Communit

Torah Portion

The True Gift, As Always,
Is A Part Of Oneself

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nurture with God if we could literal-
ly offer a gift to the omnipotent
Creator of all (including ourselves);
if we could acknowledge our grati-
tude and joy directly to the source
of all that we are and all that we
have, and He, in turn, would direct-
ly show His acceptance of our gift.
l ith this week's Torah
This
then seems to be the impetus
portion, we begin
to bring sacrifices (at least the vol-
Leviticus. This book
untary kind).
deals primarily (at least
And now, without the Temple or
the first half) with the sacrificial rit-
the
possibility of such an offering,
uals and rules pertaining to related
we
cannot
offer ourselves or our
topics.
property
to reflect our
For us, living almost two
gratitude,
joy or love for
millennia after the destruc-
God.
Can
the intimate
tion of the Temple and the
relationship that one felt
discontinuation of the rites
when bringing a sacrifice
of sacrifice, it is extremely
in any way be approximat-
difficult to understand what
ed by us now — without
it was all about. It seems,
our offering and God's
though, anthropologically,
acceptance of it?
that the appeal of animal
Perhaps there can be.
sacrifice was (and in some
Midrash Halacha on
The
places still is) very attractive
("Sifro Emor"
Leviticus
and fulfills some religious
RABBI ELIEZER
states:
" ... for anyone
105)
need within the human
COHEN
leket,
shikcha
who
leaves
being. Perhaps we can have
Special to the
and
the
poor
peah
and
some understanding and
Jewish News
tithe
(all
types
of
obligato-
appreciation for its mean-
ry charity), it is considered
ing if we look more closely
as
if
the
Temple
still exists and he
at a few classical Jewish sources.
brings
his
sacrifices
to it."
The opening verse of Chapter 2,
indicates
that by ful-
midrash
The
the
_
mincha,
which deals with the
filling the divinely ordained corn-
grain sacrifice, states: "And the soul
mandments of charity to the poor,
that brings a (freewill) grain sacrifice
we
are offering our property as if to
to the Lord ..." Rashi (Rabbi
God,
Himself. We can show our
Shlomo Yitzchoki 1040-1105), the
acknowledgement
and gratitude to
preeminent medieval commentary,
God
for
all
He
has
given us by giving
interprets the verse as follows:
to
the
poor
and
needy
from the
"The Torah doesn't use the term
blessings
that
God
has
bestowed
`soul' in regard to any freewill offer-
upon us. And surely the acceptance
ing, except the grain sacrifice —
of our charity by the recipient should
who customarily would bring the
be deemed as if God, Himself, has
grain sacrifice but the poor man.
accepted
our "sacrifice."
God said: 'I consider it as if he has
This
beautiful
lesson is explicitly
brought his very soul'."
Midrash
Sochayr Toy
stated
in
Thus, Rashi seems to offer the
("Mishlei"
18):
"charity
that they
possibility that the sacrifice was
did for the poor sincerely was con-
comparable to the individual offer-
sidered by God as if they did charity
ing himself to God. The poor man,
for Himself as it says (Proverbs
for whom even the grain sacrifice
20:17) He that pities the poor lends
(the least expensive) was difficult to
to the Lord ..."
afford, offers God a gift of his mea-

Shabbat Vayikra:
Leviticus 1:1-5:26;
Isaiah 43:21-44:24.

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ger resources — and must truly "sac-
rifice" for it. By making such a
financial sacrifice, it is as if he is
offering up his own labor and suste-
nance to God.
Consider the feelina b such an
action would engender between the
poor man offering "himself and
God's acceptance of his "sacrifice."
Imagine the relationship this would

Eliezer Cohen is rabbi of Congregation

Or Chadash.

Conversations

How would we feel if we could
actually give God a gift and He
would accept it? How do we feel
when "accosted" by a beggar?
Why?' With these midrashim in
mind, would we give more chari-
ty? Let's try!