Alshich's Thoughts on BaMidbar Perek Cuf-Chet

צו את בני ישראל ואמרת אלהם את קרבני לחמי לאשי ריח ניחחי תשמרו להקריב לי במועדו. ואמרת להם זה האשה אשר תקריבו ליי כבשים בני שנה תמימם שנים ליום עלה תמיד. (ב - ג):

 

ראוי לשים לב למה כפל צו ואמרת. וגם מה ענין ריבוי האת. וגם אומרו קרבני ואומרו לחמי. ועוד אומרו ואמרת פעם שנית. אך הנה בפרשת ויקרא כתבנו, כי עיקר הקרבן הוא מה שהוא חוץ למציאותו כתוספת עליו. הוא מה שיכוין האדם בהקריבו הקרבן, שהוא כי את עצמו הוא מקריב, ומי יתן והיה כדאי להיות הוא עצמו קרבן כיצחק. ולכן מעתה הוא מצדיק עליו את הדין, שכל מה שנעשה בבעל חי ההוא כשחיטה והפשט וניתוח וכל יתר עבודות, היה ראוי ליעשות בו. וכך הוא מקבל על עצמו, ומודה לו יתברך שנתן בעל חי תמורתו. נמצאו בקרבן שנידברים. אחד במחשבה. שנית המעשה. והוא מאמר הכתוב - ככתוב אצלינו במקומו - באומרו אדם כי יקריב מכם ממש, יעשה קרבן לה' במחשבתו. ואחר כך מן הבהמה וכו' תקריבו את קרבנכם, שהוא המעשה:

 

(ב) וזה יאמר פה, צו את בני ישראל דבר אחד, ואחר כך ואמרת אליהם דבר שני. הדבר הראשון הוא, את קרבני לחמי וכו'. והוא, כי יש קרבן בפועל. ויש קרבן נוסף, והוא מה שהאדם מקריב עצמו במחשבה, והוא רבוי האת. ואמר, מה שהוא את קרבני - הוא רבויהנוסף על הבעלי חיים - הוא הנקרא לחמי. שאני מקבל כלחם לי, שהוא הרצון טוב. שהוא מה שאדם מקריב עצמו במחשבה. ויש שניו הוא לאישי, הוא הניתן בפועל באש המזבח:

 

והנה ריח ניחוחי שאני מריח וערב לי שהוא הראשון, הוא מה שתשמרו להקריב לי במועדו. והנה זה הוא אשר עליו אמר צו את בני ישראל, שהוא מה שאני עושה עיקר. אך מה שאמרתי ואמרת אליהם - הוא מציאות הקרבן - על זה אני חוזר ומפרש ואומר, (ג) ואמרת להם זה האשה וכו', שהוא מה שהוא לאישי בפועל אשר תקריבו וכו':

In פרק כח, Alshich makes just one comment, but he makes it count. Alshich asks a question on פסוק ב: why does it say צו את בני ישראל ואמרת, a repetitive phrase used just twice in all of תנ"ך? Isn't the word ואמרת superfluous?

Alshich's answer is that צו and ואמרת are implying two different things. He says that צו is talking about the physical קרבן that you have to give, as we would expect, but the second is that just as important as the physical sacrifice is the mental sacrifice, the mindset that comes along with giving the קרבן in order to make it valid and have a real impact on your life. He quotes the opinion that when you bring a קרבן, it really should be you going on the altar, and instead you only have to give an animal. Alshich adds onto that opinion, saying that really giving the animal isn't enough- in your mind you have to think of it as though you're sacrificing yourself, and if you're not in that frame in mind, giving the קרבן is a complete waste of time because you're just going to do the same thing again.

Alshich's proofs seem pretty vague- he has going for him the double language, but there's no other mention of a mental component of bringing a קרבן. He tries to use the word לְאִשַּׁי- for me personally- as a proof, saying that you have communicate directly between you and Hashem, not through a medium like a קרבן, in order for the קרבן to be a ריח ניחוח.

And finally, Alshich inevitably inserts a few lessons for our everyday lives in his Peirush, talking about the importance of תפילה and specifically having כוונה and not simply going through the motions but truly making an impact on yourself through your תפילה. He also implies that just like the קרבן is a ריח ניחוח, Hashem wants us to do תשובה and it's sweet to him.

It's clear from his ideas here that Alshich is a member of the school that believes that there can't be repetition simply for emphasis and every word has to mean something different, and his Peirush accomplishes his goal of giving צו and ואמרת two different meanings. His idea is a very interesting look at the קרבן process- that there is not just a concentration needed when a קרבן is given but specifically an understanding that you really should be the one sacrificed and an impact that has to be made on you for the קרבן to have any effect. He also gives us something we can continue to apply in our davening today. All in all, it's a nice idea but I don't really buy it just because the text doesn't mention anything about a mental component at all. It's a vintage Drashic type of opinion where a seemingly extraneous word gives us a whole new idea, but Alshich is not exactly a Amora, and I think this is a stretch.