Torah Portion of the Week

Building Character through the Themes of the Weekly Torah Portion

Torah

Leviticus 6:1–8:36

Next Reading:

March 28, 2026

10 Nissan, 5786

Haftarah

Jeremiah 7:21–8:3; 9:22–23

צַו אֶת־אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת־בָּנָיו לֵאמֹר זֹאת תּוֹרַת הָעֹלָה הִוא הָעֹלָה עַל מוֹקְדָה עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כָּל־הַלַּיְלָה עַד־הַבֹּקֶר וְאֵשׁ הַמִּזְבֵּחַ תּוּקַד בּוֹ׃

Tzav et–A-ha-ron v’et–ba-nav le-mor zot to-rat ha-o-lah hi ha-o-lah al mo-k’dah al–ha-miz-be-ach kol–ha-lai-lah ad–ha-bo-ker v’esh ha-miz-be-ach tu-kad bo.

Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering: it is that which goes up on its firewood upon the altar all night unto the morning; and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning thereby.

Leviticus 6:2

Tzav means “command.” This week’s Torah portion continues to lay out the laws of the sacrifices, one of which is called the “thanksgiving offering.” One would bring this offering to God as an expression of thanks for what He had done for them.

An Attitude of Gratitude

One of the most significant keys to living a happy life is being able to feel and show thankfulness toward God and toward other people. Do you want to change your world and the world around you? Developing an attitude of gratitude can make this happen. Your attitude can be one of the greatest resources you have, or it can be one of the greatest problems you have. Thankfulness is one of the most powerful tools in the universe.

Gratitude generates energy and minimizes the effects of negativity. Gratitude generates positive change and can even rebuild your circumstances. Thankfulness draws others towards you because of the positive atmosphere that it generates.

No matter where we are in life, we can all find reasons to be thankful. Thankfulness magnifies the good things that God has given you, and helps you to see more of the positive in everyday life and savor the good moments—like the way the sun feels on your skin, a soft hug from a child, finding the perfect parking spot, catching the bus on time, or the beauty and sweetness of a piece of fruit you are biting into.

We can be grateful for our parents, our families, and our friends. We can be thankful for being alive and for our health. We can find other reasons to be thankful, too, like having a job, having food on the table, and even having our pets who greet us at the door when we come home.

Modeh Ani – I Gratefully Thank You

Modeh Ani, which means “I am thankful,” is a beautiful Jewish prayer recited every morning upon waking which expresses appreciation to God for being alive:

“I offer thanks to You, living and eternal King, for You have mercifully restored my soul within me; Your faithfulness is great.”

Let Thankfulness Be Your Reality

Thankfulness helps us not to take the good things in our life for granted. It helps us to focus on what we have, rather than what we are lacking. When you are thankful, the whole attitude and atmosphere around you will change. When you remember the kindness of God and others, and are thankful for it, it enables you to keep an attitude of joy, and heals you from bitterness.

Adopt an attitude of thankfulness and make it a habit to constantly and consistently appreciate what God has given you. Right words are nourishment for the soul. Speak nice words and words of appreciation—to yourself, to others, and to God—privately and publicly. And make it a habit to do it often.

Is there someone special whom you love and appreciate—your father, your mother, a family member, a close friend? Take an extra step to express your thanks with kind words, or an act of kindness. Set a goal to be thankful, and it will produce a stream of happiness in your life.

Pronunciation Guide for Transliterated Hebrew Words

a	[a] as in arm
ai	[ai] as in Thailand
e	[e] as in red
ei	[ei] as in eight
i	[i] as in ski
o	[o] as in score
oi	[oi] as in oil
u	[u] as in rule
ui	[ui] as in gluing
ch/kh	[ch] as in the Scottish loch
g	[g] as in good (not as in giant)
tz	[ts] as in hats
‘	short “eh” or “uh” sound

The Hebrew Scriptures in this text have been derived from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (WLC), and the English translation is based off of the JPS 1917 Tanakh.

Torah Portion of the Week

Torah

Next Reading:

Haftarah

An Attitude of Gratitude

Modeh Ani – I Gratefully Thank You

Let Thankfulness Be Your Reality

Pronunciation Guide for Transliterated Hebrew Words

a

[a] as in arm

ai

[ai] as in Thailand

e

[e] as in red

ei

[ei] as in eight

i

[i] as in ski

o

[o] as in score

oi

[oi] as in oil

u

[u] as in rule

ui

[ui] as in gluing

ch/kh

[ch] as in the Scottish loch

g

[g] as in good (not as in giant)

tz

[ts] as in hats

‘

short “eh” or “uh” sound

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