Rabbi Danny Rich

The arrival of Vayikra – both the (Hebrew name for the) Book of Leviticus and the title of its first parashah – reminds me that even in the seemingly most irrelevant and pedestrian sections of the Torah there may be a hidden gem or two of some relevance for modern (Liberal) Jewish life.

The Book of Leviticus -perhaps better described as in Mishnah Megillah 1:5) as Torat Kohanim: instruction manual for the priests – is made up of ten parashiyot and is essentially a detailed prescription for appropriate worship, allegedly in the mishkan (Tabernacle) of the Sinai Desert but in practice in the Second Temple in Jerusalem of the last century before and the first seventy years after the Common Era year nought.

The first seven chapters describe the different types of sacrifice which the Israelites were to bring, both individually and communally.

The next three chapters record the emergence of the worship system in ancient Israel with particular reference to cultic officials: the priestly Cohanim and their assistants, the Levites.

Chapter 11 remains a major source of what Jews may or may not eat even today, being paralleled in Deuteronomy 14.

Chapters 12 to 16 concentrate on ritual purity, culminating in a description of the rite of Yom Kippur and the cleansing (both spiritually and physically) of the Israelites and their sanctuary.

The final part of the book of Leviticus is known as the ‘Holiness Code’, simply because of its frequent use of the word: ‘holy’. Holy in this context refers to the Israelite people being different or set apart from others, holding themselves to the highest of standards in worship, sexual behaviour, ethical conduct, the priestly cult, the religious calendar, and particular rules about land ownership and indebtedness.

Liberal Jews are particularly familiar with the ‘Holiness Code verses’ par excellence i.e Chapter 19 which is sometimes understood as a reprise of the Ten Commandments and is certainly a most powerful moral exhortation including ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself’ (Leviticus 19: ). This is read in most Liberal synagogues on Yom Kippur afternoon. Whilst modern sentiment – and the principles of Liberal Judaism -may make a distinction of order between this and other ethical injunctions on the one hand and, say ritual and agriculture requirements on the other, this does not appear to have entered the minds of the redactors of the Book of Leviticus.

Be all of that as it may, the parashah Vayikra which opens the Book of Leviticus takes its name from its first word in the Hebrew sentence: ‘And God called to Moses…’(Leviticus 1:1).

What follows is a detailed description of the burnt offering (1:1-17), the grain offering (2:1-16), the Well-being offering (3:1-17), and offerings associated with atonement including the purification offering (4:1-35), a description of unintended sins (5:1-13) and the reparation offering (5:14-26).

Whilst the details may no longer be important the sacrificial system establishes, in my view, three important principles of modern living.

First, it reminds us that, whilst how one does things may not always be primary, there remains a role for physical ritual in human lives. Intellect, emotion and beauty have their roles in all aspects of our lives but pomp and ritual also have something to contribute in fields as diverse as government, education, agriculture and sport.

Second, the sacrificial system is one reminder that, for the Ancient Israelites and indeed for the founders of Liberal Judaism, God and religious life was the dominant and ever present aspect of their existence. Faith and religion was woven into the everyday and not a mere cultural add on or a Saturday morning activity.

Thirdly and possibly most importantly, the giving of oneself and one’s produce or assets was not a causal matter but one that required a real effort to give of one’s best. Details of the sacrifices frequently call for ‘an unblemished male yearling’ of the flock or herd ie a perfect animal which had the most potential to increase its value to the owner. This was not the modern equivalent of giving unwanted clothing to charity shops or a modest, easily affordable response to an appeal but rather a contribution which would be felt by the donor both then and in the future.

Baruch Levine in his introduction to leviticus in Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary () suggests two concepts which embody the primary message of the Book of Leviticus:

First, the Israelites are one community (edah) untied by a common destiny and by a holy way of life…

Second, the Israelites were granted the Promised Land as an eternal estate (achuzzah) on condition they followed the laws of God and remained faithful to the Divine covenant…

As Jewish communities appear riven by strife and the gap between the Jews of the Diaspora and those who live in the State of Israel appears to be widening, perhaps the Book of Leviticus can serve as a call to metaphorical arms – the Jewish people will best fulfill its mission when it is united but not necessarily uniform under the rule of law and in accord with moral precepts.

Recent Commentaries