Artwork by Sefira Lightstone
A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT BY RABBI MORDY
Two peanuts were walking down the street. One was assaulted. Wait, what?
This week we begin the third book of the Torah, Vayikra, also known as Leviticus. The Parsha, as well as much of the entire book, surrounds the sacrifices that the Kohanim, the priests, would bring in the Temple in Jerusalem. Seemingly a bit of an archaic practice and one that is a bit hard to relate to today (other than our being told that our prayer service today correlates to the sacrifices of then), and yet we dedicate this entire book, and so many weeks of Parshas to the various offerings. There must be deep lessons for us on a practical level. Let us look at one: We are told at the outset, “when a man brings, from you, a sacrifice to G-d…” which is meant to convey, with the additional “from you,” how we are to act in any relationship. In this case, between man and G-d, in our prayers and meditation, in our relationships with others, it needs to come “from you.” From within. How often do we go through the motions, doing something for someone else, a kind word or gesture, and we don’t really mean it with sincerity? This is the lesson; it must come from within, with your whole heart and mind. Which brings us to the joke at the beginning. Every sacrifice brought in the Temple was brought with salt. Salt has much significance but one is that it enhances and brings out the best in whatever it is spicing (it also represents love and friendship). It signifies the element of going above and beyond. So yes, it should come from within but the important thing is to go above and beyond. Go the extra mile. Do a little more and enhance everything. It’s what G-d wants which means it can make a world of difference. Good Shabbos!