Divrei Torah on the weekly portions

VaYikra: VaYikra

SHalom Aleichem!

"… One of you who offers [Korban LaHashem] an offering to God …" (VaYikra 1:2).

The Midrash comments rather cryptically and without elaboration that the phrase "Yameinu KeTZel Over" (our days are like a passing shadow) (Psalms 144:4) is pertinent to the above verse. What exactly is this connection and how is it relevant to our life?

Rav Chaim Brisker explains by quoting the Gemara (Nedarim 10b): When a person designates an offering he should not say "LaHashem Korban" (to God, an offering), rather he should say "Korban LaHashem" (an offering to God). According to the SHlah, the reason one should not say "LaHashem Korban" is that maybe he will take God’s name in vain, in the rare event that he might die in the middle of his sentence! This explains the cryptic Midrash. The concern is that the person might die suddenly, since our days are like a passing shadow.

I heard from Jeremy Golker that this is why we respond "Aleichem SHalom" as opposed to "SHalom Aleichem" when someone greets us. Since SHalom is one of God's names, at least we won't have taken God's name in vain in case we drop dead (God forbid) in the middle of our sentence. The obvious question then is why do we allow the initiator of a greeting to greet a person with the words "SHalom Aleichem"? What if he dies (God forbid) half way through? The answer is that God wants people to extend gestures of friendship and so the person who initiates with "SHalom Aleichem" receives special protection from God so (s)he will not die in the middle.

A similar theme appears in the festival of Purim, which we will celebrate in a few days. One of the Mitzvot of the day is to send food presents to at least one person (Orach Chaim 695:4). One purpose of this Mitzvah is to show that Haman’s slanderous propaganda that the Jews were a scattered and disunited people (Megilat Ester 3:8) was not true. Mordechai demanded that we demonstrate on Purim that we are all friendly and united with one another (Megilat Ester 9:22).

SHabbat SHalom and Happy Purim!