The last Parsha of the Book of Vayikra is one of two examples of a brief promise of good things if we obey God followed by a long dire warning of what will happen if we disobey. To us it seems strange that the Torah goes into such a lengthy litany of horrible things that will befall us. Did God…
Sefer Vayikra
Herem
Towards the end of this week’s double portion of the Torah there is a reference to the word Herem. Most people think of Herem as the Jewish equivalent of excommunication, banning someone from the community. The most famous and highly controversial example was Spinoza (1632-1677), the brilliant and ethical Dutch philosopher descended from Spanish Jews. He rejected Judaism and challenged…
Self Valuation
The book of Vayikra ends with the various ways one can make gifts to the Tabernacle, Temple. These include self-valuations. I donate my value on the open market to the Temple. Obviously some preferred to give this monetary equivalent rather than animals or birds. When new look at the Torah we might find the valuations difficult to understand. A male…
Sabbaticals
It is strange that the Torah specifically says that these commands it now gives about Sabbaticals and the Jubilee were given on Sinai. Weren’t all the laws supposed to have been given on Sinai? Rashi quotes the Midrash that says that it simply reiterates the fact that Sinai was the source of everything. But it does seem strange that this…
Jubilee
The Torah also commended the Yovel, the Jubilee. In addition to the Shmitah, every 50th year, was a kind of double Shmitah. All tribal lands returned to their original owners. This was to prevent anyone monopolizing the real estate and ensuring a fair division. We don’t know if this ever happened. It required lots of conditions such as a Sanhedrin…
Slaves
This week’s reading from the Torah is concerned with the concept of servitude in all its various forms. The Torah tries, way ahead of its time, to ameliorate the psychological damage of servitude, of never knowing when one’s life might be one’s own again, free from obligations to others, free from carrying the burden of debt perpetually. Even today so…