BS”D

Today I’d like to focus on the Parsha, and then  relate it back to Purim. In this week’s Parsha of Tzav, it talks about the Terumas Hadeshen, the Kohen’s daily removal of the ashes of the Korbanos. Have you ever noticed that when it talks about the Kohen changing his clothes for the service, it just says, “And HE shall remove his clothes – ופשט את בגדיו,” without saying the word “Kohen”?  Chizkuni explains that the omission of the word “Kohen” here, when it’s talking about the Terumas Hadeshen, implies that, unlike the other services in the Mishkan, which have to be done by an unblemished Kohen, Terumas Hadeshen can be done by any Kohen, even one with a Mum (blemish).
Terumas Hedeshen was one of the most coveted Avodos (services), and even a Kohen with a Mum could do it. What we can learn from it is that everyone has a purpose.  And people who we think have a ‘blemish,’ be it that they sit in a wheelchair, have too many pimples, talk in a weird voice – you name it – they all have a purpose; you never know – they may even have a greater purpose than you, the greatest, most special purpose, like the Terumas Hadeshen.
Going back to Purim – what is one of the biggest themes of Purim?  Achdus (unity), Ahavas Yisroel (loving one’s fellow Jew).  Esther was the one who said, לך כנוס את כל היהודים; one of the things that brought our salvation was our unity, our seeing the commonalities between each other, and the gems inside each other, instead of our differences. It’s of realising that everyone in this world is needed, has a purpose – not to see the blemishes inside others, but realise that they have so much to give. And once we get to know these people, who are just like us and who have even a greater purpose than us, we’ll be glad we got to.
Hearing about all the attacks r”l (may G-d protect us) in Crown Heights shook me to the core.  I wanted to do something about it; “one act is better than a thousand sighs.”  Leading up to Purim, yes, there is sadly an Amalek, goyim who hate us and ח״ו want to do bad to us.  But if we realise that the remedy is in our Achdus, in our Ahavas Yisroel, we can bring Moshiach, we can bring about the downfall of Amalek, and we can bring about so many Zechuyos (merits) for the safety of the Yidden there and around the world.
So, I challenge you: Today, have some Ahavas Yisroel.  Smile or talk to someone you normally wouldn’t.  Don’t judge others by their ‘blemishes,’ but on who they really are inside.  Help someone out.  Our Achdus and love we show each other will bring speedily in our days
!אורה, שמחה, ששון, ויקר. משיח צדקינו במהרה בימינו ממש