Spring
`99

Torah Portion

Only Through Sacrifice
Are Goals Achieved

Every moral decision requires that
we give up some gain or advantage
for the sake of the greater good.
Civilization itself is the product of
man's sacrifice of his impulses and
his appetite in order to win creative
achievement.
This is a lesson that is worth pon-
e began reading this
dering in an age dedicated to self-
Shabbat the third book
gratification, self-indulgence and
of the Bible, Leviticus.
self-pampering. If we want the
It deals with the sacri-
rewards of achievement, we have to
es and offerings that were brought
be ready to pay the price that
by the children of Israel in the sanc-
achievement sternly demands.
tuary of old.
One of the popular illu-
We read about burnt
sions of our time views life
offerings and sin offerings
as a giant commissary from
and peace offerings and fire
which we are entitled to
and incense and smoke.
draw unlimited rations of
Leviticus is a most difficult
food and clothing and
book, and the least com-
power and privilege. The
7elling for the modern
Torah reminds us that life
reader. It describes the
is an altar and what is
ancient institution of ani-
placed on an altar are sac-
mal sacrifice that is no
rifices. Until we have
longer a part of the life of
learned that basic truth, we
RABBI IRWIN
the Jewish people. This
are not yet ready for
GRONER
came to an abrupt end
mature and meaningful
Special to The
when the second temple in
and successful living.
Jewish News
Jerusalem was destroyed
Rabbi Abraham Joshua
, almost 2,000 years ago.
Heschel quoted a Chasidic
Yet for all its lack of
teacher who made the fol-
appeal or drama, it was with Vayikra
lowing observation, "When it came
that the Jewish children in olden
time in the history of the people of
days would begin their study of the
Israel to build a Holy Temple, one
Torah. Not the absorbing stories of
would have imagined that Moses
Genesis, not the exciting events of
would have picked the most impor-
Exodus, but the seemingly uninspir-
tant mountain in all of Israel's histo-
ing laws concerning sacrifice consti-
ry; he would have instructed the
tuted their introduction to sacred
people to build a temple on Mt.
,:ripture. Why was this?
Sinai, which, of course, spiritually
Our sages in the Midrash provide
towers above every other mountain
a charming answer to this question.
because the Torah was transmitted
They say, "Little children are pure,
there. But the Temple wasn't built
and sacrifices are pure; so let those
there. It was built in Jerusalem, on a
who are pure come and occupy
mountain that the tradition called
themselves with things that are
Mt. Moriah. Why Mt. Moriah?
pure.
Because," Rabbi Heschel observed,
There may be another hidden rea-
"that was the mountain where
on why Jewish youngsters began
Abraham took his only son Isaac as a
their Torah studies with Leviticus.
sacrifice, an offering to God, and the
Perhaps our teachers wanted to
place of sacrifice is greater even than
impress upon young minds at the
the place of Torah." And that is why
earliest opportunity the inescapable
the holy temple was built in
truth that sacrifices are at the very
Jerusalem.
center of life. Nothing worthwhile
How do we transmit Judaism? Of
in life is ever achieved without sacri-
course, we have institutions and
fice.
movements and synagogues and
Moreover, and this might have
organizations. What truly shapes
—been the most important reason,
Jewish consciousness, Jewish loyalty
unless children learned the meaning
and Jewish commitment? These
of sacrifice in their own lives, they
responses are inspired by homes that
would never make much of them-
are filled with spirit, experienced in
selves.
the observance of Sabbath and the
holy days, provided by family and
hallowed by an ageless tradition.
Irwin Groner is senior rabbi of
Like everything else in life, these
Congregation Shaarey Zedek.

Shabbat Vayikrah
4_3,eviticus 1:1-5:26•
Isaiah 43:21-44:23.

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Orchard Mall

must be won and achieved and nur-
tured by our sacrifice.
The festival of Passover is coming.
There is no other holiday that makes
greater demands on the Jewish

This is a lesson
that is worth
pondering in an
age dedicated to
self-gratification.

household and, may I add, on the
woman of the household, than this
holiday. The greater the sacrifice, the
greater the reward. The greater the
demand, the greater the sense of ful-
fillment. It is not easy. The task
includes the cleansing of the home,
the removal of the chametz, the
preparation of special dishes and spe-
cial food, the discipline of the diet
that this holiday demands. And yet,
when we ask people, particularly
young people, what is their most
powerful Jewish memory, they
invariably refer to the Pesach seder
because that is when parents and
grandparents and grandchildren and
the extended family and friends share
in the sense of preparation in the
ageless drama of the Jewish people.
To those who have the responsibili-
ty of providing a seder, I remind you
that this is both a serious responsibili-
ty and a gloricius privilege. The theme
of Passover is sacrifice. The theme
remains unchanged in our time, even
though the forms may be different
because no religion evokes loyalty and
devotion which does not make great
demands upon its adherents. fl

Conversations

Why were children introduced to
the study of Torah with the book
of Leviticus? How does the theme
of sacrifice find expression in the
phrase "no gain without pain"?
Why was the Holy Temple built
on Mt. Moriah and not on Mt.
Sinai? Why is the Passover seder
experience the basis of our most
enduring Jewish memories?

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