Yalkut Shimoni, Tzav 479: " Since the korbanot (sacrifices) are pure and the children are pure, let the pure come and deal with the pure.” Vayikra is not just a sefer which provides simply practical knowledge. But it deals with Bnei Yisroel as "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation". When we start children with learning Vayikra, we expose them to this fundamental value when they still have "the freshness and purity of young age". Have a good shabbas everyone! <3
Rabbi Ari Israel of the University of Maryland Hillel expands on a teaching of Rav Assi and says: “Youth, who represent our past, present and future, are first taught the book of purity and spirituality. Children, filled with optimism, can look at the world with hope. Hashem is pure, Children are pure and Vayikrah is pure. When the 3 of them meet, everything is just beyond holy. the presence of hashem can certainly be found in the other four books, but no other book has a central theme of His holiness and the nation's holiness.
For many generations there has been a custom to begin a child’s learning of Chumash with Sefer Vayikra, which Chazal call Torat Kohanim. The explanation is found as far back as the midrash (Yalkut Shimoni, Tzav 479): “Why do young children start with Torat Kohanim? Let them start with Bereishit? Since the korbanot (sacrifices) are pure and the children are pure, let the pure come and deal with the pure.” Vayikra is not a book whose purpose is just to provide practical instructions on the way to bring sacrifices. Rather, it deals, on a fundamental basis, with Bnei Yisrael as a mamlechet kohanim v’goy kadosh (kingdom of priests and a holy nation). There is no more appropriate time to inculcate these values into children as when they have the freshness and purity of young age- this is their learning peak.
Children start learning with vayikra because it deals with the pure offerings. Since children are pure and innocent, we teach them about the pure values they should have. -Shaul yisraeli
Midrash Rabbah says: Why do children start learning chumash with Vayikra? Because children are pure and korbanot are pure, so they come together in the study of purity.
For many generations it has been a custom for specifically children to begin Torah study by learning Sefer Vayikra aka Torat Kohanim. Why is this? According to midrash - since the karbanot are pure and the children are pure, let the pure deal with the pure. Vayikra does not just just give instructions of sacrifices, but it deals with mamlechet Kohanim V'goy Kadosh. It is appropriate to teach children this at a young age. Additionally, we learn in Vayikra about the Avoda and Karbanot. This clearly illustrates our relationship with Hashem in that the Avoda must come from within a person, and Karbanot should be offered as an external gift, but nowadays we can no longer give Korbanot. We can learn so much from the laws of Avoda and karbanot to instill purity into our lives. Shabbat Shalom!
Yalkut Shimoni, Tzav 479: " Since the korbanot (sacrifices) are pure and the children are pure, let the pure come and deal with the pure.”
ReplyDeleteVayikra is not just a sefer which provides simply practical knowledge. But it deals with Bnei Yisroel as "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation". When we start children with learning Vayikra, we expose them to this fundamental value when they still have "the freshness and purity of young age".
Have a good shabbas everyone! <3
Rabbi Ari Israel of the University of Maryland Hillel expands on a teaching of Rav Assi and says: “Youth, who represent our past, present and future, are first taught the book of purity and spirituality. Children, filled with optimism, can look at the world with hope. Hashem is pure, Children are pure and Vayikrah is pure. When the 3 of them meet, everything is just beyond holy. the presence of hashem can certainly be found in the other four books, but no other book has a central theme of His holiness and the nation's holiness.
ReplyDeleteFor many generations there has been a custom to begin a child’s learning of Chumash with Sefer Vayikra, which Chazal call Torat Kohanim. The explanation is found as far back as the midrash (Yalkut Shimoni, Tzav 479): “Why do young children start with Torat Kohanim? Let them start with Bereishit? Since the korbanot (sacrifices) are pure and the children are pure, let the pure come and deal with the pure.”
ReplyDeleteVayikra is not a book whose purpose is just to provide practical instructions on the way to bring sacrifices. Rather, it deals, on a fundamental basis, with Bnei Yisrael as a mamlechet kohanim v’goy kadosh (kingdom of priests and a holy nation). There is no more appropriate time to inculcate these values into children as when they have the freshness and purity of young age- this is their learning peak.
Children start learning with vayikra because it deals with the pure offerings. Since children are pure and innocent, we teach them about the pure values they should have.
ReplyDelete-Shaul yisraeli
Midrash Rabbah says: Why do children start learning chumash with Vayikra? Because children are pure and korbanot are pure, so they come together in the study of purity.
ReplyDeleteFor many generations it has been a custom for specifically children to begin Torah study by learning Sefer Vayikra aka Torat Kohanim. Why is this? According to midrash - since the karbanot are pure and the children are pure, let the pure deal with the pure. Vayikra does not just just give instructions of sacrifices, but it deals with mamlechet Kohanim V'goy Kadosh. It is appropriate to teach children this at a young age.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, we learn in Vayikra about the Avoda and Karbanot. This clearly illustrates our relationship with Hashem in that the Avoda must come from within a person, and Karbanot should be offered as an external gift, but nowadays we can no longer give Korbanot. We can learn so much from the laws of Avoda and karbanot to instill purity into our lives.
Shabbat Shalom!