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ונפש כי תחטא ושמעה קול אלה והוא עד או ראה או ידע אם לא יגיד ונשא עונו

If a person will sin: if he accepted a demand for an oath, and he is a witness – either he saw or he knew. (5:1)

I recently came across a story related by a father, telling about a traumatic experience that he and his family had undergone with one of their teenage sons. A young boy, fifteen years old, had slowly begun to drift away from his attachment to Torah. At first, it was gravitation to the frivolities of the outside world. He continued with his usual good middos, character traits, never offending another student, always showing respect for his rebbeim, his good natured smile always manifest on his face. Yet, this was not enough to maintain his tenure in the yeshivah where he was…

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ואם זבח שלמים קרבנו

And if a Korban Shelamim is his offering. (3:1)

The Korban Shelamim is defined as a Peace-offering. The word shelamim is derived from shalem, implying a state of completeness, of perfection, when used in connection with a human being. Shalem denotes that the person is in such a state that he does not feel a flaw in any part of his life. He feels complete. He lacks for nothing. Understandably, shalem is a relative concept, since it primarily describes an object in relation to all of its parts, or a person in relation to the circumstances and surroundings in which he lives. Horav S. R. Hirsch, zl, observes that…

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אדם כי יקריב מכם קרבן לד'

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

The service of offering Korbanos, sacrifices to Hashem, was given to Klal Yisrael. It is a holy service designated for a holy people. Korbanos, however, are not designated solely for the Jewish People. Anyone – regardless of faith – may bring a korban. Indeed, we read in Parashas Emor (Vayikra 22:18), “Speak to Aharon and his sons and to all of Bnei Yisrael and say to them: Any man of the House of Yisrael and of the geirim, proselytes among Yisrael, who will bring his offering for any of their vows or their free-will offerings that they will bring to…

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ויקרא אל משה

He called to Moshe. (1:1)

The summons to Moshe Rabbeinu, Vayikra, is spelled with a diminutive aleph, which allows the word to be read as Vayikar, which means “and he chanced upon.” Chazal give the background for the alternate spelling. When Hashem called Moshe, it was not a subtle sound which only he could hear. The sound of Hashem calling Moshe was resounding, traveling all the way from within the Holy of Holies to the outside of the Tent. Yet, no one else heard – not even Aharon HaKohen. It was the same sound that Klal Yisrael heard at Har Sinai when Hashem gave the…

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