Parashat Tzav en Inglés 5786.

TZAV “The continual fire: a devotion that never goes out”… The portion Tzav deals with the laws of the Sacrifices, especially those related to the Cohanim. It mentions the commandment of removing the ashes, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the offering of shalom, and the prohibition against eating animal fat. It also mentions punishments for those who eat non-kosher meat, as well as the seven days of consecration and the inauguration of the Mishkan. HaShem commands Moshé to gather Aharon and his sons, the Cohanim, and the entire congregation at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. The Korban (offering/sacrifice, from the word Karov [near]) is the way to draw near to the Creator. There is nothing but the offerings; we find ourselves in the worst state and must rise and move toward HaShem. Drawing near to Him depends on our middot (qualities); therefore we must transform ourselves and correct all our negative and selfish desires according to the order described in the Torá. The word Torá comes from the word Horaá (instruction), which teaches us to correct our selfish desires, to turn them into longings for generosity and love, and to move from baseless hatred to absolute love. To correct the heart, which symbolizes our selfish and corrupt desires, we need the Torá. We gradually draw near to the Creator through corrections that begin with the easiest desires and continue with the more difficult, heavy, and selfish ones. We must draw near to one another. The quality of self-giving and unconditional love that we can give to our neighbor brings us closer to HaShem. The more middot tovot (good qualities) we have toward others, the better we will be able to perceive the Will of HaShem.