Leviticus Vayikra

Vayikra
Leviticus 1:1 – 5:26

I. Summary

A. Vayikra = (The Eternal One) “called” (to Moses) …

B. God instructs Moses on the four categories of sacrifices that were to be offered in the sanctuary:

1. Voluntary Burnt Offering (olah and minchah) - Although not required, these offerings atoned for neglecting to perform positive commandments and for harmful thoughts or intentions. Not connected to wrongful act. Offering of animals, birds or grain (depending on financial ability of donor). (Lev 1:1-2:16)

2. Peace Offering (zevach sh’lamim) - A person who hadn't sinned, but rather has a positive feeling and wants to relate to the Almighty from that good feeling, would bring a Peace Offering. Not connected to wrongful act. Festive meal eaten by donor and guests. Offering of a male or female cow or sheep. (Lev. 3:1-17)

3. Sin Offering (chatat) – Unintentional but severe sins atoned with a sin offering. Unintentionally means that a person was not aware of the prohibition. Offering of animals, birds or grain (depending on financial ability of donor). (Lev 4:1-35)

4. Guilt Offering (asham) - For transgressions of i) unintentionally deriving benefit from the Temple and any of its vessels or edibles, ii) stealing money or denying receiving a loan or a security, and taking a false oath (intentionally) to that effect or iii) ) not being sure if a transgression was committed at all. Requires a confession. Connected to a wrongful act. Allowed a person to atone until they could establish that he actually did sin, in which case he then brings the regular Sin Offering. (Lev. 5:1-26)

II. Commentary (Plaut, various websites and prior Hevreh discussions)

A. Unifying themes of Leviticus - Dividing/setting apart (clean from the unclean, permissible from impermissible, Tabernacle’s sacred inner sanctum from rest of Tabernacle, holy from non-holy, etc.). Path to holiness through law and ritual. Separate source (Priestly or P) from rest of Torah.

B. Sacrifice replaced by prayer - Destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E. and rebuilt in the fourth century B.C.E., the Temple was, by the time of its final destruction, the focal point of the entire Jewish world. In century following the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Romans in 70 C.E. (when the priestly cult, and the sacrifices ceased to function), the framework of the Temple service was shifted by the Rabbis into a then new institution … the synagogue, where Jews would gather three times a day, corresponding to the thrice-daily offerings in the Temple to offer prayers. This decentralization of worship is when Israelites became “Jews”.

C. Sacrifice/prayer brings one closer to God - Just as sacrifices moved one closer to God, so does prayer, study, and acts of loving-kindness move one closer to God.

D. Sacredness as an ends v. ritual as a means - The goal of sacredness and closeness to God is more important than the ritual of sacrifice (prayer). Vayikra establishes the central themes of biblical and rabbinic Judaism. The focus is on establishing a sacred community, “a nation of priests,” whose daily deeds perfect the world under God’s rule. Vayikra recognizes that deeds speak far more eloquently than words and that living in a holy community can provide a sense of God’s presence far more pervasive than more ethereal approaches.

E. Unintentional wrongs - Guilt exists regardless of the perpetrator's awareness of having committed a sin. Guilt, as it were, has a life of its own, and only an act of expiation can wipe it away. When we are merely careless or insensitive in our treatment of others, we risk spiritual impurity and banishing God from our presence.

F. Intentional wrongs - Sacrifice itself does not cure an intentional wrong as evidenced by guilt offering (asham) for intentional wrongs requiring a confession in addition to sacrifice.

G. Small aleph = Moses’ humility and God - At the end of the Hebrew word Vayikra, the letter alef is written in a smaller size than all the other letters in order to reflect the humility of Moses. Small aleph also lends the word vayikra (called) a surface resemblance to a different Hebrew word - vayikor, which means, "to chance upon." Both of these words are often associated with prophecy throughout the Torah except that the word vayikor is specifically selected to convey the very opposite of the idea of "to call"; the intention is to portray the prophetic experience it describes as no more than a chance encounter. God selects prophets based on need (to communicate some vital information specifically through them) rather than God’s relationship with that person.

H. What parasha may mean for us today

1. Leaders expected to offer more than others = Standards vary by who they are being applied to. For example, leaders are and should be held to a higher standard. Similarly, someone who has a greater natural ability is expected to do more.

2. People made offerings according to their financial ability = While we strive to improve, we must be sensitive to our own limitations and not pressure ourselves unrealistically.

3. People offered what was valuable to them = Sacrificing valuable things suggests that nothing in life counts unless we care. If you don't care for something, then it doesn't matter if we lose it or not. The more we care about important things, the more meaningful our lives become.

4. Unintentional yet wrong acts required offering = Carelessness and insensitivity is not an excuse for acting wrongly … a wrongful act is, by definition, a sin. We must take responsibility for intentional as well as intentional wrongs.

5. Broken promises required offering = Do what you say you will do.

6. Animal sacrifice = Expressed reverence and respect for all life (by the careful way they prepared and ate their food and offered sacrifices) v. people today typically (except for relatively few animal rights activists) make no connection between food they eat and lives of animals, i.e. be sensitive to impact of our daily routine on living animals.
(Revised 3/17/10)