B"H
Friday, Adar 29, 5778 / March 16, 2018
This Shabbat is a special Shabbat. It is Shabbat Rosh Chodesh, the first day of the New Hebrew month, Nissan. Every Rosh Chodesh there is a special Torah reading for Rosh Chodesh.
It is also Shabbat Parashat HaChodesh – the fourth Shabbat in which we do a special Torah reading at this time of the year.
This Shabbat we begin the third Book of the Torah, the Book of Leviticus with the reading of Parashat Vayikra. Because of the above three Torah readings, from different places in the Torah, we will remove three Torahs from the ark and read from them.
The Book of Leviticus deals with the various sacrifices which were offered in the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and later in the Holy Temple.
In the beginning of the Parsha G-d tells Moshe to speak to the children of Israel and say unto them, “When a man will bring from you an offering to G-d...” The Parsha continues with the specifications and details of the various sacrifice offerings.
Our sages ask, The Torah is speaking about an animal offering which a person brings to the Temple.
It should have said, “When a man from you will bring an offering to G-d.” The way it is worded in the Torah, “When a man will bring from you an offering to G-d,” seems that the offering is “from you” - from the person himself?
Our sages answer that the Torah teaches us an important lesson. The word “offering” in Hebrew is “Korban,” which can also mean, “to come closer.” The Torah tells every Jew, “in order to become spiritually closer to G-d, a person has to make a personal sacrifice from themselves (“from you”).
In other words, one should not become discouraged when observing mitzvot and performing good deeds takes effort. G-d puts us through various tests so that through our efforts to overcome the obstacles, we become closer to G-d.
Our sages tell us in Pirkei Avot (Chapters of our Fathers), “The greater the effort, the greater the reward!”
When we make an effort to perform mitzvot, study Torah or give charity, we are sacrificing from ourselves, which brings greater reward.
Tonight (Friday night) and Shabbat is Rosh Chodesh.
SHABBAT SHALOM & A HAPPY ROSH CHODESH
Montrealcandle lighting time: 6:44/ Shabbat ends: 7:47