Mary Douglas was an outstanding anthropologist who compared a very wide range of ancient cultures and religious ceremonies. She detected common themes and patterns. In her book “Leviticus as Literature” she gives an analysis of the third book of the Bible, quite unlike any other analysis I have ever come across. In particular, she looks at patterns of purity in…
Sefer Vayikra
Kinds of Sacrifices
The sacrifices are symbolic of eating at God’s table, of benefiting from His bounty. The gifts of creation, animal and vegetable. They are also means of our correcting any imbalance in our relationship with Heaven. Each kind of sacrifice has its own significance. The first mentioned is the Olah, the burnt offering that is completely consumed. An expression of total…
Sacrifices as Giving
We return to sacrifices this week with the Book of Leviticus, Vayikra. To our modern minds the idea of animal sacrifices is a very difficult one to feel much sympathy with. Even though it is true that we “sacrifice” animals all the time, hidden away in abattoirs far from the eyes of consumers. We are (or should be) more sensitive…
Atmosphere
Sacrifices as a subject do not really excite most of us nowadays. The very idea seems rather off putting. But the fact is that we sacrifice vast numbers of animals around the world every single moment. We kill them for food; often under the most cruel, barbaric and unsanitary of conditions. But as is our practice nowadays, we try to…
Mistakes
The Torah describes the primary role of sacrifices, namely to reinforce the relationship with God through the Olah, the burnt sacrifice. Then it goes on describe the process in general, the animals, the procedure. From there it goes on to list personal obligations, the Sin Offerings. For when we do things wrong and need to recognize our faults in a…
A man, A Soul, Nefesh Adam
The Torah starts off describing the sacrificial system by saying “Adam ki Yakriv.” A man (a person, it includes all sexes) who brings a sacrifice. Later on, when talking about a meal offering and then a sin offering, it says “Nefesh Ki Yakriv.” A soul who sacrifices. What is the difference between Adam and Nefesh? There is a debate elsewhere…