Kol Torah

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Paying Hashem Forward By David Bitton (‘24)

2023/5783

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.