Parshas Tzav
In this week’s parasha, we learn about the mitzva of bringing a korban todah, which is incumbent upon any person who merits an especial measure of Divine assistance, such as surviving dangerous situations like war, road accidents or illnesses. The korban todah included 40 challos which were clearly intended to set the stage for a banquet with many participants, thus providing a proper forum for the bringer of the korban to publicize his personal experience with Hashem’s hashgacha.
The Medrash (Vayikra Rabba 9:7) makes a puzzling statement about the korban todah: it is the only korban that will still be brought during the times of Moshiach.
The question is, why? We know that in the times of Moshiach, the nations will beat their swords into plowshares and wars will be a thing of the past. The Ramban (Vayikra 26) adds that in the Messianic era there will be no more illnesses, either. If so, what place will there be for a korban todah?
Rav Tzadok Hakohen answers that indeed, in Moshiach’s time no one will be obligated to bring akorban todah, but many will feel on their own a need to bring one. In the times of Moshiach people will be able recognize and appreciate what it means to live a life unfettered by the myriad worries that challenge us today, as we strive to do Hashem’s will in this dark period before Moshiach. Every moment of quiet and chance for growth in Torah and avodas Hashem will be an open demonstration of Hashem’s bracha. This heady sense of gratitude to Hashem for enabling us to serve Him without hindrance will be crystallized in the form of a korban todah and shared with others. While a korban todah is an obligation for those who merit specific examples of Hashem’s hashgacha, the truth is that it is proper for every Jew who feels that Hashem has given him an especial measure of His assistance to bring this korban and express his thanks to Hashem.
Of course, the korban todah that was offered in the times of the Beis Hamikdash was brought chiefly for the specific miracle that was merited. However, the Sefas Emes notes that part of the function of the korban was to serve as a springboard for recognizing and expressing thanks for the full gamut of chassadim Hashem does for us at every moment. By initiating this train of thought with the major miracle, one goes on to discover Hashem’s kindness even in the seemingly mundane and trivial aspects of our earthly existence. Just as Rav Tzadok Hakohen said above about the times of Moshiach, so too in all times, the korban todah is to awaken us to the thanks we must give for the good life we have in the here and now.
Dovid Hamelech alludes to this process, saying: “They shall relate to Hashem His kindness, and His wonders to people” (Tehillim 107). We begin by relating Hashem’s kindness, meaning the specific act of kindness for which the korban todah is being offered, but that is only the beginning. Afterwards we’re expected to go veiter and see Hashem’s presence in the myriad things that seem to us “normal” and unquestioned. Now is the time for us to realize that these too are wonders, and should draw from us praise of Hashem.
This may seem to us like a nice minhag or additional form of piety, but the Ramban refers to this display of gratitude to Hashem as the very reason for creation! In the end of Parshas Bo the Ramban writes: “We have no other reason for the creation … only Hashem wants from us that we should know and give thanks to Hashem Who created us.”
We should thank Hashem for every aspect of life, as insignificant as it may seem, and in this we fulfill the tachlis of life.
Indeed, in making these efforts we fulfill our tachlis in life, but we should keep in mind that we have only to gain by this. As Rabbi Akiva Eiger comments (in Teshuvos Hachadashos, based on Tehillim 50:23), recognizing and expressing Hashem’s kindness to us is in fact a way to receive still more kindness from Him. This “fringe benefit,” as it were, is easy to understand. If a father is blessed with both children and wealth, he will naturally prefer to share his abundance with the children who display gratitude for his kindness. Thus, the more effort we put into recognizing Hashem’s kindness and thanking Him for it, the more likely we will be in line to receive still more kindness.
But fringe benefits aside, Chazal apparently foresaw that we would need chizuk in our task of recognizing and praising Hashem’s kindness, and therefore went to such lengths to ensure that the miracle of Purim remain emblazoned in our memory — even into the period of Moshiach. The Rambam (Hilchos Megillah 2) states that all the writings of the Nevi’im will be batel in the future but Megillas Esther will still be studied and serve as the basis for a holiday. The Megillas Estheris the prime example in Tanach of nissim nistarim; of Hashem’s controlling everything behind the scenes in an invisible manner. As such, it is to serve us as a training manual to reveal Hashem’s kindness and hashgacha pratis every moment of our lives, and to express appreciation for this.
An eminent, elderly Rav chanced upon a clever way to impart this awareness to his talmidim. One day as he and his driver were traveling alone by car to a simchah, he overheard a strange voice saying: “In another 1 mile, turn right… At the next intersection, turn left…”
“Where is this voice coming from?” asked the Rav, and the driver told him about a new device called a GPS, which guides a driver via satellite to his destination.
“You mean up there in the sky there’s a satellite that’s guiding me?”
“Yes,” answered the driver.
“Does it guide other drivers, too?”
“Yes, it’s a service available for everybody.”
At the simcha, the Rav shared his insight: “Look! There’s a man-made metal contraption up there in the sky that can guide each and every driver to his own unique destination. Just like this machine guides us, Hashem is surely leading us every step of the way in our lives, and we must make the effort to see this and thank Him for it!”
Gratitude to Hashem should not be reserved for major displays of hashgacha pratis. The fine workings of every minute detail in life demand no less recognition and expressions of thanks.
Rav Shach once tried to impart this lesson to a talmid, who asked if he should make a kiddush in honor of the birth of his daughter. After all, the talmid reasoned, his wife’s pregnancy and the baby’s delivery had all gone by with no significant complications — maybe a kiddush wasn’t necessary.
“Adraba,” exclaimed Rav Shach. “If everything went normally, you should make an even biggerkiddush, to thank Hashem for the fact that all of those ‘complications’ did not happen!”
May we merit to recognize Hashem’s guidance of every step of our lives, and show Him our appreciation!