Among the various types of korbanot (sacrifices), is the Korban Mincha (meal-offering), as the pasuk in our parsha says, “When a ‘nefesh’ offers a Korban Mincha to Hashem ….” The Gemara picks up on the term “nefesh” (instead of, perhaps, using “adam” or “ish”) and explains: “Said The Holy One, Blessed is He: Whose way is it to bring a Mincha? A poor person (since he does not possess livestock). [Hence], I consider it for him as if he has offered his [very] soul before me.”
In reference to the aforementioned pasuk, the midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 3:2) connects it to-the pasuk in Tehillim (22:25) which states:“For He (Hashem) has neither despised nor loathed the supplication of the poor, nor has He concealed His face from him; but when he cries to Him, He hears.” The midrash says, “The way of the world is that when two people (involved in a dispute) come before a judge, one of them a poor person and the other a rich person, toward whom does the judge turn his head [i.e., naturally show favor to]? Is it not toward the rich person? However, here (regarding a poor person who stands before Hashem in prayer, it states), ‘Nor has He concealed His face (or: turned His face away) from him; but when he cries to Him, He hears.’”
The midrash concludes by explaining the connection between the two verses: “And just as [Hashem] does not despise his (the poor person’s) prayer, so too, He does not despise his korban, as it is stated, ‘When a nefesh offers a Korban Mincha to Hashem …’” (and the next pasuk says, “and the Kohen shall cause its memorial portion to go up in smoke upon the Altar … ‘a satisfying aroma to Hashem.’” Since it’s typically a poor person who brings a Korban Mincha, the pasuk is thus informing us that, no less than animal offerings, the Korban Mincha is pleasing to Hashem, as it states regarding it, “a satisfying aroma to Hashem”).
The fact that we have the aforementioned pasuk in Tehillim, perhaps shows that if not for this pasuk, one might have thought that the prayers of the poor would be despised, and the pasuk thus comes to inform us otherwise. But, if that’s so, why would one might have thought that Hashem despises the prayers of the poor? What difference would there be between the prayers of the poor versus the rich?
Rav Leib Chasman, therefore, explains that we must say that the poor person in this context is not someone who is financially poor, but rather someone who is spiritually “poor”—i.e, deficient—in understanding and in [good] deeds, and the quality of this person’s prayers are also deficient. Despite all this, Hashem does not despise his prayers, nor does Hashem despise his korban (Ohr Yahel 1, Vayikra).
According to Rav Chasman, perhaps then the “rich” person in the midrash’s analogy refers not to someone who is rich financially, but who is rich spiritually—i.e. he is on a lofty level of spirituality, of closeness to Hashem and observes the Torah and mitzvot in the ideal manner. Yet the midrash, perhaps, indicates that the effectiveness of the prayers of the poor person are no less than that of the rich persons. Hence, we could learn from here that even one who is spiritually impoverished, whose adherence and connection to Torah and mitzvot are sorely lacking, nevertheless, his prayers may be accepted by Hashem, and can therefore be effective—even as effective and powerful as that of the spiritually rich.
The midrash (Shemot Rabbah, 38:4) states:
Am Yisrael said to Hashem—”Master of the Universe, when the rulers transgress, they bring a korban and it provides atonement for them; when an anointed [Kohen Gadol] transgresses, he [too] brings a korban and it provides atonement for him; [but] we do not have a korban [through which to achieve atonement]”! Hashem replied that they too have a korban that could provide atonement for them, as it states—”If the entire assembly of Israel shall err … [the congregation shall offer a young bull as a sin-offering].” Am Yisrael persisted, saying, “[But] we are poor and we do not have [the wherewithal] to bring korbanot”! Hashem then replied, “Words [of Torah study] I request—as it is stated, ‘Take words with you and return to Hashem’—and I will forgive [you] for all of your iniquities.” Am Yisrael continued to persist, saying, “[But] we do not know [Torah]!”
So Hashem said, “Cry and pray before Me and I will accept [that instead]. Your ancestors—when they were enslaved in Egypt, was it not through prayer that I redeemed them? … In the days of Yehoshua, was it not through prayer that I performed miracles for them? … In the days of Shmuel, was it not through prayer that I listened to them? … And, so too, [regarding] the residents of Yerushalayim (who were expelled to Bavel at the time of the destruction of the first Beit Hamikdash)—even though they angered Me (through their sinful actions), [yet] because they cried out to Me, I had mercy on them …
Rav Leib Chasman raises an apparent difficulty with the first claim of Bnei Yisrael that they were too poor to afford a korban. He asks: Is it possible that all of Bnei Yisrael were so poor that they couldn’t even afford one korban to atone for them? Rather, as Rav Chasman here explains, it must be that in this context, the term “poor” is a reference not to being financially poor but rather to being spiritually poor—impoverished of understanding, deficient in knowledge and in [good] deeds, much like their admission of how lacking they were in words of Torah.
Thus, says Rav Chasman, we learn from here the greatness of prayer. Despite the fact that Bnei Yisrael were on such a low level of spirituality, Hashem was nevertheless ready to accept their prayers! Not only that, their prayers are even being equated to the prayers of [such outstandingly spiritually great people like] Yehoshua and Shmuel, from the fact that Hashem brought a proof from [the success of] their prayers! Furthermore, even when they have angered Hashem, Hashem still listens to their prayers, as we see that Hashem brought a proof from the “residents of Yerushalayim” who although they angered Him, He nevertheless had mercy on them (Ibid, Tetzaveh).
It’s perhaps evident from here that even those on such a low level of spirituality, to the point of being impoverished of good deeds and not knowing Torah, and even those who have fallen to the point of angering Hashem and committing improprieties worthy of destruction of the Beit Hamikdash and expulsion, nevertheless, the prayers of these spiritually poor may be as effective and powerful as the prayers of the spiritually rich—like Yehoshua and Shmuel.
Binyamin is a graduate of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan, and Wurzweiler School of Social Work.
