Parashat VaYikra: A Just Society

Parashat Vayikra The Sacrifice of the Old Covenant (painting by Peter Paul Rubens) image
[Source photo:Parashat Vayikra The Sacrifice of the Old Covenant (painting by Peter Paul Rubens)]

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A Just Society

The Book of Leviticus is sometimes perceived as a catalog of sacrifices with detailed lists of animals, substances, and dates. These details are misleading. The true purpose of the lists of sacrifices is to guarantee the creation of a just society.

The sacrifices can be divided into two clearly distinct groups. They are offered in positive or negative circumstances. The list in the first chapters of VaYikra starts with the positive and moves to the negative in a descending order.

Positive Sacrifices

Ascent

The עולה, ascent-offering, is offered by a person of high spiritual level. There is no sin or transgression, no thanksgiving or personal celebration, just a burning desire to be close to the Creator.

Thanksgiving

The second category, תודה, is of sacrifices offered in gratitude by the recipient of a Divine favor. It might be offered by one who was saved from a great disaster or one who is simply enjoying blessing and prosperity. Showing gratitude is not easy, because it acknowledges debt or even weakness. But even with that reservation, this sacrifice is brought when one is in a positive mood.

Peace-Offering

The third category, שלמים, is of sacrifices which are brought as part of a personal or communal celebration. The Hebrew name connotes wholesomeness, completion, and peace. Relatives and friends are invited to partake in the meal and some of the meat is given to the Cohanim. The shared meal creates a spirit of friendship and unity.

Past, Present, and Future

These sacrifices can also be seen as celebrating past, present, and future. Thanksgiving is an acknowledgement of the past, peace-offering celebrates the moment, and the ascent-offering shows the aspiration for future spiritual growth.

Negative Sacrifices

Sin-Offering

The first category in this group is חטאת, sin-offering. It is brought for an unintentional transgression of a prohibition. The Hebrew term means to miss or to be off the mark, and it is a lesser degree of sin. Within this category there is a descending order of sinners. First, the High Priest, the whole nation, and the chieftains are mentioned, to show that no one is above making mistakes. Then, the Torah speaks of the transgression of individuals.

Penalty-Offering

The next category is penalty-offering brought for forgetfulness. It could be one who forgot a crime he witnessed and therefore caused the acquittal of the criminal. Another case is of one who forgot that he is impure and entered the Temple in a state of impurity. In these and similar cases one is held responsible and is called guilty because he should have been more aware of his actions and whereabouts.

Misuse of Holiness

The third category is a penalty for misuse of the Temple’s property. In addition to the sacrifice, the sinner must repay the theft and add one fifth of it as a fine. The term describing the sin – מעילה, is derived from the Hebrew word for treason. This is a deliberate offense which shows carelessness and dishonesty.

The Bottom Rung

We have now arrived at the last section dealing with sacrifices (5:20-26), in which the Torah will discuss the worst sins. We have gone down the spiritual ladder and met the devout, the grateful, the joyous, the accidental sinner, the criminally negligent, and the penalized sinner. We are curious to know who is at the bottom rung. Here is what the Torah says:

When a soul sins and betrays God; if a man denies he has received a collateral or a loan, or if he robbed or defrauded another person, or if he has found a lost object and did not return it to its rightful owner. He is guilty of that sin. He must pay damages with a one-fifth fine, and he must bring a penalty-offering.

The descending order leading to this paragraph sends the message that God does not need sacrifices or rituals. Our goal is to create a just and altruistic society, and to treat each other with honesty and dignity.

That is why the monetary offender is punished most harshly. He must repay the victim and add a fine, but that’s not all. God Himself is enraged with him and he has to bring a penalty offering to appease God. Unlike the previous case, which is described as a misuse of sacred property – מעל בקדשי יי, the offense against another human is called a betrayal of God Himself – מעל ביי.

A Just Society

It turns out that the devotional system of sacrifices is only the means for cultivating personal growth. That growth stems from a heightened spiritual awareness and a reverence of God. We are naturally selfish and self-absorbed, and those concepts teach us to be more sensitive and caring for the needs of others. The first step is avoiding the negative tendencies of harming, embezzling, and defrauding others.

Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues in The Righteous Mind that moral principles anchored in religious beliefs are essential for a healthy society. They are especially helpful in overcoming the problem of freeloading, which can undermine the financial stability of a society. He views religion as a practical evolutionary development, and states:

Creating gods who can see everything, and who hate cheaters and oath-breakers, turns out to be a good way to reduce cheating and oath-breaking. (p.297)

As a believer, I gladly embrace this statement, because it means that God has delivered to us, through the Torah, the same message He has delivered to all of humanity through the language of the genetic code.

Questions for Kids: Parashat VaYikra

What is the root of the word וַיִּקְרָא?

Why did God have to call מֹשֶׁה?

What is the root of the word קָרְבָּן?

What is the message of that word?

Today what do we have instead of the קָרְבָּנוֹת?

Who was in charge of the קָרְבָּנוֹת?

Who is in charge of the תְּפִלּוֹת?

The קָרְבָּנוֹת were offered for three main reasons. What are they?

Which three words in Hebrew can describe these three reasons?

How many תְּפִלּוֹת are there daily?

What are the names of these תְּפִלּוֹת?

Which of these names is also the name of a קָרְבָּן?

What is the meaning of this word?

At the end of the Parasha we read about a קָרְבָּן which a person must bring for very serious sins. What are these sins?

What do we learn from that?

Answers to Questions for Kids

  1. קָרָא – to call.
  2. Because the Mishkan was filled with קְדֻשָּׁה and משה could not come in if he were not invited.
  3. קרב/קָרוֹב.
  4. That the קָרְבָּנוֹת bring us closer to ה’.
  5. תְּפִלּוֹת.
  6. The כֹּהֲנִים.
  7. Each of us, and we are guided by the rabbis and teachers.
  8. To thank ה’, ask for forgiveness, and ask for our needs.
  9. תּוֹדָה, סְלִיחָה, בְּבַקָּשָׁה.
  10. Three.
  11. שַׁחֲרִית, מִנְחָה, וְעַרְבִית.
  12. מנחה.
  13. A gift.
  14. Stealing from another person or cheating another person.
  15. That the Torah wants to teach us to be nice to one another and respect one another.

Resources

Mourner’s Kaddish (Kaddish Yatom), traditionally said by mourners––that is, those who have lost a parent during the previous eleven months or a child, sibling, or spuce during the last thirty days––and by those observing the anniversary of the death of those close relatives. (In many contemporary communities, the full congregation says it in support of the mourners, and in memory of the six million Jews who perished during the Holocaust, assuming that at least one died on any given day.) The mourners Kaddish omits lines 7 and 8 of the Full Kaddish that asks God to answer our prayers, because presumably, God did not grant the mourner’s prayers that the relative recover and live).
אבל: יִתְגַּדַּל וְיִתְקַדַּשׁ שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא
[קהל: אמן] בְּעָלְמָא דִּי בְרָא כִרְעוּתֵהּ וְיַמְלִיךְ מַלְכוּתֵהּ בְּחַיֵּיכון וּבְיומֵיכון וּבְחַיֵּי דְכָל בֵּית יִשרָאֵל בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן: [קהל: אמן] קהל ואבל: יְהֵא שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא מְבָרַךְ לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא אבל: יִתְבָּרַךְ וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח וְיִתְפָּאַר וְיִתְרומַם וְיִתְנַשּא וְיִתְהַדָּר וְיִתְעַלֶּה וְיִתְהַלָּל שְׁמֵהּ דְּקֻדְשָׁא. בְּרִיךְ הוּא. [קהל: בריך הוא:] לְעֵלָּא מִן כָּל בִּרְכָתָא בעשי”ת: לְעֵלָּא לְעֵלָּא מִכָּל וְשִׁירָתָא תֻּשְׁבְּחָתָא וְנֶחֱמָתָא דַּאֲמִירָן בְּעָלְמָא. וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן: [קהל: אמן] יְהֵא שְׁלָמָא רַבָּא מִן שְׁמַיָּא וְחַיִּים עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשרָאֵל. וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן: [קהל: אמן] עושה שָׁלום בִּמְרומָיו הוּא יַעֲשה שָׁלום עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשרָאֵל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן: [קהל: אמן]

וְזֹ֖את הַתּוֹרָ֑ה אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֣ם מֹשֶׁ֔ה לִפְנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ תּוֹרָ֥ה צִוָּה־לָ֖נוּ מֹשֶׁ֑ה מוֹרָשָׁ֖ה קְהִלַּ֥ת יַעֲקֹֽב׃ הָאֵל֮ תָּמִ֢ים דַּ֫רְכּ֥וֹ אִמְרַֽת־יְהֹוָ֥ה צְרוּפָ֑ה מָגֵ֥ן ה֝֗וּא לְכֹ֤ל ׀ הַחֹסִ֬ים בּֽוֹ׃

Before reading the Torah:
הַשֵּׁם עִמָּכֶם.
יְבָרֶכְךָ הַשֵּׁם.
 

 .בָּרְכוּ אֶת יְהֹוָה הַמְּבֹרָךְ
.בָּרוּךְ יְהֹוָה הַמְּבֹרָךְ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד
.בָּרוּךְ יְהֹוָה הַמְּבֹרָךְ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר בָּחַר בָּנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָתַן לָנוּ אֶת תּוֹרָתוֹ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה, נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה:
 אמן.

After reading the Torah:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת תּוֹרָתוֹ תּוֹרַת אֱמֶת, וְחַיֵּי עוֹלָם נָטַע בְּתוֹכֵנוּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה, נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה:
אמן.

Beracha recited before the reading of the Haftara:

Mi Sheberach, the Jewish prayer for healing, is one of the most meaningful prayers in Judaism. It is a public prayer or blessing for an individual or group, most often recited in synagogue when the Torah is being read. 

He who blessed our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, David and Solomon, may he heal ___ who is ill. May the Holy One, blessed be he, have mercy and speedily restore him to perfect health, both spiritual and physical; and let us say, Amen.

מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ, אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב, משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, דָּוִד וּשְׁלֹמֹה, הוּא יְבָרֵךְ וִירַפֵּא אֶת הַחוֹלֶה ___. הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִמָּלֵא רַחֲמִים עָלָיו לְהַחֲלִימוֹ וּלְרַפֹּאתוֹ, לְהַחֲזִיקוֹ וּלְהַחֲיוֹתוֹ, וְיִשְׁלַח לוֹ מְהֵרָה רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה, רְפוּאַת הַנֶּֽפֶשׁ וּרְפוּאַת הַגּוּף; וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן.

Tefilat HaDerech (Hebrew: תפילת הדרך), also known as the Traveler’s Prayer or Wayfarer’s Prayer in English, is a prayer for safe travel recited by Jews when traveling by air, sea, or long car trips. It is recited at the start of every journey, preferably standing, but this is not required. It is frequently inscribed on hamsas, which may also include the Shema or Birkat HaBayit prayer.

In the “Blessing of Thanksgiving” (Birkat HaGomel), persons in four different categories should express gratitude to God for His compassion toward them:
One who has done one of the following: a) traveled across the ocean (by an international flight, etc.); b) traversed the desert; c) recovered from a very serious illness; d) been released from prison.
All other potentially fatal circumstances that one escapes, such as a wall crumbling on him, an ox goring him, thieves, auto accidents, etc., fall under the category of desert.

The reader recites:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַגּוֹמֵל לְחַיָּבִים טוֹבוֹת שֶׁגְּמָלַנִי כָּל טוֹב.

 
The congregations responds:

מִי שֶׁגְמַלְךָ כֹּל טוֹב הוּא יִגְמַלְךָ כֹּל טוֹב סֶלָה.

NameSymbolSephardi
Sof passukב׃‎סוֹף פָּסֽוּק‎
Sof pasuk
Etnachtaב֑‎אַתְנָ֑ח‎
Atnaḥ
Segolב֒‎סְגוֹלְתָּא֒‎
Segolta
Shalsheletב֓‎שַׁלְשֶׁ֓לֶת‎
Šalšeleþ
Zakef katanב֔‎זָקֵף קָט֔וֹן‎
Záqéf Qáţown
Zakef gadolב֕‎זָקֵף גָּד֕וֹל‎
Záqéf Ggádowl
Tifchaב֖‎טַרְחָ֖א‎
Tarḥa
Riviaב֗‎רְבִ֗יע‎
Revia
Zarkaב֮‎זַרְקָא֮‎
Zarqa
Pashtaב֙‎קַדְמָא֙‎
Qadma
Shene pashtinב֨‎ב֙‎תְּרֵ֨י קַדְמִין֙‎
Tere qadmin
Yetivב֚‎יְ֚תִיב‎
Yetiv
Tevirב֛‎תְּבִ֛יר‎
Tviyr
Pazerב֡‎פָּזֶר גָּד֡וֹל‎
Pazer gadol
Qarne farahב֟‎קַרְנֵי פָרָ֟ה‎
Qarne farah
Telisha gedolaב֠‎תִּ֠רְצָה‎
Tirtzah
Gereshב֜‎גְּרִ֜ישׁ‎
Gerish
Gershayimב֞‎שְׁנֵי גְרִישִׁ֞ין‎
Shene gerishin
Munachב׀‎פָּסֵ֣ק׀‎
Paseq
Merchaב֥‎מַאֲרִ֥יךְ‎
Maarich
Munachב֣‎שׁוֹפָר הוֹלֵ֣ךְ‎
Shofar holech
Mahpachב֤‎‏(שׁוֹפָר) מְהֻפָּ֤ךְ‎
(Shofar) mehuppach
Dargaב֧‎דַּרְגָּ֧א‎
Ddarggá
Kadmaב֨‎אַזְלָ֨א or קַדְמָ֨א‎
Azla or Qadma[18]
Telisha ketanaב֩‎תַּלְשָׁא֩‎
Talsha
Mercha kefulaב֦‎תְּרֵי טַעֲמֵ֦י‎
Tere ta’ame
Yerach ben yomoב֪‎יֵרֶח בֶּן יוֹמ֪וֹ‎
Yeraḥ ben yomo

Spanish-Portuguese custom

זַרְקָא֮ מַקַּף־שׁוֹפָר־הוֹלֵ֣ךְ סְגוֹלְתָּא֒ פָּזֵר גָּד֡וֹל תַ֠לְשָׁא תִּ֩ילְשָׁא אַזְלָ֨א גֵּ֜רֵישׁ פָּסֵק  ׀  רָבִ֗יעַ שְׁנֵי־גֵרֵישִׁ֞ין דַּרְגָ֧א תְּבִ֛יר מַאֲרִ֥יךְ טַרְחָ֖א אַתְנָ֑ח שׁוֹפָר־מְהֻפָּ֤ךְ קַדְמָא֙ תְּרֵ֨י־קַדְמִין֙ זָקֵף־קָט֔וֹן זָקֵף־גָּד֕וֹל שַׁלְשֶׁ֓לֶת תְּרֵי־טַעֲמֵ֦י יְ֚תִיב סוֹף־פָּסֽוּק׃

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