Category: Teaching on Vayikra (Leviticus)

Parshat Shemini March 8, 2010

Leah Goldsmith

Please see Shemini 2009 The shalosh regalim, the three major Jewish festivals – 1) Sukkot – when we go out from the solid walls of our homes and enter the makeshift booths remembering the clouds of glory that covered over us on our journey between Egypt and the Land of Israel. 2) Pesach – When we recall being delivered from slavery in Egypt and the miracles G-d performed as He took us out with an outstretched hand. We eat the korban Pesach, matzoh and maror and remove all leaven from our homes. 3) Shavuot – literally means weeks. This is referring to the seven weeks between Pesach and the day of Shavuot. “And you shall count for yourselves from the morrow (the second day of Pesach) seven complete Sabbaths… and then you shall number the fiftieth day.” (Vayikra 22-23:15). This time of weeks represented a spiritual ascent for the Bnei Yisrael as they anticipated receiving the Torah on Sinai. But it had other meanings as well. When the Bnei Yisrael finally entered the Land and were able to actualize the torah by LIVING IT on their soil and working it, the aspect of turning the material into spiritual took on a new significant meaning. Working the Land was a divine commandment, most of us have forgotten this as the thousands of years in exile have dimmed our memories of how it really was to live on the land and perform the many mitzvot connected to the agricultural side of Torah. Shavuot is also known as Chag Habikkurim – the festival of the first fruits.

In Nissan, the light in the Land of Israel increases. As we count the days to Shavuot, the earth becomes warm and the fruits begin to grow and ripen at this time. On the Festival of Bikkurim, the first of the fruits are taken and offered at the Temple in Jerusalem. Specifically the fruits of the seven species- wheat, barley, grapes, figs, olives, pomegranates and dates were all put into a special basket as a token of Thanksgiving to Hashem for the bounty He provided in the Promised Land. Today we feel blessed to be living at a time of history when again, the Land of Israel gives her fruit in abundance. The holiday of Shavuot takes on again, its agricultural significance. This is the connection of the torah (also given on this day) to the Land, making Shavuot the pinnacle of the three festivals. There is always something on the Jewish calendar to be counting. Every season has its special message. This is now the time to consider the bounty Hashem is bestowing on His beloved Land, the Land of Israel. It is truly blessed.

Shabbat Shalom, Leah Goldsmith

Emor May 8, 2009

If I write Emor and Omer (in English) it’s pretty much the same word, only scrambled. The fact is, Emor is always read during the Omer and they actually are interconnected. All through the Omer we count aloud, we say which day it is until the ultimate day of Matan Torah on Shavuot. We then received the eseret hadibrot, dibrot from the word- daber- to speak, to say. It was the day Hashem actually spoke to Am Yisrael on Har Sinai. Emor, vayomer, ve’amarta, all words from this parsha, deal with speaking and saying. Hashem tells Moshe to say to Am Yisrael about Shabbat and the chagim. He tells Moshe how to instruct the Kohanim. As a leader, although humbled by a lisp, (he was also very humble) Moshe had the direct job of transferring Hashem’s will into words that become actions done by all the components that make up the Jewish nation.

Oonkelooss brings down that a man has the ability to speak in order to do good, to do chesed, to make the world a better place. This puts him above the animal who also likes to eat, sleep, find a comfortable place to live, etc. How is this good done, by good speech. A person can make it or break it depending on what he says. What he says really begins with what he thinks. That’s when Rabbi Akiva comes into the picture. Rabbi Akiva says, “Love your neighbor as yourself and judge him favorably”. This was a hard lesson for his talmidim, because during the Omer at that time, 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva perished because they could not implement that into their torah studies. So, the Omer became a time of mourning for Am Yisrael, a time of being more reflective about how to perceive your neighbor, your spouse, your best friend, your parent. Even if you see a person that looks wicked and bad, a sinner, a differentiation must be made between his sins and the sinner himself, who has a pure soul.” Hevey Dan Lecol adam lekaf zechut” means that you really don’t know an inkling about all the good a person does because you see him in narrow vision. Thinking right about someone is the rectification for a broken down world. Saying the right thing is the foundation of our lives, if it’s between ben adam lamakome or ben adam le’chavero. Even if you find yourself in a bad place, if you can connect to the holy letters of the torah and think of good things to say, the atmosphere can be transformed and you can have chizuk. We know in previous generations the davening that was done in Bolshevist and Hellenist settings was able to keep the spark of holiness aflame even in those dark times.

I can tell you from my own experience at holy places that have been desecrated, like Kever Yosef and the sons of Aaharon HaKohen, that while standing in piles of dung and seeing only garbage rotting on the holy graves, the words of our holy prayers seemed to ignite such a spiraling fire of eish kodesh, that the Kiddush Hashem in the chilul Hashem stood out even more than in a regular setting.

Perhaps the theme of today’s day and age is speaking. It’s done through emails, faxes, blackberries, cell phones; we are basically talking all day. We can talk in a conference meeting on the phone all together at once too. This means that the power of Malchut has reached the point in which we can tell the world exactly who we are, what we are, where we are- NOW in the Land of Israel FOREVER TO ETERNITY. People, you need to use your speech, you need to be heard at this most critical time. The highest form of speech is of course, prayer- that is helpful too!

Shabbat Shalom, Leah Goldsmith

Pekudey- Vayikra March 14, 2008

Dedicated to the Kdoshim meMercaz Harav

The tabernacle was built and dismantled many times on the journey through the desert. Mainly, this is the theme of worship and our relationship with Hashem. Although the structure is taken apart, we- then too are marching forward and never giving up in hope and faith. Our wants and yearnings for faith start with a small step with each step we are adding on to the building of our spiritual world; Hashem is satisfied with each and every move forward because our effort is dear to him. Even today when the Temple is dismantled, just a broken physical remnant hidden with confusion under a golden husk- the main thing is never to give up hope in faith. Although we don’t see the building standing, (May it be rebuilt speedily in our days) Our efforts in worshiping Hashem that are a result of our inner will are the foundation that will with pave the way for its restoration. The Divine service that is the springboard for worship is ratzon(will). Ratzon is an extreme force. It is our spirit, soul and life force because nothing stands in the way of will. All of wants and yearnings we feel should all eventually stream to Hashems’s will. This means being be’shalom (at peace) in our hearts in our relationships, to feel goodness, to see the beautiful, to know that the clouds eventually clear away to reveal a blue sky and forward, forward, forward we march and strive to be better, more improved, happier with what we have in every realm of our lives.

After our holy Temple was destroyed 2,000 years ago, the great Rabbis of that time had the ability to pass over the knowledge and reality that we are never alone, even when the house is broken up. Hashem is always with us, whether the house is standing completely erect or not standing at all, and we are always on the way, even if we stop for a while and “dismantle”- it is only temporary. This is how it was in the desert, this is how it is.

Sacrificing was the main avoda (Divine service) in the tabernacle. Nefesh tachat nefesh. (a soul for a soul) When a person brought a sacrifice he would reach the level of deep teshuva (repentance) when he saw the animal being sacrificed instead of himself. This was an animal he bought with his own mamon-money. Since a person’s possessions are a major part of his nefesh(soul) and he has to give up a part in order to buy the sacrifice, this is called self sacrifice. When he reaches into his pocket and burns the sacrifice on the altar his yeitzer (evil inclination) is atoned for. The Levites in their holy garb playing the holy music and song would be the backdrop to the very mood of the teshuva transformation. A person has now become better, holier, and just like he cannot sacrifice an animal with a defect; he too cannot have any defect in his middot (character), seychel (intelligence), or nefesh. He deeply reflects into himself in order to achieve this spiritual achievement- it is by no means attained through a simple sacrifice. Now he reaches Tzelem Elokim (image of G-d).

Our prayers replace the sacrifices today. Hashem is was and always will be with us, listening to us, guiding us, helping us and bringing us ever so closer to a geula shlayma. (final redemption)

Shabbat Shalom- Leah Goldsmith