Offering Ourselves to Hashem from Our Youth
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Vayikra 1:2
דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם אָדָם כִּי־יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם קׇרְבָּן לַיהֹוָה מִן־הַבְּהֵמָה מִן־הַבָּקָר וּמִן־הַצֹּאן תַּקְרִיבוּ אֶת־קׇרְבַּנְכֶם
Speak to Bnei Yisrael and say to them: When a man of you brings an offering to Hashem, from the animals, from the cattle or from the flock you shall bring your offering.
1“When a man of you brings an offering to Hashem.”1 Chazal and the commentators ask what the word mikem, “of you,” comes to teach us.2 We must also understand the phrase “an offering to Hashem”: surely every offering is brought to Hashem!
*אָדָם כִּי יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם קָרְבָּן לַה׳ (א, ב). חז״ל (סוכה ל, א) וְהַמְּפָרְשִׁים (אלשיך, אור החיים, ועיין עוד בפירוש הריב״א) עָמְדוּ עַל תֵּיבַת ׳מִכֶּם׳ מַה בָּאָה לְלַמְּדֵינוּ. עוֹד יֵשׁ לְהָבִין הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳קָרְבָּן לַה׳׳, הֲלֹא בְּוַדַּאי שֶׁהַקָּרְבָּן קָרֵב לַה׳.
- The sefer's note: Vienna, at the Talmud Torah. Vayikra 1:2. ↩
- Sukkah 30a; Alshich and Ohr HaChaim on Vayikra 1:2; see also the commentary of the Riva. ↩
In shortWhat does the word mikem, “of you,” teach, and why must the verse say that an offering is “to Hashem”?
2We can explain it this way. As is well known, an offering atones only after a person repents and confesses his sin, as the Rambam rules.3 Doing so naturally brings him to a broken spirit. This fits what the commentators wrote about the meaning of an offering. With everything done to the offering, a person must think that it is as if he himself were being offered and his own blood spilled; only the Holy One, blessed be He, has mercy on him and accepts the animal in his place.4 When he brings his offering in this way, his sin is atoned and his offering is accepted with favor before Hashem. This is the meaning of “When a man of you brings.” The heart of the offering is what is “of you,” your own part in it: you should picture it as though you were offering yourselves before Hashem, and the only way to reach this is through a broken spirit. And since the heart of the offering is the thought that one is offering oneself before Hashem, a kind of offering still applies even today, when we have no Beis HaMikdash and no offerings. A person offers up his desires when he holds back from following the cravings of his heart. This is like offering himself before Hashem, and it is as precious and pleasing to Him as “an offering to Hashem.”
וְאֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֵר, דְּהִנֵּה נוֹדַע שֶׁהַקָּרְבָּן אֵינוֹ מְכַפֵּר אֶלָּא לְאַחַר שֶׁהָאָדָם חוֹזֵר בִּתְשׁוּבָה וּמִתְוַדֶּה עַל חֶטְאוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁפָּסַק הרמב״ם (הלכות תשובה פ״א ה״א), וּבַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ כֵּן מִמֵּילָא בָּא לִידֵי רוּחַ נִשְׁבָּרָה, וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁכָּתְבוּ הַמְּפָרְשִׁים שֶׁעִנְיַן הַקָּרְבָּן הוּא שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לַחְשׁוֹב עַל כָּל דָּבָר כְּאִילּוּ הוּא בְּעַצְמוֹ נִקְרָב וְדָמוֹ נִשְׁפַּךְ, אֶלָּא שהקב״ה מְרַחֵם עָלָיו וְעוֹשֶׂה דָּבָר זֶה לַחֲלִיפָתוֹ, וּכְשֶׁמֵּבִיא קָרְבָּנוֹ בְּאוֹפֶן זֶה מִתְכַּפֵּר לוֹ חֶטְאוֹ וְעוֹלָה קָרְבָּנוֹ לְרָצוֹן לִפְנֵי ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ. וְזֶהוּ ׳אָדָם כִּי יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם׳, שֶׁעִיקַּר הַקָּרְבָּן הוּא ׳מִכֶּם׳ הַיְינוּ הַחֵלֶק שֶׁלָּכֶם, שֶׁיִּדְמֶה בְּעֵינֵיכֶם כְּאִילּוּ אַתֶּם מַקְרִיבִים עַצְמְכֶם לִפְנֵי ה׳, וְהַדֶּרֶךְ לָבוֹא לְכָךְ הִיא רַק עַל יְדֵי רוּחַ נִשְׁבָּרָה. וְכֵיוָן שֶׁעִיקַּר הַקָּרְבָּן הוּא הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה שֶׁמַּקְרִיב עַצְמוֹ לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ, אִם כֵּן גַּם כְּהַיּוֹם שֶׁאֵין לָנוּ מִקְדָּשׁ וְלֹא קָרְבָּן שַׁיָּיךְ בְּחִינַת הַקְרָבַת קָרְבָּן, וְהוּא כְּשֶׁאָדָם מַקְרִיב אֶת הַתַּאֲוֹות שֶׁלּוֹ עַל יְדֵי שֶׁנִּמְנָע מִלֵּילֵךְ אַחַר תַּאֲוַות לִיבּוֹ, וְזֶהוּ כְּעִנְיַן הַקְרָבַת עַצְמוֹ לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ, וְעִנְיָן זֶה הוּא חָשׁוּב וּמְרוּצֶּה לְפָנָיו כְּקָרְבָּן לַה׳.
In shortThe heart of an offering is offering oneself with a broken spirit; even today, holding back from a desire is “an offering to Hashem.”
3The Midrash teaches: “R' Assi said: Why do we start young children with Toras Kohanim, the book of Vayikra, and not with Bereishis? Because the children are pure and the offerings are pure; let the pure come and occupy themselves with the pure.”5 This lets us explain why the Torah wrote a small aleph in the word Vayikra precisely where the offerings begin. It teaches us that the offering “of you” must begin right away, while a person is still young, still “small” in years. Even then he should start working to separate himself from the desires of his heart, and then the Torah will have its influence on him. We learn this from the custom of starting little children with Chumash Vayikra. This is also hinted in mikem, whose letters are the initials of Melo Kevod Malchuso, “the fullness of the glory of His kingship”: a person's task is to increase the glory of Heaven.
וְהִנֵּה אִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (ויקרא רבה ז, ג) אָמַר רַבִּי אַסִּי מִפְּנֵי מָה מַתְחִילִין לַתִּינוֹקוֹת בְּתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים וְאֵין מַתְחִילִין בִּבְרֵאשִׁית, אֶלָּא שֶׁהַתִּינוֹקוֹת טְהוֹרִין וְהַקָּרְבָּנוֹת טְהוֹרִין יָבוֹאוּ טְהוֹרִין וְיִתְעַסְּקוּ בִּטְהוֹרִים. וְעַל פִּי זֶה אֶפְשָׁר לְפָרֵשׁ לָמָּה כָּתְבָה הַתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה א׳ זְעֵירָא דַּוְקָא בְּעִנְיַן הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת בְּתֵיבַת ׳וַיִּקְרָא׳, לְלַמְּדֵנוּ שֶׁהָעִנְיָן הָאָמוּר שֶׁל הַהַקְרָבָה ׳מִכֶּם׳, מַתְחִיל מִיָּד בִּזְמַן שֶׁהָאָדָם עֲדַיִין צָעִיר לְיָמִים, שֶׁיַּתְחִיל כְּבָר לַעֲבוֹד עַל הַפְּרִישָׁה מִתַּאֲוֹות לִיבּוֹ, וְאָז הַתּוֹרָה תַּשְׁפִּיעַ עָלָיו, וְעִנְיָן זֶה יֵשׁ לִלְמוֹד מִכָּךְ שֶׁמַּתְחִילִים לִלְמוֹד חוּמָּשׁ וַיִּקְרָא עִם הַקְּטַנִּים. וְזֶה גַּם רָמוּז בְּ׳מִכֶּם׳ שֶׁהוּא רָאשֵׁי תֵּיבוֹת ׳מְלֹא כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ׳, נִרְמַז בָּזֶה שֶׁתַּפְקִיד הָאָדָם הוּא לְהַרְבּוֹת כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם.
- Vayikra Rabbah 7:3. ↩
In shortThe small aleph heading the offerings, and the custom of starting children with Vayikra, teach that offering oneself must begin in youth.
4aSometimes a person thinks that since he is young, he may do whatever comes into his head, Heaven forbid; later, when he is a little older and has gained some sense, he will overcome his yetzer hara. But this is a great mistake. Youth, of all times, is when a person is a fitting vessel to take upon himself the yoke of the kingship of Heaven, as the verse says, “It is good for a man that he bear a yoke in his youth.”6 And Chazal said: “One who learns as a child, what is he like? Like ink written on fresh paper.”7 What he takes on then will last all the days of his life. For while a person is still young, he can train his limbs and senses to be devoted to the will of the Creator, blessed be He, and to nothing else.
וְהִנֵּה יֵשׁ שֶׁהָאָדָם חוֹשֵׁב שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁהוּא עַתָּה צָעִיר לְיָמִים מוּתָּר לוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכָל הָעוֹלָה עַל רוּחוֹ חָס וְחָלִילָה, וּלְאַחַר שֶׁיַּזְקִין מְעַט וְיִהְיֶה לוֹ שֵׂכֶל אָז יִתְגַּבֵּר עַל יִצְרוֹ, אַךְ זֶהוּ טָעוּת גְּדוֹלָה, כִּי דַּוְקָא עַתָּה בִּימֵי נְעוּרָיו הָאָדָם הוּא כְּלִי מוּכְשָׁר לְקַבֵּל עָלָיו עוֹל מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (איכה ג, כז) ״טוֹב לַגֶּבֶר כִּי יִשָּׂא עוֹל בִּנְעוּרָיו״, וְאָמְרוּ חז״ל (אבות ד, כה) הַלּוֹמֵד יֶלֶד לְמָה הוּא דּוֹמֶה לִדְיוֹ כְּתוּבָה עַל נְיָיר חָדָשׁ, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה יִהְיֶה לְדָבָר קִיּוּם עַל כָּל יְמֵי חַיָּיו, כִּי בְּעוֹד הָאָדָם צָעִיר לְיָמִים יָכוֹל לְהַרְגִּיל אֶת אֵיבָרָיו וְחוּשָׁיו לִהְיוֹת מְשׁוּעְבָּדִים לַעֲשׂוֹת אַךְ וְרַק רְצוֹן הַבּוֹרֵא ב״ה.
4bSo it is told of my holy ancestor the Rebbe of Lentshna, zt"l, that while still a boy he made all his limbs and senses swear to do the Creator's will and nothing else. His eyes, however, would not join in the oath. So he resolved not to get out of bed or open his eyes until they too agreed to his decision. When his mother saw that he was not getting up, she began to hit him for it, and only after he had suffered greatly did his eyes agree to join the rest of his limbs. Only then did he open them. There is also a well-known story about another of my holy ancestors, the Yid HaKadosh, zt"l. He said that he attained his avodah by watching the blacksmith, who rose very early for his work. He resolved to learn from the blacksmith and to rise even earlier for avodas Hashem, the service of Hashem. When the blacksmith noticed that the young lad was up before him, he began to rise earlier still; then the Yid HaKadosh rose earlier yet, and so it went, back and forth. [We see, then, that through his avodah in the dawn of his youth he was privileged to reach all his greatness.]
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁמְּסוּפָּר עַל זְקֵנִי הרה״ק מלענטשנא זצללה״ה, שֶׁבְּעוֹדוֹ נַעַר הִשְׁבִּיעַ אֶת כָּל אֲבָרָיו וְחוּשָׁיו לַעֲשׂוֹת אַךְ וְרַק רְצוֹן הַבּוֹרֵא, וְאוּלָם עֵינָיו לֹא רָצוּ לְהִצְטָרֵף לִשְׁבוּעָתוֹ זוֹ, וּמִשּׁוּם כָּךְ גָּמַר בְּקִרְבּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא לָקוּם מִמִּטָּתוֹ וְלֹא לִפְקוֹחַ אֶת עֵינָיו עַד שֶׁיִּצְטָרְפוּ אַף עֵינָיו לְהַסְכָּמָתוֹ וְהַחְלָטָתוֹ. וּבִרְאוּת אִמּוֹ כִּי אֵינוֹ קָם מִמִּטָּתוֹ, הֵחֵלָּה לְהַכּוֹתוֹ עַל כָּךְ, וְרַק אַחַר שֶׁסָּבַל סֵבֶל רַב הִסְכִּימוּ גַּם הָעֵינַיִים לְהִצְטָרֵף לִשְׁאָר הָאֵיבָרִים, וְרַק אָז פָּקַח עֵינָיו. וְכֵן יָדוּעַ הַמַּעֲשֶׂה בִּזְקֵנִי הַיְּהוּדִי הַקָּדוֹשׁ זצללה״ה, שֶׁאָמַר שֶׁזָּכָה לַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ מִכֹּחַ זֹאת שֶׁרָאָה כִּי הַנַּפָּח מַשְׁכִּים קוּם לַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ בְּשָׁעָה מוּקְדֶּמֶת מְאֹד, וְגָמַר אוֹמֶר לִלְמוֹד הֵימֶנּוּ וּלְהַשְׁכִּים אַף הוּא לַעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא מוּקְדָּם יוֹתֵר הֵימֶנּוּ. וְאוֹתוֹ נַפָּח בְּהַבְחִינוֹ כִּי הָעֶלֶם הַצָּעִיר מַשְׁכִּים קוּם עוֹד לְפָנָיו, הֵחֵל לְהַשְׁכִּים בְּשָׁעָה מוּקְדֶּמֶת יוֹתֵר, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁכֵּן הִקְדִּים הַיְּהוּדִי הַקָּדוֹשׁ וְהֵחֵל לְהַשְׁכִּים יוֹתֵר מוּקְדָּם וְחוֹזֵר חָלִילָה, [הֲרֵי שֶׁעַל יְדֵי עֲבוֹדָתוֹ בִּשְׁחַר נְעוּרָיו זָכָה לְכָל גְּדוּלָּתוֹ].
In shortYouth is the best time to train oneself, not to put it off, as the Rebbe of Lentshna and the Yid HaKadosh did as boys.
5The Torah's task is to instill holiness, purity and good middos, character traits, in a person, and he must take care to work on himself from his youth so that the Torah can have its effect on him, as we saw with the small aleph. I wish to urge care in two practices in which young people must be trained, and my holy father and teacher, zt"l, would always warn about them. The first is to wash the hands on waking right beside the bed. The second is to be careful with the blessings over food and other enjoyments. As Chazal said, “One who wishes to be a chassid, a pious man, should fulfill the matters of Berachos,” the tractate of blessings. In the same passage Chazal give another way to become a chassid: by fulfilling “the matters of Avos,” the tractate of the Fathers.8 We may say, by way of hint, that this means we must remember to keep the Torah because we are the children of the holy Avos, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. That is “the matters of Avos”: always remembering that we are holy seed.
וְהִנֵּה תַּפְקִיד הַתּוֹרָה הִיא לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ עַל הָאָדָם קְדוּשָּׁה וְטָהֳרָה וּמִידּוֹת טוֹבוֹת, וְעַל הָאָדָם לִהְיוֹת נִזְהָר לַעֲבוֹד עַל עַצְמוֹ מִנְּעוּרָיו, כְּדֵי שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה תּוּכַל לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ עָלָיו כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל. וְרָאִיתִי לְעוֹרֵר לִהְיוֹת נִזְהָר בִּשְׁנֵי דְּבָרִים שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְחַנֵּךְ אֶת בְּנֵי הַנְּעוּרִים בָּהֶם, וכ״ק אאמו״ר זצ״ל הָיָה נוֹהֵג לְהַזְהִיר תָּמִיד עַל עִנְיָנִים אֵלּוּ, הָרִאשׁוֹן הוּא לִהְיוֹת נִזְהָר לִיטּוֹל יָדַיִם סָמוּךְ לַמִּטָּה דַּוְוקָא, וְשֵׁנִית לִהְיוֹת נִזְהָר בְּבִרְכַּת הַנֶּהֱנִין, וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (בבא קמא ל, ב) הַאי מַאן דְּבָעֵי לְמֶהֱוֵי חֲסִידָא לְקַיֵּים מִילֵּי דִּבְרָכוֹת. וְהִנֵּה אָמְרוּ שָׁם חז״ל עוֹד אוֹפֶן שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר עַל יָדוֹ לִהְיוֹת חָסִיד, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁיְּקַיֵּים מִילֵּי דְּאָבוֹת, וְאֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר בְּדֶרֶךְ רֶמֶז, שֶׁהַכַּוָּונָה הִיא שֶׁאָנוּ צְרִיכִים לִזְכּוֹר לְקַיֵּים הַתּוֹרָה מֵחֲמַת שֶׁאָנוּ בְּנֵי הָאָבוֹת הַקְּדוֹשִׁים אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב, וְזֶהוּ ׳מִילֵּי דְּאָבוֹת׳ שֶׁנִּזְכּוֹר תָּמִיד שֶׁאָנוּ זֶרַע קוֹדֶשׁ.
- Bava Kamma 30a (the sefer has 30b). ↩
In shortTrain the young to wash beside the bed and say blessings with care, and to remember always that they are children of the Avos.
6May Hashem help us grow in Torah and in yiras Shamayim, the fear of Heaven, to the glory of the House of Israel. Amen.
יַעֲזוֹר לָנוּ ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ שֶׁנִּגְדַּל בַּתּוֹרָה וּבְיִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם לְתִפְאֶרֶת בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, אָמֵן.
In shortMay Hashem help us grow in Torah and yiras Shamayim, to the glory of the House of Israel.
Takeaway
The heart of every offering is what is “of you”: a broken spirit, and the sense that we are offering ourselves to Hashem. Even today we bring that offering whenever we hold back from a desire of the heart. And it cannot wait for later years, for youth is when Torah is written as on fresh paper, and when the tzaddikim bound themselves to Hashem's will.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.