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…
Parsha Vayikra
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…
Human Sacrifice
Human sacrifice was common throughout the ancient world from Greece to India and beyond. Judaism strongly opposed it. Even so traces can be found both in regard to Abraham’s test and examples in the Books of Kings of human sacrifice by Israel’s neighbors. Similarly, resurrection after death, a staple of contemporary cultures, only appears explicitly much later in Judaism in…