Back in 1996, Rabbi Finman was asked to speak to the niece of one of his students. After spending many hours answering her questions, the woman gave Rabbi Finman her e-mail address. Rabbi Finman wrote the woman a note and included in it a short insight into that week's Parsha and a short Chasidic story.
Realizing that this was something no one was yet doing,, Rabbi Finman sent the missive to his mailing list of about 30 people. Requests from recipients friends came pouring in. The next week Rabbi Finman sent the e-Parsha to 100 people. Within a year more than 2000 people were receiving it. Today, more than 14,000 receive the e-Parsha weekly and the requests keep coming in.
Tzav 5779
Vayikra 5779
Pekudei 5779
Vayakhel 5779
Ki Sissa 5779
Tzav 5779
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In memory of Bennie Magy - Bentziyon ben Avraham v Elke Magy, who passed away Menachem Av 22, 5749 - August 23, 1989 and Rose Magy - Rivka Rayzel Bat Chayim Yaakov v'Chaya Tertza Arbit, who passed away Tamuz 2, 5765 - July 9, 2005. May their souls experience a lichtiger Gan Eden - an illuminated Garden of Eden and may their family only experience Simchas from now on. Sponsored by their son Paul Magy - Birmingham, Michigan.
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This week's YouParsha Tzav https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu_MrZqOguc Do What You Are Told
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This week's Parsha, Tzav, Leviticus 6 - 8, discusses many of the details of various sacrifices. Our sages tell us that one who learns the laws of the sacrifices is considered to have offered the sacrifices. This statement is puzzling. Mitzvahs are an expression of Divine will. Will is encompassing. When a person says, "I want something," it is not any specific part of them that wants it, it is their entire being. Mitzvahs can therefore be called a product of an encompassing level of G'dliness. The performance of a mitzvah causes a person to be "bathed" in this very powerful encompassing light. The Torah, on the other hand, is the wisdom of Hashem. Intellect is limited only to the brain, it is not as totalistic as will. It is a much greater thing to actually perform a mitzvah than to learn about it!
The above dilemma is strengthened by another statement of the sages. They compare the Torah to bread. Bread sustains the body when one consumes it. This bread is incorporated into the body and becomes the very flesh, blood and fat of the body. Torah sustains and satiates the soul when one learns it. That which a person learns becomes internalized and becomes a part of their intellect.
It is described in the Zohar (Basic book of esoteric wisdom that seven lights were created before the creation of the universe: The lights of the Torah, gehinom, garden of Eden, throne of glory, the holy Temple, repentance, and Moshiach. The purpose of these "lights" is to facilitate the purification of the creation, the purpose of our existence. When a person learns Torah, they are "bathed" in this pre creation light. It therefore follows that learning about a specific mitzvah, which one is unable to perform, causes a similar very powerful light to encompass the learner.
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The Maggid of Mezeritch, successor to the Baal Shem Tov, once related how the Baal Shem Tov was leading the prayers on the first day of Pesach. The Baal Shem Tov was praying with great desire and fervor and his voice was booming like thunder.
Just before the Musaf service that include the sublime prayer for dew, the Maggid stepped out to seclude himself in meditation for a few moments in a side room. The Baal Shem Tov came into the room to put on his Kittel (special white robe prayer robe) for the Musaf service.
The Maggid observed that the Divine Presence had descended upon his master, and he did not seem to be at all in this world. When the Baal Shem Tov put on his Kittel, and the Maggid saw that it was wrinkled on the shoulder. He put out his hand to smooth the wrinkle. The moment he touched the shoulder of the Baal Shem Tov, his whole body began to tremble. (The Baal Shem Tov was already trembling due to the Divine presence resting on him). Even after the Baal Shem Tov had left, the Maggid continued to tremble uncontrollably until he beseeched Hashem in prayer to stop it since he was clearly not yet prepared to have such an experience.
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