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Shabbat Vayikra:
Leviticus 1:1-5:26;
Isaiah 43:21-44:23.

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iN

A H ORT ON

pring is such a
the actions of our lives and
wonderful time.
the physical condition in
The weather is
which we find ourselves? Do
getting warmer. Pesach
we really understand and
preparations are starting.
carefully consider how our
Baseball season is just
actions can, in many cases,
around the corner. And,
affect our physical condition?
right when we're ready for
And, finally, remember-
the best time of the year,
ing that Leviticus is not all
Rabbi Robert
the cycle of Torah readings
about sacrifice and purity
Dobrusin
turns to Vayikra, the Book
but contains one of the most
SDecia to me
of Leviticus.
meaningful sections of moral
Jev ■ is - News
While the last portions of
teaching in the Torah: the
the Book of Exodus deal-
"holiness code" of Leviticus
ing with the building of the
19, what steps can we take to
Tabernacle have been a bit repetitive,
make sure that our religious lives are
the great stories of the Exodus, itself
not based only on ritual but are based
— the giving of the Torah and the
on not putting stumbling blocks before
debacle of the golden calf — are still
the blind, not holding grudges and lov-
in our memory, and we are grateful for ing our neighbor as ourselves?
a bit of a respite from lighting, thunder
In traditional communities,
and the splitting of seas.
Leviticus was the first book studied
But, what do we do with Leviticus?
by children. "Let those who are pure
With so many other inspiring things
study that which is pure," says one
happening at this time of year, how
tradition. Too often, Leviticus gets a
can we be inspired
by Leviticus with
its endless details
concerning sacrifice
and ritual purity and
archaic treatment of
disease?
I believe we abso-
haS so iE
lutely can be inspired
by Leviticus, and I
consider it a challenge
to all of us to find
meaning in that which so many of us
bad reputation as a boring, uncivilized,
so quickly dismiss.
archaic text. We close the Chumash
As we begin the reading of the Book
and head to do some more Pesach
of Vayikra this Shabbat, here are
cleaning. That is unfortunate. It has
some questions you might like to con-
so much to say to us if we would only
sider as you listen to the Torah each
listen.
week or study the book on your own:
Whether we recognize and observe
Robert Dobrusin is rabbi of Beth Israel
laws of ritual purity or not, what can
Congregation in Ann Arbor.
we learn from the commandment to
see purity as more than just physical
Conversations
cleanliness? How has modern technol-
What did our ancestors find
ogy and contemporary society made
meaningful about animal sacri-
being "pure" easier and, at the same
fice? What made them feel that
time, more difficult?
it Drought them closer to God,
While we hopefully have stopped
and what aspects of that feeling
judging those who are ill as if they
can we learn from and add to our
were being justifiably punished by
ritual today?
God as Vayikra implies and the rab-
What does it mean to be pure in
bis explicitly stated, how seriously
today's world?
do we take the connection between

Too oft'
e r1 t i , u ets a bad
re utation as a boring, unciv-
lized, archaic text.... hat
unfortunate, It
nuclt to
say to i. b 1 we ii-'ould only listen.

