Torah Readers Reflections

Sweet as honey

In many cities and towns in Europe, fathers used to carry their little boys, wrapped in their fathers’ Talitot to the classroom on the first day the child learned the Hebrew Alef-bet. The child then got to lick honey off of each letter he read correctly, letting the child taste, how sweet learning Torah is. When the child was ready to learn The Chumash (5 books of Moses), the rabbi would first learn with them Parashat Vayikra, even before starting Bereishit! Why starting with Parashat Vayikra?

Our sages explained that because Vayikra deals with korbanot, sacrifices, it is fitting for little kids to learn it. When a Jew studies the laws of korbanot, G-d considers it as if he actually offered a korban. Like a tzadik, kids are free from sin, thus their offerings are the best kind of korbanot.

“And He called”  

The Tabernacle in the Wilderness (illustration from the 1890 Holman Bible)

Parashat Vayikra, וַיִּקְרָא‎, Hebrew for “and He called,” is the first Torah portion in the Book of Leviticus. Parashat Vayikra begins where the book of Shemot ended. After Mosheh set up the Mishkan, God’ clouds surrounded the Mishkan from all sides and from above. The Shechinah rested in a cloud, inside the Mishkan. Mosheh stood outside of the Mishkan, G-d calls him from the Tent of Meeting, and communicates to him the laws of the korbanot, קָרְבָּנוֹת (the animal and meal offerings) brought in the Sanctuary, and the priests serving in the tabernacle. Some offerings are optional; some are mandatory. Some of the offerings are burnt to ashes on the altar, and some remain for the priests and the giver of the offering. There are five kinds of korbanot

The five kinds of korbanot

OLAH– The “ascending offering” that is wholly raised to G‑d by the fire atop the altar;

MINCHAH– Five varieties of “meal offering” prepared with fine flour, olive oil and frankincense;

SHELMIM– The “peace offering”, whose meat was eaten by the one bringing the offering, after parts are burned on the altar and parts are given to the kohanim (priests); cattle, sheep, and goats.

CHATAT– The different types of “sin offering” brought to atone for transgressions committed by mistake either by the High Priest, the entire community, the king or the ordinary people.

ASHAM– The “guilt offering” brought by one who has misappropriated property of the Sanctuary, who is in doubt as to whether he transgressed a divine prohibition, or who has committed a “betrayal against G‑d” by swearing falsely to defraud a fellow man.

Noah’s Sacrifice (watercolor circa 1896–1902 by James Tissot)

They were seven people who offered korbanot, way before the Mishkan even existed. Adam, Hevel, Noach, Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, and Mosheh.

Mosheh’s humility

The word Vayikra ends with an alef. In our parashah the alef is written with a little alef וַיִּקְרָא The sages teach that this alludes to Mosheh’s humility. “The really tough thing about humility is that you can’t brag about it.”- Gene Brown. The Torah describes Mosheh as the most humble person on earth, and yet, Mosheh was considered as the greatest man on earth. How can a person be both humble and so great? Mosheh knew that his greatness; speaking to G-d face to face, and receiving the Torah directly from G-d, was not to his credit, but was a gift from G-d. Mosheh’ extraordinary humility was his ability to see the greatness of others, and feel humble compared to them. (based on Likutei Sichot vol.17)

The 613 desires 

People search for the purpose of creation, approaching it step by step by correcting their nature, getting closer, nearing if you will, with the Creator. That nearing is called Korban (offering/sacrifice) from the word Karov (near). There are 613 desires in us, which we must correct one at a time, each desire with all of its parts. The entire world is a spiritual world, everything happens in our minds. When we act by thought, the world becomes much more spiritual. The work of the offerings teaches us how to correct our nature and achieve the state of “love your neighbor as yourself” by that, we become similar to the Creator and achieve Dvekut with Him. Everything happens in our minds, through our thoughts, may we find the way to rise, by loving others like ourselves.

18 Mitzvot in Parashat Vayikra

1. Carry out the procedure of the burnt offering as prescribed in the Torah Lev. 1:3

2. To bring meal offerings as prescribed in the Torah Lev. 2:1

3. Not to burn honey or yeast on the altar Lev. 2:11

4. To salt all sacrifices Lev. 2:13

5. Not to omit the salt from sacrifices Lev. 2:13

6. Not to put frankincense on the meal offerings of wrongdoers Lev. 3:11

7. Not to eat blood Lev. 3:17

8. Not to eat certain fats of clean animals Lev. 3:17

9. The Sanhedrin must bring an offering (in the Temple) when it rules in error Lev. 4:13

10. Every person must bring a sin offering (in the temple) for his transgression Lev. 4:27

11. Anybody who knows evidence must testify in court Lev. 5:1

12. Bring an oleh v’yored (temple offering) offering (if the person is wealthy, an animal; if poor, a bird or meal offering) Lev. 5:7-11

13. Not to decapitate a fowl brought as a sin offering Lev. 5:8

14. Not to put oil on the meal offerings of wrongdoers Lev. 5:11

15. One who profaned property must repay what he profaned plus a fifth and bring a sacrifice Lev. 5:16

16. Bring an asham talui (temple offering) when uncertain of guilt Lev. 5:17-18

17. Return the robbed object or its value Lev. 5:23

18. Bring an asham vadai (temple offering) when guilt is ascertained Lev. 5:25