Parsha
Date: 18.3.24 / 8 Adar II 5784
Parsha: Vayikra: Leviticus 1:1-13
Vayikra is the third book of the Torah. This one is quite different from the previous two books. The book of Vayikra does not really tell a story or describe a journey like the other books of the Torah. The entire book takes place only at Mount Sinai, over the course of just one month! There is almost no tale being told at all, but there are a lot of mitzvoth introduced to us.
Vayikra is placed at the centre of the Chumash, and it contains the key to understanding Israel’s mission in the world – to be “a kingdom of Priests and a holy nation.” This is the first time in history a group of people have ever been given a collective mission, and every time we read the Book of Vayikra, we are reminded of this mission.
The parsha of Vayikra describes the various kinds of sacrifices the Israelites brought to the Mishkan. There were five: the burnt offering (ola), the grain offering (mincha), the peace offering (shelamim), the sin offering (chatat), and the guilt offering (asham).
Thought of Rabbi Sacks
“It is precisely in our day-to-day relationships, at work or among friends, in our dealings with people and the integrity, sensitivity and generosity we bring to bear on them, that we most add or subtract to the respect those around us have for the values by which we live. Here, the greatest of biblical commands – to sanctify and not desecrate God’s name – have their arena, their impact and influence. There is no greater religious achievement than to have sanctified God’s name, and no greater a sin than to have lessened the respect in which it is held… ‘Sanctifying the name’ is no mere marginal addendum to the script of Jewish life but its very point: to bring God’s presence into the world by making others aware that God’s word sanctifies life.”
To Heal a Fractured World, p.68
Around the Shabbat Table
- What is the rationale behind sacrificial worship of God?
- What are the dangers of this form of worship (as highlighted by the Prophets)?
- What should the focus of our worship of God be (according to this week’s Covenant & Conversation)?
Answers
- Sacrifices were the language of religious worship in biblical times. Humans at that time would have found it difficult to approach and connect to God in any other way. Sacrifices are a way for humans to connect and draw close to God. The root of the Hebrew word for sacrifice is k-r-v which means close. Just as when we give a gift to a friend this brings us closer to them, giving God something we own brings us closer to Him.
- The danger to be wary of, is that we may focus only on our relationship with God, and neglect our moral behaviour towards other human beings. God cannot be bribed or appeased by sacrifices, and wrongs righted by sacrifice do not excuse other wrongs. Religious worship must not be a way of easing the conscience of those who behave in an immoral way in their everyday activities. The Prophets said that the danger of the sacrificial system is that it can lead people to think that “there are two domains, the Temple and the world, serving God and caring for one’s fellow humans, and they are disconnected. Judaism rejects the concept of two disconnected domains. Halachically they are distinct, but psychologically, ethically and spiritually they are part of a single indivisible system.”
- “To serve God is to serve humanity”. That was the point made memorably by Micah: “He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: To do justice, to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.”(Micah 6:6-8). Jeremiah said of King Josiah: “He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know Me? says the Lord” (Jer. 22:16). Knowing God, said Jeremiah, means caring for those in need.
Parsha summary adapted from Chabad.org and Rabbi Sacks Legacy
The weekly mitzvot are adapted from the PAJES Primary Parashat Hashavua Curriculum, and form the basis of the school's PSHE curriculum for all pupils alongside the Torah, Well Being and Me curriculum.