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לימוד תורה

The willingness to sacrifice in the test of life

The Parasha in the everyday life– Parashat Vayikra - Rabbi Eliezer Shenvald - 5780

This Sabbath we’ll begin with the reading of the Book of Vayikra, which deals mainly with sacrifices: "Most of this book deals with the sacrifices and the people who offer them, and where”. (Ramban's introduction to Vayikra). Our study of the Parashot aims to learn from them how we should apply the Torah to the challenges of modern life. During our routine and during emergencies.

What can we learn from the sacrifices today, as we have no Temple and no sacrifices?

The first Pasuk of the Parasha teaches that there are voluntary sacrifices:

אָדָ֗ם כִּֽי־יַקְרִ֥יב מִכֶּ֛ם קָרְבָּ֖ן לַֽה' מִן־הַבְּהֵמָ֗ה מִן־הַבָּקָר֙ וּמִן־הַצֹּ֔אן תַּקְרִ֖יבוּ אֶת־קָרְבַּנְכֶֽם׃

“When any of you presents an offering of cattle to Hashem, he shall choose his offering from the herd or from the flock”. (Vayikra 1:2).

אדם כי יקריב מכם. כְּשֶׁיַּקְרִיב; בְּקָרְבְּנוֹת נְדָבָה דִּבֵּר הָעִנְיָן

“If a man of you offer [an offering] — This means, when he offers: Scripture is speaking here of free — will offerings” (Rashi ibid).

These are non-mandatory sacrifices. He volunteers to make these sacrifices with the best of his money, his free will and out of the kindness of his heart.

This Pasuk also deals with the manner of the sacrifice. The commentators found difficult the adding of the word מִכֶּ֛ם 'from you'. Was it not enough to say “If a man offers a sacrifice to Hashem”?

Hence, they concluded that the word 'from you' came to teach about the essence of the sacrifice and of the person offering the sacrifice:

אדם כי יקריב מכם כי יקריב מעצמכם בוידוי דברים והכנעה על דרך ונשלמה פרים שפתינו וכאמרו זבחי אלהים רוח נשברה, כי אין חפץ בכסילים המקריבים בלתי הכנעה קודמת

When he brings himself close to G’d by means of a confession of his sins and by humbling himself. Our sages paraphrase this when pointing out that the Torah does not write here כולכם, your entire selves, but מכם, something emanating from you, i.e. “by excreting the spiritually unworthy parts of you.” (Sforno ibid)

Sacrifice is not a ritual ceremony, but an act that requires the giver, to give something meaningful “from himself” to Hashem, from his soul. He takes from what is most precious to his soul and gives as a sacrifice to Hashem. On the other hand, it has been interpreted that giving must be something significant in the physical level as well, by the accompanying fasting of the victim, in which he is supposedly minimizing his body, so dear to him, and gives to Hashem: “Should any person from you bring forward to Hashem an offering” of his body, by fasting; It is a sacrifice to Hashem and a high part alone ”(Kli Yakar ibid)

At the end of the Perek (1:17), Rashi comments on an important note according to the Gemara:

נאמר בעולת בהמה (ויקרא א, ט) אשה ריח ניחוח ובעולת עוף (ויקרא א, ט) אשה ריח ניחוח ובמנחה (ויקרא ב, ב) אשה ריח ניחוח לומר לך אחד המרבה ואחד הממעיט ובלבד שיכוין לבו לשמים:

MISHNA: It is stated with regard to an animal burnt offering: “A fire offering, an aroma pleasing to Hashem” (Vayikra 1:9), and with regard to a bird burnt offering: “A fire offering, an aroma pleasing to Hashem” (Vayikra 1:17), and with regard to a meal offering: “A fire offering, an aroma pleasing to Hashem” (Vayikra 2:2). The repetitive language employed concerning all of these different offerings is to say to you that one who brings a substantial offering and one who brings a meager offering have equal merit, provided that he directs his heart toward Heaven. (Menachot 110a).

The cost of a big animal sacrifice is greater than a sacrifice from the flock and certainly more than the chicken and wheat offering. The 'size of the offering' has a significance because it reflects the willingness of the giver, how much he is willing to give to Hashem. But since the sacrifice also tests the human intent and his will, there is also value to the cheaper sacrifice ‘provided that he directs his heart towards Heaven’.

The connection between man and Hashem is a noble and wonderful connection, it is one of the most important things to man. Like an interpersonal relationship, it also has an aspect of 'sacrifice' within the meaning of 'giving' of oneself and a willingness to pay 'a price' for it, even the most expensive of all.

It is difficult for a person to 'give': give away what is his, his property, his comforts and things that are part of himself. When it comes to the giving of anything valuable the difficulty increases. And if the act of giving becomes strenuous, even with suffering involved, it will become even more difficult.

But if the connection is important to a person, he will be willing to 'pay' from 'himself' even if the 'price' involves giving up things that are dear to him. Hence the price that a person is willing to pay for a particular thing is a kind of 'test' and 'measure' of truth to the level of importance in his eyes.

The 'sacrifice'- ‘Korban’ comes from the word ‘Karob’ - 'close' that brings one closer to Hashem. In the end, although 'giving' has certain difficulty, achieving what was wanted, and 'the closeness to G-d' grants the person happiness and elation.

In today's language, the term 'sacrifice' takes on another meaning. It’s an expression of the 'price' that a person is willing to 'sacrifice' and to pay what is dear to him in order to achieve valuable goals. The modern world is a world of achievements and materialism.

Anyone who wants to incorporate the values ​​of Judaism, the Holy and the Torah commandments should be ready to "sacrifice" and pay prices. Whether it is the need to meet the difficulties of living the Torah and Mitzvot lifestyle, to attend daily prayers, to refrain from eating forbidden foods and more. And whether it is a price in the "time" that he devotes to Torah and prayer, the observance of Mitzvot, building a family, not working on Shabbat, when there are those around him who "take advantage" of this time to advance their "career."

And if it is a social 'price'; to be 'slightly' different from the environment: in religious behaviors; in prayers and blessings, in the types of 'recreation', in guarding the tongue, in the 'standards' of the modesty between the sexes, and even in the opinions and worldview. Man is a social being, it is difficult for him to be 'unusual'. Even in relation to these "sacrifices," the end of the process of achieving the goal of holiness in the everyday life, will give man happiness and elation.

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