Good Intentions Are Part of the Essential Nature of a Jew
Ben Chamesh L'Mikra | March 18, 2024
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Good Intentions Are Part of the Essential Nature of a Jew

Ben Chamesh L'Mikra | June 27, 2025

Good intentions are part of the essential nature of a Jew which is the result of HaShem’s love to the Jews.

Parsha starts with an individual’s voluntary sacrifice (קרבן נדבה), to indicate that one’s good intentions are the basis of all offerings (even the obligatory/communal sacrifices).

One comes to atone for sins, one needs to actively squeeze one’s Yetzer HaRa.

The squeezing of the blood of the bird onto the Altar, comes about through the action of the Cohen, similar to the animals’ blood sprinkling.

קרבן עצים The Wood Offering, what is it’s nature?

רמב"ם not the wood itself, but the עולת נדבה offered for the sake of the wood

ריטב"א the wood itself is the offering with no accompaniment

רש"י indicates a voluntary offering, but does not specify which type; since part of the wood is the offering and part goes to the pyre

קרבן מנחה

Derivation of a word, phrase or action

  • רבנן Rabbanan: Reflects generally on the subject but not to all the details
  • רבי Rebbi: Reflects literally the derivation into all the details

קרבן עצים

Wood sacrifice

  • An offering that is connected with the wood (used for the fire)
  • The offering is the wood used for the fire

קריאת שמע Shema

בכל לשון (in any language) ככתבה (only in Hebrew)

סוכה Sukkah

  • Room to hold the head & majority of the body, like an actual dwelling
  • Requires 4 X 4 amos to actually dwell in the Sukkah

גיטין – על מנת Conditional Get

  • Does not focus on action but on the fulfillment of the condition
  • Giving of the Get indicates intent that the Get takes effect immediately

מעילה Me’ilah

  • (גזירה שוה מתרומה) באזהרה (בו ולא במעילה) not like Terumah in all the details
  • במיתה (מלמד בכל הפרטים) Like Terumah in all the details

כלי שרת עשאן של עץ

  • Holy vessel of wood
  • מכשיר (ריבה הכל חוץ מ חפץ אחד) Like the Menorah as long as not pottery
  • פסול (כעין הפרט) Similar to Menorah in all the details (including being metal)

הנכנס בשידה תיבה ומגדל

  • Being inside a container שמיה אוהל Needs to be similar in general to be an Ohel to be a separation
  • לאו אוהל Needs to be like an Ohel in all the details (not movable)

The leader of the body (the head) rules over the heart (place of middos) to be aware of the severity of unintentional sin.

When a leader takes it to heart to bring atonement for his unintentional sin, then that generation is lead to a heightened awareness of the seriousness of an unintentional sin.

A child that is completely pure, touches (reveals) the love of G-d to the Jewish people, beyond understanding; that love continues into adulthood, that when one strays, can be activated by a Korban.

Three periods in the Jewish people (prior to the Avos, the Avos, and after Matan Torah) corresponds to the 3 periods in every person’s life (pre-Chinuch, Chinuch, post Bar-Mitzvah).

The core of the sacrifice reveals the love between G-d and the Jew transcending Torah, primarily is found in the pre-Avos period; thus, the pre-chinuch children learn the Korbanos of VaYikra.

Good intentions are part of the essential nature of a Jew which is the result of HaShem’s love to the Jews.

Parsha starts with an individual’s voluntary sacrifice (קרבן נדבה), to indicate that one’s good intentions are the basis of all offerings (even the obligatory/communal sacrifices).

One comes to atone for sins, one needs to actively squeeze one’s Yetzer HaRa.

The squeezing of the blood of the bird onto the Altar, comes about through the action of the Cohen, similar to the animals’ blood sprinkling.

קרבן עצים The Wood Offering, what is it’s nature?

רמב"ם not the wood itself, but the עולת נדבה offered for the sake of the wood

ריטב"א the wood itself is the offering with no accompaniment

רש"י indicates a voluntary offering, but does not specify which type; since part of the wood is the offering and part goes to the pyre

קרבן מנחה

Derivation of a word, phrase or action

  • רבנן Rabbanan: Reflects generally on the subject but not to all the details
  • רבי Rebbi: Reflects literally the derivation into all the details

קרבן עצים

Wood sacrifice

  • An offering that is connected with the wood (used for the fire)
  • The offering is the wood used for the fire

קריאת שמע Shema

בכל לשון (in any language) ככתבה (only in Hebrew)

סוכה Sukkah

  • Room to hold the head & majority of the body, like an actual dwelling
  • Requires 4 X 4 amos to actually dwell in the Sukkah

גיטין – על מנת Conditional Get

  • Does not focus on action but on the fulfillment of the condition
  • Giving of the Get indicates intent that the Get takes effect immediately

מעילה Me’ilah

  • (גזירה שוה מתרומה) באזהרה (בו ולא במעילה) not like Terumah in all the details
  • במיתה (מלמד בכל הפרטים) Like Terumah in all the details

כלי שרת עשאן של עץ

  • Holy vessel of wood
  • מכשיר (ריבה הכל חוץ מ חפץ אחד) Like the Menorah as long as not pottery
  • פסול (כעין הפרט) Similar to Menorah in all the details (including being metal)

הנכנס בשידה תיבה ומגדל

  • Being inside a container שמיה אוהל Needs to be similar in general to be an Ohel to be a separation
  • לאו אוהל Needs to be like an Ohel in all the details (not movable)

The leader of the body (the head) rules over the heart (place of middos) to be aware of the severity of unintentional sin.

When a leader takes it to heart to bring atonement for his unintentional sin, then that generation is lead to a heightened awareness of the seriousness of an unintentional sin.

A child that is completely pure, touches (reveals) the love of G-d to the Jewish people, beyond understanding; that love continues into adulthood, that when one strays, can be activated by a Korban.

Three periods in the Jewish people (prior to the Avos, the Avos, and after Matan Torah) corresponds to the 3 periods in every person’s life (pre-Chinuch, Chinuch, post Bar-Mitzvah).

The core of the sacrifice reveals the love between G-d and the Jew transcending Torah, primarily is found in the pre-Avos period; thus, the pre-chinuch children learn the Korbanos of VaYikra.

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