Can I have a real, a real introduction? Huh? Further. No, further. A real... Okay, tonight we will be talking about something a little, something sounds like a small detail, but it's a very important one, and being that it's Parashat Vayikra and the beginning of Chumash Vayikra deals with korbanot, so tonight we will talk about a certain detail of korbanot, a detail of it, not the general concept of korbanot, so it'll obviously have to do with that, too, and that is the role of the etzim, of the wood for korbanot. Now, at one glance once from looking at, simply, what's what's so important about the wood? We know there are all kinds of korbanot. There's a קרבן עולה that's burnt all the way, the animal's burnt completely, and then you have a חטאת and a אשם and a שלמים, and then parts of it are burned on the mizbeach, and they are all part of the korbanot, and the pasuk says that when you bring a קרבן, ריח ניחוח לה׳, it's a good pleasure that you give to Hashem, but it's all the other parts, the blood and the fats and the meat by a קרבן עולה, and then you have the קרבן מנחה, the flour and the oil and the wine, different things. So, they seem to be important, but the wood seems to be the less least important of the korban. As a matter of fact, we would imagine that the wood is only a הכשר מצוה. הכשר מצוה means only a preparation to the mitzvah. You can't have the korban being burnt if you do not have fuel for the fire. That's all. You have to have fuel to make the fire, and the wood is the fuel. Truth is that when they would bring the wood for the korban, they would have to be makdish it, they would have to make it holy, belongs belongs to the Beit Hamikdash, קודש, הקדש, but the purpose of the wood was only that you should have fuel for the fire for the mizbeach. The fire is important, because we know the fire, well the fire that came down מן השמים, it was a continuation of the fire that came down from heavens, the fire is important, the other parts of the korban are important, the wood seems to be the least important. It's only a הכשר קרבן, only a preparation in order for the korban to be able to work, you have to have the fire. But as we know, we have to have the wood, but as we know, in Chassidut, usually it works the opposite. The things that seem to be the least important, they are, not always I would say, but sometimes they have such a great importance, more than the things that seem to be more important. In this case, the wood has has a very great significance in the bringing of the korban. And I'll start off by saying showing where we find that the wood was very important. We know the Gemara tells us that there were a few times a year of a of the year that different families would donate wood for the Beit Hamikdash. And the reason they would do this is it all started when there was a time there was not enough wood, the Beit Hamikdash did not have enough money to buy wood, did not have enough wood for the korbanot. So, there were different families, I believe rich families, who donated a certain amount of wood. Later on, even when the Beit Hamikdash had more money and they were able the Beit Hamikdash was able to afford to get more wood, because of what they did that first time, on the date that they brought the wood the first time as a donation, every year that day, they used their wood. The same family would bring wood for the mizbeach and they would use that wood. In addition to that, that day turned into a Yom Tov for that family. And a family means an extended family. And it was their Yom Tov. So much so was their Yom Tov of this family when they brought the wood that it was a real Yom Tov, they weren't allowed to do melachah. I don't mean melachah like like Shabbat and Pesach and Sukkot, but they weren't allowed to work like we're not allowed to work in Chol Hamoed, or like Purim says that it really shouldn't work on Purim. So it was an איסור בהספד ומלאכה. Not only that, because it was their Yom Tov, it was such an important Yom Tov that it even pushed away the fasting of Tishah b'Av. We know that in the second Beit HaMikdash they also kept Tishah b'Av. Now, one family, the day that they gave their wood was on the tenth day of Av, the day after Tishah b'Av. So, every year on the day after Tishah b'Av was their Yom Tov, and they used their wood, and they would bring a lot of korbanot that day, extra korbanot that family would bring as their Yom Tov, and that was a special day for them. What happened in a year when Tishah b'Av came out on Shabbos? So you would have to fast on Sunday. And in the second Beit HaMikdash they still fasted on Tishah b'Av. But the tenth of Av, which was the real the day that they fasted called תשעה באב נדחה, was the Yom Tov of this family. So because it was their Yom Tov, they wouldn't fast. The chachamim said you don't have to fast. In other words, the specialty of this Yom Tov was so great, that was even more important than the fasting of Tishah b'Av. And this was all for what? For the donation of the wood. And the question is, why is the donation of the wood so important? As we said before, it seems that the wood the Beit HaMikdash needs everything, and it also needed wood. Why did it need wood? Like we said before, to use as fuel for the fire, that's all, but it wasn't like an essential part of the korban or an essential part of the Beit HaMikdash. So why did they make such a big fuss over the donation of the wood? Obviously, the wood has something special. So much so that it was so important that they would actually fast not fast on Tishah b'Av on the fast day of Tishah b'Av because of this Yom Tov. Now, there are some commentaries who learn that it wasn't because of the Yom Tov that came because of the wood, but as we said before, on the same day that they used to give, bring the wood every year, they would also bring a lot of korbanot. They would add animals and korbanot that day. The halacha is that a person on the day he would bring a korban was his Yom Tov. That was the din, was his Yom Tov. Which is reason why Erev Pesach we know is a Yom Tov. Not Pesach, Erev Pesach is a Yom Tov. We don't say Tachanun, Erev Pesach is a What's the Yom Tov of ערב פסח? And the answer is because on ערב פסח every yid brought a korban, the קרבן פסח. And the day you bring a korban it's a Yom Tov, and you can't work. It's a special day. So that's their answer, that it's really not because of the wood that they donated that this was their Yom Tov, it was because of the korbanot that they brought along on that day with the wood. But it's not so pashut, because after all, the reason they brought the korbanot was because of the wood, so all goes back to the wood. But besides that, it's the reason that day became established as a day to bring the korbanot and not to fast was all because of the wood. In other words, the chachamim would never allow a person to decide on a fast day, \"I want to bring my korban today, and therefore I will not have to fast, because if I bring my korban, it'll be a Yom Tov, and I won't have to fast.\" The chachamim would never allow that. So why did they allow it here? So it's not because of the korbanot. They allowed it here because it was so special. The fact that they gave wood was so special that the chachamim said the Yom Tov in the donating of the wood is so special that it's such an important day that you should not fast. So here we see that the wood, giving the wood to the בית המקדש, is very special even though seems like only a הכשר מצוה, a very small, minor part of the korban, not even really part of the korban, just the fuel for the fire for the korban.

We find another place where we see the specialty of the wood. What's the special Yom Tov of חמשה עשר באב, the 15th day of אב? Now, there are different reasons given. We know there are five reasons why we celebrate the 15th day of אב. One of it because the people in the מדבר stopped dying, all kinds of things. But the most important reason, the main reason is that's the day that they would finish the chopping of the wood for the בית המקדש. And the reason was because the wood was not allowed to be wormy. And as long as the sun shine very strongly, it would dry the wood, and the wood would not have moisture, and it wouldn't have worms. We know that from 15th day of אב, the strength of the sun diminishes. That's what the Gemara says, it becomes less, that's when it starts getting a little weaker. So the din was that you're not allowed to chop any wood for the בית המקדש after חמשה עשר באב. Everything had to be done in the summer till חמשה עשר באב. So since חמשה עשר באב was the last day they would chop the wood, this was a siyum. Just like you make a siyum when you finish a מסכתא, you make a siyum when you do a very great mitzvah, this was the siyum of the great mitzvah of chopping the wood for the בית המקדש, and because of that, it became a special Yom Tov. And you know how special the Yom Tov was? The Mishnah says, לא היו ימים טובים לישראל כחמשה עשר באב וכיום הכפורים. There were no great Yom Tov by Yidden as great as the 15th day of Av and Yom Kippur. Imagine, we put חמשה עשר באב together with Yom Kippur. And all is mainly Have to do with the... Yeah. It's hot? Turn it on. How does חמישה עשר באב have to do with the building of the בית המקדש? But the Peshat is, because since חמישה עשר באב was the day they made the siyum on chopping the wood, that represents the building of the בית המקדש. In other words, chopping the wood is basically an essential part of the בית המקדש. Now, the question is, why? Had we said that bringing korbanot is an essential part of the בית המקדש, we understand. We all know the purpose, the reason why there was a בית המקדש, so you should have a place to bring korbanot. But why would chopping the wood be considered the essence of the בית המקדש? So here again we see, excuse me, that the wood, wood for the korbanot in the בית המקדש has something special.

Now, in order to understand what's so special about the wood for the korbanot, let's understand first what the korbanot are. When we know what korbanot are, which we do know, but we'll go through it in, in short, and then we'll be able to continue and see, well, then we'll understand what is the meaning of the wood. Now, concerning korbanot, we know that korbanot are so great that they are greater than Torah and mitzvot. Bringing korbanot were greater than Torah and mitzvot. Where do we know that? Very simple. If you bring a korban, causes a kapparah, it forgives a Jew for anything wrong that he do, did in connection to Torah and mitzvot, that's what it is, so obviously, it's greater than Torah and mitzvot. Because if it would be as great as Torah and mitzvot, within the same level, then how can it have an effect that if you ruined your connection through Torah and mitzvot, that this should be able to fix it? The fact that it's able to fix it means that this is able to go beyond. So korbanot are beyond Torah and mitzvot. And that's why there are a lot of things that we find in connection to korbanot, because it represents the connection to Hashem beyond Torah and mitzvot. We all know that there are two types of connections a Yid has to Hashem. One is the essential connection. The fact that you're a Yid, so you're a child of Hashem, and that's it. Hashem is our Father, we are His children, we're connected. And then we have the connection through our behavior. We do what He spoke, what He wants us to do, we're connected, like a mashal of a regular child. A child who behaves and does what his parents want, there is a certain feeling they have and they show their love, and that's a love that comes as a result of the behavior. But then there is a love that every parent has to a child just because he is his child, or she is the child. And therefore, when a child misbehaves, God forbid, and the parents are angry, in other words, they don't have that love to the child because of the behavior, what has to happen is, in order for the parents to forgive the child, is they have to some somehow reach into that deeper connection. And when you reveal that deeper connection, then all the problems fall off, because if you're reaching that that deeper connection, that's a connection that's there whether the child behaves or not. So even if the child misbehaved, but if that level is revealed, then all of a sudden the child the love is back, whether the child behaved or not. And a korban, the korbanot reveal that essence of the connection of a Yid to Hashem, the essential connection beyond what their behavior is. And that's why say we forgive to forgive for aveirot, which means if they misbehaved. Which is one of the reasons why there is a connection between children and korbanot. We know that the custom is, it says in Midrash and that's how the custom is, that when you start teaching a child Chumash, you start from Vayikra. Then you go back to the beginning, but you start with Vayikra. And the Midrash says the reason is, because the korbanot are pure, and the children are pure, so let the children connect themselves to the korbanot, the children who are pure connect themselves to korbanot. And the Rebbe explains that what is the פשט קרבנות are pure and children are pure? It's that the connect the the the connection between korbanot and children is as we said before, children are people who their behavior little children certainly their behavior doesn't really count much. Let's use the example of a parent and a child. A parent loves any child, whether the child is older or younger. But there is a certain love that the parent shows to a child, to a baby, to a small child. Why? And the Chassidut gives this reason. Because when a child is older, the essential love you have to your child is covered up by the love you show because of the behavior. The child behaves well, you show your love. So, the love superficially seems to be because of what the child did. So, you don't really see the essential love. A baby that didn't do anything yet, so why do you love the child? He didn't give you any nachat, he didn't do anything for you. You love the child because he is your child. So, by children, there you have the essential connection that a parent has to the child is more by little children than by adults. And the same thing with korbanot. Korbanot which is supposed to reveal the essential connection of Hashem to Yidden is connect more by children before they're obligated to do mitzvot, because when you're obligated to do mitzvot already, then Hashem loves you and you reveal His love, it's covered up kivayachol, so to speak, with the fact that you did mitzvot. You're obligated to do, you did what Hashem wants, Hashem loves you. A child who's not obligated to do mitzvot yet, so his behavior doesn't count. So, the love of Hashem to a a Jewish child is in the revealed way deeper than the connection that He has to a Jewish adult. And that's why korbanot, which is supposed to reveal that essential connection, is connected to Jewish children. That's why the Midrash says that the world stands on children learning about korbanot. We know that anytime an adult learns about korbanot, it's as if he brought a korban. And the world stands on korbanot. So why doesn't the world stand on adults learning about korbanot? Why is it more when the children learn about korbanot? So that's what the Rebbe explains, because what korbanot really stand for is more said to be seen by children, because the children are loved by Hashem without their behavior, because they don't they can't behave, they have no mitzvot yet. And that's what the real meaning of korbanot is, that love. That's as far as Hashem's side to the Yidden. When you bring a korban, it reveals Hashem's essential love to us and therefore He can forgive for all aveirot. Let's look on our side to Hashem. Why is it that when you bring a korban, it reveals the true essential connection of Hashem to Yidden? Now explain it.

Based on the Ramban, the Ramban explains, what is the idea of korbanot? Ramban in Parashat Vayikra. He says that when you bring a korban, this is what you have to have in mind. That really, whatever is done to the korban, really was supposed to be done to me. They take out the insides and they sprinkle it on the מזבח and they take the fats on the מזבח. They שחט the korban first. It was all supposed to be done for me to me. Hashem, with His great pity, He said, \"I'm going to make an exchange, and you could do it to the animal and instead of you.\" But what it really shows is that what a korban really means is, a Yid gives himself over to Hashem. That's what the korban is. And he's supposed to feel that I'm מקריב myself, and therefore whatever is supposed to be done to the בהמה, to be burnt on the מזבח, to the blood be spilled on the מזבח, really, I'm doing it to myself. But physically, Hashem said, \"I allow you not to do it, but you have to feel as if it happens to you.\" In other words, there has to be a special kavanah when you bring a korban that you are giving yourself over to Hashem. But we see different korbanot with different halachot and different ways you bring the korban. Why is it? Obviously, because when you bring a korban that's supposed to show that you're giving yourself over, you're מוסר נפש, you're giving yourself over to Hashem, you're giving yourself over in different parts of yourself. Every korban coincides with a different attribute or part of the person, and based on that part of the person, that koach, that attribute, that ability, that koach, according to that koach, that's what the korban will be. And we see different korbanot for different aveirot. Different korbanot have different halachot. You can see even what the Ramban himself says, gives the example that when you sprinkle the blood and you bring the fats on the mizbeach, you have to think it's done to you. Not every korban do you sprinkle the blood. Not from every korban do you bring the the the fats on the mizbeach. For instance, a קרבן מנחה made of flour, there is no blood. So the korban represents something else. So as much as we're saying that each korban represents the fact that you give yourself over to Hashem, but it means a certain aspect of yourself depending on what it's needed. If you did this aveirah, so you need to give over this part that's connected to that aveirah. If you have a different reason, you give over a different part of yourself to Hashem. So every korban represents a different level or a different aspect of a Yid's mesirut nefesh to Hashem, a Yid giving himself over to Hashem. That's what you have to have in mind. But before you get to decide or to come to a point where you give over a certain part of yourself to Hashem, there has to be the general decision that I am giving myself over to Hashem. Then you could guide it, direct it to this part, that part, but you have to have that first part, which is the decision and the person's outlook that I am giving myself over to Hashem. And that is something that all korbanot have to have in common. There's something that has to be in every korban that's equal, that's the same. See, the different details of the korbanot are already when you give over a different part of yourself, but the first foundation, which is the general mesirut nefesh, that's by all korbanot equal. That's the general idea: I have to give myself over to Hashem. So there has to be one part in every korban which is the same. Now, which part is the same in every single korban of the whole Torah? The wood. Every single korban had the wood. So when you put the wood on the mizbeach, that wood, which is going to be burnt under the korban, represents the general, we would say in Yiddish, אוועקלייג, the general idea that a Yid gives himself over to Hashem rather than an individual thing. That shows the person, the Yid's כללותדיקע general mesirut nefesh without details, giving myself over to Hashem. And why is it represented specifically in wood? Because we know כי האדם עץ השדה, it says that עץ השדה, wood of the field, represents the human being, so the wood represents the human beings, the Yid giving himself over. Why the wood represents, there are a lot of reasons in sefarim why אדם עץ השדה, why does the wood represent the person. Chassidus says the reason is because we see in wood something, in a tree, something that we don't see in other things. A tree, in order for it to live and to grow, always has to be connected to its source. Other things are not connected to the source. Human beings, human beings also originally came from the ground, Hashem made עפר מן האדמה, sand, and made a human being, but we're not connected to the ground. Neither are the animals, neither are the birds, neither anything else. And not only that, even the source that we each, we each individual came from, which was our mother, we're not connected to our mother constantly. We're separated and we still continue living. But trees can't continue living unless they're connected to the ground, which is more even than fish. You see, fish always have to live in the source of where they're come from, in the water, but even there, the baby fish doesn't live from the mother, and a tree has even more than the fish, because a fish can't leave its source. A tree grows outside of the earth, which means a tree becomes a separate entity, and nevertheless, could only live when it's connected to its source, while fish is not a separate entity. In order for it to live, it has to be in the water. And fish is not considered a separate entity of water. There is even a halachah, interesting halachah: If a person immerses in a mikvah, in the ocean as a mikvah, we know that when you go to the mikvah, you can't have a chatzitzah, you can't have anything interrupt between the water and your hand. A fish would not be a chatzitzah, because a fish is like the water. Why? Because that's part of the that's it. But a tree grows out of the ground, and nevertheless, always has to be connected. So this represents the true essence of a איד'ס נפש. A איד'ס נפש always is connected to its source. And that's why the tree, which is wood, represents the human being. But this I'm just mentioning by the way. But since that person is represented by the tree, by the wood, so when they brought the wood on the mizbeach, that was part of the korban, which all the korbanot had equally, and that represents the general אוועקלייג, the general feeling of giving yourself over to Hashem. Now, the general feeling of giving yourself over to Hashem is much greater than if a person gives over a certain aspect of himself. And the reason is very simple, and this is a deep inyan in Chassidus, but not in Kabbalah part of Chassidus, but in the avodah of Chassidus and the understanding of the philosophy of Chassidus. When a person gives over a certain aspect of himself, so, first of all, it's not really being given over because there's other part of you which is not given over. When we're dealing with giving over your middah of chesed, so there are other middot which at that moment are not given over, so they're still part of you. But that's not it, it's more than that. The fact that I'm dealing with a middah of mine automatically means that I'm still around. So as much as I mevatel myself, it's still I am mevatel because I'm dealing with something that belongs to me, it's a part of me, and I'm giving over that part. See, when a person gives himself over completely, that means I'm saying to Hashem, \"I'm nothing, I don't feel myself as an entity.\" But the moment you start feeling, \"I'm dealing with my chesed, with my brains, with my feelings, and my feelings are going to work with You,\" so automatically you can't disattach yourself from the fact that this is part of you, and you feel you because I'm giving over to Hashem my this, my that. But if I say to Hashem, \"I'm giving myself over completely to You,\" then there is no me here at all. So that's the real bitul. So when we're talking about korbanot being the way we arouse in Hashem His essential connection, because we give over ourselves to Hashem, that means we're mevatel ourselves to Hashem, so Hashem says, \"Oh, in that case, you are a keli to My love, essential love.\" When we're talking about the other aspects of the korban, it won't accomplish it really 100%, because any part any korban that we're dealing with, after all, there is still me, I'm not really completely nullified, because there is a certain aspect of me that's working. But if you have this general bitul to Hashem, the general mesirat nefesh, not dealing with this detail or that detail, which is represented in the wood, that is the real bitul, which is the real, real essence of korban. That brings out the real, the real essence of the korban. And that is why the greatest simcha was when they donated the wood, because the wood represents this part of the general bitul to Hashem, not the detail of a certain part of you. And that's the real, real essence of korbanot.

Now, go a step further. When we talk about the wood, and we say that a person, by give, but the wood represents the fact that we're not dealing with any attribute that I have, so we're not dealing with me, so I'm completely batel. But you know, there is a problem here. As much as a person is batel completely, which is represented in the wood, but after all, Doesn't a person feel that I accomplished? I accomplished! After all, I did something. I am mevatel myself. And when I am mevatel myself, I cause by Hashem a ריח ניחוח להשם. I cause by Hashem that Hashem enjoys it. Now, when you get that feeling, isn't that feeling itself a contradiction to your bitul? So sometimes, when you have bitul completely, even complete bitul, but if you know that you have accomplished something major through your bitul, that defeats the purpose of your bitul, because automatically, you know, it's like a person who knows that he is an anav, and he feels great that he is an anav, so he's not an anav anymore. The Frierdiker Rebbe has in the Sefer HaZikhronos, he has to show that once there was a chasid, the Baal Shem Tov's a תלמיד, who wanted to show He came to a city and they were not learning chasidut, they didn't understand, so he wanted to show them a point. So Simchat Torah by hakafot, he got up and he gave a patch, \"The next hakafa, we're mechabed all anavim, all humble people.\" And a line started forming. And there were a few people who were arguing. He says, \"I'm a bigger anav than you. I belong first. Why are you going before me?\" Because sometimes you could forget, and the bitul itself, through bitul you're great, or you're accomplishing something. So here too, as much as we said that the wood represents the bitul of a Yid to Hashem, and why And that means that there is no more איך, there is no more I here. When you have the bitul in a specific aspect, then there's still you. But when you're completely batel, there is no more you. But the truth is, we look further and that's not necessarily true, because even with a great bitul and you're completely mevatel, but you know that you're accomplishing a great thing, Reiach nichoach laHashem, Hashem is so happy with me, ha, so then it defeats the purpose. It's not a real bitul. That's why I I mentioned this many times, there used to be chasidim that when they fasted, and the first part, a lot they used to fast a lot, and the purpose of fasting was to break your ego, to break your metziut, many chasidim would not fast the full day. They would a minute before the shekiyah, they would eat. Why? 'Cause they said if they fast the whole day, and at the end they have accomplished the fast day, \"Ah! Ah! I fasted! And we know Hashem is happy, it's like I brought a karban.\" So you the self-pride defeats what the the purpose of the fasting. So they would not eat, they'd make sure it shouldn't be a fast, so they can't be even proud of what they did. But in this case, we're trying to explain the importance of the wood, that the wood is so great because it accomplishes a ריח נ, because it make shows your bitul, but on the other hand, it's not a real bitul. And you know what? Therefore, the wood is not really part of the karban. The karban causes a ריח ניחוח by Hashem. Hashem is has pleasure when you bring the karban. The wood is only a הכשר מצוה. It only is fuel for the fire, but it's not a mitzvah. It doesn't say anywhere that the wood brings a ריח ניחוח להשם, that the wood brings the special pleasure by Hashem. The wood is not part of the karban. So the wood represents that you're bringing it to the karban without being able to have the pride of saying, \"I accomplished!\" So it's not part of the detailed bitul, which is still you. It's a general bitul, but it's a general bitul without any pride. Why? Because what could you say? What did you do? You didn't do anything, because it's only הכשר מצוה. See, if you bring a karban, the karban is a ריח ניחוח להשם. The wood is not a ריח ניחוח, the wood doesn't do anything. It's only a הכשר מצוה. And that's why the great simchah that was there was concerning the wood not as a karban, the wood that they donated to the בית המקדש as fuel for the fire, that's all. Because that's the greatest thing of the karban. If the karban is supposed to be the bitul, and the wood is supposed to be the complete bitul, it's only the הכשר מצוה. See, there was another thing that sometimes they would bring wood as a karban. There is a thing called קרבן העצים. The wood itself is a karban. They would have a wood, just like you could bring an animal, you could bring flour, you could bring birds, you could bring wine, you could donate them, you could donate wood as a karban. Now, if you donate wood as a karban, you would have to have other wood as fuel for the fire, and on top of that, you would put the wood as a karban. So there is wood as a karban. The wood that you bring as a karban is not what we're talking about here. The simcha that was there when they brought the donation of the wood, which was so great that it overcame, stronger than Tisha B'Av, than the fast that Tisha B'Av is not a korban of wood, because a korban of wood is like a korban, and a korban causes Hashem to be happy. So the bitul that it represents is a great bitul, but at the same time, it represents a bitul which you could say, \"Well, I accomplished a lot! Well, down here I'm nothing, but I accomplished a lot.\" But the wood that we're talking about is the wood that's not a korban, and it had no ריח ניחוח להשם. And that wood is the most important part. The etzem of korbanot is brought out in the wood. Now we have to go a step further. In truth, even that is not the greatest level of bitul. Why? Because after all, when the wood that was used for the korbanot was kodesh, you had to be makdish it, you have to make it holy before, so you were doing something, you takeh, it wasn't a mitzvah, there was no ריח ניחוח, it didn't cause any pleasure to Hashem, and nevertheless you gave it in order to have the korban, that shows the great bitul, but still, there is some kedusha involved that you cause by giving the wood. You made it holy, and when you made it holy, so you still feel, \"Look, I brought a certain level of kedusha down here!\" So if you bring a level of kedusha, there's still a certain level of pride that one could get, so his bitul comes along with the opposite of bitul. The greatest level of bitul that's represented in the wood is when they chopped the wood. When they chopped the wood, that was a הכשר for a הכשר, we call it. That was a preparation for a preparation for the korbanot. You chopped the wood to be able to bring it to the Beis Hamikdash, to be able to use it for a korban, but when you chopped the wood, there was no kedusha in the wood. The mitzvah of chopping the wood, which is to bring for the korban, is not ריח ניחוח, it doesn't accomplish anything, there is no kedusha in it, there's nothing there, and it's all for the korban. That represents the greatest bitul that a Yid could have in connection to korbanot. And again, just to go through the levels, when you bring the korban itself, that represents the bitul that you have in a certain aspect of you which is you. The wood represents the general bitul, but still it's a bitul that could come along with pride, because it could accomplish, so we say, \"No, the wood doesn't accomplish.\" But the wood is still holy, so there is a certain kedushah you caused. But when you're involved in the wood without any kedushah at all, then there is no pride. What did I accomplish? What did I do? And that shows where there is no more eich, and that's when you cut the wood. Especially, one of the families that donated the wood, one of the days was כ' אב, 20th day of אב. Now these people, in order to donate the wood on the 20th of אב, must have chopped it 15th day of אב or earlier. They couldn't chop it afterwards, because we said you're not allowed to chop wood for the בית המקדש after חמשה עשר באב. They didn't donate it till 5 days later, and they weren't makdish it, they didn't bring any kedushah to it till they gave it, because had they been makdish it as soon as they cut it, it's not theirs anymore. The whole idea was that then when their day came, they should give their wood. So it's definite that they chopped it someplace, sometimes earlier, maybe even the latest could have been חמשה עשר באב or earlier. For at least 5 days it was by them without any kedushah, and on כ' אב, that's when they would be makdish it and give it to the בית המקדש. So here we have their mitzvah of being connected to the wood without any kedushah, without anything, and that was for the sake of Hashem. Here there is no eich, there is no ego, there is nothing of themselves involved. That's the real bitul. And this is why the wood is such an important thing in the בית המקדש. On one hand, we say it's nothing, it's only fuel, but that represents the depth of the korbanot. We said before korbanot brings out, arouses in Hashem His essential love to us, which comes because the korbanot bring out within us our bitul to Hashem. In the korbanot itself, which part of the korbanot brings out the bitul? It's the wood of the korbanot, and that itself, not the קרבן עצים, but the wood as fuel, and that itself, the greatest Yom Tov was חמשה עשר באב, which is the siyum of the great mitzvah of cutting the wood, which has no kedushah whatsoever. And this is why in the Mishnah when it says that there are two things, there's Yom Kippur, two yamim tovim, Yom Kippur and חמשה עשר באב. And what is חמשה עשר באב connected? It says to בנין בית המקדש, the Beit HaMikdash. And we said, \"What's the connection between Chamisha Asar b'Av and the Beit HaMikdash?\" The fact that they cut the wood, they finished the siyum of cutting the wood, the mitzvah of cutting the wood. So we asked, \"Cutting the wood is the essence of the Beit HaMikdash?\" Yes. Cutting the wood is the essence of the whole Beit HaMikdash, because the Beit HaMikdash is korbanot. According to the Rambam certainly, the Rambam says the whole purpose why Hashem made to have a Beit HaMikdash is to have a place to bring korbanot. So korbanot is the essence of the Beit HaMikdash. Korbanot is the thing that evoked in Hashem the love to us beyond anything, which comes through our bitul to Hashem, with our mesirut nefesh. What is that that's in the wood? The wood represents the עצם הנפש that a Yid giving him over to Hashem. And that's why the Mishnah compares Chamisha Asar b'Av to Yom Kippur. Imagine out of all days of the year to Yom Kippur! Why Yom Kippur? Because what's special on Yom Kippur? We all know on Yom Kippur there is the revelation of the עצם הנשמה, the עצם הנפש, the essence of a איד'ס נפש is there. That's why we Yom Kippur we daven five tefilot, corresponding with the five parts of the נפש, including the יחידה, which is the יחיד the essence of the נשמה. So Yom Kippur, it says, is the day when the essence of the נשמה is revealed. It's the day that because our עצם הנשמה is revealed, it reveals within Hashem His עצם love to us, His עצם connection to us. And Chamisha Asar b'Av is the same thing in connection to the wood, the chopping of the wood, because chopping of the wood represents the great bitul that we have to Hashem when there is no איך, no ישות involved whatsoever. So here we see that we're taking a small thing, which seems to be the most minor thing in the בית המקדש. It's not like anything else, not like korbanot, not like ketoret, not like לחם הפנים, not like the menorah. All, everything is greater. The least of all is the chopping of the is the wood of the korban, and certainly the chopping of the wood for the korban. And the Rebbe brings out that this is the essence of everything, because this is what the עצים represent. And what it means to us is that now that we don't have קרבנות בגשמיות, but we have to have the avodah of קרבנות ברוחניות, so we have to have all these avodot. We have to have the avodah of korbanot which corresponds to chatat and asham and any aspect of ourselves that they have to be מבטל. But we also have to have before that the general bitul to Hashem, which is like the korban, like the עצים of the korban, and forgetting about our ego, not looking as if we're going to accomplish something, and looking that our accomplishment doesn't count. That's what the famous vort of the Baal Shem Tov, everyone knows, as I mentioned many times, the Baal Shem Tov once gave a bracha to somebody that he should have children, and they למעלה they were upset because this person naturally couldn't have children. So they decided למעלה that not to listen to the Baal Shem Tov is impossible. How could they not? The Baal Shem Tov said, so they have to do it. But the Baal Shem Tov caused in שמים that they should change the whole nature of this person. So they were upset, so a voice came out from heaven, because of that, the Baal Shem Tov lost his Olam Haba. So the Baal Shem Tov heard this voice from heaven, so he said, \"Oh, Baruch Hashem! Now I could serve Hashem for the sake of the mitzvah, for the sake of Hashem, not for any Olam Haba.\" Because it says in Mishnayot, in Pirkei Avot, you should serve השם שלא על מנת לקבל פרס. But when you have Olam Haba, you always forget, you know, as much as you try to do it for lishmah, but you do know in the back of your mind that you will get Olam Haba. But now I don't have Olam Haba, fine! Now I could serve Hashem.\" A voice came out from heaven, \"You got just got it back for that.\" And because of that the מדרגה that he fell that way, he got it back. But what's the peshat? As long as you get Olam Haba, that means you're accomplishing. As long as we know, then it takes away a little bit from our bitul, because we're not doing it for Hashem. I'll just finish off with one vort, the Alter Rebbe says, and I type this many times, but this is a brings out a point here. It says in in Likkutei Torah: אלמלא נצטוינו לחטוב עצים, had Hashem commanded, we say to Hashem, had Hashem commanded us to chop wood, we would have done it just the same, as much as we do tefillin, other things. What does that mean? What what's the chidush? If He would tell us to chop wood, that would be a mitzvah. So why why would we think we wouldn't do the wood? If we were to chop wood, we would do we would do it as much as we do any other mitzvah. I mean, why not? I mean, why is that, why would we think that just the mitzvah of putting, of eating crackers on Pesach, matzah, that we do, and the wood not? I mean, whatever. So what does it mean? So the Alter Rebbe explains, what it means is, if Hashem would command us chopping wood, to chop wood, and tell us, \"Your chopping wood will not accomplish anything. Just like now when there is no mitzvah to chop wood, you could chop wood from today till tomorrow, it doesn't do anything l'maalah.\" If Hashem would tell us, \"Chop wood, and it'll be like chopping wood is now,\" that means we don't accomplish anything, we would tell Hashem, we'd still do it. In other words, we're doing it not not because we know we accomplish and we gain and we cause great commotions up there, we do it because You said so. Every mitzvah accomplishes, so he says even if it wouldn't accomplish, we'd still do it. But it's interesting that the example that he gives there is chopping wood. Now simply we think it's just because an example of something mundane that we do nowadays that means nothing in הלכה, means nothing in Torah, so he used it as an example. But I'm just thinking maybe it's connected to what we're saying. That we do find that in the Beit Hamikdash chopping wood, not only the donating, before that, chopping the wood is the greatest bitul. Why? Because it doesn't accomplish anything. That's exactly what the Alter Rebbe means. If we would be told to chop wood, which accomplishes nothing, we would still do it because we give ourselves over to Hashem, and our ego and our accomplishment and us doesn't count. And this is what our avodah is supposed to be, at least striving to this, and then slowly we will get there. And when we have our bitul to Hashem, then Hashem shows His love to us, and then He gives us everything that we need. Yes. Oh, on the mizbeach there were certain sizes that they had to have. But that's all for technical reasons. But then, I think it's not me'akev if you have a different size. It's only lechatchilah. B'etzem, it's the wood itself. The the details are not. The fact that it shouldn't be wormy, that's a different thing because it has to be without a mum, and if it has a hole, it's a mum, so then it's pashut not nice for Hashem, you're going to give Hashem something that's not nice, not because that accomplishes. But like this, it's just the wood that you have to have fuel there, and that's all. It says בני יהודה, I think it's from Yehudah. Aveirah, need a kaparah, so you have to reach into that level. No, but to reveal it. The level is there anyway. Whenever we talk about doing something to bring out Hashem's love, the essential love, so there always you could ask this question, what do you mean bring out Hashem's essential love? Essential love is there, it's essential. To reveal it. Yes, we have to reveal it. Sure, it's not בגילוי. Like a parent and a child. That the parent always loves the child, no matter what, not always is it revealed. It's there, but not always is it revealed. And usually when the child doesn't behave, the parent does not feel in a revealed way that love. Doesn't. And you have to work on revealing it. But you have to do something that's beyond Torah. You have to do something that you show, like a child who misbehaves will come over to the parent and say, \"I'm sorry, I won't do it again.\" But you give you give yourself over, that's when, ah, that's when you touch that that that essence spot. In Torah u'mitzvot it can't be revealed. It has to be That's why it says teshuvah. No, Torah u'mitzvot not, teshuvah is higher, teshuvah also does the same thing. No, Torah u'mitzvot cannot reveal it. Teshuvah can. And teshuvah and korbanot go together. Sure, well teshuvah vadai is if you have teshuvah. Yeah. Without Yeah. If you just do Torah u'mitzvot, it doesn't doesn't And no teshuvah? No, it can't be revealed. Sometimes it says if you go mesirat nefesh, pashut that that's doing a good deed, but if you go mesirat nefesh, then that that reveals it. But otherwise, yeah, it's not revealed. Hashem says if you don't do the mitzvot, I'll be angry at you. Even though He loves us we're children, but it's not revealed. This has to reveal it, yeah. Yes. The woodchoppers are always referred to as the simple, simple Jews. That's what the pasuk says, ראשיכם שבטיכם, from the heads to the woodchoppers. No, no, it could be any, there it means simple peshat, it means any chopper. It's just wood for house, for for business, for for selling. But they use it as an example of chopping wood because chopping wood represents this essential connection which is felt more by a simple Yid than by a Yid who is a talmid chacham. Because there you have all kinds of sevarot, ideas, you know, you you there is the part of you that is still an egoistic. But by a simple Yid doesn't have that, and that's why a simple Yid is connected to chopping wood, yes. No, that's not, it doesn't mean that. It means pashut peshat. No, pashut it means