TORAH PORTION
We Can Never
Say Thank
You Enough.
Over the years,
thousands of you have
sent JARC tributes to
your family and friends.
We've thanked you, but
perhaps not enough.
The Need To Recover
The Primitive Response
RABBI IRWIN GRONER
Your support has
helped operate 11
beautiful homes for
men and women with
developmental dis-
abilities. It has helped
others learn to live
independently. It has
provided critical family
support services.
Special to The Jewish News
T
Thank you for your
tributes. They are, like
you, never forgotten.
Call today to make a
tribute. 352-5272.
A Jewish Association for Residential Care
for persons with developmental disabilities
28366 Franklin Road Southfield, MI 48034 (313) 352-5272
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PARKING AND ENTRANCE IN REAR
he Book of Vayikra
describes the system of
sacrifices the people of
Israel followed in the days of
Moses and during the period
when the Holy Temple stood
in Jerusalem. The karbanot,
sacrifices, are presented in
detail: the burnt offering, the
peace offering, the sin offer-
ing, the guilt offering. The
priest would accept these
sacrifices and place them on
the altar. The layman, moved
by deep emotion, would place
his hands upon the head of
the offering while the Levites
would sing to the accompani-
ment of instrumental music.
The contemporary Jew may
wonder about the relevance of
these verses to his problems
and needs. He may even deem
the whole order of sacrificial
practice barbaric. What
messages does the Book of
Leviticus convey to a world so
far removed in time and cir-
cumstance from the world of
the Bible?
The source of this expres-
sion of contemporary con-
tempt is the incorrect way we
regard ancient life. We
criticize the institutions of
3,000 years ago in the light of
20th century civilization. We
need to understand what lies
beneath the surface, the
motives that inspired the of-
ferings of old.
What is the conception
behind the system of
sacrifices? It is the desire of
man to commune with God.
The human being was stirred
by a powerful need to give ex-
pression to his sense of awe
and reverence. The word kar-
bon, sacrifice, is derived from
the Hebrew karov which
means to draw near. The goal
of the sacrifice was to enable
the worshipper to experience
the Divine Presence, to sense
His love, and to feel the
strength of His nearness. God
is the host of the universe, we
dwell in His house; we are all
His guests; we owe Him
thanks.
The Israelite sought to
show his gratitude to God for
the blessings he had received.
He looked upon his harvest
and flocks; and in his heart
arose an urge to express his
gratitude to the power that
provided rain in its due
season, without which the
land would have been barren
Irwin Groner is senior rabbi
of Congregation. Shaarey
Zedek.
and the animals would have
perished. How was he to do
this? By sacrificing part of his
increase as a token of
thankfulness.
"A primitive method," we
say with contempt. But is the
sense of gratitude primitive?
Is it unnecessary now to ar-
ticulate the idea that we are
dependent upon God for our
life and the means of our ex-
istence, that we have the du-
ty of thanking Him for the
blessings He sends us? On the
contrary, it can be argued
that modern man's sense of
gratitude to God is weaker
than it was in the past. We
need to recover the so-called
"primitive" response of an-
cient man who longed to
thank God for what He had
provided. The memory of the
Vayikra
Shabbat
HaChodesh:
Leviticus 1:1-5:26,
Exodus 12:1-20,
Numbers 28:9-15,
Ezekiel
45:16-46:18.
(/
N
sacrifices of old upon the altar
serves as a reminder of our
duty.
A second theme of sacrifice
is atonement, for there were
offerings brought in response
to the desire for forgiveness.
To sin in Judaism is to miss
the mark, to fall short of the
high ideals we set for
ourselves. Since man is prone
to error and weakness, the
purpose of the sin offering
was to cleanse the soul, to ex-
purgate guilt, to restore and
renew the relationship of God
and man.
Several years ago, the book
Love Story
reached
multitudes. Its most famous
line, which became part of
folk culture, was "Love means
never having to say you're
sorry." The Book of Vayikra
teaches the opposite: to live is
to love, and in our relation-
ships of love with our mates,
our parents, our children, our
community, our people, we
commit acts of thoughtless-
ness, weakness, or error. It is
difficult for us to admit that
we have transgressed, and
therefore, we are required,
says the Book of Vayikra, to
confront our weakness, to
make restitution, to bring an
offering and to cleanse the
soul.
A third concept is suggested
by the public or communal
sacrifices such as the olah, or
N
K
N I