Parashas Tzav - You can always knock on My door!

This week's Dvar Torah has been sponsored for:
Aliyah Neshama: Rachamim ben Adina
May your soul be spiritually uplifted and judged with mercy
&
Refua Shelema: Tzvi ben Esther
May you have a quick recovery!
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We established last week that Sefer Vayikra has a lot to do with Kohanim (Priests) and their work. One of their jobs was bringing korbonos (sacrifices.) Not all sacrifices are brought to atone for a person’s sin. Some were given as a thanksgiving. The purpose of korbonos is to bring us closer to Hashem. The word ‘korbon’ comes from the root word of ‘karov’ (closeness).

The one bringing a korbon (as an atonement) would be greatly humbled while witnessing the slaughtering, butchering and burning process of the animal. [1] Some of us experience this right before Yom Kippur when doing kaparos (atonement) - by waving a chicken over our heads, saying, “This chicken should be slaughtered in our place, for the sins we’ve committed,” witnessing the chicken’s death. *

In this week’s Parasha, we learn about the mitzvah of having the fire on the Altar constantly lit. The Torah says twice, “The fire on the Altar shall be lit with it" (the sacrifices will be ignited by the constant fire); and also “a continual fire shall be burning on the Altar”, all within the first six pesukim. The Gemara says [2] there were two fires on the Altar every day - one called 'Ma'aracha Gedola' which was used for all the burnings of the sacrificial animals, [3] and one for the ketores (incense). There was a third one as well, according to Rav Yossi, that was there to fulfill the requirement of the Torah to have fire on the Altar at all times. [4] Even when it rained over the flame, it never got extinguished.

I remember when my parents took my siblings and I on vacation. We went on a tour around a very nice neighborhood. The tour guide over the microphone told us, “You will notice around us in a lot of houses, there are candles constantly lit the whole night by their windows. Those candles indicate that if anyone of you were ever in trouble, whether you were hungry or needed a place to stay, you can always knock on their doors at any time during the night.”

To me, the constant fire burning on the alter is like Hashem is telling us, “I am always going to be here. If you need (or want) to bring Me a korbon, don’t worry about the time it would take to ignite a flame. It is constantly lit and I am always ready for you to ‘come close’.”

A lesson I learned in this week's parasha is that whenever you feel like you are in trouble or distant from Hashem, it’s never too late to ask for forgiveness or to 'ignite' a kesher (connection) with Him. He is telling us, “If you feel it’s too late at night (or in life) to knock on My door, don’t worry about that. It’s never too late!”

Have a wonderful Shabbos,
Nisso

[1] Ramban Vayikra 1:9
[2] Yoma 33a
[3] Rashi
[4] Yoma 45a
*Note: I have omitted many details pertaining the services of Korbonos.