×
Friend,    With Purim right around the corner, Sefaria is busy preparing for the “Purim bump” — the increase in users who visit Sefaria to celebrate the holiday. Last year, more than 100,000 people visited the library or used the app to connect with the holiday or read along with Megillat Esther. This year we’re expecting even more.    To help with our text and tech preparations ahead of this busy time, a generous Jewish foundation is matching all gifts to the library up to $36,000.    Please give today to help us meet your learning needs!     
Save "Parashat Vayikra: Commentary"

Commentary פַּרְשָׁנוּת

אָדָ֗ם כִּֽי־יַקְרִ֥יב מִכֶּ֛ם קׇרְבָּ֖ן לַֽה'...
A person who offers a sacrifice mikem (from you) to God...
Our commentators notice that the placement of the word “מִכֶּם (mikem, from you)” is strange in this pasuk. Who or what does it refer to?
שִׁעוּר הַכָּתוּב הַזֶּה אָדָם מִכֶּם כִּי יַקְרִיב מִן הַבְּהֵמָה קָרְבָּן לַה'...
This is to be understood as “a person from you who offers an offering…”
Ramban thinks mikem makes the most sense if it’s about who is giving the korban–the person. In order to understand the pasuk, he says that you should read the words as saying: “A person from among you who offers…”
כִּי יַקְרִיב מֵעַצְמְכֶם, בְּוִדּוּי דְּבָרִים וְהַכְנָעָה.
“Who offers”: from your very selves, with a confession and humility.
Sforno thinks there is a lesson to be learned from the unusual order of the words. He believes it teaches us how korbanot are supposed to be offered. A korban is supposed to be truly “from your self,” which means that the sacrifice is not just made with one’s hands, but with one’s whole heart–with a humble attitude and the right intention.
  • In English, when someone does something not just because they have to, but because they really want to, we say that person is doing it "wholeheartedly"--with their whole heart. What are some of the most important things to make sure we do wholeheartedly, and not just because we have to?
  • Are you drawn to the way that Sforno reads the word mikem to suggest a lesson about the meaning of korbanot? Or do you prefer Ramban’s more matter-of-fact approach here? Could this one word mean more than one thing?
We use cookies to give you the best experience possible on our site. Click OK to continue using Sefaria. Learn More.OKאנחנו משתמשים ב"עוגיות" כדי לתת למשתמשים את חוויית השימוש הטובה ביותר.קראו עוד בנושאלחצו כאן לאישור