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Parshas Vayikra- Overcoming Obstacles
For this year’s Parsha Lesson I will be focusing on a chinuch (parenting/ educational) lesson that can be derived from the Dvar Torah.
Background
This week’s Torah portion is Parshas Vayikra, which is the beginning of the Book of Vayikra, the third of the five ‘Books of Moses’. The Book of Vayikra deals almost exclusively with the matters of the Mishkan, the Holy Temple. The various korbanos (sacrifices) are delineated and the proper method in which they are to be brought is explained. The rules governing the conduct of people who bring korbanos, the kohanim who work in the Temple, and the various behaviors that would require someone to bring a korban, are gone through in great detail.
The parsha begins by describing different types of korbanos that can be brought on the Mizbeach (altar). There are korbanos which are large animals (cattle, livestock), there are korbanos which are birds and there are ‘meal’ offerings, korbanos which are made of flour and resemble some sort of bread or cake.
By the first two types of korbanos, large animals and then birds, the Torah refers to the person who brings the offerings in the typical terminology of the Torah referring to ‘Man’ with the word ‘Adam’. However, when it comes to the person who brings a meal offering, the term ‘nefesh’ or ‘soul’ is used.
Why the discrepancy? True, all living people have a soul inside of them, and it is true that all of Mankind can be referred to as ‘Adam’, but why would Hashem, who wrote the Torah with tremendous exactitude and nuance, write two different terminologies and ways of referring to people by these different types of offerings?
Rashi explains that the reason is because the ‘meal’ offering is typically brought by a poor person, it is a very cheap offering while an animal is much more expensive. Therefore, Hashem says- I will consider it as if this person has offered up his actual self to me. The sincerity and earnestness and sole interest and focus on offering up something to his Creator, is what clearly is motivating this person to bring an offering to Hashem. Hashem so cherishes this and values it so, that Hashem considers this person as if ‘they gave themselves to Hashem.’
Question
Is the person who offered a larger animal any less sincere? His offering is clearly much more meaningful and beautiful than the ‘meal’ offering of the poor man. With regards to his intention and motivation- maybe he has very proper intent and maybe he is even more focused on offering up something to his Creator than the poor man! Why would the Torah say that the poor person’s offering is more dear and more cherished than the richer person’s?
The more luxurious offering is a more proper gift to Hashem. With regards to the intent and meaning behind the offering, perhaps the intentions of the richer person are even more pure. Why then, would the Torah only consider the poorer person as if he ‘offered himself to Hashem’?
Answer
Even if the richer person is more pious and has purer intentions from the outset than the poor person, his offering to Hashem will still, as a general rule, not be as much ‘for Hashem’ as the poorer person’s. When a rich person comes in with his large animal, everyone around him- the kohanim, his family, etc. are all in a festive and joyous mood. In fact, the halacha is, that the day that a person brings a korban to Hashem, that is an actual Yom Tov (holiday) with certain laws that apply to his conduct on that day. The source of their pride and joy is this very honorable, large, gift to the Creator of the world, which is not only meaningful, but its value and meaning is appreciated by all.
A poor person, on the other hand, when he brings his meal offering, it comes along with a tremendous amount of meekness and perhaps even embarrassment at not being able to offer up to Hashem anything more than this meager offering. As such, Hashem says, the ‘meal’ offering which is offered up to Me on the Altar, is going to have much more purity and proper intent, only for My sake, than the offering of the richer person.
So even while it is true, the fact that this person is poorer and this person is richer may not have any bearing on the level of piety that they have overall, and the level of proper intent for Hashem in general, but in the process of actually bringing up a ‘fancy’ offering the richer person cannot help but to enjoy and be pulled after the accolades and admiration he receives. On the other hand, regardless of the level of not the purest intentions that the poor person has when he sets out to bring his offering, and in general his level of piety and devotion to Hashem, the process of bringing an offering to Hashem will transform this act into one of greater devotion. Persevering through the sideways glances and pitying looks of those around him, and continuing on anyways to offer up what he can to Hashem, will purify and clarify this person’s intent to only bring an offering to his Creator for the sake of doing his Creator’s will alone.
Chinuch Lesson
There are many important lessons, and specifically for Chinuch, which can be gleaned from here. I would like to focus on one of them: the encouragement or otherwise that someone receives from those around them as they go about doing something. The effect and impact that the people around us have on what we do is profound- it makes what we go about in life either smooth and encouraging or difficult and tedious. The lesson from here is that we should try to be that source of positive encouragement to everyone who crosses our path, in a sincere and sensitive way. The impact that we can have on others is profound.
On the flipside, when we do persevere to do that which is right and proper, regardless of the negativity and challenge that those around us present, this makes us much stronger people and the acts and behaviors that we are able to do are much purer and more meaningful. If we can recognize this and encourage ourselves and build ourselves up for the ‘workout’ of having to act properly in the face of adversity, we can greatly increase our chances of success and the satisfaction that we will have from doing that which is right despite the obstacles.
And if we can encourage our children and those we lead- by noticing their goodness despite less than ideal circumstances- to persevere and be principled, honest, upstanding and good people despite the difficult situations they find themselves in, we will be giving them the strength to live life as good people and to have satisfaction and to be happy doing so. Life is often difficult, intentionally so, for ‘calm waters do not make a seasoned sailor’. But if we build the strength for ourselves, and encourage in our children, and those we lead, to have the resilience and fortitude to do that which is right and proper regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in, this will enable us and them to sail effortlessly through the storms of life- happily and with good cheer.
Wishing you and your family a wonderful Shabbos!
Rabbi Eli Meir Kramer
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