WHY NO SACRIFICES TODAY? A Kabbalah class by Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz Memory of Zelda Bas Hirsh Leib

In Memory of My Grandmother Zelda Bas Hirsh Leib 30th Yahrzeit Chapter 1: On the verse: צו את בני ישראל ואמרת אליהם את קרבני לחמי לאשי גו׳ ואמרת להם זה האשה אשר תקריבו גו׳  Why the word ואמרת twice ? The Talmud says תפילות במקום תמידין תקנום. It’s only in place of sacrifices.  Why no physical sacrifices today? As we see the spiritual service exists so it is still important.  Chapter 2: In Kabbalah it’s explained the reason for the ואמרת twice for 2 aspects of Sacrifices.  The sacrifices service of: Thought & Speech. Spiritual Action. Physical  Based on the question is even stronger why don’t we have sacrifices today.  As every mitzvah exists on all 3 levels of Thought Speech & action. Even mitzvot of Thought & speech have action on that level.  Why no sacrifices? Chapter 3: In reference to sacrifices: it says in this weeks Parsha ריח ניחוח לה׳  In sifri it explains נחת רוח לפני שאמרתי ונעשה רצוני  That sacrifices reach  נחת רוח the level of תענוג & בפנימיות ie פנימיות התענוג  This happens thru ונעשה Action of רצוני. Why are physical Mitzvot so powerful? As כל הגבוה גבוה ביותר יורד למטה למטה ביותר ונמשך ע״י המטה מטה ביותר.  Hence physical Mitzvot cause a דירה בתחתונים from the highest levels.  There is a advantage to sacrifices over all Mitzvot as thru sacrifices we create the dwelling in a REVEALED WAY.  As the Talmud says that אע״פ שאש יורדת מן השמים מצוה להביא מן ההדיוט that we saw in a revealed way the fire below drawing down the fire from above.  We saw 2 things thru the sacrifices.  Hashem revealed.  The unity of the Jewish people & hashem. As צו את בני ישראל the expression of צוותא was revealed.  Chapter 4: Every mitzvah creates a special connection to Hashem.  Tzizit הוא פריסו דמלכא which creates a unity with Hashem. Nevertheless you can’t see it.  Teffilin connects the Mind & Heart to Hashem which is actual part of the Mitzvah. However it’s not seen in a revealed way.  The same applies to all Mitzvot.  However with Sacrifices we saw in a revealed way that fire from below brought down the fire from above.  Chapter 5: This is the reason that Sacrifices were only in the Time of the temple & in the Place of the Bais Hamikdash.  Even though the cause of the נחת רוח was the תחתון & we are in the Time of Galus & in the Place of Exile outside israel & in the heels of Moshiach.  Since sacrifices the oneness of hashem is in a Revealed way more than any Mitzvah. So you need a time & place that is ripe & complete to create that union.  In exile where hashem is concealed there is no purpose to offer physical sacrifices.  Chapter 6: The reason for the 2 ואמרת as in sacrifices there are.  The Thought & Speech of the sacrifices which applies in all times & places hence it says it separately.  Then there is the special aspect of sacrifices. The action the Reveals the unity with hashem. Which is only in the time & place of the Bais Hamikdash.  Chapter 7: On the other hand. The Time of Exile is a Time & Place so low Lower than the times of the temple so it has the Superior Quality of דירה בתחתונים. So specifically now we can accomplish נעשה רצוני in a complete way.  Hence תפילות במקום תמידין תקנום that we can accomplish the sacrifices even in exile in Thought & Speech.  Speech includes.  Blessings on Mitzvot.  Learning laws of Mitzvot. As when you learn the laws of a sacrifice is as if you brought the sacrifice.  Speech of Mitzvot that have no blessings. Like negative precepts.  Thought today.  Meditation & understanding.  Since the time of exile is the most תחתון as evidence that we can’t bring sacrifices. There is huge value in sacrifices that are brought in thought & speech now.  Hence the spiritual work of the sacrifices now ushers in the true & complete redemption.  Chapter 8: It should be the will of Hashem that by us doing our Avoda in the time & especially thru our prayers we should merit the redemption where can bring the sacrifices in the third temple as the sacrifices will be כמצוות רצוניך & the Sanhedrin will be back with Moshe & Aaron & all the leaders & we will go together to the third temple where hashem watches over all of us & israel will spread all over the world with Joy & Gladness of heart. Based on a Chassidic Discourse of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Shabbas Pinchas י״ד תמוז תשד״מ A Project of Chabad Lubavitch of Southwest Florida 5620 Winkler Road Fort Myers, FL 33919 239-433-7708 www.Chabadswf.org [email protected]