Overview
of the Weekly Reading
To be read on Shabbat Vayikra,
5 Nissan 5777/April 1
Torah: Leviticus 1:1-5:26; Haftora: Isaiah 43:21-28, 44:1-23
Vayikra is the 1st Reading out of 10 in Leviticus and
it contains 6222 letters, in 1673 words, in 111
verses.
A discussion of how to bring burnt offerings of
cattle, smaller animals and birds. Different types of meal offerings:
burnt, baked, pan fried, deep fried, and the offering of the first
grain of the season. A discussion of other types of offerings:
Peace offerings could be of cattle, sheep or goats. Sin offerings
are brought as an atonement. The sin offering for the high priest,
then for the community, for the king or for an individual. Sins
that the Torah delineates specifically as requiring a sin offering,
in which cases he can choose between smaller animals, birds or
a meal offering. Details about guilt offerings brought because
of errors, doubtful situations or dishonesty or theft.
An
essay from
Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here)
This week's Torah portion Vayikra speaks about the animal offerings
on the altar in the Holy Temple. Some of the animals that were offered
were cows, goats and sheep. Today we do not have animal offerings
so how does it relate to me? On a spiritual level the offerings
were talking about each of us, offering our 'animal' like nature
or attributes on the altar of the Divine, being willing to change
ourselves so we can come closer to G-d. The Hebrew word for offering,
korban, actually means to come closer. Some people are more
like cows - arrogant and careless, like a bull in a china shop.
Some people are like goats - pushing themselves in, go anywhere,
eat anything, full of chutzpa, like a goat. Some people are
like sheep - meek to a fault, just following along, losing the opportunity,
not taking the initiative. Which one are you? Which one am I? Am
I ready to offer this part of myself on the Divine altar, to burn
it up for G-d? (adapted from 'Kuntres Hatefilah')
But let's look into this a bit more deeply. To burn
the sacrifice on the altar you needed wood. Is the wood also an
offering or something negligible? On the one hand, conventionally,
the wood was not part of the offering, rather like a part of the
preparation. Yet, the verse says (chap 2 verse 1), "If a
person offers a meal offering, the offering must be unbaked fine
flour". The first word "offering-korban"
is extra. The Sifra Midrash derives from this extra word that when
you bring an offering of flour you can also bring the wood for the
altar. If we learn about the wood from the word "offering-korban",
how can it be that the wood is just something inconsequential, just
part of the preparation?
As we said above, the spiritual idea of an offering is that a
person offers his total self completely to G-d. Just like there
are many types of offerings, and each one offers something different
to G-d, so also on a spiritual level, each different offering reflects
a different part of ourselves that we give over to G-d.
Now, even though there are different types of offerings, the foundation
of the entire concept of offering is that a person has to be ready
to give up all of himself to G-d, not just different pieces here
and there. This is why with all the different types of offerings
there was also a burning of wood. The wood symbolized the person,
as the verse says (Deut. 20/19), "a person is a tree of the
field." This demonstrates that in every offering, what is actually
being offered is not just one of the parts, but the whole person,
including his essence.
We can understand from this that even though the wood was just part
of the preparation, you can call it also an offering, because it
symbolized the true essence of the offerings, of the person giving
himself over entirely to G-d. Even more, that a person donates wood
that is burned totally on the altar and it was not a mitzvah
to do so but only 'preparation' for the offering to come, shows
us that he has no agenda-rather, his whole purpose is to offer himself.
Finally, even if the giving of the wood was voluntary, not a commandment
but a preparation to do a commandment, a person still wants to donate
it because he understands that the wood is crucial. It demonstrates
that his wood donation is all about being willing to offer himself
completely to G-d. This is what an offering really means. (from
'Likutei Sichos' vol 22 p. 7)
A Jewish author wanted to understand the essence of the Chassidic
approach to Judaism.
"Let's take bread as a metaphor," the Rebbe began. "Even
if you have all the ingredients perfectly arranged, and the dough
kneaded to perfection, unless it is placed in a fiery oven for some
time, the ingredients will remain just that, ingredients.
"The same is true of prayer and the performance of the commandments.
One is able to make a blessing by simply saying the words, and doing
a commandment can be merely performing a deed. However, Chassidut
demands that we become an oven-a fiery space created of enthusiasm
and passion and joy. That's when mitzvot become alive!" (from
'Seeds of Wisdom')
Shabbat shalom, Shaul
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here)
For last year's essay by Rabbi Leiter on this
week's Reading, see the archive.
FROM
THE SAGES OF KABBALAH ON KabbalaOnline.org
Specifically,
for an overview of the recommended articles in the columns:
Holy Zohar, Holy Ari, Mystic Classics, Chasidic Masters, Contemporary
Kabbalists, and more,
click to Vayikra
one sample:
Mystical Classics
Fixing an Imperfect World
From Shenei Luchot HaBrit by Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz
"
Adam ki yakriv/for when a man shall offer"
The laws pertaining
to sacrifices, as well as those pertaining to rehabilitation from
different skin diseases and other impurities, are all reminders
of the first sin committed by Adam and the resultant diminution
of man's stature in the universe. Thus, Leviticus provides us with
the general rectification of all humanity.
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