The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
R' Frand began this week's vort by quoting a Medrash which states that we learn from the way that Hashem called to Moshe, that any Talmid Chacham who does not have "deyos", a piece of Nevelah is greater than him. The Medrash explains that Moshe who was the father of wisdom, was responsible for Krias Yam Suf, receiving the Luchos, built the Mishkan, still did not enter "Lifna V'Lifnim" until Hashem called him as it is written Vayikra with a small Aleph. R' Frand also quoted a related gemara which states that had Moshe entered without permission, the Neveilah would have been greater than him as well.
With the understanding that "deyos" should be learned as good middos, why did the Medrash not use the term middos in discussing this? Furthermore, it should be noted that Rambam places his discussion of proper middos in Hilchos Deyos. So what is the connection?
R' Frand answer by making reference to the Rabbeinu Nissim Gaon who explains that every person (Jew and Non-Jew alike) are obligated in any mitzva which is logical. This is why a Non-Jew is similarly obligated in honoring his parents.
R' Frand also quoted Rashi on Bereishis 1:26 which states that Man was created in Hashem's image because there is an obligation to learn and understand His ways. If a person does not attempt to understand Hashem's ways and emulate them, he is no greater than a piece of dead animal.
R' Frand also said a second vort on Vayikra 5:7, which states that if a person sins and cannot afford livestock, he brings two birds - one as a Chatas and one as an Olah.
R' Frand quoted the Ibn Ezra who asks - why does the man bring an Olah merely because he cannot bring livestock? The Ibn Ezra's second answer (R' Frand said the first was technical) is that perhaps the man had qualms with Hashem that he could not bring livestock, so the Olah atones for this.
R' Frand next quoted R' Elya Boruch Finkel who asked - why does this person have qualms now? He lives next door to someone who has a nicer car, or a nicer house. So why does he have ta'anos over having to bring birds?
R' Finkel explained that the person has come to peace with his financial lot and he is ok with his neighbor driving a Lexus while he drives a Ford. But when the neighbor can bring a nicer animal or has a nicer esrog, he may have claims.
R' Frand closed the vort by quoting a story involving R' Shmuel Birnbaum - Rosh Yeshiva of the Mirrer Yeshiva in Brooklyn. When R' Birnbaum fled Europe through Shanghai he brought with him his most prized worldly possession - his shtender. And when he learned in the Beis Medrash for afternoon seder he always stayed until the end - 7:30. If someone wanted him to be Mesader Kiddushin at a wedding, he had to know that R' Birnbaum would not leave the yeshiva before 7:30.
One day a young man came to see him and asked whether he should buy an expensive car. The man's wife had been bothering him to get it, but he was worried that people would be jealous. R' Birnbaum asked him - do you know Seder Nezikin and Seder Nashhim? The young man responded - no. Do you know any mesechta cold? Again - no. Do you know any daf gemara cold? Again - no. R' Birnbaum said to him - don't worry, no one will be jealous of you for buying the car.
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