בס"ד

Vayikra – The Gift of Gratitude

Dr M Bank

 

A Guten Erev Shabbos. Sefer Vaykira, parshas Vayikra. Its an amazing start to this new sefer. It starts in a way that doesn’t exist anywhere else in Torah. “Vayikra el Moshe Vedaber H’shem Elav”. It usually says ‘vayedaber H’shem el Moshe’. This is the first time it says it the other way around. This is the parsha that represents the fulfillment of the Mishcan. It was already prepared, the keilim and vessels, the Cohanim and Leviim, the Yisrael. They had a clear understanding of exactly what to do and how to do it. Everything required for the Mishcan. So, I would like to call this parsha, “the Gift of Gratitude”.

 

I want to contemplate the secret of our success. Its in one little tefilla, the Shemone Esrei, Modim De Rabbanan. What we say over there is Modim Anachnu Lach Sheanachnu Modim Lach. Thank you H’shem for allowing us to thank you. We can understand saying thank you H’shem for everything you have given, for the wonderful life, for ability, clarity of mind that You are H’shem. But thank you for allowing me to thank you. That is an amazing level. There is an idea, Tefilla bli Kavana, prayer without intention is like a guf bli neshama, like a body without a soul. In essence the Beis Hamikdash – offerings given from the heart – the antithesis of the secular concept of an offering or as they would say – a sacrifice. What is a sacrifice? What is it to sacrifice? The secular concept is the total antithesis of the Torah concept in every way, shape and form. It is not a sacrifice. It is the exact opposite. It is an act of love. Sacrifice is not enough. That is giving away something that a person regrets. Like his life, or his possessions, at gun point. Like somebody sacrificed at the alter of appeasement.

 

Even in the very first word gives us a tremendous insight. The latter chapters of Shmos related the details of the Mishcan being built, a fitting dwelling place for the Shechina and service to H’shem. Great and awesome was the glory of H’shem, which filled the Mishcan and flowed over outside. It was so awesome, even Moshe Rabbeinu was afraid to enter. H’shem had to assure him that the Mishcan had been built to benefit Am Yisrael, and not to exclude them (Ramban). When H’shem wanted to impart a new halacha, he first invited Moshe, saying “Moshe Moshe” come to me. In reply Moshe would say, Hineni, I am here and I will serve you. The truth is H’shem can communicate with everyone in any way, at whatever time and exactly the way he wants to. H’shem’s voice is powerful enough to shatter trees and mountains, and to be heard across the world, and across the Universe. It was the Divine will that this time it be heard only by Moshe Rabbeinu, according to Rashi. The Sages teach that H’shem spoke to Moshe in a loud, thunderous voice, but only Moshe Rabbeinu could hear it. Even though we know the commandment from Moses, we should know that H’shem’s voice was loud enough to be heard by all mankind. It was only received by those worthy of hearing it. Prophecy can only be transmitted to a prophet if the vessel is pure enough to receive it. It is a fantastic idea that Morreinu Rabbeinu says – really in essence anyone could be a prophet, he just has to be a pure keili, a vessel, that is pure for the transmission. Sometimes we have dreams that we don’t understand and later in life we do understand. Sometimes we read a prophecy and see it come true. It says in the prophets that the Temple would be destroyed. Rabbi Akiva started laughing at the end of Maseches Makkos. Why? Because he said, now I can believe. Before it was impossible to imagine that the Temple could be destroyed. Now I can believe with certainty what the prophets predicted for the end of days, that “Little children and old men we be laughing again in the streets of Jerusalem”.  His talmidim said, “Nachamu, nachamu”, Rabbi Akiva, you have comforted us. We have to understand that this world is a temporary dwelling, as it says in Pirkei Avos, and the next world is a banqueting hall. The critical factor is don’t forget your R.S.V.P.. Don’t forget who you are. And more important, it is not like check in at a flight.  When we go through check in we can take as much baggage as we want. For each aveira, there is a tremendous heshbon to pay. For each Mitzva you can load your bags to the skies. As many mitzvas as you want to grab. Its like riding through a diamond field grabbing all the diamonds along the way. You fill your suitcase with them. When you get to customs, they say, this case is full of mitzvos and that case there is empty. It did contain aveiras, but now you’ve done Teshuva on them. So when it comes to customs, this does not allow any personal possessions, but when it comes to spiritual possessions these go through. All the children that a person left behind in this world are Yadayim Ledavar, the feet upon which the Neshama stands in the next world. His people are fulfilling His mitzvos and his children are following in His way. It’s a tremendous aliyas neshama. Can you imagine the zchus of all the Torah learnt from Rashi? Can we imagine how much Torah is learnt in  the Zchus of Moshe Rabbeinu today. LeDorei Doros, their neshamas are soaring in Shomyaim  They are yoshev and osek bedin in Shomyaim. What and awesome and great privilege. Can you imagine how busy Rashi is on a daily basis, Daf Yomi with millions of people learning with Rashi and Chumash with Rashi. We are reminded of this in the 8 days of Chanuka when they were able to bright light to generations and generations including our own. The tiny little cruz of oil took on immense proportions. The commentaries say that that pach Shemen was from Moshe Rabbeinu, the original pach shemen that never ran out. So we see today that nearly a billion Chanuka candles are lit every year in the Zchus of one tiny pach shemen. Can we imagine the zchus of one extra daf? One extra day in Yeshiva, learnig Torah. What it does to kol ha’olamos. Shefa, shefa, shefa, bekol ha’olamos. The Shamayim celebrates it. For sure H’shem celebrates it. If it were not for the Torah being learnt day and night, I would turn the world back to Tohu Va Vohu. I would destroy my entire world. It would not be worth continuing for one second if there was one second in History when Torah is not being learnt, be it the holocaust, pogroms, the Spanish Inquisition, Siberia. Nassan Sharansky was beaten viciously and severely in a prison deep inSiberia with snow coming through the prison bars. Six of them were beating him with rods, but they couldn’t get him to open his hand and to separate him from his little sefer tehillim. Eventually, with perestroika, they had to let him go. The first refusenik. He was a real refusnik, he refused to bow down to their Avoda Zara. He went back recently to Russia. The same KGB that wanted to murder him had to guard him as he went through Russia. H’shem turns the tables on these Hamans and Hitlers.

 

Even though the commandments are only from Moses, we should bear in mind, that the voice was loud enough for everyone to hear. It was the people who were not worthy of hearing it. If a person fills a thin glass cup in the microwave, and heats that cup up to boiling,  what happens to the glass – it cracks and shatters. If one puts a coffee mug into the microwave, what happens to that coffee mug? Nothing, because it is strong enough to receive an intensity of waves that turn the inside into a boiling hot liquid which would make most other vessels shatter immediately, unless a person has the capacity to receive. He would be in the situation where he would self-destruct. This applies to people who delve into the mystical. If he thinks he is strong enough but he is not, he can become insane. Rabbi Akiva and 4 of the giants of his generation went into the Pardes, Pshat, remez, drush and sod, - the mystical orchard. One went insane, one dies, one got lost, and one became an apikorus. Rabbi Akiva had to forget all that he had learnt in the Pardes to get out of it and survive. What does it tell you? He had voyaged to such a mystical world that there was a risk of losing his life. If that was Rabi Akiva, all the moreso, people who claim they are delving into the deep, mystical secrets. If we can master the pshat, we have achieved everything that this world is for. If we can master it, stand up through it, understand all the korbanos in this weeks parsha, 2 or 3,000 years later. What does it mean to every generation in every year  that has been learning it, and all the Gemoras on korbanos. So the secret is, just like the Mishcan , that by learning about it, we testify to the desire that we would do anything for it. So too with the korbanos. By learning about them and delving into them, treating them as a reality, really delving into the power of perception, imaging that you were there at the times of the Temple,  what it must have been like to be in the Azara, to see a person bring a korban, an to say this korban instead of my life. It is a real tikun for the Beis Din HaGadol to release a person. All the miracles that went on in the Beis Hamikdash constantly. Now we don’t have the Bies Hamikdash, but we do have the miracles. It is blatant and clear that only H’shem can save us now. From the beginning of time, we see that they are omdim aleinu lechaloseinu, verak HaKadosh Boruch Hu matzileinu miyadam. In each and every generation, as Rav Shternbuch explains – every second, each and every second, there is a new generation – an old man leaving this world. At each and every moment H’shem is, hands on, rescuing us. We see that Moshe Rabbeinu received this nevuah. We have to consider it ourselves, by reading the Torah. We have to realise that, across the world, we were commanded individually to perform the Mitzvos on Har Sinai when the Luchos were given. H’shem wanted us to know that the Torah was meant for each and every one specifically as much as it was for that generation, according to Rav Moshe Feinstein.

 

The small א in Vayikra, from the root, kara, yikre- means, to call, and also that H’shem wanted to speak to Moshe and called him first. In Bamidbar 23, 16 the word is microscopically different, ויקר without the alef, a word that has two meanings. Mikra – which means chance and keri, spiritual contamination (Shmuel Alef 20, 26). While H’shem has a reason to speak to Bilam, he did not do it with love. Bilam was receiving nevuah without being a pure vessel. Certain meforshim add that he had a very forbidden relationship with his donkey. Who knows what else. Vayikra is spelt with a small alef, to make it appear like the word used for Bilam. The commentaries say that because of Moshe Rabbeinu’s humility, he wanted to describe H’shem’s relationship to him in a way that did not embarrass, so to speak, Bilam. The nations said, if you had given us too a prophet like Moshe Rabbeinu, we would have kept the mitzvos. Am Yisrael said naase venishma. The tradition has it that nations came to H’shem and asked what is in the Torah. One by one they left to continue their immoral ways, murdering, committing adultery and stealing. H’shem agreed to give them an easy mitzvah – Sukka. They replied that is an easy enough mitzvah. H’shem increased the temperature one degree, another degree. They started taking off their jackets, shirts and ties. Another degree, and it was just too hot for them. They left the Sukka and kicked it down. They couldn’t take the heat and left the mitzvah. The heat was to inspire. It says also in Maseches Taanis, for tzadikim the next world will be like glowing sunshine. For the Reshaim, it will be like straw thrown into a furnace. The very same light that gives light can destroy. Even though we don’t know exactly what electricity is, we can harness it and work with it. We can tap it. It is an intangible, but it brings so many things to the world. In a similar way mitvos, even if we don’t know exactly what it is, we can tap into it, harness ourselves, use it. We can be totally committed and involved our entire lives. Titzis, tefilla, mitzvos – totally filled. Electricity can be used for good or for bad. A man can harness it to cook his supper, but it can be harnessed to cook him. In his monumental humility, Moshe Rabbeinu wanted to describe H’shem’ revelation to him in the same way that is was described for Bilam, without an alef. H’shm told him otherwise and as a result the alef was small. According to the Baal Haturim, Moshe was so humble that he felt unable to write vayikar in full. Some say that its smallness is to give prominence to it. Alef can also mean to learn and teach. Moshe Rabbeinu, the greatest prophet, was also the most humble person. If a person is arrogant or full of himself, how can he have patience? A real teacher doesn’t just give over the theory. There is a story about a Doctor who was an expert in the pathology department. He once showed his students a patient that had died from lung malignancy. He held it up and squeezed the lungs. The black residue dripped onto the table. While explaining this, in his left hand was a cigarette. Rashi explains the furthest distance in the universe. This could be very useful  for knowing the width of the universe, the distance from the furthest planet or star one way to that the other way. Rashis answer is that the greatest distance is from the heart to the mind. The brain knows, the heart desires, the body sins. Only through tzitzis, through taryag mitzvos, can the gap be cured. Only constant limud torah is the antidote to our own opinion, to our eyes which lead us astray. The trufa which the Rofe kol basar brings to cure the yetzer hora is His Torah.

 

So we see, the posuk goes onto say, “Speak to the children of Israel and say, when a man amongst you brings a korban from amongst the animals”. The word man, which is usually ish, is adam here. This teaches us that just as Adam haRishon did not bring stolen animals, as an offering to H’shem because the whole world was his. So to anything that we bring, if it is stolen, is an abomination to H’shem. A beautiful apple, however valuable or impressive, if it is stolen and one person gives it to another, it remains the property of the true owner. Imagine if a boy comes home before shabbos with a huge bunch of flowers. The parents would be filled. Imagine if they found out that the money was stolen, either from them, without permission, or from the shop. If something is brought with a pure heart, from honest toil, it is beloved. If it is brought through corruption, the offering is not an offering. By serving H’shem be’ahava we can reach a level of serving H’shem beSimcha, beshlemut. Just as Adam did not bring a stolen animal, since the  whole world was his, so too we must guard against dishonesty. Somebody who contributes money has to give pure money, animals must have no blemish, the heart of the man had to be pure, without regrets. That is why it was not a ‘sacrifice’ but a thanksgiving offering, whatever it was – thank you for the opportunity to carry on living, for the opportunity to succeed, thank you for that child, even for another moment of life. The root of the word korban, is karvan – from the shoresh karev, to come near. Intrinsically, the offering brings us closer to HKadosh Boruch Hu (Rav SR Hirsch). Therefore the sacrifice is the opposite of what a Korban really is. The four letter name of H’shem who was, is and always will be is used in relation to offerings. The name Elokim represents the aspect of justice, according to the Sifra. Idolators believed that the offering was needed to appease the anger of the Judgement of a bloodthirsty god. This is a totally foreign concept to the Jewish way and the Jewish law. The Torah teaches us that the offerings are meant to draw us closer to H’shem and H’shem closer to us through the act of mercy and love. Offering to H’shem comes from yourself, mikan – you essentially through your humility come closer – giving the offering infinite value. If you merely go through the motions, the physical act, then tragically, it is your offering, not an offering to H’shem. You are eating flesh, which has nothing to do with an offering to H’shem (the shlah).

 

The Olah offering. If a person did a sin for which there is no punishment, or if they failed to do a positive commandment, or evenif he had a sinful thought and did not carry it out, and even anyone who ascended to Jerusalem on the three regalim, Shavuos, Sukkos or Pesach, or anyone wanting to raise their spiritual level could bring an Olah offering, It elevates them. Olah has the root עלה which means going up. Lemaala, oleh, (Rashi and Radak). This offering is completely burnt, and goes up to H’shem in the flames (Ramban). The korban relates to ideas, in the kodesh kedoshim of the persons’ mind. In a similar way, the Olah offering is turned into something of the spiritual world. The purpose is to take the owner from the status of sinner and turn him into the status of tzaddik. It is a spiritual elevation off the person, not the offering. Tanchuma says that it is olah, superior, to all other offerings. It is voluntary and entirely consumed as an offering to H’shem. It is a combination of these ideas.  

 

Tamim – pure. Even a tiny blemish – a cut n the ye or lip, cancels the offering. The completely healthy state of offering, represents the idea that a person seeking to come close to H’sem should do so with all his faculties and nothing missing. In exchange, H’shem promises life beyond death and pain, explains Rav Hirsch.

 

He shall lean his hands – vesamach yado – this is the concept of semicha, as it says at the beginning of Pirkei Avos. The oral teachings were given over from generation to generation through smicha. Until today, there is a symbolic smicha hen a person goes for Rabbinic ordination, because a person is personally being blessed because he receives responsibility, from H’shem to transmit H’shem’s word. This implies with all ones strength, to although the word is in the singular, smicha has to be done with both hands and with all ones strength (Menachos, 93a). Dong so, he confesses the sin or transgression that prompted him to move away from H’shem.

 

He shall wash the feet and innards with water and shall cause it to smoke upon the alter, an elevation offering, a fire offering, a satisfyin aroma to H’shem. What is this elevation offering? Many translate the term as, vehikanter, he shall burn. This loses the significance. It implies that the purpose of burning is to consume – the Hebrew word misaraf, not mekater. Mekater is used only in relation to an offering to H’shem. Radak and Ibn Ezra translate the word kitur, a column of smoke. It says Dam, Ve;eash vetimrot ashan. Timra means a column of smoke going up to shamayim. This is said just before the Ten Plagues in the hagada. This could be the antidote to the 10 plagues coming upon us. The korbanos are a shield against the plague. As the torah says in Devarim, if we follow in H’shem’s ways the plagues of Egypt will not affect us, they will affect our enemies. So we see, that through our avodas H’shem, we have a shield that protects us from the destructive forces of aveiras. If ketores is a shield against magefa – plague, as we discussed in previous shiurim, against the angel of death – moshe Raabeinu, AaronHoCohen, at certain points used the ketores to protect the nation. The word ketor, is related to the purpose of the offering, that it rises up to H’shem, corresponding to the persos desire (Targum Onkelos). He shall raise up, referring to the process of  bringing the offering up to the Mizbeach. Rabbeinu Bahya derives the word from the word – the concept of creating an infinitely close bond between H’shem and the person that made that offering. Not because of the smell, the fact that it was well prepared, but, as the Sages explain, I have spoken and My will has been done. It is only because H’shem commanded. If we want to know the ultimate reason for any mitzvah in the Torah, what is the reason for not mixing meat with milk, Shatnez, Shabbos, Mezuzas and every one of the Taryag Mitzvos, the guaranteed, ultimate reason, is just because H;shem says. If you go one millimeter or you have a though for a second to eat the korban at the wrong time, it turns it from the mitzvah to pigul – a disgusting worm infested meat offering. Even if everything else is perfect, by not having the perfect thought, he destroys everything else. By having the perfect thought, it becomes of infinite value to H’shem.

 

This sentiment was highlighted by Shmuel’s chastisement of King Shaul. As he told King Shaul, “is H’shem’s desire for elevation offerings? As much as it is obedience to the word of H’shem, obedience is better than an offering, and than the fat” (Shmuel 1, 22). A person’s intention is infinitely more precious to H’shem as we see with Dovid. Even though he wanted to build the Beis Hamikdash, H’shem considered it done, even though Dovid wasn’t able to build it. The Tehillim until today remain the most cherished part of avodas H’shem.

 

The Elevation offering. There are three forms, cattle, flocks and birds. If one can afford a bull it is preferable. If not, a bird. As long as a person serves H’shem according to his abilities, his effort is rewarded. It is the same if one does more or less, provided his intention is purely leshem shomayim. We see that if a person gives according to his ability, like 2 people collecting small change in the street. If one gives to the other, even a few agarot, and they end up with the same amount of money, this is precious to H’shem. The Cohanim are responsible to see that the fire offering is consumed completely.

 

The meal offering. Consists of nothing more than finely ground wheat flower, oil and frankincense, solet, shemen ulevonah, and water. Rav Hirsch says that the term Mincha implies subordinating to a superior, just as grain represents the essence of our sustenance. The Mincha is acknowledgemnt that person’s life is in H’shem’s hands. The oil represents comfort, and the frankincense, joy and happiness. The oleh acknowledges that all of these are from H’shem alone. The melo kumtzo, 3 fingerfuls of meal mixture, filled to capacity, mixing may poke out from the  fingers. This is the kometz. The sages describe this as the most difficult of all sacrifice services, according to Rashi. This was the antidote to all the money that Amalek had. The meforshim say that when Haman was negotiating with Ahashverosh, the death of the Jews, he offered all hia money to have the Jews put to death. At that moment, Mordechai was learning Kemitza with the young bchrim in the Yeshiva. In the zchus of that limmud Torah, H’shem saved the nation.

 

Fruit honey. The prohibition against bringing leaven or fruit honey provides lesson regarding the full range of man’s services to H’shem. Man should not be sluggish, symbolized by the slow process of leavening. He should not be obsessed with eh pursuit of pleasure represented by the sweetness of fruit honey.

 

The peace offering. In conclusion the peace offering is brought as an appeasement to HaKadosh Boruch Hu. When the person is moved to bring it, in recognition of H’shem’s goodness and protecting us with Shalom. The peace offering had a special capacity to increase peace in the world, when the legitimate needs of all groups are satisfied (Koran Aaron).    One who brings a peace offering seeks to combine both worlds. The Ramban derives the word Shlemim from shlemut, wholesomeness. A person need not be motivated by a need of his own but may seek the complete perfection of H’shem’s will in this world. This in essence is the mida of chessed, The world has three pillars – Torah, avoda, and gemillus chassadim. Also we know that the word remains through din, emes and shalom. The real remez here is that Torah is emes, avoda must be done kedin and gemillus chassasdim brings shalom.

 

May we, and all Israel, and the entire world, soon in our day, experience the Geulla shleima, Moshiach tzidkeinu, the return to a torah lifestyle for m Yisrael, and the 7 Mtzvos Bnei Noach. May the entire world experience, Shabbat Shalom Umevorach.