Returning to the sequence of chapters in our Parsha, the next in line is that of the Korban Todah.
וְ כִ י־תִ זְ בְּ חוּ זֶבַ ח־תּ וֹדָ ה לַ ה' לִרְ צֹנְכֶם תִּ זְבָּחוּ׃ בַּ וֹם הַהוּא יֵאָכֵל לֹא־י תוֹ תִ ירוּ מִ מּ ֶ נּ וּ עַ ד־בּ ֹקֶ ר אֲ נִ י ה'׃
When you sacrifice a thanks-giving-offering to Hashem, that it be favorably accepted for you, you shall sacrifice it. On that day you should eat it; you shall leave none of it until the next morning, I am Hashem.
The Korban Todah must be eaten by morning, and one may not even think about eating it the next day. Doing so invalidates the korban entirely, as it becomes וּ ל פּ ִ ג – an abomination. What would be the big deal if one was allowed to just think about eating it the next day? The Ishbitzer provides a terrifying answer. The Korban Todah is brought in thanksgiving by one who crosses the sea or desert, one who is healed, and one who is released from captivity. The Korban is eaten with a group of family and friends, to whom the individual recounts all the miracles experienced and offers gratitude to Hakadosh Baruch Hu for them. But the way of mankind is to add one more corrupt thought into that mix. Man will say, “After I said Mizmor L’Todah and Nishmat, and after I offered this large korban and publicly shared my tales of miracles and gratitude, there’s no way Hakadosh Baruch Hu will strike me again. I said Thank You nicely – I’m safe now.”
It is only natural for one to feel like the Korban Todah they offered pays the bill in its entirety and it is now they who are owed something. Hakadosh Baruch Hu says to this person: וֹם הַ הוּא יֵאָ כֵ ל בַּ י לִרְ צֹנְכֶם תִּ זְבָּחוּ – for you but only on that day. In other words, you are protected on the day you say Thank You, but tomorrow is a new day with a new accounting and no carry-forward. Even thinking about stretching it out to the next day invalidates it, just like the eating of the Korban Todah. How is this person to regain protection? He worked so hard to obtain it and it only lasts one day? A grievance.
