Thoughts on Torah Portion Vayikra (and He call) Pastor Ely Hernandez Intro: Often it is not a miracle what we need... but discipline to fear the Creator. When these two factors are absent in our lives, we will always reap the decrees in the book of the law. But when these two are present, we will always reap the blessings of the Book of the Covenant The Book of Leviticus (ויקרא) is to the Torah what the Book of Hebrews is to the New Testament. The story of the Exodus reveals that the nation of Israel was "born" by means of the blood of the Passover lamb. Since the destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70, Judaism has struggled to make sense of the Book of Leviticus' significance. After all, the Rabbis of the Mishnah and Talmud redefined Jewish worship to bypass the Torah's commandments for blood atonement rituals by substituting Torah study, daily prayer, and acts of loving kindness. Thus the Pirke Avot says, "The world stands on three things: Torah, service, and acts of loving kindness (1:2)," and Yochanan ben Zakkai (a primary contributor to the Mishnah who established Judaism without the Temple) appealed to Hosea 6:6 to substitute prayer for sacrifice. Later, the medieval scholar Moses Maimonides (the "Rambam") suggested that animal sacrifices were a temporary dispensation given by the LORD to counter the idolatrous impulses of ancient Israel. The theory goes that in ancient times, people worshipped animals and made sacrifices to idols, so the LORD came up with the idea of the Tabernacle to "constrain" such impulses. Animals could only be sacrificed (though not worshipped) at the designated place (i.e., the Tabernacle) under the supervision of the LORD's priests, though ultimately this practice would be phased out as Israel became more "enlightened." The Jewish commentator Isaac Abrabanel (1437-1508) supported Maimonides' claim and wrote: "It's analogous to the case of a prince who turned villainous and acquired the habit of eating disgusting food. Said the king: Let him eat the disgusting food at my table and he'll come to break the habit. Likewise, the Israelites were steeped in idol worship, including sacrifices. Said God: Let them bring those sacrifices to me at the Tent of Meeting, and from this they'll come to break the habit." 1
Of course, Modern Judaism followed the lead of Yochanan ben Zakkai and the later medievalists by saying that avodah (Temple service) has been replaced by prayer... "Atonement" has become a system consisting of performing "good deeds" of Torah study, prayer, fasting and acts of lovingkindness (gemilut chasidim). In the Talmud it is recorded that "during the last forty years before the destruction of the Temple the lot ['for the Lord'] did not come up in the right hand; nor did the crimsoncolored strap become white; nor did the westernmost light shine; and the doors of the Hekhal would open by themselves" (Yoma 39b). Historically, of course, there were sacrifices made before the mishkan was constructed as the ritualistic center of the covenant made at Sinai. For example, the following seven tzaddikim (righteous ones) were all said to have offered animal sacrifices before the Tabernacle was consecrated for Israel: 1. Adam - According to midrash, after Adam ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (etz hada'at tov v'ra'), he experienced darkness for the first time as the sun set. The next morning, however, the sun rose, and Adam then offered an ox upon an altar. 2. Abel - Adam's son Abel (Hevel) offered the best of his sheep upon this same altar to the LORD (Gen. 4:2-4). 3. Noah - After Noah left the ark, he offered sacrifices of the "clean" animals to the LORD in thanks of having survived the global mabul (flood). Note also that Noah knew the difference between clean (tahor) and unclean (tamei) animals. (Gen. 7) 4. Abraham - Abraham built at least four altars and offered animal sacrifices upon them (Gen. 12:7,8; 13:4, 13:18; 22:9). 5. Isaac - built an altar and offered sacrifices (Gen 26:25). 6. Jacob - built two altars and offered sacrifices (Gen. 33:20; 46:1). 7. Moses - built several altars before he was given revelation of the mishkan at Sinai. These included the sacrifices made after the battle with Amalek (Ex. 17:5) as well as the sacrifices made at the foot of Sinai after receiving the sefer habrit (book of the Covenant) (Ex. 24:4-6). 2
Understanding Cultural Context Three Functions 1. The primary function of sacrifices (food and animal) was simply eating together. The person or persons bringing the sacrifice, together with invited guests or the sacrificing community ate together. a. On the religious side, this eating together(commensality) was perceived as extending to the divine realm. b. The act of sacrificial meal interconnected human and divine participants around one feast. Almost certainly all major communal meals and feasts as well as special holidays and large family meals were perceived as sacrifices, in which divine and human participants participated together. 2. A secondary function of the sacrifices established a more or less equal community around this meal. All members of society participated and were fed. a. Ritual slaughter of the animals inevitably led to the control of brutality. b. Individual animal victims were carefully selected and treated individually with prayers and other rituals thus excluding practices known from industrial slaughterhouses. c. The religious dimension on the other hand help to deal with feelings of guilt from killing this individualized (individually perceived) victim. In a little sinister twist, divinity was made participant and accomplice in this slaughter thus providing further protection from guilt or possible revenge by the animal kin or its divine patron. 3. The third function started to develop within a progressing urbanization in larger communities with larger degree of alienation of individuals. Sacrificial feasts became means for social and political patronage and in the religious realm it had the tendency to deteriorate into the mercantile logic of give and take with assumed divine participants. Hebrews 10:1-18 / Hebrews 7:23-8:6 When a person sins against the LORD, he or she deserves to die. Satan, the accuser, comes before God and makes a case for the person's neshama (soul), but God allows the death of a sacrificial victim to take the place of the sinner. The guilty person leans his hands upon the head of the animal (semichah) and then says viduy (confession): "I deserve to die instead of this innocent animal, but the LORD mercifully accepts the death of this innocent one in my stead." When God sees the shed blood or ascending smoke of the sacrifice, he forgives the sinner based on his faith and teshuvah (repentance). 3
The Five Types of Korbanot There are five types of korbonot detailed in this parashah: 1. Olah,(על ה) an "ascending offering": This was a freewill (i.e., nedavah: ד ב ה (נ sacrifice that was consumed entirely by the fire on the altar. The sacrificial victim must be an animal or a bird that is without defect. As the animal is slaughtered, the kohen catches its blood in a pan and sprinkles it (zerikat hadam) on the altar. The animal is then cut up, salted, and entirely burned. Normally, semichah (leaning of the hands on the head of the animal) and viduy (confession of sin) accompanies this sacrifice (though in the case of a bird olah, semichah is not performed). 2. Minchah ( מ נ ח ה ), "meal offering": This was a nedavah (freewill) offering of flour (prepared with fine flour, olive oil and frankincense), usually brought by a person of modest means. Part of the meal offering is burned on the altar, and the remaining part is eaten by the kohanim (the word "mincha" means gift). Note that any flour offering must be baked quickly to prevent the dough from rising (i.e., unleavened bread). Like the animal sacrifices, minchah offerings must also be salted. 3. Shelamim שׁ ל מ י ם) ), "peace offering": This was a nedavah (freewill) offering (eaten by the one bringing it) given as a way of expressing thanks to God on joyous occasions. Semichah is performed, though instead of viduy, praise to the LORD is offered. 4. Chatat טּ את),(ח "sin offering": This was a chovah (required) offering to make atonement for certain sins committed unintentionally by an individual (by the High Priest, the entire community, the king, or the ordinary Jew). Note that there is no explicit sacrifice for deliberate, intentional, and willful sins against the LORD, but instead punishment by an early death. 5. Asham שׁ ם),(א "guilt offering": This was a chovah (required) offering as part of the penitence required for certain improper acts (e.g., retaining another's property by swearing falsely). (In each case, the wrongdoer was required to restore the property plus an additional 20% to its rightful owner before he could offer this sacrifice and receive forgiveness.) a. Note that the sin offerings (chatat and asham) were chovah (obligatory) for atonement to be made. They had to be offered by the anointed High Priest who would sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice seven times inside the Mishkan (tabernacle) on the golden altar opposite the parochet (the curtain before the Holy of Holies). b. The chalabim (fat) was burned on the altar, but unlike the other offerings the rest of the animal (its hide, flesh, and its body parts) would be taken "outside the camp" to be burned with fire. 4
Hebrews 10:26-31 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, It is mine to avenge; I will repay, and again, The Lord will judge his people. 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 1 John 5:17 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he should ask God, who will give life to those who commit this kind of sin. There is a sin that leads to death; I am not saying he should ask regarding that sin. 17All unrighteousness is sin, yet there is sin that does not lead to death. 18We know that anyone born of God does not keep on sinning; the One who was born of God protects him, and the evil one cannot touch him. 1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father Yeshua the Messiah, the Righteous One. 1 John 3:4 Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness as well. Indeed, sin is lawlessness. 1 Corinthians 5:5 When you are gathered in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, along with the power of the Lord Jesus, 5hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. Proverbs 23:14 You shall strike him with the rod and rescue his soul from Sheol. 5