Humility and the Power of Sacrifice
אָ דָם כִּי יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם קָרְבָּן לַה' מִן הַבְּהֵמָה מִן הַבָּקָר וּמִן הַצֹּאן וגו' (א, ב)
When a man from among you brings a sacrifice to Hashem; from animals, from cattle or from sheep... (1:2)
An Anav is Like One Who Brought a Korbanos:
The second pasuk of this Parshah also can be understood as describing the greatness of humility.
Rav Zushe of Anipoli zy”a explains the words “odom ki yakriv michem” (when a man from among you brings) by stating the word “odom” is an acronym for “Avrohom, Dovid, Moshe.” All three of these men were tremendous anavim. Avrohom said about himself (Bereishis 18:27): “I am dust and ashes.” Dovid said (Tehillim 22:7): “I am a worm, not a man.” Moshe said (Shemos 16:7): “What am I?”
This teaches us that one who is humble and modest is considered as if he brought a korban to Hashem. The pasuk is saying that an “odom”, someone who is humble like Avrohom, Dovid and Moshe, is considered to have “brought from you a sacrifice to Hashem.”
Like Bringing All Korbanos:
Not only is an anav considered to have brought a korban, he is actually considered to have brought every korban.
Rav Bunim of Premishlan zy”a writes in the name of his father, Rav Tzvi Hirsch, the Magid of Voidaslov, zy”a, an explanation of the Gemara (Sotah 5B) that says: “When one brings an Olah, he has the reward for an Olah in his hands. When one brings a Shelamim, he has the reward for a Shelamim in his hands. But if one has a broken spirit, it is considered by the Torah as if he brought all the korbanos, as is stated (Tehillim 51:19): ‘A broken spirit is like the offerings to Hashem.’”
He explains that when one brings an Olah or Shelamim, he may think he deserves a reward. But if one is humble and has a broken spirit, he feels like he deserves nothing and, in the merit of his anavah, it is considered as if he brought every korban.
All One Needs is a Broken Heart:
The Ruzhiner Rebbe z”a also learns this pasuk to be teaching a lesson about anavah. It says: “Odom ki yakriv michem korban...” The word “michem” can be an acronym for “middah k’negged middah”, which indicates that when one is in need of atonement, he must atone in a way that is measure-for-measure.
In earlier generations, this atonement was achieved through self-affliction. At that time, there was much joy in the world, and the way to atone for misdeeds was to deny oneself this joy. Measure-for-measure, one who engaged in frivolous pleasure had to afflict himself. In our times, however, we are too week to do this. Therefore, the way to atone is by “sacrificing one’s spirit” by making oneself humble and davening to Hashem with a broken heart. That alone is enough to atone in our times.
