Maghen Abraham - Thoughts From Mayer Sasson

"… if any man of you would bring an offering from you near unto G-d…"(1,2)

An offering from you

"Your offering should be similar to the offering of Adam Harishon. Just as even though Adam Harishon had everything at his disposal he did not bring from stolen or looted items, so you.. do not bring an offering from stolen or looted items." (Vayikra Rabba)

We must understand: Why do we have to learn through an allusion about bringing an offering from something stolen? It says specifically (Yeshaya) "For I, G-d, love judgment and hate robbery with offerings".

The Admor Rabbi Moshe Yechiel Epstein of Azhorov explained: The verse does not speak about stealing from one another; it refers to what our Sages said "One who enjoys This World without a blessing is as if stealing."

A person is not allowed to enjoy this world until he recognizes that everything has been given to him from G-d. Likewise, an offering is not considered "yours" until a person recognizes that it belongs to G-d and he blesses Him for it. This is alluded to in the numerology of "יקריב קרבן" – bring an offering – that adds up to "מאה ברכות" –

100 blessings.

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The word "מכם" – from you- seems superfluous for it seemingly would have been enough to write "if any man of you would bring an offering". In the Yalkut Mayen Ganim it is brought down that this is to teach us that one who makes one hundred blessings – the numerology of the word "מכם" – every day has as if brought an offering on the altar.

The righteous Rabbi Hillel Lichtenstein of Kolomia added: The fact that the mitzvah of one hundred blessings is alluded to in the word "מכם" teaches us an allusion to that which is written in the Gemara that if a person makes a blessing on something stolen "this is not a blessing but a curse. The Torah says"… if any man of you would bring an offering from you -  -"אדם כי יקריב מכם" Make the blessings from your own belongings and not from others'.

SHABBAT SHALOM!!