Parsha Review Podcast · Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe

00:01 - Intro (Announcement)
You are listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of Torch in Houston, Texas. This is the Parsha Review Podcast.

00:10 - Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe (Host)
All right, welcome back everybody to the Parsha Review Podcast. We are in the second portion in the book of Leviticus, parsha Tzav. It also is my Bar Mitzvah, parsha. It's a very special Parsha because it talks a lot about the offerings, different offerings, that the Jewish people were able to bring in the temple and were able to serve as atonement. So the verse here in chapter 7, verse number 37, zos HaTorah, this is the Torah, this is the teaching, this is the procedure La'ola for the burnt offering, la'mincha for the meal offering, la'chatas for the sin offering, la'osham to the guilt offering La'miluim. And for the inauguration offering, la'zevach. And for the sacrifice, HaShlomim of the peace offering. Alright, this is it. This is everything you need to know.

01:01
So our sages tell us something very interesting. Our sages tell us that in the time that the temple was around in Jerusalem, something very interesting happened. No one was ever a sinner, they were never in a state of impurity, they had absolute purity. How so the midrash says, no one ever went to sleep at night as a sinner. How, the morning offering atoned for the sins of the night and the afternoon offering was or towards the evening, that atoned for all the sins of the daytime. So there was always a cleansing, there was always a purification for the sins that the Jewish people had committed. An amazing thing. How much do we desire today to have a temple? How much do we desire today to have the ability to have absolute purity? To have the ability to have absolute purity? What an amazing thing. You made a mistake, boom, cleaned it up. And this the Torah gives us as our teaching here in the beginning of Leviticus these few portions. It tells us exactly how to cleanse ourselves from our mistakes. So what do we do today? Oh, today we don't have the temple in Jerusalem. We long for it, we yearn for it, but we don't have it. So what do we do? What do we have in its stead? What do we have to cleanse our sins with?

03:08
So the Talmud says there are three different opinions as to how a person can tap in to the same powers that were around at the time of the temple that we can tap into today. What are those three? Talmud says Rishlo Kishamar. The first opinion says Rish Lakish, that anybody who studies Torah what we are doing right now, that anybody who studies Torah. It is as if it is equivalent to bringing the offerings of the Ola, the Mincha, the Chatas and the Asham. Congratulations, my friends. According to Reish Lakish, we have just atoned for all of our sins because in the study of Torah, in so doing we already. It's as if we have brought those offerings. What a powerful thing. It's as if we've atoned for all of our sins.

04:14
So the Talmud now says why does it say in the verse that one is to the next, to the next, each one leads to the next, to the next, each one leads to the next. So this is the second opinion, because it's Rava's opinion. This is the second opinion, that someone who studies Torah, he doesn't need the Ola. It's not as if he brought one. It's so powerful the study of Torah that he doesn't even need the offerings. It's not as if he brought the offerings. No, such a person doesn't even need those offerings. It's that powerful.

05:06
And then the third opinion Amir Yitzchak. What is the verse? Why does the verse say Zos Torahs ha-chatos, v'zos Torahs ha-osham? Why does it say each one? This is the teaching of, this is the teaching of. It says, it says, it says. He says that anybody who immerses himself with prayer and reads through the korbanot, the offerings, it's as if they brought it. So it's not only the study of Torah, but it's also anybody who involves themselves with these readings. So what type of study qualifies?

05:57
You probably think that, oh, someone who's on a high level, highest level of Torah study. Those are the people who, like Rish Lakish says someone who studies Torah it's as if they've brought those offerings. Or like Rava says someone who studies Torah, they don't need to bring the offerings because it's so far beyond the offerings. Or, like the third opinion, that only when you learn those things, that's when it is as if you brought those specific offerings. So you think it's the highest level study. If I have a doctorate degree in Torah, then my study is worth something. But me, simple guy, I come to the Torch Center and I learn with my rabbi and you know it's okay, that's not what it's considered. No, it's not what the Torah says, it's not what the Talmud says Kola osik b'torah.

06:57
Someone who's immersed, involved in the Torah. You're involved, you think about Torah, you ask, you take your time to inquire, to grow, to question. You know what happens with all of that. That is as if you've immersed yourself in Torah completely and that's as if you've brought the offerings. So let's step back a second and try to think of why. Why does it make a difference if I study Torah or not? Can't I just be a good person? So what is Torah?

07:37
We mention this many times. Torah is the language of God. It's impossible to properly study Torah. It's impossible to properly study Torah and not be changed by it. It's impossible. Someone who learns and studies Torah properly will be transformed by it. There's no alternative, there's no other solution. It's impossible for someone to learn You're learning Hashem's words. So what happens? How many times do we learn something and suddenly realize you know what.

08:17
I probably shouldn't have acted like that. I should probably call that person and apologize. Why? Because we're creating a greater clarity in our relationship with God and now the other things just fall aside. They fall to the wayside and we're able to shine a light on. I did the wrong thing, I'm willing to admit it and I'm willing to take a step back. And why? Because what I'm doing in essence is connecting to Hashem on a higher level.

08:52
What is atonement? Atonement is the same thing Atonement asking forgiveness and Hashem forgiving us. Why? Because, oh, we removed the barriers of our sin and now we have a clarity between us and God. We have a clear relationship, a clear understanding of where we stand with God. What is the process of tshuva? The process of tshuva is the same thing. I realize I made a mistake and now I'm asking forgiveness. The same thing was the offering.

09:29
You know what happened when they brought an offering. They'd put there before the Kohen would walk off with the animal and bring it to slaughter it on the altar. You know what the Kohen would do. He would turn to the person who he's bringing the offering for on their behalf. He'd say what's going on. The person would put their hands on the animal and they would say with their heart, with their tears, crying, saying Hashem, I know that I am supposed to be this offering, I am supposed to be taken, but you and your abundant mercy said the animal will take my place. This animal will be brought as an offering instead of me so that I can have more opportunities to do good, so that I can have more opportunities to correct my ways in other areas. So they would put their hands it's called smicha. They would put their hands on the head of the animal, depending on what offer or for what sin, what type of animal.

10:36
It's the equivalent of you taking your brand new cyber truck or your Dodge pickup truck. It's an expensive car, it's an expensive vehicle Right, your Genesis Right. And you put your hands on the hood of the car and you say, hashem, take this as an offering instead of me. And then comes this big wrecking ball on the side. You step away and the big wrecking ball on the side. You step away and the big wrecking ball comes and destroys your vehicle. It's expensive. An animal is very expensive too. It's very valuable. It does all the work for you in your fields Be very valuable, but we're ready to give it up so that it'd be an atonement for us. We say, hashem, take this instead of me. Hashem, forgive me. And then it's walked off by the Kohen. The Kohen brings it onto the altar and serves it as a offering before Hashem on our behalf. It's pretty amazing.

11:48
Right there, what you do is putting your hands on the animal. You're accepting responsibility for your mistakes. You're recognizing, you're putting a light, a spotlight on your errors. You're putting a light, a spotlight on your errors. Essentially, that's what it is. We're putting a spotlight and correcting our mistakes. My dear friends, this is what learning Torah should do to each and every one of us. It should be absolute purity for our soul, for our mind, for our actions, for our character traits. It should be putting a big, massive spotlight so we can see right from wrong, what's the right way to act, what's the right way to act, what's the wrong way to act, what's the right thing to say, what's the wrong thing to say? I don't know. Okay, I'll learn a little bit more, I'll get some more clarity.

12:52
It's really, it makes all sense in the world how, by bringing ourselves into a study of Torah, we're immersing ourselves in godliness, we're immersing ourselves into the language of God and, as a result, we come out clean, absolute purity. That's what we're seeking. So, if someone is studying Torah and they come two, three, four times a week and then they continue to sin, so now what? What are you going to say to that Rabbi? So here's what we need to understand Every time we study Torah, it's a rebirth of our purity. It's a rebirth of our purity, and what really is happening essentially is yeah, you know what?

13:43
None of us are perfect and we all make mistakes. We're all fallible. We're all capable of going right back into our habits, right back into our routine, and it's not always easy to make a big change To those who study Torah and don't make those changes? Are they held accountable to a higher level? Right, perhaps, but you know what? The fact that someone is able to recognize that they're falling short is part of their atonement. Because we see, like I'm trying, I keep trying, I keep trying, I keep trying, I keep falling, I keep trying.

14:20
But do you know what it says? King Solomon teaches us Sheva yipol, tzaddik fekam, a righteous person falls seven times and keeps on getting up. So I ask you a question what's seven? What does it mean if he falls seven times? What's if he falls eight times? What's if he falls nine times, a hundred times, fifty thousand times? Well, that's exactly the nature. Seven is nature. The nature of a tzaddik is that you fall and you get back up, you fall and you get back up, you fall and you get back up.

14:54
I want to share with you a story. I heard this from a source that did something that they shouldn't have done. They looked at my grandfather, someone looked at my grandfather's personal diary and they read over there that my grandfather wrote on a specific day that he was very grateful to God for not taking his soul, even though he was supposed to die. This is what my grandfather writes, even though he was supposed to die, but God had mercy on him because he wasn't properly ready to die with the highest level of emunah. What are you talking about? You're talking about someone who worked his whole life teaching Torah. You're talking about someone who worked on his emunah, whose emunah was a pillar of his life, had the most incredible authorship, writing incredible books of spiritual growth, writing incredible books of spiritual growth, dedicated his life to teaching and growing and connecting himself and others, influencing an entire generation. And he writes in his own personal diary, not to be seen by others, that God was taking his soul and he begged and said God, I'm not at the exact spot.

16:19
I need to be in my emunah, in my clarity of Hashem, to die in the proper way. I need another chance. What type of thing is this? You think someone like that? You learn Torah. How many times? You learn Torah for 80, 90 years. So you think such a person is ready, he's ready to be at the level. He's all set. I need another chance. Don't take my soul yet. I need to work a little bit more on my emunah so I can die the proper way. You understand what we're dealing with. Welcome to the club.

16:57
Right, a person needs to take every single lesson of Torah that we study as a tool. How can I connect to Hashem more? How can I connect to Hashem when we leave a Torah class? What did I just learn and how is this going to influence my life? How is this going to purify my soul? What do I need to do? What action do I need to take?

17:25
You know people can go to the most influential speakers. They can go to, you know, life coaches. They can go to therapists. They can go to all of these different, so many different avenues that a person can take. And what Nothing changes? Seeking guidance because maybe I just need a sounding board, maybe I, but I'm not. When we walk out, we need to ask ourselves in any of those scenarios you go to a you, you go to one of those. What's that guy tells you how to be rich. What's that guy's name? Big influencer, very powerful speaker. I don't remember his name? Tony Robbins, right? So, yeah, people know how to spend the money to go to this conference, but how many people does it change their lives? I don't know if it's good or bad, I don't know. I don't know anything about it. I just know that thousands and thousands and thousands of people are clamoring to get a ticket to go to one of his events.

18:33
Change to become better. There's only one person who changes the person who leaves and says that's it, it's up to me and I'm going to make that change. No one's going to make that change for me, and that's the person who succeeds. Not because they're a statistic, not because they got all the tools, but because they have determination and they decided I am going to change.

19:01
The same thing is with the study of Torah, rabbi Kiva. Although we are taught that he didn't know any Torah until he was 40 years old, you think he didn't learn anything. Perhaps his application was different, perhaps after the age of 14, he said it's dependent on me. I have to make that change. It's me that's in the way, it's not my intellect, it's not my parents, it's not my circumstances. We can give excuses for everything or we can say you know what, it's me. I need to make a change. How am I going to change? And that needs to be our goal. And that's, I think, the essence of all of this the ola, the mincha, the chatas, the asham, the miluim, the zevach haslamim, all of these different offerings.

19:51
At the end of the day, what Torah teaches us to do is to internalize the message to me. How am I going to become a better person? They act that way in their relationship with their spouse. Is that the right way for me to act? I need to take it to myself, apply it. Is it the wrong way? Should I stay away from that? That every person needs to determine.

20:17
The Torah is the emes, torah is emes. It's called Torah emet. Natan. God gave a Torah which is emes. It's truth. If we don't know what way to turn, turn to the Torah. The Torah will guide you on the way of truth. The Torah is emes, the Torah is the guide. That's what Torah means. Instruction the Torah is the instruction of how to live life and how to know right from wrong. My dear friends, parashat staff teaches us, even though it's the offerings and we're like. Well, what do I understand of offerings? It's all about the personal relationship with Hashem. Hashem should bless each and every one of us to merit to have that closeness with Hashem and to merit to take our closeness to the highest level it possibly can grow in oneness, in dveikos with Hashem, in absolute closeness with Hashem. Have an amazing Shabbos.

21:20 - Intro (Announcement)
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