Sharing Our Good Fortune

Last week, we started reading from the third section of the Torah, Sefer Vayikra (Leviticus). Much of this book is dedicated to the different types of korbanot (sacrifices) brought in the Beit Hamikdash. Some of the korbanot were brought as a forgiveness offering for certain offenses, some korbanot were brought as Yom Tov (holy day) obligations like the Korban Pesach, and others were offerings for spiritual growth. The Korban Todah was brought when a person was saved from a dangerous situation and felt compelled to thank Hashem. Besides the actual animal offering the Korban Todah consisted of 40 large breads in different forms (baked and fried challot and matzot). Four of these breads were shared with the serving Kohen. The remaining 36 needed to be eaten for the rest of the day the offering was brought up until the following night (a day and a half).

The Chumash commentator known as the Sforno (1475-1550) explains the reason such a short time was given to eat these breads was so that the person bringing the korban would have to share these breads with many people, these people would then learn of the fortunate event that this person is celebrating enabling the good news to spread. No other korban is shared with so many others to this extent, teaching us that the Torah wants us to be more focused on what is going right in our lives rather than what we think is wrong. The Torah wants us to focus on and share the times we see the amazing kindness that Hashem showers upon us rather than be that bitter, “bad news” person. Rav Chaim Latzato (1707-1746) in his monumental work Messilat Yesharim states that there is no person in any situation in the world that does not have something to be thankful to Hashem at that moment!

Shabbat Shalom,

R. Yair Steinberg

Adapted from Growth Through Torah by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin