SAME CLASSIC S GS. NEW MOTOWN SOUND
.
NATURE
HU
OTOWN
SHOW
PRESENTED BY
The Spiritual Side Of Salt
SMOKET ROBINSON
Parshat Vayikra: Leviticus 1:1-5:26;
Isaiah 43:21-44:23.
T
he entire world hangs in the
balance: If the Jews keep the
covenant with God, then a
fractured world will be fixed. If we
Jews fail, however, those fractures will
multiply.
That is a lot of pressure
and a wee-bit ethnocentric,
but it is a worldview that
pervades much of Jewish
thought and is hinted at in
this week's Torah portion,
Vayikra—the first of the
Book of Leviticus.
Leviticus, of course, is
largely about the laws and
customs of the sacrificial
cult. For many of us, these
rituals might seem, perhaps,
barbaric — an ancient rite
for an ancient people who have since
replaced sacrifice with prayer, a "high-
er" form of worship.
Yet, like prayer for the modern Jew,
the sacrificial system was an essential
part of our ancestors' relationship with
God. Indeed, the word used repeatedly
to describe the sacrifice is korban, the
act of drawing near. Through these rit-
uals that took place first at the wilder-
ness Tabernacle and then, ultimately,
at the Temple in Jerusalem, our people
drew nearer to our Heavenly Parent.
Yet, while we moderns might be
inclined to "skim over" the detailed
laws of Leviticus as seemingly irrel-
evant to us, buried within the text
are deep truths and valuable mitzvot
(commandments) that are very much
relevant to Judaism in the 21st century.
For example, in Leviticus 2:13, God
instructs Moses, "You shall season
your every offering of meal with salt;
you shall not omit from your meal
offering the salt of your covenant with
God; with all your offerings you must
offer sale Three times in one verse
Moses is instructed regarding the
importance of salt in every sacrifice!
Our medieval commentators go on
at length about the meaning of this
salting ritual. Ramban in
particular emphasizes the
salt, reminding us that
God's covenant with David
that granted David and his
descendants the kingship
over Israel forever, was
Made with a covenant of
that mineral that seems
eternally enduring: salt.
Moreover Ramban adds,
"For just as saltiness gives
flavor to all foods, is an
essential nutrient, and at
the same time has destructive power
(too much salt, for example, can
parch a field) so, too, the covenant
(between God and the Jewish People)
both maintains the world and has the
power to destroy it:'
The act of salting the sacrifices
served actually as a metaphor for our
relationship with God. And today,
2,000 years after the sacrificial cult
ended, we re-enact that salting ritual
at our "little altars" — the family
table.
Our tradition teachers that whenev-
er we eat a meal with bread we are to
say a prayer of thanks (HaMotzi) and
to dip that bread into — you guessed
it — salt. In this way we, as were our
ancestors, are reminded daily of our
eternal covenant with God and our
holy mission as the People Israel to
repair a broken world.
❑
Aaron Starr is a rabbi at Congregation
Shaarey Zedek in Smithfield.
Conversations
• Do you agree with the worldview that the acts of Jews are central to
repairing our broken world? Why or why not?
• Have you ever sat down to carefully read the Book of Leviticus, seeking to
understand the sacrificial system and its implications for Jewish life today?
• Do you ever add salt to your bread: daily, on Shabbat, or at other
times? About what do you think when you add this salt? How might the
lessons of parshat Vayikra change your focus as you salt your bread?
Don't Miss his International Pop Sensation on their First US Tour!
ONE NIGHT ONLY! • MARCH 24 • FISHER THEATRE
TICKETS: FISHER BOX OFFICE • TICKETNIASTEUOM -1-800-982-2787
A MERICAN
:11
I NG
A iallable at
As 0
CD & DVD
trallable
amazon.com
Seen
on PBS
ice rs:
"
Simplify your life with...
professional organizing services
* home & office organization
* de-cluttering
paperwork control
www.livesimplybyannie.com
(248) 496-8209
1735080
If you are not wearing L. sell it!...
or BORROW on it!
You can't enjoy jewelry if it's sitting in your safe
deposit box. Sell or borrow on it for immediate cash.
We deal in jewelry, watches, diamonds and coins.
A Service to
Private Owners,
Banks & Estates
Contact Larry Allan
33700 Woodward Ave. • Between 14 Mile & Lincoln t, Birmingha m
248-644-8.565
March 22 • 2012
41