from the Rebbe in this week's parsha, Parshat Vayikra. It says in Midrash that when you start learning Torah with a child, you start from Parshat Vayikra, the parsha of korbanot, and it gives the reason because תינוקות טהורים וקרבנות טהורים. The children are pure and the korbanot, the sacrifices are pure. יבואו טהורים ויתעסקו בטהורים. Let the pure ones, the children, come and get involved with the pure things, which is korbanot. And the Rebbe explains the depth of this. We know the connection of a Yid to the Eibershter is twofold. One, he gets connected through Torah u-mitzvot, by learning Torah and doing mitzvot he gets connected to Hashem. But then there's another connection of Yidden to Hashem, and that is the mere fact you're a Yid. And if you're a Yid, that connection is beyond Torah u-mitzvot. Even chas ve-shalom a Yid who doesn't do Torah u-mitzvot, he's still connected to Hashem. That's why we say ישראל אף על פי שחטא ישראל הוא. A Yid, even if he sinned he's still a Yid. Why? Because the connection as a Yid, the essential connection of a Yid because he's a Yid, his connection to the Eibershter is deeper than the connection through Torah, and therefore even if he doesn't do Torah u-mitzvot he's still connected to the Eibershter. And

that's what it says in chasidut concerning teshuvah. How could teshuvah accomplish that he gets forgiven for his aveirot? Because through doing teshuvah, you reach into that level which is beyond Torah u-mitzvot, and therefore you get forgiven in anything that you missed out in Torah u-mitzvot. And it says in chasidut the same thing is בנוגע קרבנות, that when you bring a korban also brings a kaparah for a Yid. Why? Because when you bring a korban, it connects you to, brings out, megaleh, reveals that connection you have to Hashem beyond Torah, beyond mitzvot. Therefore, even if you miss something out in Torah u'mitzvot, the korbanot are able to be mechaper. Where do we see this connection? Where we see that more by children. By adults who are obligated to do Torah u'mitzvot, you do not see clearly the connection that is beyond Torah u'mitzvot, because he's obligated to Torah u'mitzvot, so it seems like his connection is through Torah u'mitzvot. Children under Bar Mitzvah, especially small children, are not obligated to do Torah u'mitzvot, and nevertheless they're Yidden and they're connected to Hashem. Why? Because the connection to Hashem is beyond Torah u'mitzvot. And therefore, where do we see it? In a child who is not obligated in doing Torah u'mitzvot. So it comes out that the level of a child in his connection to Hashem is similar to korbanot. Korbanot bring out that connection you have to Hashem beyond Torah u'mitzvot, and that's why the korbanot could bring a forgiveness for the Yid for not keeping Torah u'mitzvot. It's mechaper for his aveirot, and that is because it connects you, brings out the connection of a Yid to the Aibershter beyond Torah u'mitzvot, and that is felt and revealed by a child, a Jewish child. His connection is beyond Torah u'mitzvot. And as we said before, he is not obligated in Torah u'mitzvot, and nevertheless he's connected to Hashem. So when we talk about the connection to Hashem of a child, it's greater, so to speak, בגילוי, than the connection of an adult. And korbanot also bring out that connection that is to, a Yid to the Aibershter because he's a Yid, higher than Torah u'mitzvot. And that's what the Midrash means when it says, תינוקות are טהורים, תינוקות are pure. Pure means that there's no side thing that makes them connected to Hashem. It's pure because who they are, because they're Yidden. Korbanot bring out the same thing. It brings out the taharah, the inyan of a connection of a Yid to the Eibershter just because he's a Yid. And therefore, the children should start learning from the dinim of, inyanim of korbanot because there's a similarity between the two. And actually, this idea that by a child we see the connection to Hashem deeper than the connection to Torah u'mitzvot that we have by an adult, we

see it even bagashmiyut. We see that parents show their love to little children more than they show to adults. Why? Lichorah it should be more by adults, there's good reason for them showing their love. And the answer is, when you love an adult, a child and adult, it could be for other reasons. Because he's smart, because he's behaving good, he's doing, giving you nachat. A little baby doesn't do anything, and there's nothing else but he's your child. So the love to the child, to a small child, is the expression and revelation of the love of a parent to a child just because he's your child, not because of anything else. While by loving an adult, you don't see that. And the same thing is benoge'a Yidden and the Eibershter, that the connection and the love the Eibershter has to Yidden and Yidden have to the Eibershter, that connection by a child is more because you're a Yid, rather than because of Torah u'mitzvot. While by an adult, it could be with Torah u'mitzvot. And that we also find by korbanot that they are higher than the connection you have to, through Torah u'mitzvot, and that's why A child when he starts learning Torah should start learning with Vayikra because that is the same idea as a child. And that's what the midrash means, that the tinokot, the children are tehorim, and korbanot are tehorim, so let them learn about the tehorim. Because the Yid, a child brings, has that feeling, brings out that connection to Hashem just because he's a Yid beyond Torah u'mitzvot, and so does korbanot.

Obviously, a Yid has to keep Torah u'mitzvot, because the Eibershter wants you should have that connection too, and you must. But nevertheless, the love is still there, even if chas v'shalom a person doesn't. And that's the reason why we have to be mekarev every Yid, and teach him Torah, and help him do mitzvot, because since he is a Yid anyway, so he has the connection, so we want to help him to bring out his connection in the way the Aibershter wants, also through keeping Torah u'mitzvot.