English translation — ויקרא א

1.

It stands in the Midrash¹

: Said Rabbi Assi: Why do they begin for children with Torat Kohanim and do not begin with Bereshit? Rather²

that the children are pure and the offerings are pure; let the pure come and occupy themselves³

with pure things⁴.

What does "and the offerings are pure" mean?

Some commentators⁵

say that this means that offerings must be brought in purity,

not in impurity; and according to other commentators⁶

— that through offerings one becomes pure from sin.

Both explanations are however seemingly not smooth: from the language of the midrash "and the offerings are pure" it implies that here one speaks about the offerings themselves that they are pure

(and not about those who bring them)⁷.

On the other hand,

we learn simply as it is,

that

"Tahorin" refers to the sacrifices themselves,

is also not smooth: one does not find that the Torah should use the <b>definition</b> of tahor regarding sacrifices; one finds that sacrifices must be temimim and muvcharim etc.⁸,

but not the category of "tahorin".

B.

At first glance one could learn,

that the category of "tahorin" here in the midrash corresponds with what Chazal⁹

say regarding the sacrifices of <b>before</b> the giving of the Torah,

that "all are fit to be offered: beast, animal, bird, males and females, temimim and ba'alei mumim, <b>tahorin but not teme'im</b>".

That is,

that the category of sacrifices before the giving of the Torah¹⁰

is - "tahorin".

And the connection of the offerings before the Giving of the Torah to our subject is in this,

that here it speaks about children,

minors,

who are <b>not</b> obligated in offerings¹¹,

it is analogous to the offerings before the Giving of the Torah

(when there was not yet any commandment and obligation regarding offerings).

But this is difficult: the midrash here explains the reason that "they begin with children <b>with Torat Kohanim</b>",

which contains the laws of offerings from <b>after</b> the Giving of the Torah - how does the comparison of minors to offerings <b>before</b> the Giving of the Torah fit here?

3.

In Tanchuma¹²

the above-mentioned maamar is brought,

And continuing from this it states: "Therefore I consider them as if they are standing and offering before the sacrifices,

and He informed you that even though the Temple was destroyed and sacrifice is not practiced, were it not for the children who read the order of the sacrifices, the world would not endure."

It is perplexing: the Midrash Tanchuma itself continues afterwards¹³

"Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, My children ..

If you engage ..

in the section of sacrifices, I consider it for you as if you are offering a sacrifice etc." - that <b>everyone</b> who is engaged in the section of sacrifices

(not only children)

is "I consider it for him" as if he is offering a sacrifice

(in actuality)

- then how does this accord with what the Midrash says

(earlier),

that "were it not for <b>the children</b>

(specifically)

who read the order of the sacrifices, the world would not endure"?

One must say,

that in the act of “as if offering a sacrifice” there is an advantage and superiority in the study of children in Torah Shebe’al Peh relative to the study of every adult,

specifically by them this occurs in a complete manner,

which ensures that the world stands.

4.

This will be understood by prefacing the explanation in the above-men-

Monday, Chazal,

that before the Giving of the Torah one could offer sacrifices from all pure species,

which we learn from Noach, regarding whom it is stated¹⁴

"from every clean animal."

On this the Gemara asks¹⁵

"And were there impure and pure at that time?"¹⁶,

and the Gemara explains that the concept of "pure" there was "from those that were destined to become pure"

(according to the version in the Gemara¹⁷

and as Rashi brings in his commentary on the Torah¹⁸).

That is,

that in the offerings of Noah

(before the giving of the Torah)

there was a thing and its opposite:

The offerings that Noah brought were not a matter of fulfillment of a commandment¹⁹

- and especially since one does not find that Noah fulfilled the entire Torah before it was given; it was in the manner that one finds in all times

(also before the giving of the Torah)

that human beings and Adam himself²⁰

brought offerings to God from their own feeling due to various reasons;

Since however that Noach brought only "from those that are destined to become pure"¹⁹,

is from this itself proven,

that that which by Noach

was not any difference between pure and impure animals

(as the question of the Gemara "And were there impure and pure at that time")

is this only regarding eating and the like but the distinction of "pure and impure"

(for the future)

was already by him²¹.

It turns out,

that from Noach²²

- there was already a beginning of the boundaries of the Torah.

Although he was before the Giving of the Torah,

and later - also before the time of the Patriarchs whose conduct was in the manner like after the Giving of the Torah

(they fulfilled the entire Torah before it was given²³)

- and for this reason he brought an offering specifically from pure ones - "from those that are destined to become pure"²⁴.

And since the connection of Noach to

(the boundaries of the)

Torah is found only in the matter of offerings, it can be said that this is because specifically the matter of offerings is in a special way relevant also before one received the Torah - the Giving of the Torah.

5.

One of the explanations that one can say about this:

Sacrifices,

also from <b>after </b>the Giving of the Torah,

although that they are from the 613 commandments of the Torah,

they are however in their action

(and consequently — in their essence)

<b>higher </b>than Torah and commandments,

and — therefore atone for

(and completes²⁵

( the deficiency caused by the absence of Torah and commandments.

In a different style: when a Jew brings a sacrifice to Hashem he thereby expresses his "being close" to Hashem,

his connection with the Most High,

which he has &lt;b&gt;intrinsically &lt;/b&gt;as a Jew,

which is not dependent on the fulfillment of the Torah and the commandments

(And just as the connection is not brought about through the fulfillment of Torah and commandments,

so is it not &lt;b&gt;diminished &lt;/b&gt;through the lack of their fulfillment)

- the essential connection of a Jew with the Most High is above Torah and commandments.

&lt;b&gt;And in this vein &lt;/b&gt;it is stated: "You are children to Hashem your God" - "Even though they sinned, they are My children"&lt;sup&gt;26&lt;/sup&gt;.

And this is the reason why sacrifices atone for a sin and iniquity: when a Jew is, Heaven forbid, transgressing His will, blessed be He, and he damages, may it not be said,

in his unification with the Supreme One which comes through Torah and mitzvos²⁷,

he can rectify this through sacrifices - by arousing and revealing

(through the offering of the sacrifice)

the essential connection of a Jew with the Supreme One in which no blemish is applicable - and this atones²⁸,

wipes away the blemish of the sin and iniquity²⁹.

6.

According to the above, there also comes an additional understanding in the entire matter of sacrifices - about which one could seemingly ask:

How does it come,

that the "service" which the Almighty established for Jews,

should be through the service of the offerings — through slaughtering an animal etc. and offering it upon the altar; prima facie, a spiritual service would have been more appropriate

(service <b>of the heart</b>³⁰,

prayer and the like)

which brings out the connection of Jews with G‑dliness in a more revealed manner.

And especially since offerings are not a matter that is designated only for Jews; also the nations of the world have the possibility to offer offerings³¹

and even in the Holy Temple*³¹,

as is known.

And according to the above it is understood,

and this is the proof: specifically because the essential connection of Jews with the Most High is higher than the connection through <b>their service</b> in Torah and mitzvos and it comes from His choice, blessed be He — that although "Esau is a brother to Jacob,"

nevertheless "and I loved Jacob"³²,

from the side of the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He³³

— for this same reason this expresses itself specifically in <b>the service of the offerings</b>,

which <b>in its externality</b> the spirituality of a Jew is not discernible in it

(and in particular — the difference regarding the service of the offerings of the nations of the world)

— but only the service of the offerings of <b>Jews</b> arouses the essential connection which is in His choice, blessed be He

(And in the manner that the Most High chooses

(specifically)

the <b>body</b> of a Jew,

which in its materiality is similar to the bodies of the nations of the world³⁴).

7.

With this one will understand why the offerings of Noach before the Giving of the Torah had a connection to the offerings after the Giving of the Torah

(There was in them the category of "pure ones" on behalf of <b>the future</b>)

That which Noach offered up offerings was as thanksgiving to Hashem for that which he was saved from the flood - "And God remembered Noach etc."³⁵.

- Known³⁶

The explanation why the verse "And God remembered Noah" is one of the verses of remembrance that are said in the Musaf of Rosh Hashanah

(That

is,

that the "And God remembered Noah" has a connection,

is a part of "May your remembrance come up before [Him] for good")

- Because the remembrance of Noah was "from the aspect of the essential virtue of the souls of Israel",

Therefore one says "And also Noah <b>with love </b>You remembered",

which means the "inner and essential love"

(for the souls of Israel).

It turns out,

that although Noah was before the giving of the Torah

(when it was "and from among them You chose³⁷

from every nation and tongue")

- And even not in a manner like the Patriarchs³⁸

(with whom was the beginning of the people of Israel - as their name <b>Patriarchs</b>)

- Nevertheless,

he had a connection to souls of Israel,

for which by Noach there was a remembrance

(“with love”)

“from the aspect of the essential virtue of souls of Israel”.

And with this it is also understood,

why the offerings that Noach brought in continuation of the remembrance

(and thanksgiving for his being saved from the flood),

had a connection to the offerings of Jews

(after the giving of the Torah)³⁹.

And this is also the explanation in what the Midrash says about the offerings of Toras Kohanim — "and the offerings <b>pure</b>"

(that pure is the definition in offerings from before the Giving of the Torah,

as above)

Since the inner content of offerings is,

as above — to reveal the essential love of the Holy One, blessed be He, which is <b>higher</b> than

(the love through it)

Torah,

this expresses itself

(more)

in the offerings of Noach from <b>before</b> the Giving of the Torah

(before there was the <b>command</b> regarding offerings)

; but after the Giving of the Torah,

the offerings are a matter of <b>commandment</b>,

therefore in them it is not evident <b>openly</b> how they are above the action of Torah.

8.

According to all the above, one will also understand what the Midrash says, "We begin children with Toras Kohanim" because "the pure shall come and engage in the pure":

The three times and periods mentioned above regarding Jews in general -

(a)

since the Giving of the Torah,

when Jews accepted and fulfilled Torah and mitzvos according to the command of G-d;

(b)

beginning from the Patriarchs,

who fulfilled all

The entire Torah before it was given;

And even earlier,

from Noach,

with whom there was only a connection to Torah

(at least a <b>definition</b> of impurity and purity,

as mentioned above)

One can say that parallels to them

(of the three periods)

exist by every Jew:

(a)

After he becomes bar

(bas)

mitzvah and obligated in commandments;

(b)

From when he has reached the age of education and his fulfillment of Torah and commandments is as preparation for the time of their obligation;

(c)

(c)

Even before he has reached the age of education, when the conduct of fulfilling Torah and commandments is not yet applicable,

but nevertheless,

since he is a <b>Jewish child</b>, he also already has a connection to Torah⁴⁰

- moreover: to him the Torah was <b>given</b>

(in the manner of <b>inheritance</b> - morasha kehilat Yaakov - which

(also)

a one-day-old infant inherits everything)

- and he has a connection to the definitions of the Torah.

And since by a minor

(before he has reached the age of education)

the concept of service in Torah and mitzvos is not yet present,

therefore by him is revealed his essential quality as a Jewish child - the inner and essential love of the Almighty for Jews is more revealed by a Jewish child before he has reached the age of education⁴¹.

And this is what the midrash says "Let the pure come and occupy themselves with the pure": since the concept of the sacrifices is to evoke and reveal the essential love of the Almighty for Jews which is higher than the love through the study of Torah

(that through this love is opened the

atonement)

- they are “pure” in essence because they “reach” a “place” where the matter of impurity does not come,

does not touch - therefore “let <b>pure ones</b> come and occupy themselves with pure ones”,

that this occupation with “pure ones” should be through Jewish children who are “pure” - as he interprets it in Tanchuma “they do not know what is the taste of sin and iniquity”

(by them the entire matter of sin and iniquity does not apply)

- therefore because by them is revealed the essential love of the Most High for Jews⁴².

9.

According to all the above it is also understood why specifically the matter of “let pure ones come and occupy themselves with pure ones” - the reading of Torat Kohanim by young children - ensures that there should be “the world stands”:

That which the great ones are occupied with "&lt;b&gt;Parshat &lt;/b&gt;Hakorbanot" is indeed not an "&lt;b&gt;action&lt;/b&gt;",

but only an occupation in thought and speech

(as the Alter Rebbe explains&lt;sup&gt;43&lt;/sup&gt;,

that "thought is prayer, the service of the heart, corresponding to the korbanot,

and speech is Torah study of the korbanot etc.'"),

that the two garments of thought and speech, their main purpose is to reveal the intellect of the person or his emotion and character traits; in them the main thing is not the letters

(which clothe the intellect or the character trait),

but

the intellect or character trait which are clothed in the letters;

And since in revelation there is the intellect

(and feeling)

<b>the man</b>,

therefore here is not heard so much the essential quality of Jews

(which is from <b>the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He</b> in Jews).

Specifically the reading and study of children,

and in this itself - "<b>they begin</b> children with Torat Kohanim" - here it speaks about the <b>beginning</b> of the study of children when they are still <b>before</b> they have reached the age of education and by them there is not yet the matter of understanding and comprehension

As one sees in the custom of Israel,

that only the beginning of the study of children is from the book of Vayikra,

but afterwards one teaches them in a different order,

according to the customs of the place⁴⁴

And it is by them only a matter of reading alone; the main point of it is not the content of the speech,

rather the moving of the lips of the little ones -

Specifically this calls forth and reveals the essential love of the &lt;b&gt;Most High&lt;/b&gt;

(In the manner of the above section 6 that the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He, is in the body specifically),

And consequently the action through this is in the ultimate perfection and it ensures that it should be "the world stands".

(From the talk of Shabbat Parshat Vayikra 5740)