Some people are so poor all they have is money.
(ZK:BK ARQYW) „...DLWY YK ZE WA BwK WA RWw‰
“An ox, a sheep, or a goat, when it is born...” (Vayikra 22:27)
The Gemara in Bava Kama discusses whether a stolen animal, which is acquired through making a change to the animal (such as slaughtering it) would be acquired by the thief if it was taken as a calf and grew into a bull. The answer, says Rava, is that an ox of one day old is called an ox, so that is not considered a change.
While for sacrificial purposes, a ram is two years old, and prior to that it’s a lamb, as a matter of existence, the animal is not significantly different when it’s older than when it was born. Animals come into this world more or less complete. People, on the other hand, are entirely different.
When we come into this world, we need to be taken care of, and we have to learn everything necessary for our lives. We are supposed to experience constant growth, and we never get to a point where we are “complete” and finished growing.
Sukkos is a perfect time for this message, because we are celebrating the harvest. It is the culmination of a year of work in preparing the land, planting, cultivating, and praying for the success of our efforts. Now we are finally able to reap the benefits of our labors, but the Torah reminds us, “You’re not done yet.” You have had one successful crop, but now you will build on this. Some of what you harvested will be once again planted in the ground. It’s a cycle of growth that’s never-ending.
Perhaps that’s why this parsha is repeated on the second day of Sukkos outside of Israel. We have to focus on this message of not being satisfied with the growth we’ve sustained so far. We need to keep working and repeating the steps to rise because we are Man, capable of growth animals cannot imagine, and heights loftier than angels.
