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This week's Parashah features the Korban Todah. There are
two key differences between the Korban Todah and the Korban
Shelamim, especially when taken in conjunction with each
other:
1. The Korban Todah must be brought and eaten all over
the span of one day and one night, as opposed to the
Korban Shelamim which can be eaten for two days and
the night in between.
2. The Korban Todah is significantly larger than the
Korban Shelamim.
Firstly, why do we have less time to eat the far larger Korban
Todah and more time to eat the smaller Korban Shlamim?
Hashem makes it impossible to eat the Korban Todah alone. A
large gathering of friends and family is required to finish this
massive Korban. As a result, one's gratitude to Hashem is
publicized. Giving your Hoda’ah an audience is a great
opportunity to make a huge Kiddush Hashem.
Why is this publicity so important when it comes to Hoda’ah?
The idea of paying Hashem back is hard to comprehend given
the world belongs to him. What we can do, however, is “pay
Him forward,” so to speak. When Hashem bestows good upon
us, we can take the goodness and spread it to others. By taking
that feeling that Hashem gives us and spreading it we achieve
Nachat Ruach to Hashem. Although we may not be able to pay
Hashem back, we can spread the greatness of Hashem to the
masses.
With Pesach around the corner, it is noteworthy that the
Korban Todah is the only Korban that mixes chametz and
matzah. Between the time of Pesach, a time in which we refrain
from eating chametz, and the time of Shavuot, where we give
the Korban “Shtei HaLechem,” “two loaves of bread,” we are
going through a Korban Todah on a broader scale. Entering this
spiritual time of year there is no better time to express our
Hoda’ah to Hashem, give our Korban Todah, and pay Hashem
forward.