Parshat Vayikra: When Words Aren't Enough

by Ariel Wolgel '26

What can we say when sorry just isn’t enough? How might we proceed when we cannot find the words to move through unspeakable experiences? What does repair look like after causing, witnessing, or failing to prevent irreparable harm? 

Sometimes complicated moments call on us to communicate through non-verbal means. When words aren’t available or adequate, a thoughtful gesture or intentional gift can nurture closeness, connection, and sometimes can even make space for repair. 

The Book of Vayikra calls on us to come close (l’karev) to Hashem through a protocol of ritual offerings, or korbanot. Occasions for these offerings correspond to different life scenarios, ranging from admitting mistakes or intentional wrongdoing to expressing gratitude in moments of wholeness and peace. While the prescriptions for how to bring these offerings differ, they all have a shared purpose: coming close to Hashem. 

God introduces the protocol for ritual offerings to Moshe with the following words: “Adam ki yakriv mikem korban la’hashem” — “When a person (adam) among you brings an offering for Hashem” (Vayikra 1:2).

The Midrash Tanchuma points out that the word for person used in this context is adam, which alludes to the first human, Adam HaRishon, who brought sin into the world. Before Adam ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge, restoration was irrelevant. The short-lived paradise of Eden did not include the ability to push limits, make mistakes, or sin—and thus it also did not require repentance or repair. Ever since this first experience of sin, God and humans both have been working to figure out how to move from rupture to reconstruction, from regret to accountability, and from despair to hope. 

The Shelah HaKadosh (R. Yeshayahu Horowitz, 1555-1630) extends this further and says that the whole book of Vaykira can be understood as a tikkun adam, a rehabilitation of Adam and all of humankind. Through the physical medium of a korban, people can establish a closer relationship with God in the spiritual world. In this way, a korban is similar to a thoughtful gesture meant to nurture closeness in a relationship, like making a warm cup of coffee for a loved one, bringing soup to a friend who is ill, or shoveling a neighbor’s driveway. The invisible generosity of spirit becomes visible through these physical acts. 

Similarly, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks quotes the Alter Rebbe, R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812), saying:

The essence of sacrifice is that we offer ourselves. We bring to God our faculties, our energies, our thoughts and emotions. The physical form of sacrifice—an animal offered on the altar—is only an external manifestation of an inner act. The real sacrifice is mikem, “of you.” We give God something of ourselves.

With the proper intention, thoughtful gestures have the potential to communicate a depth of relationship that is beyond words. However, when the intention is absent or misguided, even the most valuable of gestures can be counterproductive, potentially increasing the distance in a relationship. On this note, the Shelah clarifies that an offering that is empty of proper intention will not achieve the end goal of increased closeness with God. 

This is particularly relevant with an offering intended to support teshuva or repair in the aftermath of sin. In this scenario, the Shelah explains that rehabilitation can only happen if a person is humble in body and soul, and deeply aware of the consequences of their actions. “Adam ki yakriv mikem” only when a person brings a korban from deep within themselves is it effective. Only then is it considered truly la’Shem.

While we no longer offer korbanot in the classical sense, I believe there is relevant wisdom here for the moments of rupture in our own modern lives. In a world that is so focused on communicating through words—texting, social media, and podcasts—it can be disorienting when we can’t express ourselves verbally. Yet it is incredibly common to find our verbal expression limited in moments of trauma or stress, and it is precisely at these moments when we need closeness and relationship the most. In situations where words are limited, non-verbal expressions such as art, music, and movement can bridge the gap, helping us inch closer to connection even in the most difficult of circumstances. 

Understanding Sefer Vaykira as a tikkun adam—a rehabilitation protocol for humankind—offers a deep insight into how we might live in a fragile world filled with human error, wrongdoing, and harm. In the aftermath of unspeakable events, we can gently nurture spiritual healing through appropriate and well-intentioned actions, donating our time or resources to chesed organizations or showing up for someone in need. When we find ourselves in situations where words are not enough, we can lean into the deep wisdom of korbanot, physical offerings of self that help increase goodness and Godliness in the world. 

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Ariel received her MA in Jewish Education from Hebrew College and is a graduate of the Pardes Educators Program. She taught Jewish studies at the Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit and guided new teachers in reflective teaching practices as a mentor for the Pardes Jewish Studies Teacher training program. Ariel currently serves as the Youth Director for Skokie Valley Agudath Jacob and Kol Sasson congregations in Skokie, IL. Having revived the youth program, she now provides multiple pathways for the community to connect meaningfully to Torah and Jewish life as Skokie Valley’s Director of Experiential Learning and Rabbinic Intern.