1

‫ויקרא‬ ‫בס"ד‬

Parshas ‫ ויקרא‬is referred to as ‫תורת כהנים‬, the most difficult of the

five ‫חומשים‬. The months of Elul and Adar are sister months, both
the last months of the year- ‫ אלול‬is ‫איש לרעהו ומתנות לאביונים ר"ת‬,
where in Adar, we’re involved with performing this mitzvah. In
Elul we read of ‫ מחיית עמלק‬in ‫כי תצא‬, and in Adar in ‫פרשת זכור‬. At
the end of Elul is the ‫ימי הסליחות‬, and at the end of Adar ‫ימי המילואים‬
for the purpose of bringing a ‫ סליחה‬and ‫ כפרה‬to the yidden-
‫=כפרה וסליחה ומחילה‬523=‫חודש אדר‬.
Rashi says that before Hashem spoke to Moshe, there was always
a ‫קריאה‬. Rashi says that the ‫ לאמר‬is for Moshe to tell ‫כלל ישראל‬,
that the only reason Hashem is speaking to him, is because of the
yidden. There are many opinions of why there is a small ‫ א‬in ‫ויקרא‬.
The ‫ חידא‬says that this was due to Moshe’s humility, that he was
embarrassed that Hashem called to him. Because of this humility,
Moshe was ‫ זוכה‬to have the ‫ קרן ההוד‬on his face.

Avraham Avinu taught the world that the sun was only a servant of
Hashem, and not a deity on its own, conveying to all the concept
of monotheism. In the future, the sun will be taken out of its ‫נרתיק‬,
its protective layer, and the ‫ צדיקים‬will be healed and the ‫רשעים‬
punished. There will be no gehenom, just the ‫שמש‬. It says in a
pasuk ‫ים‬-‫שמש ומגן הויה אלה‬, where the ‫ בעל תניא‬speaks of the
protective layer, maybe the ozone that surrounds the sun, hinting
to the ‫ים‬-‫ שם אלה‬protecting the ‫שם הויה‬. The ‫ טבע‬conceals the
‫שם הויה‬, where in ‫ גלות‬people could mistakenly think that the world
runs on its own, or that the sun was always there. In the future the
sun will be revealed w/o its ‫נרתיק‬, and the ‫ שם הויה‬will be known to
all. Before the ‫חטא עץ הדעת‬, the sun had no ‫נרתיק‬, no concealment.

In Parshas ‫וירא‬, Avraham was ‫ ישב פתח האהל‬and the ‫ אזנים לתורה‬says
that this took place ‫ערב פסח‬. Avraham being the epitome of the
‫מכניס אורחים‬, and didn’t serve any wine, since it was ‫ ערב פסח‬. What
he did serve to the “guests” was ‫עוגת מצה‬, which was ‫מצה עשירה‬,
neither ‫ חמץ‬nor ‫מצה‬, however by Lot ‫ מצה‬was served, since it was
‫טז ניסן‬, already Pesach. On this ‫ערב פסח‬, Rashi says that Hashem
took the sun out of its ‫נרתיק‬, as this was a revelation of ‫לעתיד לבא‬.
The ‫ חתם סופר‬says that on ‫ערב פסח‬, Hashem will get rid of His ‫חמץ‬
in the world, which is Amelek, and then the ‫ כסאו ושמו‬will be
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complete, and the evil in the world eradicated -

‫=תשביתו‬1118=‫שרפת חמץ‬. Avraham was the first to burn chometz,
by doing away with ‫ע"ז‬, and teaching the masses that the sun is not
an idol, but merely a servant of Hashem, like the moon is a
reflection of the sun. The Zohar and the Tur both say that ‫ פסח‬is
the ‫ י"ט‬of ‫אברהם אבינו‬, as most events in his life took place then -
‫=אברהם אבינו‬317=‫ויקרא‬

The main gist of ‫ ברכת החמה‬is clarifying that the sun is a ‫שמש‬, a
servant of the Almighty, and not an idol. This is why this Bracha is
said in Nisan, the month when we are no longer in the restraints of
‫ טבע‬or concealment, but in the world of ‫שם הויה‬, when there is no
‫ נרתיק‬surrounding the sun. The ‫ קרבן תמיד של שחר‬is sacrificed in the
west, since the sun rises in the east, and our backs are to the sun,
displaying the reality that we are not sacrificing to the sun. The
‫ קרבן תמיד בין הערבים‬is sacrificed in the east, also opposite the sun.
The very first ‫ קרבן‬that was sacrificed in the new Mishkan, on
‫ ר"ח ניסן‬was the ‫קרבן תמיד‬.

In ‫ד‬:‫שה"ש א‬, which we read on ‫שבת חול המועד פסח‬, it says

‫ משכני אחריך ונרוצה‬that is pull me (out of the dirt), and then we’ll
follow. A ‫ קנין משיכה‬on an animal is done in one of two ways, or by
calling the animal, or by hitting it with a stick. The ‫תפארת שלמה‬,
the Redumsker says that either Hashem calls us with a gentle
voice- ‫ויקרא‬, or sometimes hits us with a stick. This calling
especially happens from ‫ר"ח ניסן‬, and the ‫ ויקרא‬in our Parsha took
place on this date, the first words said by Hashem in the Mishkan.
On Pesach, the Almighty is making a ‫קנין‬, that is ‫ קדושין‬with
‫כלל ישראל‬. In Nisan there is an awakening from above, when the
‫ ודודי לי‬precedes the ‫אני לדודי‬, opposite to what happens in Elul.
The humility of the yidden, is what stirs this awakening.
‫ אדם כי יקריב מכם‬means that we have to sacrifice from ourselves-
a yid has to humble the ‫ בהמיות‬in himself, and then he can come
close- ‫קירוב‬. The ‫ ימי הספירה‬is the ‫אחריך נרוצה‬. The ‫ברכת החמה‬
should really take place in Tishrei, when we count the years, as
opposed to the months. Its written ‫ אין כל חדש תחת השמש‬where ‫חז"ל‬
say that under the sun there is nothing new- ‫טבע‬, but above the
sun- ‫למעלה מן הטבע‬, there is ‫חידוש‬. Goyim follow the sun, the ‫טבע‬,
and many worship the sun, but we yidden understand clearly that
all the light, heat and vitamins are all the ‫ חסד‬of the Almighty.
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The first word that we read on the first day of Pesach is also ‫ויקרא‬-
‫… ויקרא משה וכל זקני ישראל משכו‬, referring to the ‫קרבן פסח‬, that is
first ‫ משיכה‬then ‫ונרוצה‬. We must rid ourselves, and pull ourselves
away from ‫ע"ז‬, which includes serving ourselves, our ego. The
first time that the sun was commanded to stop revolving, was by
‫ משה‬in the war against Amelek, as it says ‫ויהי ידיו אמונה עד באו השמש‬
Rashi says there, that Amelek were astrologers, and followed the
sun the ‫מזל‬- that is, ‫ תחת השמש‬where there is a ‫נרתיק‬. Even though
the sun represents the lack of ‫חידוש‬, since it is the same size every
day, the Bracha on the sun is a metaphor for the way the world is
when the sun has no ‫נרתיק‬, no concealment, and when ‫ים‬-‫ שם אלה‬is
not concealing ‫שם הויה‬. Nisan is the month of ‫למעלה מן הטבע‬.
In a leap year, Parshas VaYikra falls out just before Purim. In the
Megilla is mentioned the names of the top officials of ‫אחשורוש‬.
Rav Levi in the Gemorra, says that the pasuk is talking of the
‫קרבנות‬, where each name of these officials, refers to different
‫ קרבנות‬that the yidden were ‫ מקריב‬when there was a ‫ בהמ"ק‬seventy
years earlier. For ‫כלל ישראל‬, this was a ‫זכות נצחי‬. The ‫ מלאכים‬in
heaven, especially ‫מיכאל‬, were ‫ מלמד זכות‬on all the yidden, even
though at the exact same time maybe 18,000 yidden were involved
in a big "‫חילול ה‬, by participating in the party of ‫אחשורוש‬. The
angels were claiming that none of these goyim in Persia, ever
sacrificed any ‫ קרבן‬to the Almighty. From this ‫לימוד זכות‬, Vashti
was removed and Esther became queen, which set the stage for the
big ‫ ישועה‬of Purim.

Mordechai was learning of the ‫מנחת העמר‬, which was brought on

‫טז ניסן‬, and which permitted the ‫חדש‬, the new grain to be eaten.
Haman overheard them learning, and he snickered and said that a
mere scoop of flour is not going to override his 10,000 kikar, that
he was “donating” for the destruction of the yidden. Of all the
‫ קרבנות‬that the yidden brought it only says ‫ נפש‬by the flour
offering. Rashi says that a poor person brings a ‫קרבן מנחה‬, and
Hashem considers it ‫כאילו הקריב נפשו‬. When we learn the different
‫קרבנות‬, it’s as if we brought them, and even greater than the actual
‫קרבן‬, since we study them with the ‫ אמונה‬that one day soon we will
bring them in ‫בית השלישי‬. A mere scoop of flour has the power to
bring down the ‫ רשעים‬- ‫=ממ נון חית הי‬619=‫ המן בו המדתא האגגי‬.
A ‫ מנחה‬is brought with ‫מסירת נפש‬, and in the time of Purim, the
yidden had tremendous ‫מסירת נפש‬. The small ‫א‬, represents the
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‫ הסתר פנים‬of Hashem, ‫אנכי הסתר אסתיר‬, when we had no ‫בהמ"ק‬, no

‫קרבנות‬. However even in this time, the love Hashem has for us is
strong, and we could merit bringing all the ‫ קרבנות‬by reading and
learning of them. Esther said Tehillim ‫כב‬, while in the palace of
‫אחשורוש‬- ‫לי למה עזבתני‬-‫לי א‬-‫א‬, showing that a yid could call out to
Hashem any time, even in ‫עילם המדינה‬, and be answered.

We spoke before of the last words of Yaacov Avinu being

‫ולערב יחלק שלל‬, which Rashi says refers to Purim. Another peshat
of Unkeles is that it’s dealing with ‫ קרבנות‬-that ‫בבוקר יאכל עד‬, and
was divided in the evening- ‫=יחלק שלל‬508=‫וה‬-‫מכם קרבן ליה‬. The
real sacrifice of a yid is when he gives his desires, his ‫ נפש‬over to
Hashem -‫מכם‬. The real meaning of ‫ קרבן‬is not sacrifice, but to
come close. The way to come close to the Almighty is by making
one’s will His will. The Megilla is also a calling from Hashem -
‫=וו יוד קוף ריש אלף‬839=‫מגילה נקראת‬. In the ‫ערב‬- the concealment,
a yid could come close, and there are ‫ קרבנות‬to Hashem, even
when there is no ‫=שלל – בהמ"ק‬360=‫והקריב אליו‬.
In the time of Purim the yidden were completely forgiven-
‫=ויהי בימי אחשורוש‬913=‫ אנכי אנכי הוא מוכה פשעך למעני‬and
‫=יחלק שלל‬508=‫ סלחתי‬.

Parshas ‫ פקודי‬ends with the completion of the Mishkan, and the

inauguration was on ‫ר"ח ניסן‬. On this same date was the first words
spoken to Moshe- ‫ויקרא‬. It says in Pekudi that Moshe was not able
to enter the Mishkan, as he was blocked by the clouds. In
BeMidbar it says that on ‫ר"ח ניסן‬, he did enter ‫ובאו משה אל אהל מועד‬
There is a third pasuk that reconciles the two, and says that when
the clouds were on the Mishkan, Moshe couldn’t enter, but when
they weren’t there, Moshe could enter. At beginning of ‫ויקרא‬, the
‫ תורת כהנים‬speaks of the ‫שלש עשרה מדות התורה נדרשת בהן‬, the last
one being ‫שני כתובים המכחישים זה את זה‬, when two pesukim are
contradictory, there’s a third which solves the contradiction. This
here was an example of this principle. The Magid of Mezerich
says that these thirteen midos that decodes the ‫תורה שבעל פה‬, is
parallel to the thirteen Midos of Rachamim, the last one being
‫ונקה לא ינקה‬, which is also contradictory. Both are comparable and
both are tikunim for the grave sin of the ‫חטא העגל‬.
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The ‫ מגלה עמוקות‬gives many reasons for the small ‫ א‬in ‫ויקרא‬.
Moshe forgot what he did with the 1,775 pieces of silver donated
for the building of the Mishkan, until the soul of Rebbi Akiva
came to him and told him, that he used the silver for the ‫ ווים‬or the
hooks. Rebbi Akiva was the ‫ נשיא‬of ‫תורה שבעל פה‬, and he
expounded on all the Vavim in the Torah. Rebbi Akiva, who died
uttering the ‫ א‬of ‫ אחד‬in the ‫שמע‬, found the ‫ א‬of the ‫ אלף‬775 pieces
of silver. Another small ‫ א‬refers to the ‫גלות‬. When we’re in Galus
the souls of the two ‫ משיחים‬are concealed, and they will suffer the
‫ חטאים‬of the yidden ‫=אלף‬1000=‫משיח בן יוסף משיח בן דויד‬. The
‫ ברית אברהם‬says from the ‫ מקובלים‬that there were 1000- ‫ אלף‬lights
that were distinguished after the ‫חטא העגל‬, and he quotes a
Gemorra in Nedarim that says that Moshe reached fourty nine out
of the fifty levels of Bina, as it says in Tehillim ‫ ח‬-
‫ים‬-‫ותחסרהו מעט מאלה‬, where the ‫מעט‬, the smallest of ‫ים‬-‫ אלה‬is the ‫א‬,
as if the Parsha begins ‫ ויקר‬and not ‫ויקרא‬. Any small letter denotes
‫חטא‬. Hashem calls out to the yidden, despite the concealment.

Rav Tzadok says that if not for the ‫חטא העגל‬, we would have only
needed the ‫עשרת הדברות‬, as all the Torah is included in the ten
commandments. In Gemorra Nedarim it says that all we would
need is the ‫ חומש‬and Sefer Yehoshua if not for ‫חטא העגל‬. We need
more and more Torah to compensate the great concealment that we
are in, as it says in Mishle - ‫ברוב כעס רוב חכמה‬. The more we sin,
the more ‫ כעס‬there is in heaven, and the more Torah is needed to
purify us. After every Galus, the lower we fall the more Torah is
revealed in order to endure the Galus. The ‫( תורה שבעל פה‬TBP) and
also the Mishkan are both tikunim for the ‫חטא העגל‬. The TBC was
revealed by Moshe on Har Sinai, and the TBP was revealed on
‫ ר"ח ניסן‬with the ‫הקמת המשכן‬. Nisan corresponds to ‫יהודה‬,
according to the ‫ארי הקדוש‬. Yehuda is ‫מלכות‬. The king gives orders
with his mouth ‫אשר דבר מלך‬. The ‫ פתח אליהו‬calls the Malchus
‫מלכות פה‬, and so the month of Nisan is the month of ‫תורה שבעל פה‬.
Yaacov sent Yehuda to Egypt first to start up a Yeshiva of TBP.

Hashem first spoke to ‫ משה‬about ‫ קרבנות‬-"‫אדם כי יקריב מכם קרבן לה‬

because of ‫חטא‬. The beginning of Parshas ‫ ויקרא‬speaks of the
‫ קרבן עולה‬which is ‫ מכפר‬for the sin of thought -‫ ע"ז‬where the main
sin is done through thought. ‫ החודש הזה לכם‬is speaking of renewal,
learnt from ‫ ר"ח ניסן‬which is the concept of ‫ התחדשות‬coming after a
6

‫ירידה‬. If a yid didn’t have any downfall, there’s no need for

renewal. The sun doesn’t need renewal, but the moon, which is
totally concealed, and then becomes renewed, certainly does. The
‫ בני יששכר‬says that the total month of Nisan is renewal, which is
the beginning only for ‫כלל ישראל‬, as it says ‫לכם‬. The month of ‫תשרי‬
is also for the goyim. It’s written in the ten commandments-
‫יך אשר הוצאתי אתכם מארץ מצרים‬-‫אני ה" אלה‬. The real beginning is in
Nisan, where we have a new beginning every day. Each and every
day is considered a ‫ ראש חודש‬in Nisan, especially the first twelve
days, when we read the ‫ קרבנות‬brought by each of the twelve
tribes. There is a story of the ‫חוזה מלובלין‬, who would predict
events of that year, in the first twelve days of Nisan. One year he
wrote something in the first four days, but left the the fifth blank.
That year he passed away on ‫ט באב‬, the fifth month. It’s written
that he said that on that year the ‫ מתנגדים‬wouldn’t be able to dance
on hearing of his passing- ( ‫) ט באב‬.

Before every command, Hashem preceded with a ‫קריאה‬. By the

burning bush it says ‫ים מתוך הסנה‬-‫ויקרא אליו אלה‬, and by Har Sinai
‫ויקרא ה" אל משה ביום השביעי‬. Here in our Parsha there is also a
‫קריאה‬, however this ‫ קריאה‬has a small ‫א‬, since this calling is after
the ‫ ירידה‬of the ‫חטא העגל‬. Rashi chooses to mention that ‫ ויקרא‬is a
‫לשון חיבה‬, davka here, since this is after the grave sin of the ‫עגל‬,
which results in Galus and ‫חורבן‬, and nevertheless Hashem is
calling us with his warm love to every yid. Hashem tells Moshe to
inform every yid that they’re compared to the moon, where there
is constant renewal. TBP is compared to the moon, or ‫יהושע‬, which
receives light from the sun, the TBC, or Moshe. In Nisan we were
redeemed and in Nisan we will be redeemed. ‫ גאולה‬comes after a
downfall, where someone that was in jail, has a great joy when
being released, but it means that he was in jail and experienced a
burnout. If there is no burnout, there is no ‫התחדשות‬. The custom
was to learn ‫ ספר ויקרא‬with ‫תינוקות בית רבן‬, where the purpose of
the ‫ קרבנות‬was to purify the yidden, representing the children
under the age of thirteen, who are pure. When Nisan comes, we
are all like children. The ‫ מזל‬of Nisan is the ‫טלה‬, the young sheep,
representing the birth of ‫כלל ישראל‬.

The first time ‫ משיח‬is mentioned in all Chumash, is here in Parshas

‫ויקרא‬, where it talks of the ‫כהן המשיח‬. As we prepare ourselves for
7

the ‫גאולה‬, we must pull ourselves away- ‫משכו‬, from ‫ע"ז‬. Normally
when some item or animal was used for ‫ע"ז‬, we are not permitted
to use it. Here was an exception, in that the ‫ ע"ז‬of Egypt was the
sheep, and we were commanded to drag the sheep through the
streets, tie them up to our beds, and use these sheep as the
‫קרבן פסח‬. Because of the ‫חטא העגל‬, Aharon was excluded and not
privileged to have a direct ‫ דיבור‬from Hashem, like Moshe did. In
the future, every yid is promised that Hashem will appear to him
and explain the secrets of Torah ‫ישקני מנשיקות פיהו‬, and bring him
to ‫=ירושלים‬596=‫הביאני אל בית היין‬.

The Midrash on ‫ פרשת החודש‬quotes the pasuk ‫תורה מאיתי תצאי‬,

which is a renewal of Torah, a new revelation of that which was
hidden. This renewal of Torah will take place in ‫י"ם‬, as it says
‫כי מציון תצא תורה ודבר ה" בירושלים‬. The ‫ בנין בהמ"ק‬will take place in
Nisan, and as we said that on ‫ערב פסח‬, Hashem will get rid of His
‫חמץ‬, which is Amelek. The appointment of ‫ מלך המשיח‬will be in
Nisan ‫=החדש הזה לכם‬424=‫משיח בן דוד‬, and the ‫ בית השלישי‬will be
built on ‫טז ניסן‬. The three days that Queen Esther designated for
the yidden to fast were ‫יד טו טז ניסן‬, which will be in the future the
same dates as the eradication of Amalek, the appointment of the
‘King’, and the building of the ‫בית השלישי‬.

The Parsha speaks of all the different ‫קרבנות‬- the ‫עולה‬, the ‫שלמים‬,
the ‫ חטאת‬and also the animal, bird and also the flour offerings. The
flour offerings were the cheapest, brought by the poor and called
‫מנחה‬, meaning gift (as it says of the offering that Hevel and Kain
brought), the simplest being the ‫מנחת סולת‬. There was a Mincha
that was an obligation, called the ‫ מנחת בכורים‬that was brought
once a year on the sixteenth of Nisan, also known as the ‫מנחת העמר‬
The barley stalks were taken when they were still soft, frying them
so they become hard, and then grinded down- ‫גרש‬. This ‫קרבן‬
permitted the new grain- ‫חדש‬, to be eaten. The pasuk starts off
with the word ‫ואם‬, which means if. Rashi asks if this ‫ מנחה‬is a ‫חיוב‬,
then why start off with the word if. Rashi says that there are
certain times that ‫ אם‬means when, like over here. Another example
is ‫אם כסף תלוה את עמי‬.

The Safra says the Parsha was said right after the Mishkan was put
up on ‫ר"ח ניסן‬. After the ‫ חטא העגל‬the stature of the yidden were
8

diminished, and therefore the small ‫ א‬in ‫ויקרא‬. Before this sin,
there was no need for sin offerings, since the sacrifices are to bring
forgiveness from Hashem, and to come close ‫קרב‬. Also there
would have been no need for the Mishkan, as every yid was a
‫משכן‬, and the ‫ שכינה‬would dwell in each yid. In a leap year, we’re
given more time, another month for the lower Jews- small ‫א‬, to
have a tikun. Hashem calls us- ‫ויקרא‬, with love, even after we
commit sins. Because we might think that Hashem’s love for the
yidden diminished due to their sinning, it’s here that Rashi says
that ‫לאמר‬, Hashem is talking to Moshe, only because of his love
for the yidden. The small ‫ א‬is in ‫ ויקרא‬and is not written small in
Parshas ‫משפטים‬, since this Parsha took place before ‫חטא העגל‬, and
so Hashem’s love was solid. The last pasuk of the Parsha says-
‫וכפר עליו הכהן לפני הויה ונסלח לו‬. In the month of ‫ אדר‬which are the
letters ‫ארד‬, the last and hidden month, especially when we have a
leap year, we need atonement
‫=וכפר עליו הכהן לפני הויה ונסלח לו‬888=‫חודש אדר השני‬. We were
given a new Derech- ‫מרדכי‬, a new entrance- ‫פתחיה‬. Mordechai
showed the yidden a new path in serving Hashem, even for the
outcasts, the ‫ גרש‬Jews, that ‫ י"ט‬doesn’t atone for ‫=גרש‬503=‫פתחיה‬.