This week we begin our study of the third book of the Torah, called Vayikra ("And God called"), or Leviticus in English. This is probably the most difficult book for the modern reader to understand, because it deals primarily with sacrifice, purity & impurity, and the notion of holiness. The very first chapter of Vayikra talks about slaughtering bulls and dashing the blood on the sides of the altar, and about how to sacrifice a pigeon to God. These things don't resonate with us. At best, they leave us feeling nothing, and at worst, outrage, frustration, and disgust. So why are we still reading it? And what are we trying to get out of it?
I'd like to suggest a couple of options. First of all, we read it to understand where we've come from. I firmly believe we have evolved away from offering sacrifice as a means of connecting with God. Today we feel close to God through prayer and good deeds. But we can still learn about our ancestors without judging them, and accept them for who they were. Today we practice rabbinic Judaism; we don't live the religion of the Bible. And most of us aren't seeking to return to that lifestyle. So we can read about the Biblical practices without feeling threatened or judged, we simply connect with the Divine in a different way.
I also think we have to read Vayikra in a historical context. Other people in the region may have offered human sacrifices, so at least we're one step ahead of them! And the Torah tells us that there are restrictions regarding animal sacrifices, like leaving a newborn with its mother for 7 days and not sacrificing an infant together with its mother. The Torah acknowledged that the animal has feelings, that there is a bond between parent and child even among animals, and that
offering life as a sacrifice - any life - is a big deal. These sensitivities are perhaps not up to our modern standards, but surely they represent an understanding of ethics and morality? Can we not praise our ancestors for that at least? I believe we can.
And finally, we need to understand the emotions of our ancestors to truly appreciate their practices. Leviticus only provides the ritual, but the Book of Psalms gives us insight into how the people felt when they were offering a sacrifice. Psalm 27, verse 4 and verse 6 tell us:
"One thing I ask of the Lord,/... to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,/... I sacrifice in God's tent with shouts of joy." Psalm 54, verse 3 and verse 8 echo a related sentiment: "O God, deliver me by Your name;/by your power vindicate me./ ... Then I will offer You a freewill sacrifice." People truly felt that God was in relationship with them, and that if they wanted or needed something, they could request it of God and offer something concrete in return. How many of us feel such intimacy with the Divine? When, if ever, do we speak to God that way?
Stories about Abraham, Moses, and the Israelites provide tales of relationships, ethics, and behavior. But Vayikra teaches us how to create a religion, how to connect with God, and what it means to be religious. We don't follow their practices, but we can learn about who they were.
And we can use this text to reflect back on our own lives and think about how we choose to connect with God. The nitty-gritty of this text ain't always pretty, but I still think it'll give us a lot to process and discuss. Food for thought, if you will; though not the kind you offer up on an altar!
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