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In this week’s Torah portion, Pinchos, we are told of the command to bring a daily offering; one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The Torah tells us[1] that “the one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer in the afternoon.” Rashi comments on the words from our verse, “the one lamb.” Rashi asks that this is seemingly redundant. “Even though the Torah already wrote this in the portion of Ve’Atoh Tetzaveh[2], the Torah needed to write it again here. There it was only an instruction for the days of the dedication (of the Kohanim). In our verse, Hashem commanded it for all generations.” In other words, earlier, the Torah taught us to bring this daily offering at one particular time in history. In our Parshah, the Torah is teaching us that it must always be brought, throughout all generations[3].
Everything in the Torah has a deeper meaning. What is the significance of offering a sacrifice every day? The Hebrew word for sacrifice is “Korbon – קרבן,” which is derived from the Hebrew word “Karov – קרוב,” which means near. The connection is obvious; through offering sacrifices, we draw ourselves nearer to Hashem[4].
The reason for bringing one sacrifice every morning is because each Jew must begin his day by drawing himself closer to G-d, i.e., serving Hashem. This will have a positive influence on the Jew throughout the entire day.
Together with the offering, the blood and the fat of the animal were offered upon the Mizbe’ach (altar). In other words, each of us must begin the day with a firm resolution. We must resolve to dedicate all of our excitement (blood) to the altar, i.e., holy matters. That must be our sole excitement and pleasure (fat). In this manner we will surely bring the complete and true redemption now. We will then have the third Bais Hamikdosh; we will then once again bring sacrifices in the simple meaning of the word.
I wish one and all a good Shabbos! May we merit the time of the complete and true redemption now!
Rabbi Shmuel Mendelsohn
Adapted from Likkutei Sichos Volume 3, Page 941
מוקדש לזכות כ”ק אדמו”ר נשיא דורנו מליובאוויטש
לזכות
חיילי “צבאות השם” חיים ועדן עודד שיחיו מאריס
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נדפס ע”י הוריהם
הרה”ת ר’ מנחם מענדל וזוגתו מרת חי’ מושקא שיחיו מאריס
[1]. Our Parshah, Bamidbar 28:4.
[2]. Parshas Tetzaveh, Shemos 39:28-29.
[3]. We may not offer sacrifices at present, because we have no Bais Hamikdosh (until the coming of Moshiach, may he come now). Nevertheless, the Sages instituted our morning and afternoon prayers in place of these sacrifices.
[4]. This is explained at length in the Rebbe’s Maamor Basi Legani 5712. This can be found in Sefer Hamaamorim Melukat, Volume 2, Page 276.
The Rebbe Teaches Rashi 