Editing Temurah

Tractate Temurah contains 7 chapters and 32.5 pages.

According to the Torah's commandment, when a person consecrates an animal to be offered on the altar, it is forbidden for him to exchange the sanctity of that animal for another animal. If he does make such an exchange, he receives lashes, and both animals must be offered on the altar. This tractate deals with the various laws related to these regulations.

== The Rebbe's Explanations ==
In the tractate it states:<blockquote>"When a student goes to his teacher and says to him 'teach me Torah,' if he teaches him, Hashem illuminates the eyes of both of them."</blockquote>And Rashi comments there: "For even the teacher still needs learning, and the Holy One, Blessed be He, teaches him."

The Rebbe explains that even one who is "wealthy" in Torah should not think that his eyes are already illuminated, and therefore why should he bother with the "poor man"? Rather, on the contrary: "If he teaches him, Hashem illuminates the eyes of both of them," meaning that He illuminates not only "the eyes of the poor," but "illuminates the eyes of both of them," equally.

Just as the "poor man" – referring to one who is utterly impoverished in Torah knowledge, for the term "poor" refers to one who has nothing at all, as it is written "and the poor man had nothing" – needs Hashem to illuminate his eyes, so too, in exactly the same way, one who according to his current state is "wealthy" also needs the illumination of his eyes by Hashem.

The Rebbe adds that in truth, the compassion needed for the "wealthy" is greater than the compassion needed for the "poor":

It is known what is written in ethical texts regarding the Sages' statement: "One who has one hundred wants two hundred, and one who has two hundred wants four hundred" – according to this, it turns out that the desire of one who "has two hundred" (who "wants four hundred," two hundred more than what he has) is double the desire of one who "has one hundred" (who only wants two hundred, one hundred more than what he has).

Similarly, we find regarding Torah study and matters of holiness in general, in the words of the Alter Rebbe – "And whoever is closer to Hashem with greater elevation and higher and higher, needs to be more humble in spirit lower and lower," as it is written "I have become small from all the kindnesses."

And regarding our topic: Since Hashem has brought the "wealthy" person closer, and he knows more of the preciousness of Torah – he therefore feels more what he still lacks in this, and feels that through "his own strength and might" he will not be able to reach this.

== External Links ==

* Tractate Temurah