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Good through April 5th.With approved credit through LSS Credit. 836-60 month leases slighly higher. 2.9% APR ends April 2, 1997. FREE PICK UP & DELIVERY• FREE LEXUS LOAN CARS LLJ ASK ABOUT OUR SPECIAL INCENTIVES FOR PREVIOUS LEXUS OWNERS UJ L_LJ 36 Call Now 1-800-LEXUS 4U Open Monday & Thursday 9-9 Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 9.6 Saturday 10-5 (1-800-539-8748) Exit 104 Off 1-96 • North On Pennsylvania 1 Block WE DELIVER ANYWHERE! T he first seven chapters of Maimonides held that the sacrificial system was simply fices to be offered by the a universal custom among ali -\ Israelites. The concept of peoples at the time of Moses. sacrifice in the ancient temple is To worship meant to offer sacri- difficult for people today to vi- fices. sualize. The sedrah deals with regu- The priestly authors lations concerning prepa- of Leviticus regarded ration of various types sacrifice as ritual in- and kinds of sacrifices. structions for satisfying Their main purpose was God. In ancient times, to formalize or reaffirm many peoples believed the relationship between_/ that sacrifice was a nor- the worshipper ancc\ mal element of daily life God as well as the com- to appease God's favor. munity of Israel. What Yet Amos, Jeremiah, was required was to re- RABBI Hosea, Micah and other tain God's continuing RICHARD C. prophets spoke out presence among the peo- HERTZ against animal sacrifices ple. and instead called for a SPECIAL TO THE To the rabbis of the tal- JEWISH NEWS religion of ethical con- mudic period, the sacrifi- duct only. Nonetheless, cial cult described in this throughout the biblical period sedrah was not of preeminent =/ and for centuries thereafter, sac- importance. Prayer and perfor- -\ rifice was considered proper and mance of good deeds were more necessary when performed with important. Obedience to God sincerity and with strict adher- and love of mankind are greater ence to tradition. than sacrifices. Our sedrah this week deals The rest of the sedrah gives with the sacrificial cult of a description of the religious ancient Israeli life. All ancient celebrations in formal worship. religions had sacrifices as part Here the priesthood had a par- of their worship; they were ticular interest because of considered the gifts made to the its central role in the sacrifices:_/ deity. The worshippers' involve- the roles of Aaron, the high ment was primarily a means of priest, and his sons are also not- establishing a contact with the ed. deity. Sacrifices were the main For centuries, children began outward manifestation of reli- their studies with Leviticus. gion. Why? The rabbis thought that In early biblical times, sacri- children would learn values fices could be offered anywhere. of purity that way. Sacrifices High places, serving as altars, were acts of homage to God. Not were scattered throughout the that God needs sacrifices of land. burnt animals or food for Hi,(- Later on, with the establish- daily diet. Holiness and right- ment and the building of a cen- eousness are the goals of Ju- tral sanctuary in the Temple in daism. ❑ Jerusalem, the special types of sacrifices to be offered were de- tailed in the opening chapters of Leviticus deal with sacri- Leviticus. With the destruction of the Temple by the Romans in 70 B.C.E., sacrifices posed a prob- lem. The hope vanished that the Temple would be rebuilt and the feeling grew that prayer and study must take the place of the offerings on the altar. When Solomon dedicated the Temple, it became the main focus of the religion. During the Second Temple period, sac- rifices were offered in the Tem- ple, which was the axis around which the religious life revolved. Richard Hertz is distinguished professor of Jez.Vish studies at University of Detroit Mercy. 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