Discover and learn every week, "5 Facts" written on the weekly Parshah that you can share at your Shabbos table.

וְהַכֹּהֵן֩ הַגָּד֨וֹלמֵאֶחָ֜יואֲ‍ֽשֶׁר־יוּצַ֥קעַל־רֹאשׁ֣וֹ ׀ שֶׁ֤מֶןהַמִּשְׁחָה֙ וּמִלֵּ֣אאֶת־יָד֔וֹ לִלְבֹּ֖שׁ אֶת־הַבְּגָדִ֑יםאֶת־רֹאשׁוֹ֙ לֹ֣איִפְרָ֔עוּבְגָדָ֖יולֹ֥איִפְרֹֽם׃ (21:10)

The priest who is exalted above his fellows, on whose head the anointing oil has been poured and who has been ordained to wear the vestments, shall not bare his head or rend his vestments.

1.     How often does a Cohen Gadol must get a haircut?

• A Cohen Gadol must get a haircut at least once a week, preferably on Fridays. (Sanhedrin 22b). The Kohen Gadol would have an especially beautiful hairstyle. It is said that Ben Elasa, the son in law of Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi, who was a very wealthy man, use to pay large sums of money to have this same hairstyle. He did this in order for others to know how the hairstyle should be. (Nedarim 51a)

שׁ֣וֹראוֹ־כֶ֤שֶׂבאוֹ־עֵז֙ כִּ֣ייִוָּלֵ֔דוְהָיָ֛השִׁבְעַ֥תיָמִ֖יםתַּ֣חַתאִמּ֑וֹ וּמִיּ֤וֹםהַשְּׁמִינִי֙ וָהָ֔לְאָהיֵרָצֶ֕הלְקָרְבַּ֥ןאִשֶּׁ֖הלַיהוָֽה׃ (22:27)

When an ox or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall stay seven days with its mother, and from the eighth day on it shall be acceptable as an offering by fire to the LORD.

2.     What is the minimum age required for an animal to be eligible to be brought a a korban?

• An animal can only be brought as a korban after it is 8 days old. This requirement is in order to be certain that it is a viable animal. (Chizkuni)

וּלְקַחְתֶּ֨םלָכֶ֜םבַּיּ֣וֹםהָרִאשׁ֗וֹןפְּרִ֨יעֵ֤ץהָדָר֙ כַּפֹּ֣תתְּמָרִ֔יםוַעֲנַ֥ףעֵץ־עָבֹ֖תוְעַרְבֵי־נָ֑חַלוּשְׂמַחְתֶּ֗םלִפְנֵ֛ייְהוָ֥האֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖םשִׁבְעַ֥תיָמִֽים׃ (23:40)

On the first day you shall take the product of hadar trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.

3.     What do the Etrog and his bark have in common?

• The Talmud teaches that the bark and fruit of the Etrog tree have the same taste. (Succah 35a) This is because the bark and fruit have the same chemical composition. Others say that the soft, green branches of a young Etrog tree have a similar taste to that of the Etrog fruit. (Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch)

4.     Why do we shake the 4 species in all directions?

• The reason we shake the 4 species in all directions is in order to symbolize our hope, that we not be visited by harmful winds, such as storms and tempests that could come from any  direction; We then raise and lower them to symbolize our hope that any harmful dews and rains are halted. (Sukkah 37b)

מִחוּץ֩ לְפָרֹ֨כֶתהָעֵדֻ֜תבְּאֹ֣הֶלמוֹעֵ֗דיַעֲרֹךְ֩ אֹת֨וֹ אַהֲרֹ֜ןמֵעֶ֧רֶבעַד־בֹּ֛קֶרלִפְנֵ֥ייְהוָ֖התָּמִ֑ידחֻקַּ֥תעוֹלָ֖םלְדֹרֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃ (24:3)

Aaron shall set them up in the Tent of Meeting outside the curtain of the Pact [to burn] from evening to morning before the LORD regularly; it is a law for all time throughout the ages.

5.     How long would the Western Lamp last before burning out?

• Despite the fact that all the lamps were filled with the same amount of oil, the Western Lamp was always the last to burn out, even though it was always the first to be lit. In fact, when the Jewish people were worthy, the Western Lamp never went out. It was only from the  time of Shimon HaTzaddik onwards, that it would go out like the other lamps. (Rashi, Sifra, Rashi Shabboss 22b)