Glossary of Terms Used in the VaYikra Weekly Torah Portion

Offering/Sacrifice

The word, Korban (offering/sacrifice), comes from the word, Karov (near), as it is written, “As Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord” (Exodus, 14:10). Pharaoh is our biggest force of advancement. In fact, everything we slaughter at the altar, all that we correct, are parts of Pharaoh, that great will to receive from which we cut slices and sacrifice. By that, we become corrected and draw closer, until the image of the Creator emerges in us from the image of Pharaoh.

Sin

“Sin” is the complete disclosure of our nature, showing how absorbed we are in self-love instead of the love of others.

Mistake

The corruption of the force of Bina in us is called “mistake.” The corruption of the force of Malchut in us is called “sin” (deliberate faulty act). In our world, the sins are far greater than the mistakes. Take, for example, a person who wants to steal; the mistake is that he is jealous of another and seemingly does him no harm by being jealous.

The correction of the mistake is when a person transcends one’s will to receive and does not want to use it. At that time, the person becomes detached from the mistake and later inverts the entire ego, the entire will to receive, into having the aim to bestow upon others. This is how we correct the sins.