When the kohein gadol would be anointed with the shemen hamishcha (the oil used to anoint him), if he was a short man, he would grow tall, as it is fitting for the kohein gadol to be tall. If he did not look nice, he would become handsome and good-looking. (Medrash)
Chazal learn from the passuk “v’nikdashto b’soch B’nei Yisroel” that we should daven with a minyan. The Chacham Tzvi has a fascinating discussion about whether a golem (a “living doll” created by great Tzadikim through Hashem’s holy names, like the golem of Prague) can be part of the ten needed for a minyan. In the end, he says that it cannot.
There was a famous doctor named Doctor Bernhard, who later became a baal teshuvah and a great tzadik and rebbe. How did this happen?
There was a Yid who was very sick. His lungs were failing badly, and he went to try mineral baths. The trip was long, and his condition got much worse. In one town, he met Dr. Bernhard, who told him he only had a few days left to live.
The next town was Lelov. He went to the Tzadik, Reb Dovid of Lelov, who right away said he wanted to give him a meal. He came back with salted cheese and old wine. The Yid said, “Rebbe, these are the worst things for my lungs!”
The rebbe said, “Don’t worry. Eat, and then go rest.” The Yid listened. He went to sleep, and when he woke up, he felt like a new person, with no breathing problems at all.
He went back to the doctor. The doctor was shocked and said, “This is techiyas hameisim. How did this happen?” The Yid told him about the Tzadik, and the doctor went to Lelov. The rebbe welcomed him and began teaching him avodas Hashem. He became a complete baal teshuvah and reached very high levels.
Later, he asked the rebbe, “Why did you speak to me about such high things right away? I was totally secular then.” The rebbe answered that a Yid has an inner kedusha. Even if he has gone far, he can always come back.
Rabbi Gamliel Rabinovitch shlit”a explains that this is the meaning of the passuk in this week’s parsha: וְלֹא תְחַלְּלוּ אֶת שֵׁם קָדְשִׁי וְנִקְדַּשְׁתִּי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲנִי ד’ מְקַדִּשְׁכֶם הַמּוֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לִהְיוֹת לָכֶם לֵאלֹקים אֲנִי ד’. Even a Yid who is very far and may be being mechalel Hashem can still become holy and elevated. We see this from yetzias Mitzrayim, where the Yidden were very far, and very quickly came to Matan Torah.
At the end of the parsha, there is a story about a person who cursed Hashem r”l. The passuk calls him the son of a Jewish woman. The Rabeinu Bechayei says that from here we learn that children are often more similar to their mothers than their fathers.
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 79 – Lag Ba’omer.