Vayikra – Page 3 – Peninim on the Torah

אדם כי יקריב מכם קרבן לד'

When a man among you brings an offering to Hashem. (1:2)

The Torah refers to the person who brings the korban, sacrifice/offering, as Adam, which is also the name of Adam HaRishon, to imply that, just as Adam did not bring an offering from a stolen animal (since everything belonged to him), so, too, should we not serve Hashem with ill-begotten goods. Adam HaRishon offered a bull as his korban to Hashem. This primordial bull was different from any other bull that would ever be created. Chazal (Chullin 60a) state: “Adam arose and offered up a bull whose horns appeared before its hooves, as David Hamelech writes (Tehillim 69:32): V’sitav l’Hashem…

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וכל קרבן מנחתך במלח תמלח

Roberto Szerer In 5778, Vayikra

You shall salt your every meal-offering with salt. (2:13)

You shall salt your every meal-offering with salt. (2:13) The Bris Melach, Covenant of Salt, which Hashem made with the earthly waters after He created a division between the waters above and the waters below, is the reason that salt is included in the Temple service. In his Elef HaMagen, Horav Eliezer Papo, zl, author of the Pele Yoeitz, writes that the words melach/timlach have the same letters as mechal/timchol, forgiveness. He comments that the greatest korban, sacrifice, one can bring before Hashem is to be maavir al midosav, voluntarily surrender his right (or feeling that he is right) to…

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ואם זבח שלמים קרבנו

Roberto Szerer In 5778, Vayikra

And if he will slaughter a peace-offering. (3:1)

Targum Onkeles defines the word zevach as “a holy slaughtering.” Indeed, the essence of a Korban Shelamim, Peace-offering, is fundamentally different from that of other korbanos. The average korban serves as a medium to serve Hashem. As part of this objective, the animal must be slaughtered, but the slaughtering is not the primary act of hakravah, offering. Unlike other korbanos, the act of shechitah, slaughtering, within the context of a shelamim, has greater significance. A Korban Shelamim is brought by a person who wants to eat mundane food. He wants elevated, consecrated food. When one partakes of a Korban Shelamim,…

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מקבץ נדחי עמו ישראל

Roberto Szerer In 5778, Vayikra

Mekabeitz nidchei amo Yisrael

How was Avraham Avinu able to unite an entire world of committed pagans to accept the monotheistic belief? A world filled with idol worshippers, each devoted to a form of sheker, falsehood, left their idols and joined the ranks of believers. How did this occur? He showed them the truth. Someone who is living the life of a lie will eschew the lie as soon as the truth glares at him. Avraham taught the world the meaning of emes, truth. When they saw the truth, they realized the falsehood to which they had been adhering. Our Patriarch could have easily…

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ויקרא אל משה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5777, Vayikra

He called to Moshe. (1:1)

Rashi comments: “Calling”, Vayikra, preceded every statement, every saying and every command. It is a language of affection. In other words, prior to speaking to Moshe Rabbeinu, Hashem called his name (twice). This was followed by the actual message. Hashem speaks to each and every one of us – all of the time. He employs various media of “expression,” but each communication is intoned with love. Perhaps this method of signaling a communication to Moshe applies equally to us. First, Hashem signals us by calling our name in order to get our attention. This is followed by the message. Now,…

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אדם כי יקריב מכם קרבן לד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5777, Vayikra

When a man among you brings an offering to Hashem. (1:2)

I recently came across an article penned by a secular Jew, decrying our yearning for the rebuilding of the Bais HaMikdash. In one of his gripes, he declared that he found the notion of korbanos, sacrifices, primitive, archaic, and a form of service no longer necessary. While to the ancients it was natural to offer a korban, offering, to Hashem, this modern man eschews such form of worship. Obviously, he is clueless with regard to the underlying concepts of korbanos and the spiritual elevation they engender in the person who offers them. A korban is a way of coming closer…

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ונפש כי תקריב קרבן מנחה לד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5777, Vayikra

When a person (soul) offers a meal-offering to Hashem. (2:1)

Of all those who offer voluntary sacrifices/ offerings, only one who brings a Korban Minchah, Meal offering, is referred to by the Torah as a nefesh, soul. This inexpensive korban was brought primarily by the poor, since they were financially challenged to bring an animal or fowl. Hashem says: “I will regard the korban of a poor man as if he had offered his very nefesh, soul.” The simple explanation of this statement is that a wealthy person who brings a korban takes from his “extra” money – not from the money he needs for his daily sustenance. A poor…

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נפש כי תחטא ומעל מעל ב''ה וכחש בעמיתו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5777, Vayikra

If a person will sin and commit a treachery against Hashem by lying to his comrade. (5:21)

Stealing from a fellow Jew is certainly an act of evil, but is it treachery against Hashem? Does the thief take into consideration that “borrowing” from his friend with no intention of repaying the “loan” is not only theft, but also a perfidious act of betrayal against Hashem? There is no question that the thief is not a “good” person, his moral and ethical compass leaves much to be desired, but did he sin against the Almighty? It certainly was not his intention. The early commentators explain that one who swears falsely using Hashem’s Name in uttering the oath (claiming…

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וחמשתיו יוסף עליו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5777, Vayikra

And add its fifth to it. (5:24)

One who unlawfully has his fellow Jew’s money in his possession, but cannot be compelled to pay, because the plaintiff lacks sufficient proof – and who (compounds his guilt) swears falsely that the money is rightfully his – must (after it is discovered that he lied) pay the principal plus an added fifth, followed by a korban asham, guilt offering. No one has a right to someone else’s money – even if he intends to replace it eventually. The added fifth applies even if the thief has decided to finally come clean and repent his erroneous ways. The Talmud (Berachos…

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ויקרא אל משה וידבר ד' אליו מאהל מועד

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5776, Vayikra

He called to Moshe, and Hashem spoke to him from the Ohel Moed. (1:1)

The parshah of Korbanos, sacrificial offerings mandated by Hashem to be a part of the Jewish People’s service to Him, is rife with ambiguity. The Rishonim offer their rationale to explain and lend meaning to this service. In his Moreh Nevuchim, Rambam explains that the korbanos had a therapeutic effect on the Jewish People after their exposure to the idolatrous cultures in which they had lived. Egypt had elevated idol worship as to a way of life to the point that anything short of paganism was beyond rationale. The korbanos would balance out this perverted ideology. Notwithstanding the Rambam’s view…

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אדם כי יקריב מכם קרבן לד'

When a man among you brings an offering to Hashem. (1:2)

וכל קרבן מנחתך במלח תמלח

You shall salt your every meal-offering with salt. (2:13)

ואם זבח שלמים קרבנו

And if he will slaughter a peace-offering. (3:1)

מקבץ נדחי עמו ישראל

Mekabeitz nidchei amo Yisrael

ויקרא אל משה

He called to Moshe. (1:1)

אדם כי יקריב מכם קרבן לד'

When a man among you brings an offering to Hashem. (1:2)

ונפש כי תקריב קרבן מנחה לד'

When a person (soul) offers a meal-offering to Hashem. (2:1)

נפש כי תחטא ומעל מעל ב''ה וכחש בעמיתו

If a person will sin and commit a treachery against Hashem by lying to his comrade. (5:21)

וחמשתיו יוסף עליו

And add its fifth to it. (5:24)

ויקרא אל משה וידבר ד' אליו מאהל מועד

He called to Moshe, and Hashem spoke to him from the Ohel Moed. (1:1)

YEARS

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