Welcome to the short, practical Lelamed Weekly Dvar and Daily Aliyah. As always, you can Order The Daily Aliyah <https://mosaicapress.com/product/the-daily-aliyah/> and receive your hard copy of these daily practical and relevant Torah thoughts (all proceeds go to Daily Giving), or join this Whatsapp group <https://chat.whatsapp.com/DnAFialrvmy6hNahBkU61F> to receive one per day. I hope you find this meaningful... _______________________________________________ Parashat Vayikra discusses the laws of the Chatas, the “sin offering” brought by an individual who accidentally transgresses a law. The pasuk (verse) introduces the Kohen’s sin with a conditional “if a Kohen sins…” (4:3), but when discussing a leader’s unintentional sin, the Torah signifies its inevitability with a more definite “when” a leader sins…” (4:22) Why does the pasuk seem to assume that the leader will sin? Rabbi Yochanan Zweig suggests that a Kohen’s limited interaction with people keeps him from making mistakes. Leaders, on the other hand, interact with people, so not only are they more likely to falter, but it is a foregone conclusion. This distinction is reflected in the terminology used by the Torah. There is an even more profound lesson to be learned from the terminology in that pasuk. The term used for a leader is “nasi,” not prince, king, or any other name. An alternate meaning of the word “nasi” is “to lift up,” which would make the pasuk read, “if a leader fails to lift.” Leaders are at their best when they take responsibility for lifting others. One’s role as a leader, whether we are directing companies, managing families, or influencing others, is to lift up those around us. We will not always do it perfectly, but we will always do it together, in support of each other. Shlomo Ressler _____________________________________________ Quotation of the week: “Life is win or learn, not win or lose.”