Where Can God Be Found? D’var Torah for Parshat Vayikra
How can we feel an attachment to the Almighty?
At the beginning of the Parsha of Vayikra, which marks the start of the book of Vayikra, Hashem gives us a commandment:“Adam ki-yakriv mikkem korban la-Hashem.”
– “When anyone among you would like to bring an offering, a sacrifice, to Hashem.”
However, the phrasing seems a bit awkward. Literally, it translates as:
“Adam ki-yakriv” – “a person, when they offer a sacrifice”, “mikkem” – “from among you”, “korban la-Hashem” – “a sacrifice to Hashem”.
It would have made more sense if it said, “Adam mikem,” meaning “someone among you.”
The Alter Lubavitcher Rebbe explained beautifully, this is how you should read it:
“Adam ki-yakriv” – when any person wants to come to the Almighty, “mikkem korban la-Hashem” – that closeness should come from you.
Don’t just wait for God to enter your life. You need to take those first steps, and Hashem will respond in a magnificent way.
The Talmud teaches us that Hashem says: “Pit’chu li petach shel machat, va-ani eftach lachem pit’cho shel ulam.” Open for Me just the space of the eye of a needle, and in return, I will open for you the size of a large hall.
Hashem is telling us: All we need to do is make a small effort, and He will respond in the most remarkable way.
This is exactly what we experience when we perform Mitzvot, study Torah, raise our spiritual level, and deepen our awareness of our tradition. It’s incredible how the Almighty becomes an integral part of our lives, lifting us up and allowing us to live a meaningful and joyous existence.
It’s a bit like the lottery. You can’t complain about never winning the jackpot if, in the first place, you didn’t buy a ticket.
There is a Chassidic idea that puts it this way:
Where can God be found? The answer is: Where people let Him in.
Shabbat Shalom.
