WI* 40 mime As We Sacrifice We Make Restitution . al (MEE ® o §Egnortz 9 : 30-7 1 mi. g c tivoAciay • 3, 1997 uiv Se, 41„2,-atao_Ai to cu E-ka,g,g,i/ W./a cb42,,,LQ.at c.A7, S at f geAZiA, un, fAvu O (:),1-1-cd,& cat& nixt.o.,i,cJ dutaizial; Y.-cLuitai eoffe42,, eo.rrup.cuiy! Come alone or bring a friend. Open to the community, free of charge. For more information call Temple Israel (810)661-5700 5725 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48323 I 3 GENERATIONS HONESTY •DEPENDABILITY All Business' Are Not Created Equal. There Is A DVfererree. QUM WELATTRAEB JEWELERS In Store Specials Everyday Sunset Strip 29536 Northwestern Hwy. • Southfield • (810) 357-4000 Hours: Mon.-Sat 10-5 LU • • LU 7-4-rioNs. F— C.) CC F- LU D LU Advertise in our new Entertainment Section! Cali Robin Magness (810) 354-7123 LA. 209 38 THE JEWISH NEWS "i GIFTS • S1 - P1 . / 4 7\ f* SALE up to 50% off In the Orchard Mall / West Bloomfield • (810) 737-4888 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