Every week on Shabbos Kadoshesh we meet in shul to daven together and listen to divrei hisorerus.  Unfortunately, it seems that we will unable to daven be’tzibbur this Shabbos.  However, we can still share divrei Torah.  The attachment contains some thoughts about the parshas ha’shavua and the current situation.  If you can’t come to the speech, the speech can to come to you!  I encourage you print this out and read it before or on Shabbos and share it with your families.

                                                                                                Beyedidus,

                                                                                                                Mordechai Frankel  

Parshas Vayikra

One of the more enigmatic pesukim in the parsha is the one that tells us that korbonos are a reyach nichoach laHashem, a pleasant smell to Hashem.  What does that mean?  Hashem obviously does not have a sense of smell in the way that people do, and why would one smell be sweeter to him than another? 

The Ramban (Vayikra 1:9) explains that the word korbon is related to the word korov, close, because sacrificing a korbon creates a closeness and oneness with Hashem.   He further explains that the words reyach nichoach relate to the word noch, to rest on, because sacrificing a korbon causes Hashem’s bracha to rest on a person.  The attachment created by the korbon allows Hashem’s shefa to flow down to that person. 

Rabbeinu Bachya explains further, that this is indicated by the fact that there are two fires which join together on the mizbeyach.  Chazal (Yoma 21b) tell us that even though fire comes down onto the mizbeyach from heaven, nevertheless there is a mitzva for the kohanim to light a fire as well.  Rabbeinu Bachya says that the unison of these two fires, our fire which goes up towards heaven and Hashem’s fire that comes down from heaven, is indicative of the attachment between us and Hashem created by the korbonos.

Even though the performance of any mitzva creates a closeness between us and Hashem, there is something unique about korbonos.  Only korbonos are called a reyach nichoach.  Korbonos have a special ability to cause Hashem’s bracha to come down to this world.  Unfortunately, we no longer have the ability to bring korbonos.  However, Chazal tell us that tefilla takes its place – תפלה במקום קרבן היא (Brachos 26a).  Davening is now the vehicle to create that special connection with Hashem.

The Torah exclusively refers to korbonos as a reyach nichoach.  However, there is one other mitzva which the meforshim call a reyach nichoach, and that is tefilla.  The Tur (O.C. 98) writes

"התפלה היא במקום הקרבן דכתיב (הושע יד,ג) ונשלמה פרים שפתינו ... ולכך צריך ליזהר שתהא דוגמת הקרבן בכוונה ולא יערב בה מחשבה אחרת כמו מחשבה שפוסלת בקדשים, ומעומד דומיא דעבודה דכתיב (דברים יח,ה) לעמוד לשרת ... וקביעות מקום כמו הקרבנות שכל אחד קבוע מקומו ... וראוי הוא שיהיו לו מלבושים נאים מיוחדים לתפלה כגון בגדי כהונה אלא שאין כל אדם יכול לבזבז על זה ... ואחר שיעשה דוגמת הקרבן עולה לריח ניחוח למקום שהקרבן עולה, והמלאך עושה אותו כתר לקונו".

 “Tefilla is in the place of a korbon, as it says ‘our lips will replace bulls’ … therefore one must make sure to have kavana, similar to a korbon.  One should not mix in other thoughts, just as other thoughts can invalidate a korbon.  One stands, just as for the avodah, as it says ‘to stand and serve’ … in a set place, just as each of the korbonos had a set place … and it is appropriate for one to have nice clothes specially for tefilla, similar to the bigdei kahuna, although not everyone can afford that … and  after one has fashioned it similar to a korbon it will go up as a reyach nichoach to the place that korbonos go, and a malach will make it into a crown for his Creator”.

In fact, Chazal tell us that tefilla has an even greater capability than korbonos.  The Gemara (Brachos 32b) states:

"גדולה תפלה יותר מן הקרבנות שנאמר (ישעיה א,יא) למה לי רב זבחיכם". 

“Tefilla is greater than korbonos, as it says (Yeshaya 1:11) Why do I need your many sacrifices?”.

This Gemara is telling us that, from the fact that Hashem was quicker to reject Klal Yisroel’s korbonos than their tefillos, one can deduce that tefillos have a greater capability to be heard by Hashem.  But why is this so?

At the end of the sefer Chasam Sofer al Hatorah there are chiddushim from his grandson, the son of the Ksav Sofer and author of the sefer Hisorerus Teshuva.  The Hisorerus Teshuva explains that when people bring korbonos, each person has to bring a korbon for himself.  However, when a person davens, each person davens for the wellbeing of all of Klal Yisroel.   Hashem is quicker to reject korbonos and say, “Why do I need your many sacrifices”.  The possuk calls them ‘many sacrifices’ because each person is sacrificing a separate korbon for himself.  There are a multitude of individual sacrifices.  However, davening is not like that.  We are all davening for each other, which makes it be considered one big tefillah.

Unfortunately, we are currently unable to daven together with a minyan.  These days, as we daven alone, it is more important than ever to remember that we are davening not only for ourselves but also for all of Klal Yisroel.  Sadly, there are frum Yidden across America and the world who are very sick due to the coronavirus.  We need to be mispallel with a lot of kavana that they should have a refuah sheleima.  Of course, we are equally davening that everyone else should remain healthy and well, and not get sick.  There are many Yidden whose parnasah has been severely affected by current events, and they also need much rachmei shomayim.  As the Hisorerus Teshuva says, our tefillos should join together into one big tefilla for all of Klal Yisroel.

This brings to mind something that his father, the Ksav Sofer, writes.  Chazal (Baba Kama 92a) tell us that

"כל המבקש רחמים על חבירו והוא צריך לאותו דבר הוא נענה תחילה".

“Anyone who davens for mercy for his fellow, and he needs the same thing, he will receive it first”.

The Gemara provides two sources for this rule.  One is from Avraham who davened that Avimelech and his family should be healed, and Avraham’s own wife Sarah was healed first and had a child.  The second source is from Iyov, where the possuk says that Hashem helped Iyov because he davened for his friend.  The Ksav Sofer asks, why does the Gemara need to provide two sources for this rule?  Wouldn’t one of them be sufficient?

The Ksav Sofer (Parshas Veyeira, dibbur hamaschil “vayerapeh”) answers as follows.  One may think that this rule only applies when you are genuinely davening for someone else, with no thought in mind that you will be answered first.  However, if you know this rule, then when you are davening for someone else you are doing so with the knowledge that you will be answered first.  If so, maybe you are ultimately davening for yourself, in which case you will not be answered first.  How can we be certain that you will be answered first even if you know the rule that a person who davens for someone else is answered first?  That is why the Gemara feels it necessary to bring two examples, one from Avraham and one from Iyov.  There are various opinions as to when Iyov lived (Baba Basra 15b), but everyone agrees that he did not live before Avrohom.  Consequently, Iyov already knew this rule, as he learned it from Avrohom.  Nevertheless, even though he was aware of the rule, he was still answered first. 

The Ksav Sofer concludes that the Gemara is teaching us that a person who davens for someone else is answered first even if the reason he is davening for the other person is precisely because he is answered first.  His intent doesn’t matter - as long as he davens for someone else, he will be answered first.  We should all continue to daven for the wellbeing of all of Klal Yisroel, and may our tefillos be answered for ourselves as well that we all remain healthy and well and be zocheh to receive shefa bracha from Hashem.