Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Vayikra 5770

שבת טעם החיים ויקרא תש"ע
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Vayikra 5770

Korbanos is all about coming close to HaShem

Introduction
דבר אל בני ישראל ואמרת אלהם אדם כי יקריב מכם קרבן לה' מן הבהמה מן הבקר ומן הצאן תקריבו את קרבנכם, speak to the Children of Israel and say to them: when a man among you brings an offering to HaShem: from animals – from the cattle or from the flock shall you bring your offering. (Vayikra 1:2)
Korbanos. Sacrifices. This is the short description of the Book of the Torah that we commence reading this week. Rav Zalman Sorotzkin, in his classic work Oznaim LaTorah, writes in his introduction to Vayikra that because people distance themselves from studying the complex laws of the sacrifices, he has made it user friendly by incorporating the exegesis of the Gemara into his commentary. Nonetheless, the laws of sacrifices are difficult and abstract. What approach can the casual student of Chumash adopt regarding the intricate and detailed study of the sacrifices?
The Korban Pesach was a sacrifice of oneness and unity
In order to gain an appreciation of the laws regarding the sacrifices, it would be worthwhile to examine the concept of the Korban Pesach, the Paschal Lamb that the Jewish People offered when the Bais HaMikdash was in existence. The Maharal (Gevuros HaShem § 60) makes note of the idea that many of the laws that are said regarding the Korban Pesach are associated with the concept of oneness. A few examples of this theme is that the Torah commands that the Korban Pesach be offered within one group and one is prohibited from breaking a bone of the offering. Furthermore, the Korban Pesach must be eaten with its head, its legs and with its innards, as this form of eating demonstrates the idea of unity. This idea of unity is also reflected in a standard sacrifice. The commentators write that the word Korban is derived from the word karov, which means closeness. Essentially, one who offers a sacrifice to HaShem is attempting to come close to HaShem and to unify HaShem.
Studying the laws of sacrifices is akin to offering them
The study of the laws of sacrifices is unique in that we can be proficient in the laws and yet we are incapable of practicing them. The obstacle we face is that there is no Bais HaMikdash and according to most opinions we have no way of offering sacrifices in modern times. Nonetheless, the Gemara offers us a solution for this difficulty. The Gemara (Menachos 110a) states that one who studies the laws of the sacrifices is deemed to have actually offered the sacrifices. One who takes this statement to heart will surely study the laws in depth, as we certainly all desire to come closer to HaShem and to His Torah.

The Shabbos connection
Those who pray Nusach Sefard on Friday evening recite in the prayer of Kegavna, the words: raza diShabbos ihi Shabbos diisachadas beraza diechod limishrei alah raza diechod, this is the secret of the Shabbos: She [Kingship] is called Shabbos when She becomes united in the secret of Oneness so that G-d’s Oneness may rest upon her. The secret of Shabbos is oneness and unity. The Gemara (Shabbos 118b) tells us that were the Jewish People to observe two Shabbasos, they would immediately be redeemed. We are now in the month of Nissan, and the Gemara (Rosh HaShanah 11a) states that we were redeemed from Egypt in the month of Nissan and the Ultimate Redemption will also occur in Nissan. It is worthwhile for us to unite as a nation and unite with HaShem, His Shabbos and His Torah, and then we will surely be deserving of the redemption, with the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkeinu, speedily, in our days.
Shabbos Stories
Every number has meaning
A Jewish intellectual in post-war England approached Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky, who headed the London Beth Din, with a cynical question: "In reviewing our Hagadah service," he sniped, "I was shocked at the insertion of ‘Who Knows One', a childish nursery rhyme, at the end. Why would the sages put a silly rhyme - 'One is HaShem, two are the Tablets, three are the fathers,' and so on, at the end of the solemn, intellectual Seder night service? It is very unbecoming!"
Rabbi Abramsky was not shaken. "If you really want to understand the depth of that song, then you must travel north to the town of Gateshead. There you will find a saintly Jew, Reb Elya Lopian. I want you to discuss the meaning of every aspect of life with him. Ask him what the meaning of the sea and fish is; ask him what the meaning of the sun and the moon is. Then ask him what is the meaning of one, of six, of eleven and so on."
The philosopher was very intrigued. He traveled to Gateshead and located the Yeshiva at which Reb Elya served as the Mashgiach (spiritual advisor). He was led into the room where a saintly looking man greeted him warmly.
"Rabbi, I have many questions," the skeptical philosopher began. "What is the meaning of life?" "What is the essence of the stars?"
Rabbi Lopian dealt with each question with patience, depth, and a remarkable clarity. Then the man threw out the baited question. "What is the meaning of the number one?"
Rabbi Lopian's face brightened, his eyes widened, and a broad smile spread across his face. "The meaning of one?" he repeated. "You would like to know the meaning of one? One is HaShem in the heaven and the earth!"
The man was shocked. "What about the depth of the numeral five?"
"Five?" repeated the sage. Why five has tremendous symbolism! It represents the foundation of Judaism - the Five Books of Moses!" The rabbi then went on to explain the mystical connotations that are represented by the number five and exactly how each Book of the Torah symbolizes a component of the sum.
The man left with a new approach and attitude toward the most simple of our rituals. (www.Torah.org)
We don’t cut reeds so we have time to learn
Rav Avraham Yehoshua Heschel, zt”l, the Av Beis Din of Ohel and a close student of the Chasam Sofer, zt”l, recounted that it was the wont of his rebbe to apply everything he heard or saw to Torah. He illustrated this statement with a remarkable story.

Rav Avraham Yehoshua accompanied the Chasam Sofer, zt”l, to a distant town so the latter could have a well deserved summer rest. The two stayed in a very simple village at the home of a simple villager who worked all day long in the field. One evening their host returned home in a despondent mood. He complained to the Chasam Sofer that he had it worse than all the other field workers who were off during the winter months. “I also know how to cut thin reeds which grow in swamps. Since this job can only be done during the winter months, when the swamps are frozen over, I have no rest; not during the summer or even for the duration of the long winter.”

The Chasam Sofer expressed his sympathy and the man left the room. He then turned to his companion and said, “I learned from that simple man a new explanation in Sanhedrin 33. There we find that Rav Ashi says, ‘Are we people who cut reeds in swamps?’ But why did Rav Ashi specifically choose this livelihood to illustrate a person who is not learned? The answer may well be as this simple man just explained: a cutter of reeds in the swamp works during winter and since he is likely to also be preoccupied with his field during the summer months, he never has time to learn. Rav Ashi was saying: since we are not people who cut reeds in swamps, we at least have time to learn during the winter months!” (www.Dafdigest.org)

A Holy Toothless Jew
A Russian Jew once struck up a conversation with his seatmate on a bus in Eretz Yisrael, and in the course of the conversation, described himself as a Yom Kippur Jew. His seatmate immediately thought that he meant that he went to shul only once a year on Yom Kippur. However, the Russian Jew explained to his new friend that he was referring to something else.
He was a soldier in the Russian army following WWII. In order to avoid serving on Yom Kippur, every year he would feign illness. Each Yom Kippur, he would show up at the army doctor and moan over his "toothache" and beg to have his tooth pulled. After his tooth was pulled, he was freed from his duties for the rest of the day. The Russian Jew flashed a toothless smile to his seatmate, and said, "I was in the army for six years and I lost six teeth this way, but at least I never worked on Yom Kippur." (Meoros Daf Yomi)
The Brisker Drasha - Quick & Short, No Time to Nap
The Brisker way was to say short Drashos. As the Brisker Rav would say, the goal is to reach the truth, which can be done quickly with few words. At the wedding of the Brisker Rav’s son Reb Dovid, the Chosson stood up and gave a drasha as was the minhag back then. The son of the great Brisker Rav gave a drasha that lasted a whole of seven minutes.
There was an Adam Gadol who was present who expressed surprise to the Chosson about the brevity of his Drasha. Reb Dovid did not respond and neither did the Brisker Rav. This Gadol then again commented and said that it was befitting the son of the Brisker Rav to give a longer Drasha. At this point the Brisker Rav became a bit agitated in his seat but still remained quiet.
When this Gadol did not give up and made his third remark about the length of the Drasha, the Brisker Rav broke his silence. He said, "Does one need to speak longer? I was at a Chasuna where the Chosson spoke so long that I had time to fall asleep and even wake up again. Even after I awoke the Chosson still had nothing to say." (Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro - Zahav MiShva)
What Is Scarier Than The Russian Army?
Reb Yechezkel Levenstein, a Kelmer and a student of the Chafetz Chaim, was the Mashgiach of the Mirrer Yeshiva during their flight from the Nazis through Siberia to Shanghai. Shortly before the war began, the Jews were apprehensive and uncertain about the times ahead. Furthermore, there was great uncertainty about which enemy was the worse of two evils, the Germans or the Russians. A palpable sense of doom was felt everywhere. The yeshiva students had already heard ominous rumors about the vicious behavior of the Russians, and their hatred of everything religious.
R' Levenstein gave a shmues shortly before Rosh Hashanah of 1939, which was also shortly before the official beginning of World War II. R' Chatzkel was aware that he was facing a Bais Hamidrash filled with binei Torah with great fear in their hearts, but he was not pleased with the source of the fear. He said, "It is not because of the Russians that you need to fear. It is only the Yom HaDin that you need to fear." The absolute conviction in R' Chatzkel's voice helped instill emunah and bitachon in the heart of each person present, and fortified them for the difficult times ahead. (Reb Chatzkel) (www.Revach.net)
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Vayikra 5770
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