This Shabbat is the Shabbat before Passover. It is called the “Shabbat HaGadol” (Great Sabbath) because while in Egypt, it was on Shabbat that God commanded His people to bring the Passover Lamb into their homes and keep it until the 14th day of Nissan, when they sacrificed it and placed its blood upon their doorposts (Exodus 12). No doubt, it is a very special time of reflection and gratitude for all God has done for us.

As I was reading Parashat Tzav this week, I noticed the detail in the instructions regarding the sacrifices. These instructions relate to the different kinds of sacrifices that the children of Israel were commanded to bring. In Leviticus 6, we read about the “HaOlah,” the burnt offering, which comes from the idea of “going up,” since the entire sacrifice was consumed on the altar. It was not a one-time act, but something that was to take place continually. Twice a day, in the morning and again in the early evening, the priests were to offer it before the LORD.

That consistency is not incidental. It points to something deeper. There was an ongoing need for atonement, an ongoing awareness that sin was not a one-time issue, but a continuous reality that required bringing oneself before God again and again. I believe that beyond the act itself, it also served to keep the people close to God, because it required them to remain aware of their need for His forgiveness. Alongside this, we also find the Mincha, the grain offering, the Asham, the guilt offering, and the Shlemim, the peace offering, each with its place and each with its purpose.

As I read through all of these instructions, I found myself stopping over a simple question, “Is the focus on the sacrifices themselves, with all their detail and precision, or on the reason they were needed in the first place?” It is possible to approach God’s commandments with a desire to obey, and yet over time, that motivation can weaken. Obedience becomes a checklist versus something meant to shape our hearts before Him.

I thought about what King Solomon asked of God in 1Kings 3. When he was given the opportunity to ask for anything, he did not ask for power, long life, or victory over his enemies. He asked for this:

A hearing heart to judge Your people, to discern between good and evil.
1 Kings 3:9

A “hearing” heart, not simply understanding, but the ability to truly listen, to discern, and to recognize what is right and what is not before God. God’s response is just as revealing:

Behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart.
1 Kings 3:12

God gave him what he asked for, but notice how it is described: a wise and discerning heart. In other words, wisdom is not separated from the condition of the heart; it flows from it.

This brings us to our current reality. There are many who claim to believe in the one true God, many who speak about Him, represent Him, and even defend Him. But somewhere along the way, we have neglected the importance of a discerning heart, the ability to truly see the difference between what is good and what is evil before God. And so the question is not only what we say or where we stand, but whether we are allowing God to search our hearts.

The Haftarah in the Book of Malachi speaks directly into that reality, not to those far away, but to those who are near, those who should know the difference, yet no longer live according to it:

“Then I will come near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the stranger, and do not fear Me,” says the LORD of armies.
Malachi 3:5

It is not that the people were not bringing offerings, but that the offerings no longer reflected a life aligned with Him. They continued in the outward acts, yet allowed their hearts to drift away from God, from who He is, who He was, and who He will always be. In doing so, they became wise in their own minds, no longer measuring themselves against Him, but against themselves.

That is something we cannot ignore. It is possible to continue doing what is right outwardly while slowly drifting inwardly. It is possible to be engaged, active, even vocal, and yet avoid being examined. The sacrificial system was meant to keep the people aware, a daily reminder that something is broken, that forgiveness is needed, and that drawing near to God is not automatic. But without a hearing heart, even something sacred becomes routine:

Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD listened and heard them…
Malachi 3:16

He is listening, not only to what is said, but to what is true.

This is why this moment calls for something more than outward response. It calls for a true searching of the heart, not to look at others, but to look within, to ask what is shaping us, what is guiding us, and whether it truly aligns with who God is.

And for those who believe, this is not something we are left to do on our own. The sacrificial system pointed to something greater, to the ultimate sacrifice in Yeshua. Through Him, we are not only forgiven, but given the Holy Spirit, who searches the heart, who guides, who corrects, and who conforms us to His image.

That does not remove the need to examine ourselves. It deepens it. Because now, the question is not only what we bring before God, but whether we are allowing Him to do His work within us.

So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.
Malachi 3:18

That distinction will be made, and it begins in the heart.

Shabbat Shalom,
Moran