Daf Yomi, Marriage Counseling, Psychotherapy, Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, Torah and Psychology
Our Gemara on Amud Beis discusses the law that a sacrifice cannot be brought from an animal that is less than eight days old. Merafsin Igra asks: the Rambam (Bais HaBechira 2:2) records a tradition that Adam brought a sacrifice the day he was created. But how could this be a kosher sacrifice, since by definition it could not have been eight days old? He answers that this restriction only applies to an animal born from a mother. As the verse says “seven days it shall be under its mother” (Vayikra 22:27.) Therefore, these animals created by God were not under that restriction.
Sefer Daf al Daf suggests a different answer based on a Gemara later, on daf 60a:
“All items created during the acts of Creation were created with their full stature, immediately fit to bear fruit; they were created with their full mental capacities; they were created with their full form. As it is stated: “And the heaven and the earth were finished, and all the host of them” (Genesis 2:1). Do not read it as: “The host of them [tzeva’am]”; rather, read it as: Their form [tzivyonam].”
This shows that the animal he sacrificed was as if it was a mature animal in its prime. This idea is not only helpful to answer our Gemara but also provides us with a logical way to understand, according to the Torah, how the world is only a few thousand years old while we have stars in the sky that are hundreds of thousands of light years from us, as well as geological evidence of a much older planet. What is even more remarkable is that this tradition from the sages did not come from any apologetic urge. Meaning to say, they did not have Darwin to answer to nor did they understand the speed of light. Therefore, this tradition is even more meaningful and credible as an answer because the tradition existed before people even had the question.
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Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation
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Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, LCSW-R, LMFT, DHL is a psychotherapist who works with high conflict couples and families. He can be reached via email at simchafeuerman@gmail.com