In Memory of Mr.

Max Glass

Likutei Ohr
Volume V : Issue VI
Editor-in-Chief:
Jesse Hyman 16

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Senior Editors:

Eitan Meisels 15
Pinchas Gamzo 17

Managing Editors:
Noam Gershov 17
Jack Levkowitz 17
Gidon Amsellem 18

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Marketing:
Yosef Hier 16
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Distributors:

Layout Editor:
Eitan Tennenbaum 17

Shayan Kohanteb 16
Eli Friedman 15
Jordan Lustman 15
Ilan Atri 15
Nathan Silberberg 16

Staff Advisor:
Rabbi Arye Sufrin

The Flame of
Our
Ancestors

A good name is
more desirable than
great riches, a good
reputation then
silver and gold

-Proverbs 22:1

Tefillah Gems

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Yosef Petlak 17

In Memory of Mr. Jack Gindi

The Pamphlet of Light

Parshat Vayikra

Sacrificial Actions

A publication of YULA Boys High School

Rabbi Sandy Shulkes

This Shabbat we begin the third book of the Torah, Vayikra, and introduce a new topic to
us: Korbanot - Sacrices. It is hard to imagine, especially for vegetarians, the hundreds of sacrices
going on in the Temple for gi@ oerings, atonement oerings, etc. The Ramban explains that the
essence of bringing a Korban is not the actual oering of the animal, rather the spiritual cleansing it
accomplishes for the one who oers the Korban. When someone observes the sacricial
procedure, including Shech0ng the animal, removing and cleaning the various parts, catching and
sprinkling its blood, and, lastly, burning the animal on the Mizbeach, one should think to himself
that the animal is a subsEtuEon for them. This concept can be seen in the Pesukim from the word
of Mikem - from you (1:2), as it becomes clear that the Korban should actually be you but
Hashem allows the Jewish people to sacrice animals in their place.

When a person brings a Korban, he is supposed to place his hands on the head of the
animal and say Viduy - a confession - on the sin for which he is bringing the Korban. A Korban is not
eecEve unless one also does Teshuva along with the sacrice. The quesEon that arises is: why is it
necessary to bring the Korban at all if we can just say Viduy. The Sefer HaChinuch gives the answer.
Haadam Nifal Ke Peulosav - A person is aected by his acEons.

It is not enough for a person just to say Viduy, but rather, the Torah wants him to bring a
Korban and view the Korban as a subsEtute for himself and that will make a much greater impact
on the person. The process of bringing the Korban will cleanse the person of the sin that he had
commiRed. This is because, as the Ramban explains, the person realizes that he should have been
the Korban, but Hashem allowed him to bring an animal instead. From here we see the importance
of acEons over words and thoughts because acEons make a much deeper impression and impact
on a person. !
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AddiEonally, the Gemara in Taanit (27b) explains that although Korbanot are no longer
oered in the physical sense, they sEll can be oered verbally. The Gemara states: Avraham said
before the Holy One, Blessed be He, Perhaps Israel will sin before You and then you will do unto
them as You did to the generaEon of the ood? Hashem said to him: No. Avraham responded:
How shall I know that I shall inherit it? Hashem answered: Take for me a triple calf [i.e., the
sacrices are the guarantee of the gi@ of the land]. Avraham replied: This is true when the Temple
is in existence; what will become of them when the Temple is not in existence? Hashem
responded: I have already established the order of the sacrices; for whenever they read it, I
consider it as though they sacrice before Me a sacrice, and I shall forgive them their
transgressions.!
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Through our words and acEons, we each have the ability to bring our own Korban and tap
into our ancestral past. May we take advantage of every moment and uElize our Eme to grow close
to Hashem. Amen Ken Yehi Ratzon.

As Pesach nears, we should make ourselves aware of several changes in our Davening. One of these eminent alterations is
found in Shmoneh Esrei in the Bracha of Barech Aleinu. In this Bracha, we switch from saying VTein Tal to VTein Bracha
at Mincha on Erev Pesach. Though Davening for rain seems like a minor detail in the Shmoneh Esrei, it in fact connects us to the
primary source of Tefillah. We learn from a Passuk in Parshat Breishit that the entire physical world waited for the prayers of
mankind in order to receive rain. At the start of Pesach, we switch from requesting rain to recognizing the Tal, dew. Unlike rain,
which requires our Tefillot, Chazal teach us that Hashem graciously provides us with Tal no matter the circumstance. This small
seasonal change in Shmoneh Esrei brings us to understand our most fundamental relationship with Hashem. The rain is based on
our sincere Tefillot and praise, but Hashem gives us Tal irrespective of our actions and Davening. The gift of Tal teaches us the
extent of gratitude we must express to HaKadosh Baruch Hu for His caring and compassionate approach to all human beings.

A Divine Connection
Josh Resin 16
The word Vayikra means and He called. Hashem calls to Moshe and explains
the proper conduct for the sacrifices and offerings that are to be brought in the
Mishkan. While sacrifice and offering are usually translated as Korban, the
word most literally means, getting close. This indicates that Hashems call in
the first word of the Parsha is to draw close to Him through our Avodah. As the
Parsha goes through the various specific details pertaining to animal sacrifices
we see that permitted animals, either for sacrifices or food, lend themselves to
three categories based on how they are treated. Firstly, livestock, which were
created from earth, require Shechita in order to be sacrificed or eaten. Secondly,
fowl, which, as Bereshis recalls, were created from a mix of earth and water, are
killed by nipping (Vayikra 1:15) when sacrificed and require Shechita when
eaten. Thirdly, fish were created from water and are not brought as sacrifices at
all; they need only be gathered when used for food. The whole purpose of
Shechita is to make the animal appropriate to ascend, either to the sphere of
human life as food - energy for Divine service, or directly to Hasshem as a
sacrifice. Chassidus teaches that land, whi!2ch is completely disconnected from its
inhabitants, represents the physical world as it appears to exist in separation
from Hashem despite being created by Him, while the sea represents the
spiritual world in which Divine life-force infuses and encapsulates everything.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that livestock correlates to the Nefesh
Habehaimis, animalistic soul of a person. Just as livestock must be Shechted to be
brought as an offering, which completely separates the head (intellect) from the
body (emotions), so too the only way for a person to successfully take control
over ones physical, earthly desires and curb the Yetzer Hara is to completely
separate oneself from immorality and eliminate those emotions. Fowl
corresponds to the intellectual soul, just as birds can fly so too our intellect can
soar beyond physicality and catch a glimpse of the Divine. Being that birds were
created from both earth and water, they are not completely disconnected from
their source and only require nipping to be sacrificed. However, when the
bird tires it comes back down to rest on earth and likewise our intellectual
capacity is limited, therefore the bird must be Shecheted in order to be elevated
beyond its natural condition by becoming the energy a person utilizes to
perform Mitzvos. Fish are compared to the Nefesh Elikus, divine soul, just as a
fish is not separated from water, its life source, so too the divine soul is
completely one with Hashem. It does not require Shechtita because it never lost
connection with the Divine, now we see why fish are not sacrificed, since the
purpose of sacrificing is to uplift the physical and bring it closer to G-dliness,
like the Divine soul they only need to be gathered and refocused towards the
service of Hashem.

Learning From The Dove

Halachic Illuminations

From Rabbi Nachum Sauer

Although many people may think that it is a
custom to lean during the Pesach Seder, it is actually an
obligation. The Gemara in Pesachim (108a) states that one
should do Haseibah, leaning, while drinking the four cups
of wine and eating the Matzah of Motzei Matza, Korech, and
A6ikoman. The Gemara explicitly states that Maror does not
require leaning. The reason for leaning is to demonstrate
Cheirut, freedom, from slavery. However, there are
opinions such as the Raaviah who hold that since it is not
our practice today to lean while eating, there is no
obligation anymore to lean during the Seder. This opinion
is of the minority, so today we practice leaning at the Seder.

The leaning should be done only on the left side.
One reason for this is that a person eats with his right
hand, so it would be uncomfortable if he were leaning on
his right side. A second reason is that the food should go
down the Esophagus instead of the windpipe for health
reasons. Therefore, even a lefty should lean on his left side
because although the Girst reason might not apply, the
second reason is clearly applicable.
In the times of the Gemara, the only women that
would lean were women of important stature, usually
women with servants to do their work; most women were
exempt from leaning. Although all women nowadays are
considered to be high in stature, there is a difference of
practice between Ashkenazim and Sephardim. Ashkenazi
women rely on the lenient opinions and are not obligated
to do Haseibah, whereas Sephardic women do practice
leaning today.

A student in front of his Rebbe should not lean
unless given permission in order to show respect to his
Rebbe. A son is obligated to lean in the presence of his
father, regardless if his father is his teacher. The reason for
this practice is that we assume the father foregoes his
Kavod, honor, for his son.

Compiled By Noah Hyman 18

Gidon Amsellem 18

Parshat Vayikra mostly speaks about Korbanot and the rules pertaining to them. Regarding the Shechita - slaughtering - of doves it
says, He [the Kohen] shall take out its innards, and he shall throw it next to the altarto the place of the ashes (Vayikra 1:16). Why does
the Torah command that the Kohen must throw out the insides of the dove offering while concerning the Olah offering of an ox it says, He
[the Kohen] shall wash its innards and cause it to go up in smoke [along with the rest of it] (Vayikra 1:13)?
Rashi explains that since the Torah uses the word Bnotzatah which translates as repulsive object. You can infer that the reason
that the Kohen throws the innards of the dove away is because it is considered unholy in a repulsive way. The reason that specifically the
doves innards are repulsive is because doves steal food from other animals. G-d does will not accept an offering that has benefited from a
sin.
The dove is comparable to every one of us. Just like the dove performs a sin that affects his innards, we also do things that affect our
Neshamot - our souls. Every time we sin, we affect our souls just like the dove does. Every sin we do gives G-d another reason to reject us just
like he does with the dove. When our souls are offered to Him after they leave our bodies, if those souls have sins on them, he will discard
them like the innards of that dove.
However, this raises another question: If G-d rejects the doves innards because it has sinned through them, why does he accept the
rest of the bird? Did the dove not also use its mind, wings, and beak to perform the sin?
Perhaps the answer can be found in the exact opposite way of the first question. Doves have a unique quality of keeping their mate
throughout their entire life. Both partners, male and female, feed the babies. Since the dove uses its body to display loyalty to his or her mate,
G-d accepts the body of the dove.
We must try everyday to act properly to the people around us just like the dove. If we tarnish our souls by using our bodies to sin as
the dove uses its innards, G-d will not accept us. However, if we feed our souls with the correct actions, G-d will accept them as he accepts
the doves body. Hopefully we can take the lessons of the dove to heart.

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