Parshas Vayikra Shabbos Times Erev Shabbos Shabbos Day Mincha 6:00pm Shacharis 9:00am Plag Hamincha 6:17pm Latest time for Shema 10:25am Latest Candle lighting 7:15pm Shabbos Mincha 4:30 / 7:00pm Shkiya 7:33pm Shabbos Ends 8:13pm Shabbos Hagodol Drosha The Shabbos Hagodol Drosha will take place THIS WEEK at 6:15pm Shaarei Shabbos Riddles - Parshas Vayikra 1. When do you have a mitzva to eat Matza on Erev Pesach? 2. When do you have a case that on Yom Tov you can move real chometz? 3. Aside from Moshe, who else in the Torah does Hashem call out to first with the word "Vayikra"? 4. What does a Korbon Mincha have in common with the Korbon Pesach? 5. In this parsha, what animal is spelled two different ways, using the same three letters? Short Vort on the Parsha The Ramban (Vayikra 1:9) explains the concept of offering an animal as a sacrifice to Hashem. A korban takes an animal - the object which epitomizes the physical - and turns it into a spiritual entity. Thus, korbanos were the greatest form of connecting with Hashem, since they were the bridge from our physical world to the spiritual heavens. Rav Wolbe writes that although we lack the Bais Hamikdosh and consequently the ability to bring korbanos, the concept of a korban is still very relevant in the twenty-first century. We are meant to take the physical and turn it into an expression of spirituality. Bilam declared, "Who can count the [many mitzvos] that Yaakov [performs] with dirt" (the dirt used in the ceremony of the Sotah, and the ashes of the parah adumah etc.). Bnei Yisroel's uniqueness is their ability to take plain dirt and connect it to the heavens. This is an idea we should bear in mind as we prepare for the Yom Tov of Pesach. Much time is spent on cleaning the house and other seemingly menial tasks. Yet, truthfully this is yet another mitzvah that Bnei Yisroel perform with dirt (and crumbs).