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>> Torah portion

LET ALL WHO ARE

HUNGRY COMEW

Yad Ezra

AND EAT

Feeding Hungry Jewish Families

Help ensure that everyone in our community has a

fulfilling Passover by feeding families in need.

Yad Ezra and Moies Chetim will use your donation to

purchase Passover food to distribute to local

vulnerable families.

The Wisdom Within

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

R

ecently, one of my friends,
who is a Christian clergy per-
son, posted on her Facebook
page "a step-by-step plan for how
to get more young people into the
church:' (It was written by someone
in her denomination who
had worked with college
students for a number of
years.) There was a list of
20 things to do and not
to do to get people (really
of all ages) to become
involved in church.
Here is a small part of
the writer's list:

• Be genuine.
• Notice visitors, smile
genuinely at them, include
them in conversations, but
do not overwhelm them.
• Start looking for the beautiful truth
in Scripture.
• Actually read the Scriptures ...
Go buy a Bible and read it. Start in
Genesis; it's pretty cool. You can skip
some of the other boring parts in the
Bible.

As I read this writer's list, I couldn't
get past the comment that "you can
skip some of the boring parts in the
Bible:' I can't help but wonder if the
writer is referring to some of the Torah
portions that we are currently reading.
This week's parshah, Vayikra, is
comprised of the first five chapters of
the Book of Leviticus. It continues the
story we have been reading in the last
chapters of the Book of Exodus regard-
ing the building of the Tabernacle.
In Leviticus, we read of what is to
take place at the Tabernacle — namely,
the sacrifices that are the people's
mode of worship. Five sacrifices are
described: the olah (burnt offering),
the minchah (meal offering), the
zevach sh'lamim (sacrifice of well-
being), the chatat (sin offering) and
the asham (guilt offering).

Much of the Book of Leviticus is dif-
ficult for modern people. But rather
than "skip over some of the boring
parts in the Bible as Jews we study
and struggle with these texts. There
are always lessons to be found in the
text. For example, since the
Temple was destroyed in the
year 70 C.E., we no longer
offer sacrifices, so it may
be difficult for us to readily
find meaning in the many
chapters that deal with this
topic.
Rabbi Harvey J. Fields
helps us to better under-
stand the purpose of the
sacrifices when he notes
that they "were meant to
unite the worshipper with
God. By offering sacri-
fices, a person said thanks to God or
sought forgiveness for sins:' (A Torah

Commentary for Our Times, Volume II:
Exodus and Leviticus, p. 100)
As Jews living in the 21st century,
we must find ways to draw near to
God. This is our challenge. This is our
struggle. We are Yisra'eil, "the one who
struggles with God:'
We take for ourselves this name
just as our forefather Jacob did after
his struggle with a man/angel/God
(depending upon your interpretation
of this story) while on his journey
to see his estranged brother Esau.
(Genesis 32:29)
Some sections of the Bible may be
hard to understand, but we continue
to struggle with them year in and year
out, searching for modern lessons in
ancient texts. Don't stop trying to learn
from these texts. Don't skip this part
of the Bible. Don't look at it as bor-
ing. Look at it as a challenge. There
are always lessons to find in the Bible,
as long as we make an effort to truly
learn. ❑

FACTS ABOUT PASSOVER

♦

Over 1,400 families will receive a holiday package.

♦

Packages include all the food items needed to celebrate a Seder.

♦

Over 150 volunteers give their time and energy to sort, package

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and deliver food.

1 CASE OF CHICKEN

$

111.00

1 CASE OF CAKE MIX

$

48.00

1 CASE OF MATZAH

$

48.00

1 CASE OF GEFILTE FISH

$

52.00

ASSORTED APPROPRIATE FRESH PRODUCE

$

36.00

1 CASE OF GRAPE JUICE

$

36.00

1 CASE OF EGGS

$

45.00

1 CASE OF HORSERADISH

$

18.00

1 CASE OF SOUP/MATZAH BALL MIX

$

23.00

A SEDER PACKAGE FOR A FAMILY OF 5

$

72.00

A SEDER PACKAGE FOR 10 SMALL FAMILIES

$

360.00

A SEDER PACKAGE FOR 20 SMALL FAMILIES

$

720.00

Enclosed is my check of $

for

cases of Passover Food as a tax-

deductible contribution to Yad Ezra to help families in need.

Please make out check Name:
and mail to:

Yad Ezra/Moies Chetim Address:
Appeal
City/State/Zip:
2850 W. 11 Mile Road
Berkley, MI 48072
Phone: ( )

Email:

r you may charge your contribution to your VISA/Mastercard, Discover or American Express.

(suggested minimum donation for charges-$18.00)

umber:

Signature:

Exp Date:

3 Digit Code:

Name on Card:

(Please Print)

Amy Bigman is rabbi at Congregation

Shaarey Zedek in East Lansing.

You can donate online too—check out: www.vadezra.org

March 14 • 2013

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