Parshas Vayikra:
This edition of Shabbos Sparks is dedicated L’ilui Nishmas the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey, HaRav Mordechai Hager zt”l.
The Sages Say:
‘When a person (אדם) from [among] you will bring close an offering to Hashem…’ (Vayikra 1:2)
Why was it [אדם] said? [To teach us that] just as Adam HaRishon did not bring close [an offering] from stolen [things], for everything was his, also you, do not bring close [an offering] from stolen [things].
(Rashi HaKadosh from Midrash Vayikra Rabbah 2:7)
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A Helpful Hint:
‘And He [Hashem] called to Moshe… -- ...ויקרא אל משה’ (Vayikra 1:1)
In a Torah Scroll, the letter א is written small. And it is noted that if spelled out, אלף is a language of teaching (see Iyov 33:33).
Says Rebbe Pinchos of Koritz zt”l: “The א is small: Teach yourself to be small [i.e. humble].”
(Quoted in Lekach Tov).
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A “Lamdanishe” Insight:
‘If his Offering is an Olah…’ (Vayikra 1:3)
An Olah-offering, we are told, atoned for a bad thought.
Explains Rabbeinu Bachya zt”l: The Olah-offering precedes in the parsha the rest of the offerings. And by way of the simple interpretation, it is because the thought is the first of everything, and the sin of thought [about something bad] comes before sin in action…
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Mussar Message:
There is a video that has gotten around of what is supposedly the last public Sicha (discourse) given by HaRav Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman zt”l, which I believe was given last year in the week of Parshas Vayikra. The following is a transcription and rough English translation of it (to see the video itself, search in a browser for ‘Rav Shteinman’s last Sicha’):
“Mori V’Rabbosai: Baruch Hashem, our Yeshiva was zoche (had the merit) during its years of existence to rear prominent Torah scholars, fearers of Heaven; Baruch Hashem. HaKadosh Baruch Hu should help us further; so He should add to increase Torah and fear of Heaven. And we will say a few words:
“As we know, in the Midrash [to] Parshas Vayikra, in the parsha that we are reading, it is written that Agrippas the king wanted to bring many Karbanos (Offerings) -- a thousand Karbanos on one day! A thousand Karbanos! But he requested one thing: That even one should not precede him. What is the simple meaning of ‘should not precede’? It should not be more accepted (alt. favorable). The intention was not [regarding] to precede in time; only that it should not be more accepted (/favorable).
“However, a poor person came and he said, “My master, Kohen Gadol! Bring close for me two turtledoves or two young doves to offer them.” He [the Kohen Gadol] said to him, “The king commanded me that I was not to offer [anything] outside from his.” He [the poor man] said to him, “My master, Kohen! If you do not offer them, you are ruining me (my livelihood), that I will not be zoche (have the merit) to anything.” And when he [the Kohen Gadol] heard this, he went and offered them.
“At night, Agrippas the king dreamed; one poor person preceded you -- he did not precede in time -- he preceded [in the fact that] he was more accepted (/favorable). And he [Agrippas] had pain [because of this], and he called to the Kohen Gadol and asked him, “Why did you offer for anybody else? Behold, I said to you to not offer [aside from my sacrifices]!” He said [i.e. replied] to him [and told him what happened, with details that were not mentioned before], “My master the king, one person came to me and said ‘offer for me two turtledoves. I trap four every day; two of them I offer, and two I eat. If you do not take [these two and offer them], you will be ruining me, that I will not be zoche to anything.’ Thus did he [the poor man] say to him [the Kohen Gadol]. He took and offered.
“And the king asked him, “Why did you offer? I said to you to not offer [anything besides my sacrifices]!” He said to him: “It is correct that you with the thousand Korbanos of yours… but this man that his entire life is Torah and Mitzvos, it is impossible to compare to him any man.” Thus did he say to him. And he [Agrippas] answered him, “You are right in what you say.”
“Thus it is written in Midrash Rabbah Parshas Vayikra upon the verse [2:1] ‘And a Soul that will bring’. The main thing to see in this… only what is more pure, more pure! This will be accepted. This poor man said to him, his entire life is Torah and Mitzvos; if so, not anything can compare to him: A thousand Korbanos, and even two thousand Korbanos, is not able to compare to this man, that his intention was so desirable.
“And this we want to learn… but the pureness, what is more pure, is more accepted (/favorable), and this we need.
“HaKadosh Baruch Hu should help that everyone be zoche to raise himself in Torah and fear of Heaven. Although we are on a level not so great, far from being great, but we will aspire to this [greatness, it would seem, or pureness], perhaps with all this we will get a bit better, and we will be zoche to rise until we are zoche speedily in our days to the true Geulah (Redemption) speedily in our days, Amein Selah.”
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Chassidishe Vort:
‘And He [Hashem] called to Moshe… -- ...ויקרא אל משה’ (Vayikra 1:1)
Many, many lessons and things are derived from the small א (see above). But overall, one of the big lessons we learn from the small א is how much can be derived from every last detail in the Torah: From one letter -- a small one even -- there are so, so many insights and lessons to be gleaned. Just imagine one word, or sentence! Indeed, the holy Torah is endlessly deep.
(Tal U’Matar)
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Chazak V’ematz:
Tells us Rebbe Shlomo of Radomsk zt”l: Just as with a simple animal, when a Jewish person says upon it “Korban” (“Offering”), immediately it is sanctified with a high level of holiness, so much so that its blood is sprinkled in the Sanctuary, kal vachomer (basically all the more so)... if a person accepts upon themselves and declares: “From today and onwards I am [i.e. will be] holy to Hashem!” Then certainly, immediately they are infused with great holiness.
(Vi’karasa L’Shabbos Oneg)
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Maaseh B’Rabbi…
There was once a young man who had, let’s say, taken an “alternate route” to end up in Yeshiva: He had left his home in Brooklyn many years earlier to move out West, and explore Native American culture.
For many years, he lived amongst Native Americans in Montana, and had essentially become one of them. However, when he met with one of their elders , who was said to possess the deepest of wisdoms, she encouraged him to return home and pursue Judaism!
Feeling very disheartened and confused, he made his way back home, and somehow -- through Divine Providence -- ended up knocking on HaRav Shlomo Freifeld zt”l’s door. Rav Freifeld listened to the young man's story and was genuinely fascinated! He asked the young man what his greatest interest was, and the man said he is very interested in horses.
They conversed about various types of horses for a while, and then Rav Freifeld had to go, but invited his young guest to meet him again at his office the next day. The young man was impressed by Rav Freifeld’s willingness to speak with him about horses, so the next day he returned, and again began to speak about his interest in wildlife and nature for quite some time.
Their daily meetings continued on for some time, until one day, Rav Freifeld had to leave his office to tend to an urgent matter. The young man was waiting in the office for a few minutes when he saw out of the corner of his eye some books lying on the floor behind Rav Freifeld’s desk. The young man knew enough to know that Jewish books are holy and shouldn't be left lying on the floor, so he bent down to pick them up and put them on the desk.
However, when he bent down to pick up the books, he saw that these were actually not Jewish books… they were books about horses from the library! It turns out that Rav Freifeld went to the library and took out several books on horses to read, in order to familiarize himself with the topic to be able to maintain a conversation with this young man.
Needless to say, this young man was deeply moved and overwhelmed by Rav Freifeld’s effort to connect with him, and it made a lasting impression upon him.
(Told over in a Dvar Torah of my Rebbe, HaRav Binyomin Goldstein shlit”a.
For the unabridged version, see the book ‘Reb Shlomo’)
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A Gut Shabbos to all!
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