so that we can honour our Master with the fresh, clean garments of joy and positivity.
In addition to the Terumas Hadeshen, the Kohanim would remove the excess ashes from on top of the Mizbeach. These ashes would be taken to a designated place outside of the camp.
The Avodah in the Beis Hamikdash is representative of and serves as a paradigm, for our own service of Hashem. This is specifically so with regards to Davening, which was established by the sages in place of the Korbanos when they could not be offered.
Our sages teach that a person should only start to pray after having experienced “Koved Rosh”. This refers to a sense of contrition and humility that comes from personal introspection. This preparation for Davening is like the Terumas Hadeshen which was a preface to the offering of the Korbanos.
Ashes represent “Pesoles” - negativity and decay. In our own lives, this refers to our inner negativity, our negative emotions and “baggage”. These create a barrier to being able to raise ourselves spiritually to engage in a meaningful service of Hashem and must be confronted and addressed.
The two types of ashes - the ashes that were placed on the floor of the Azarah and the ashes that were completely removed, represent two types of negative emotions. One type cannot be elevated. We must distance it completely and remove it from our camp. The other type is a negative emotion that has some good quality in it. It can be utilised in a positive manner and incorporated as a part of our Divine service.
Chassidus explains that these two types of “Pesoles” are Merirus and Atzvus; bitterness and depression.
We are supposed to serve Hashem with joy. Therefore, both Merirus and Atzvus, being negative emotions, are considered as “Pesoles”; undesirable states of mind. But there is a difference between them.
Merirus is feeling bad about our spiritual standing, but in a way that leads us to resolve to change and to take active steps to grow. There is a positive element within Merirus that ultimately leads a person back to Simcha. Atzvus on the other hand, is an overwhelming feeling of lowliness that leads us to despondency, and a sense of inadequacy and giving up.
Merirus is like the ashes that were placed by the side of the Mizbeach that remain within the Azarah. It can be elevated and used as a tool in our service of Hashem. But Atzvus, which has no redeeming quality must be pushed away and removed entirely from our experience, like the ashes that were removed from the camp.
Alternatively, the lesson of the two types of ashes is that we don’t need to address all of our negativity before we feel worthy to approach Hashem. Only a small shovel of ashes was removed in the Avodah of Terumas Hadeshen. Rather than being overwhelmed or becoming stuck in our negativity, each day, we should focus on one area of improvement and one shortcoming to address. The rest should be taken outside the sanctuary of our minds, to be dealt with at later time.
Before removing the ashes from the Mizbeach and taking them outside of the camp, the Torah teaches “he shall remove his garments and put on other garments”. The Kohen would have to change his clothing, to prevent his Priestly robes becoming soiled.
Even though the removal of the ashes was also a necessary part of the Temple service, it could not be compared to the actual Avodah that was performed inside the Beis Hamikdash. To highlight this, a more inferior set of clothing was worn for removing the ashes.
Rashi illustrates this with a parable, that the clothing worn by a servant when cooking for their master, should not be worn when pouring the master’s drink.
Cooking is a necessary preparation to be able to serve the meal, but the cooking is merely a means to reach the ultimate objective, to serve the meal and honour one’s master with it. Likewise the removal of the ashes was a necessary preparation, to create space to serve Hashem with the new offerings.
The same is true with the spiritual service of “removing the ashes”, which represents our inner work to confront and remove our negative emotions and baggage.
Whilst an important pre-requisite for a meaningful service of Hashem, this should only be a preparation to make space for a deeper emotional experience. Once we start our Avodah of davening itself, we must push away any sense of contrition, so that we can Daven from a place of positivity, true joy and love.
Like the Kohen removing the ashes, we don’t want our dealing with negative baggage to sully us, so we must ‘put on other garments’. But after we’ve removed our ashes, we divest ourselves of these ‘garments’, pushing away all association with the negative, so that we can honour our Master with the fresh, clean garments of joy and positivity.