The Torah tells us that the first mitzvah performed each and every day in the Beit Hamikdash was that of Terumath Hadeshen--the cleaning of the ashes that had accumulated due to the constantly burning fires of the altars. "Janitorial work" thus was the fulfillment of the Divine will. Setting up chairs, taking out the garbage, and sweeping the floors in order to beautify our own Mikdashei Me'at (miniature sanctuary, our shuls) is transformed into a mitzvah.

The lesson that the Torah wants to stress is that the essence of Judaism is helping others with the little things in life.

A korban is a barbeque with a spiritual angle to it. Wine and bread (nesachim and menachot) were often added to the festive meal. One might celebrate a business deal with friends, good food and drink at the Temple in Jerusalem; we would thereby acknowledge G-d's guiding hand in our material success, and share our bounty. 

The salting of our korbanot reminds us of the need to create a society based on the principles of righteousness and justice, the antithesis of Sedom. These qualities served as the basis of G-d's choice of Abraham to establish a great nation. "I have given him special attention so that he will command his children and his household after him and they will keep G-d's ways doing righteousness and justice" (18:19).

The most important message of the korbanot—especially to children—is the importance of sincerity. Time and time again, the prophets protested the offering of sacrifices by the Jewish people. They emphasized that an empty act of sacrifice was unacceptable, even hated by G-d (Isaiah 1:11-14). Atonement was not possible unless it was accompanied by a genuine desire to improve. Otherwise, it is just a meaningless, unnecessary ritual. A true korban brought one closer to G-d, and had a lasting impact on the giver.

The Torah then records that Moshe asked his two youngest first cousins, Mishael and Eltzafan, to remove "their brothers from within the holy" (10:4). Why, of all people, did Moshe ask them?  Why not ask the two remaining brothers, Elazar and Itamar—or at the very least, some of the older cousins—to remove the bodies? 

מזמור נ' מתפלמס עם תפיסות רווחות במזרח הקדום לפיהן האל מעוניין בקורבן כדי להשביע את רעבונו. 

The notion of birth causing impurity seems contradictory to the meaning of childbirth. Apparently, the Torah wanted to us to be cognizant of death at the moment we celebrate life. It often takes an awareness of death to motivate one to live a meaningful life.

מה פירוש הביטוי "זית רענן" (י)? ומדוע כותרת המזמור חשובה להבנת המזמור כולו?

מה הקשר בין הנבל שנזכר כאן במזמורנו ובין נבל שאנחנו מכירים מספר שמואל? והאם הנבל יכול לשוב בתשובה?

"וַיַּגִּידוּ שָׁמַיִם צִדְקוֹ כִּי אֱלֹהִים שֹׁפֵט הוּא סֶלָה" (תהילים נ', ו)

הקב"ה מצד אחד נקרא 'אלוקי כל הארץ' ומולך על כל הארץ "ממזרח שמש עד מבואו" (א), אך ההופעה של הקב"ה בעולמו, מלאחר חטא דור הפלגה, היא דרך עם ישראל ומשם הוא מאיר על כל העולם כולו "מציון מכלל יופי אלוקים הופיע" (ב).