In the middle of our parsha’s instruction regarding the chagim, we read a curious pasuk: וּבְקֻצְרְכֶ֞ם אֶת־קְצִ֣יר אַרְצְכֶ֗ם לֹֽא־תְכַלֶּ֞ה פְּאַ֤ת שָֽׂדְךָ֙ בְּקֻצְרֶ֔ךָ וְלֶ֥קֶט קְצִֽירְךָ֖ לֹ֣א תְלַקֵּ֑ט לֶֽעָנִ֤י וְלַגֵּר֙ תַּֽעֲזֹ֣ב אֹתָ֔ם אֲנִ֖י ה’ אֱלֹֽקיכֶֽם, “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not completely remove the corner of your field during your harvesting, and you shall not gather up the gleanings of your harvest. You shall leave these for the poor person and for the stranger. I am Hashem, your God” (Vayikra 23:22). Pesikta Zutarta 65b asks why this pasuk is placed between the laws for Pesach and Shavuot and those for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. He answers, אלא ללמד שכל מי שהוציא לקט ושכחה ופאה ומעשרות עניים מעלה עליו הכתוב כאלו בית המקדש קיים והוא מקריב קרבנותיו לתוכו, “To teach that whoever gives gleanings, forgotten sheaves, and the corners to the poor in the appropriate manner, is seen as if he had built the Holy Temple and offered up his sacrifices within it”. Providing for and caring for those who are disenfranchised or in need is not only just as important as our observance of the chagim, but also equal to providing the greatest service possible to God: building the Temple and offering Him korbanot. Today when you give tzedakah to those in need, reflect on this value-- caring for the poor is the Temple service Hashem yearns for from us. May we merit to fulfill the mitzvot of לקט ושכחה ופאה and rebuild Hashem’s Temple both in our world and in our hearts and minds.
