**There was a typographical error in a recent Halacha entitled “Omitting Tachanun and Reciting Yehi Shem on the Day of a Brit Milah” that was broadcasted out on March 21st. This error was caught by some of our readers. We thank them for bringing this to our attention.
The 2nd paragraph should read:
“Likewise, a Minyan will recite Yehi Shem and omit Tachanun if one of the three Ba'alei Brit is present on the morning of the Brit, even if the Brit will not be held in that synagogue. For example, if the Brit will take place in the child's home, or in a different synagogue, only Yehi Shem will nevertheless be said if one of the three Ba'alei Brit is in attendance.” **
Today's Halacha:
The Gemara in Masechet Pesachim describes the procedure of the offering of the Korban Pesach (paschal offering) on Erev Pesach, and it tells that a considerable amount of blood covered the ground of the Temple courtyard, where the sacrifices were slaughtered, to the point where the Kohanim were knee-deep in blood. The Kohanim made no efforts to drain the blood from the courtyard, the Gemara tells, because "it was a source of pride for the Kohanim to walk with blood to their knees." Since the blood resulted from the Mitzva of slaughtering the sacrifices, from their service of G-d, it did not bother them at all that they wallowed in pools of blood; to the contrary, they saw it as an honor and source of pride.
The Gemara raises the question of whether the blood would constitute a Chatzitza – an interruption – between the Kohanim's feet and the ground of the Temple courtyard. Halacha requires that the Kohanim's feet come in direct contact with the ground, and the blood on the ground seems, at first glance, to violate this requirement. The Gemara explains that since the blood was liquid, it did not constitute a Chatzitza, and the Kohanim's feet were considered to touch the ground despite the presence of the blood.
This discussion of the Gemara affects other situations where one comes in contact with blood as the result of the performance of a Mitzva. The work Halachot Ketanot addresses the question of whether a Mohel (person who performs circumcisions), whose hands are bloodstained as a result of the circumcisions he performs, must clear the stains off his hands before doing Netilat Yadayim (the required hand-washing before eating bread). Halacha requires that no foreign substance block the water from touching one's hand during Netilat Yadayim. Would the bloodstains be considered a Chatzitza with respect to this law? The Halachot Ketanot rules that since a Mohel does not mind the stains on his hands, to which he has grown accustomed, they do not constitute a Chatzitza. In fact, he adds, it emerges from the aforementioned passage in the Gemara that one actually takes pride in coming in contact with blood through the performance of a Mitzva.
Likewise, the Rama (in Yoreh Dei'a) rules that a Shochet (one who slaughters animals for meat) with bloodstained hands need not wash off these stains before performing Netilat Yadayim, since he is accustomed to the stains and does not generally make a point of cleaning his hands.
This description in the Gemara of the Kohanim is important not only in terms of Halacha, but also in Hashkafa (Jewish thought and outlook), as it teaches the proper attitude one should have towards Mitzvot. Even something that in general contexts is looked upon as repulsive is elevated when it becomes part of the performance of a Mitzva. The Gemara in Masechet Berachot tells that David Ha'melech's hands were "filled" with blood and afterbirths, as women would come to him to determine their Halachic status vis-à-vis the laws of ritual purity. Even such activities – which under normal circumstances would be considered undignified and degrading – become a source of pride and honor when done in the context of a Mitzva.
This message is of particular relevance as we prepare for the festival of Pesach. Many people find the Mitzvot of Pesach unbecoming, and speak derisively and mockingly about the rituals performed during this holiday, particularly at the Seder. We must remember that the Kohanim would walk in blood up to their knees without complaining; to the contrary, they were proud to do this as part of a Mitzva. The fact that something is a Mitzva should overcome any emotional problem that one would otherwise have with a given act, and this is the attitude we must have towards the observance of Mitzvot.
