Parashat Vayikra
Nisan 3, 5786 / March 20-21, 2026
Torah: Leviticus 1:1 - 5:26
Haftarah: Isaiah 43:21 – 44:23
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DRAWING CLOSER - TO GOD, AND TO PEOPLE
“When a person from among you should offer (yakriv)
an offering (korban) to the Lord ...”
Leviticus 1:2
The word “korban” has an interesting etymology. The word is usually
translated as “offering” or “sacrifice”. The book of Leviticus uses the
word, or some variant of it, numerous times in this and succeeding parshiot,
describing in graphic detail the various animal and grain sacrifices. The
root of the word, and also of “yakriv”, is k-r-v, which means “to draw
near”.
‘Rabbi Elazar said: “Doing deeds of charity is greater
than all of the sacrificial offerings (korbanot).”
…Our Rabbis taught: “Deeds of lovingkindness (gemilut chasadim) are greater than
charity in three ways – charity is with money, for the poor, for the living - but
deeds of lovingkindness is with direct personal contact, for rich and poor, for
the living and the dead.”’ BT Sukkah 49b
Tzedakah Box
The rabbis wondered why the sacrificial rite should use this particular term.
One classic explanation is that the smoke of the sacrifice rose up to God, and
drew God near to the person making the offering. Another explanation is
that, by offering something of significant value, the person was bringing
him/herself closer to God, a not-so-subtle difference. There were many
types of sacrifices: atonement, freewill, thanksgiving, purification, and
others. With the Temple destroyed and the sacrifices gone, we might ask
how it is possible to draw close to God. And the answer is: through the
performance of the mitzvot, the
commandments. For Rabbi Elazar, the answer is a specific subset of the mitzvot –
charity, aka tzedakah. For the
Rabbis, it’s a different subset – gemilut chasadim.
I believe that Rabbi Elazar’s or the Rabbis’ answers
are not sufficient as stated. Giving charity, or performing deeds of
lovingkindness, do not inevitably make any spiritual connection for us, they don't by themselves substitute for the korbanot, even
if fulfilling these commandments make us “feel good”.
Now consider this kavannah, a
brief statement of intent, recited before donning tefillin: “For the sake of
the unification of the Holy One Blessed is He, and His Presence ... Here I am,
intending to fulfill the mitzvah of my Creator ...” The Kabbalists here teach
that performing the mitzvah of tefillin brings us closer to God, and God closer
to us, IF THAT IS OUR INTENT. I would go a step further. We ought to
focus on bringing ourselves closer to God whenever we observe ANY mitzvah, and
that includes tzedakah and gemilut chasadim. Maybe especially those, because
they are done for the benefit of others, and not for ourselves.
Thus, every mitzvah is a “korban”, an offering that draws us closer to God, if we intend
that it be so. There is a world of difference between lighting candles for
atmosphere and intending that act to bring on Shabbat and bring us closer to God. And there is a significant
difference between acting mindlessly by rote alone and by intending that one truly bring God into
one’s life through a mitzvah. But that is a sacrifice that should be easy
to make.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Richard A. Flom DD (HC)
Rabbi Emeritus - Temple B'nai Hayim
הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם ?אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם
Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.
Ben Zoma - Pirkei Avot 4:1
Ben Zoma - Pirkei Avot 4:1
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