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Shabbat Vayikra: Leviticus 1:1-5:26; Deuteronomy
25:17-19; I Samuel 15:2-34.

I

he Book of Vayikra, or Leviti- as a token of thankfulness.
A "primitive method," we say
cus, describes the system of
sacrifices which was followed with contempt. But is a sense of
by the people of Israel in the gratitude archaic? Is it unneces-
days of Moses and during the pe- sary now to articulate the idea that
riod when the Holy Temple stood we are dependent upon God for
our life and the means of our ex-
in Jerusalem.
The korbanot, or sacrifices, are istence that we have the duty of
described in detail: the burnt of- thanking Him for the blessings he
fering, the peace offering, the sin sends us? On the contrary, it can
Offering, the guilt offering. The be argued that modern man's
priest would accept these sacrifices sense of gratitude to God is weak-
and place them on the altar. The er than it was in the past. We need
layman, moved by deep emotion, to recover the so-called "primitive"
would place his hands upon the response of ancient man who
longed to thank God for
head of the offering while
what He had provided.
the Levites would sing to
The memory of the sacri-
the accompaniment of in-
fices of old upon the altar
strumental music.
serves as a reminder of our
The contemporary Jew,
duty.
in considering these vers-
A second theme of sac-
es, may wonder about
rifice is atonement, for of-
their relevance to his prob-
ferings were brought in
lems and needs. He may
RAB BI
response to the desire for
even deem the whole or- IRWIN
G RORER
der of sacrificial practice SPECIAL TO THE forgiveness. To sin in Ju-
daism is to miss the mark,
as barbaric. What mes-
JEWISH NEWS
to fall short of the high
sages does Leviticus con-
vey to a world so far removed in ideals we set for ourselves. Since
time and circumstance from the man is prone to error and weak-
ness, the purpose of the sin offer-
world of the Bible?
The source of this expression of ing was to cleanse the soul, to
contemporary derogation is the in- expurgate guilt, to restore and re-
correct way to regard ancient life. new the relationship of God and
We criticize the institutions of man.
Several years ago, a book called
3,000 years ago in the light of 20th
century civilization. We need to Love Story reached multitudes. Its
understand what lies beneath the most famous line, which became
surface, the motives that inspired part of folk culture, was "Love
means never having to say you're
the offerings of old.
What is the conception behind sorry." Vayikra teaches the oppo-
the system of sacrifices? It is the site — to live is to love and in our
desire of man to commune with relationships of love with our
God. The human being was stirred mates, our parents, our children,
by a powerful need to give expres- our siblings, our community, our
sion to his sense of awe and rev- people, we commit acts of thought-
erence. The word karbon, or lessness, weak- ness or error. It is
sacrifice, is derived from the He- difficult for us to admit that we
brew karov, which means "to draw have transgressed; and therefore,
near," "to come close." The goal of we are required, says Vayikra, to
the sacrifice was to enable the wor- confront our weakness, to make
shipper to experience the divine restitution, to bring an offering and
presence, to sense His love and to to cleanse the soul.
A third concept is suggested by
feel the strength of His nearness.
God is the host of the universe; we the public or communal sacrifices
dwell in His house; we are all His such as the olah, or burnt offering,
brought every morning and
guests; we owe Him thanks.
The Israelite sought to show evening on behalf of the whole
his gratitude to God for the bless- community. The public act of wor-
ings he had received. He looked ship dramatizes the ideal of unity.
upon his harvest and flocks; and Every member of the congregation
in his heart arose an urge to of Israel had his personal share in
express his gratitude to the the collective offering. The central
power that provided rain in its sanctuary with its communal sac-
due season, without which the rifices was a visible object lesson
land would have been barren of the ideal of communal solidar-
and the animals would have per- ity. Without it, the tribes would
ished. How was he to do this? By have drifted apart. With it, they
sacrificing part of his increase were joined into one integrated
group.
Irwin Groner is rabbi of
Has the need for unity ceased
Congregation Shaarey Zedek.
to exist in our time? Can we today