Happy Purim!

Just Bring Yourself
By Rabbi David Polsky

What is the most important component of a sacrifice? Spending a good deal of money? Bringing a beautiful gift? A verse at the beginning of this week’s parasha suggests that the answer is none of the above. The verse (Leviticus 1:2) states, “when a man brings a sacrifice from himself [mikem], a sacrifice to God.”

Rabbi Shabbtai Kohen, the 17th century Talmudic master commonly known as the Shakh, reads the word “mikem” as “OF himself.” The goal of a sacrifice is not merely to donate an animal or any other gift, but to but to also give one’s heart. When a person offers a sacrifice while remaining arrogant, he/she is missing the true point of the sacrifice, which is to elevate the heart as well as the gift.

The same teaching applies when we donate money. From a purely secular perspective, it should not matter what our reasons are when we give our money and resources to charity. As long as the recipient(s) are helped, the giving is successful, even if the donor is only out for honor. But religion might argue that giving charity should also have the effect of cultivating the heart. Whether we are donating animals or money, giving is more than about dollars and cents.