Vayikra Parshah Thoughts
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Keep Up The World
Korbanos – Sacrifice – upholds the universe. (- Gemarah) Why??
1. Rashi explains that when people gain atonement they 1. don’t give up after sinning, and 2. the universe will never load up to lethal levels of sin. Both on a personal and cosmic level, sacrifice keep things righteous.2. One of the kinderlach suggested that the merit of the holy intentions people bringing Korbanos have: being close to Hashem, doing Tshuvah, religious awakening – all these keep the world spiritually afloat.3. Another child pointed out that Sacrifice is the only DIRECT service we do to Hashem. All Mitzvos fulfill His Will, but do not service Him directly. A Korban is bringing a present to Him Himself. This is why Korbanos are differnt than all other mitzvos. Direct service upholds the universe.4. The Rambam explains that Sacrifice is a ‘chok’ – a little understood Mitzvah. Doing such mitzvos display subservience to Hashem even when we do not understand Him. Doing a Mitzvah that makes no sense to us is true service of Hashem, because we do only because He said so, not because we see the point in it!5. Avraham tied Yitzchak onto the mizbeach, and Hashem stopped the sacrifice. Avraham found a ram and sacrificed it ‘in place of his son’. Avraham could not bring Yitzchak, he simply brought something else. What does ‘in place of’ mean; is there is any relationship between them??
Herein is the essence of korban. Korban means the person brings himself on the mizbeach, not in person, but through an agent. Via proxy: the animal stands in his place. When Avraham brought the ram, it was a substitute for Yitzchak in every sense. (Rabbi Sampson Rephael Hirsch z”l)
The gemarah tells us that the ashes of Yitzchak are piled always in front of Hashem, as if he was actually sacrificed. In a sense he was!
Anyone who brings a korban is piled in front of Hashem too, I suppose. Hashem has extra mercy on him. Perhaps this upholds the universe!
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The Name And Nature Of Chatos
The Torah explains that we must slaughter the Chatos ‘in the place of the Olah’, sprinkle its blood ‘upon the Mizbeach of the Olah’, and then we take its insides ‘like we take the insides of the Shlamim’ and offer them upon the Mizbeach. How is the Chatos tied to Olah and Shlamim?
Rashi explains that the reason Shlamim is called so is 1. because everyone partakes in it – Hashem, the Kohen and the owner, so all are happy, and 2. because this Korban brings Shalom in the world.
Chatos, a sin-offering, also brings Shalom. That is symbolized by offering the insides on the Mizbeach.
How? When a person sins, besides the affront to Hashem, besides the spiritual damage caused to the sinner and to the world, there is also a secondary fallout effect. Things are not as they should be. Interrelating parts and pieces of the universe fall out of synchronicity, at loggerheads with their co-parts. The line-up is out of tandem.
Chatos straightens out loose ends caused by sin, and brings them back into play with each other. This is the Shalom that Chatos brings.
So a Chatos is part Olah, Olah being the prototype of a Reyach Nechoach, a pleasant affair that brings Hashem joy, and also part Shlamim, fixing and bringing wholeness and alignment.
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Not Too Sweet, Neither Too Sour
No chametz is allowed in Minachos because that indicates sourdough is present; no sourdough or honey is allowed. Why?
Some explain that these two represent the Yetzer HaRa: sin begins terribly sweet, and grows like yeast. We keep these evil representatives out of our sacrifice.
We suggested that honey and yeast represent the sweetest and sourest things possible, the extreme ends of the spectrum. The Torah wants us off extremes, even in sacrifice, certainly in behavior!
Another thought is that while designating the Mizbeach to be Hashem’s ‘meal’place, where He ‘eats’ korbanos, we need to keep perspective: Hashem doesn’t enjoy food as we do. He is not physical. Foods people love – sweet things and yeasty stuff – are not allowed on the Mizbeach as a small reminder of who we are really dealing with!
The takeaway: please avoid the acute angle. Just the fact that its acute says that its likely wrong. Truth is rarely black and white. Nuance!
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Mincha, Anyone?
Why was the animal or bird Olah incinerated on the mizbeach, but the Olah of a mincha given to the Kohanim to eat?
The Baal HaTurim answers that a poor man suffered much embarrassment coming to the bais hamikdash with his tiny offering. He would often stand off to the side (that’s why it does not say L’fnei Hashem by his korban) and suffer by the comparison of his puny offering to Hashem with the fine, dignified offering everyone else was bringing. As a result, the torah minimized his discomfort by having his korban brought in the most discreet manner possible – instead of it being publicly sacrificed; it was eaten privately by Aharon and his children.
We suggested another thought; a korban is usually a representative, a virtual person. Perhaps this only applies to an animal which can represent another living being. A mincha, a handful of meal, cannot represent a human being.
Instead, it is a mincha – literally: a present. Its a souvenir, a token gift. (As by the presents Yaakov sent Yosef.) The dynamic is different, and the laws change too; an animal representative is brought up wholly, as the person bringing it would wish himself to be totally sacrificed to Hashem. However a mincha can be eaten by cohanim, as befits a present to Hashem.
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Story Time:
The Medrash tells the tale of Chaim the rich man, plotting sin. Suddenly taking account that his thoughts were improper, he brought a korban to the Beis Hamikdash the next day. He waltzed in with two doves as an Olah. The officiating Kohen glanced at Chaim’s respectable clothes, and said ‘Sorry Sir, I cannot bring these for you: these are not your korban!’
Chaim was crushed. He went home crestfallen. When a neighbor popped in to visit he saw how sad Chaim looked, and asked him what had happened. Chaim told him. The neighbor said ‘Of course! You are a wealthy man; you ought to bring a bull for a korban, not a dove!’ Chaim was taken aback; ‘Really!?’ he exclaimed. ‘A bull for mere thought? Is sin all so serious!? Wow. I resolve never to do it again!’
From that day onward a change came over Chaim. All day he was busy with business as usual, and went to sleep at nightfall like anyone else, but would awaken while still night. He would collect a few friends, and they would learn together until daybreak. Soon he became so learned that he was known as Chaim the Other, for he had completely changed. Years later, one of the chachamim went to visit him, and found that he gave half his money to tzeddakah, and invested the other half, and was free to learn all day long.
When one takes a korban to heart, there is no telling where he can reach!
When we consider the loss of the Beis Hamikdash, perhaps think of the loss of our barometer of the seriousness of sin!
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Going For The Glory
The Torah uses the phrase ‘re’ach ni’cho’ach’ – a pleasant scent – by animal Korban, bird Korban and by Mincha. This teaches us that much or little makes no difference, so long as one intends for the glory of Hashem. (Rashi)
We asked the kinderlach: So can a rich man can get away with a cheap mincha instead of an animal-korban? No, no. This would not be to Hashem’s glory at all. On the contrary, he demonstrates how little esteem he holds Hashem; passing Him off with a cheapo offering.
The moral here is that from different people different things are expected. What is acceptable for one is not for the other, who may be more talented and more is expected from. Although the talented person accomplishes much, both he and the small fellow are fulfilling their mission to the exact same degree. A twenty-five watt bulb doing its job is as upstanding as a hundred watt bulb if they both do their job.
Don’t compare!
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Opening Up
Why tear open the bird korban – does it facilitate better burning on the mizbeach or somehow advance the korban?
One of the kinderlach suggested that since the pauper brings such a small korban, we make the biggest affair of it that we can, doing things to it that are unnecessary. We tear it open along the back to make a to-do.
Also e very Olah is dismembered. (Why??) So it makes sense that a bird Olah is too. Indeed, a bird Chatos is not torn open at all…
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