Vayikra (Zachor): You Don't Mess With Leviticus (repost from 2011)

What is the very first thing you teach a child on his or her first day of school?
What do you want to start out with to show the children what they have to look forward to, to give them a sense of comfort, and to demonstrate that school can be fun and exciting? According to the ancient rabbis, children should begin their Jewish education by learning the Book of Leviticus. To some, this might sound surprising, considering that the book primarily contains laws of sacrifice, purity and impurity, and priestly regulations for how to maintain the Ancient Tabernacle. Ordinarily, that sort of thing doesn't go over too well with 6-year olds. Apparently, the rabbis disagree.

The rabbis tell us that children are pure, so it is
appropriate to teach them about the laws of purity. I see their point, but I cannot possibly imagine that any child would find meaning, interest, or enjoyment in learning about Leviticus. It's hard for an adult to read this book, how is a child supposed to make sense of it?! Personally, I think the rabbis took a lesson out of Frank Sinatra's playbook: "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere!" The problem is, this philosophy led a lot of people to tune out religious school... and even as adults they never tune back in.

So what's the deal with Leviticus? How do we find meaning in this book, and extract any relevant concepts for our lives today? Rabbi Abigail Treu, in a Torah commentary written for the Jewish Theological Seminary, talks about the "mega-
values" that are laid out in Vayikra (Leviticus in Hebrew). In fact, we learn about laws like "Love your neighbor as yourself" and "Proclaim liberty throughout the land"; amazing concepts which have inspired people and nations for millennia. So what are they doing hidden amidst the archaic, outdated laws of the sacrificial cult? (No offense to our ancient ancestors...) Rabbi Treu reminds us that religion is not just about individual choice and free will. Yes, these things are important, but we are also part of an organized religion, which values Shabbat, Kashrut, holidays, lifecycle events, and Jewish jokes. These things are crucial as well! If we only had the other books of the Torah, we would still learn about important role models like Abraham, Sarah, and Joseph, but we would not have our rituals. We would get history, but not practice. We would be a culture, a nation, even a people... but not a religion. Rabbi Treu writes, "It is in Leviticus that we come to understand that stories can shape the heart, but ritual shapes our days."

Having said all of that, I'm still not sure it's the best choice for a Kindergarten lesson plan. "Trial by fire" doesn't seem like a good philosophy for a child's first day of school... Luckily we don't do this anymore. Young children learn Jewish songs, they make (and eat) Jewish food, and they learn basic holiday observances like wearing costumes on Purim and getting presents on Chanukah. But we are not children. We are no longer looking for a religious tradition geared towards kids; we are ready for the grown-up version... or at least I hope we are.

With experience comes knowledge. We've learned that it takes time to learn a skill or a craft, that becoming an accomplished musician or athlete comes with hard 

work, dedication, passion, and determination. Religion is the same way. I'm not sure people always realize that (or want to realize it), but it's true. Leviticus forces us to react and ask questions. It comes with confusing, complicated, and sometimes upsetting laws which provoke us to think. It's time to engage the Torah on an adult level. It'll be worth it, I promise. It's a wonderfully rich tradition, and has a lot of amazing things to say and teach about our everyday lives. But it'll take work to get there. Genesis is behind us now, so is Exodus. It's time for Leviticus.

Photos in this blog post:

1. CC Image courtesy of retinafunk on Flickr

2. CC image courtesy of twm1340 on Flickr

3. CC image courtesy of basykes on Flickr

4. CC image courtesy of Andrei! on Flickr

5. CC image courtesy of Ron Sombilon Gallery on Flickr