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The Weekly Sedra – Parashas Vayikra – Self-Sacrifice / It Doesn’t Really Kill

On a freezing winter night as Napoleon lie under his warm covers, he was overcome by a sudden bout of thirst. Considering that in order to satisfy his craving he would have to leave his cozy conditions and go outside to fetch some water, he contemplated ignoring his nagging discomfort, but was quickly overcome by a powerful sense of shame.
“Napoleon! You have become all but lazy,” he said to himself. “There is, evidently, no difference between you and the common yokel.” With that, he tore himself out of bed and proceeded out the door to fetch himself some water.
By the time he walked across the field, where the fresh water was stored, he thought to himself: “Bonaparte, you really ought to be embarrassed of yourself. You are so weak you’d do anything to avoid a little discomfort. Have you no willpower to prevail over a tad of thirst? There is obviously no difference between you and the ordinary Joe.” He immediately retuned to bed without touching a drop of water.
Upon relating this story, the Chasidic master of Lublin, (The Chozeh) concluded: “This is what I call strength of character.”

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Vayikra

1. This week we begin a new Chumash (book) in the Torah (the Five Books of Moses) named Vayikra (Leviticus). Chumash Vayikra mainly deals with the sacrifices that the Jewish people brought to Hashem in the Holy Temple and it goes through the work of the Kohanim (the priests).

2. In the beginning of this week’s Torah portion Hashem says “Adam Ki Yakriv Mikem Korban Lashem Min Habihayma Min Habokor Oo’min hatzon… – When a man will bring an offering from (among) you as a sacrifice to Hashem, from the cattle, from the herd or from the flock…” (Leviticus, Chapter 1, Verse 2).