Vayikra: Sacrificing Our Souls

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We have finished travelling through the layers of Creation. We have journeyed far; from Adam and Chava in the lush Garden of Eden, through to the Avot and Imahot amidst wide-opened tents and camels. We have descended into the abyss of slavery in Egypt and emerged from the iron crucible as a holy people worthy of accepting the Torah in a thunderous ceremony at Sinai. And now, we may be thinking, what is left? Now that we have arrived at Sefer Vayikra with its long lists of sacrificial offerings and technical laws. Where are the exciting stories? And what life lessons, what relevant inspiration could there possibly be in this Book?

Yet, we are told in the Mishna (Avot 5:25) ‘Hafoch ba, hafoch ba, de’kula ba,’ keep on turning the Torah, because everything is in it! Even though we are past the fundamental dramatic stories in the Torah, even though we are not yet witness to the glorious rebuilding of the Temple and don’t have the merit to bring these sacrifices, there is a myriad of wisdom to be learnt out from these upcoming parshiyot. To view the parshiyot as dry and irrelevant is like staring at a treasure chest teeming with precious gems and lamenting that the chest is made of such plain wood. It is glittering with riches on the inside, if only we had the key to open the chest! So, let us use the keys which our commentators have bequeathed to us and let us unlock the timeless messages of this week’s portion.

When we read through the Korbanot, they all seem to start in a similar way. ‘Im Olah Korbano,’ ‘(1:3) V’im min hatzon korbano’ (1:10) ‘V’im min ha’of,’ (1:14)

If you have an Olah (burnt offering)… If you take from sheep… If you take from birds…

But Rashi points out that by the Mincha offering, the Torah uses a special language: (2:1) ‘A nefesh who offers up a mincha…’

By no other korban does the Torah write that a ‘nefesh’ offers it up, it just lists what is being offered. Why is this?

Rashi explains that someone who offers up this Mincha offering; a plain, meager korban of flour and oil, must be an oni, a poor man. They come before Hashem with such humility as they realise the smallness of their sacrifice compared to the greatness and might of G-d. They cannot bring sheep or birds. But they come with their simple Mincha. And Hashem looks at their small offering and says, ‘I consider it as if He has sacrificed His nefesh, His soul to me’.

Such is the value of a simple mincha offering, brought with a humbled heart. And for that the verse calls this korban, out of all others ‘nefesh ki sakriv,’ the soul itself is the sacrifice. It is not big things that are precious to Hashem but things that are brought with the nefesh… with a submissive, loyal heart.

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef zt’l related the following allegory on the topic: There was once a King and in his palace lived the princess. The King loved the princess and would do anything she asked. Whenever one of the townspeople wanted something from the King, they would bribe the princess with expensive gifts and persuade her to ask the King, knowing that he would fulfil her every request. If they managed to impress her with their gifts, their request would be granted.

One day, a vicious rumour spreads about the princess, and the King is forced to throw her into jail. Lacking the most basic of necessities; food, clothing, companions- she sits in jail, in despair.

Sefer Vayikra is not just an endless list of sacrificial laws. Hashem is communicating to us a message so deep, yet so subtle. It is as if the verses are saying to us: ‘My children, if you would just open up a small place in your heart for me and make one small effort to serve Me, I will treasure it more than all the service of the previous generations!’

But there is a man, a simple man. And every day he brings her some meager scraps of food and torn clothing. He himself is barely well-fed or well-dressed, but he does his best to provide for the princess while she is isolated from her royal lifestyle.

When the princess comes out of prison, who is she thinking about?

The many people who brought her the most exquisite gifts when she was in the palace?

No.

The fancy meals and luxurious tailor-made clothing?

No.

She is thinking of a simple man who brought her a few scraps of food and bare clothing.

This gift was the greatest of all.

This is us. We are the generation of the mincha. The generation of ‘v’nefesh ki sakriv.’

When there was a Temple, when there was a palace, you had to exert such sacrifice to impress the King, you had to hope your gift was to a high enough standard. The whole generation was great and had such dveikut (connection) with Hashem, you had to be so special to be considered!

But since the Shechina (divine presence) went into exile, the smallest act a person does is infinitely more valuable than all the acts of the tzadikim of the past!

We are that poor man bringing the scraps, bringing the mincha. And that is ‘v’nefesh ki sakriv.’ That is the most priceless, precious avoda to Hashem.

We could say one extra tehillim. We could stand still during Asher Yatzar. We could focus on one bracha in tefilla. We could try to sit up for Krias Shema Al Hamita. We could make someone smile. We could prepare something extra delicious for Shabbat.

Whatever it is for each individual woman, when we come before Him because we aren’t in a lofty enough generation to bring sheep… It is as if we have sacrificed our soul!

Don’t think big, think meaningful!

Shabbat Shalom!