Friday Adar Sheini 12 5703
Torah Lessons (5703)	Chumash: Vayikra, Shishi with Rashi. Tehillim: 66-68. Tanya: Ch. 37. This (p. 167)... G-d forbid. (p. 169).

The Torah portion dealing with altar offerings begins: "A man who offers (Yakriv) of you an offering to G-d." [1]

The logical order of the words should be, "A man of you [2] who offers, etc."

The Alter Rebbe answers: [3] "A man who offers" - in order that a man become closer [4] to G-d - "of you, an offering to G-d" - he must bring the offering, of himself. He must sacrifice his personal "animal," the desire for evil that is called the animal soul. [5]

   

Notes:

1. (Back to text) Vayikra 1:2.

2. (Back to text) I.e., "from among you."

3. (Back to text) Likutei Torah, Vayikra, beginning.

4. (Back to text) Yakriv ("who offers") literally means "draws close."

5. (Back to text) Tanya, Ch. 1.