This Shabbat morning, we start a brand new Book- the Book of Leviticus. I won’t sugarcoat it for you- on the surface, it looks pretty boring.
First of all, who brings sacrifices any more so why do we have to study all the specific types of sacrifices that were brought and their specific purposes, as well as the specific animals and/or grains that were involved in each?
Frankly, I’m asking on your behalves more than mine. I remember being in 6th Grade in the Yeshiva and having to make a large graph of all the sacrifices,
what they were for, and the materials used.
No problem…memorized everything, aced the weekly Chumash test All the details in Vayikrah are there for a reason. It’s up to us to see through the seemingly outdated information. This is where great
Rabbinic thinkers have helped us make some sense of all of it.
It’s clear that with the entire sacrificial system, the point is that the
human being needs to give up something he worked for or owned or
even cherished to show his gratefulness for all of G-d’s blessings to
him.
Wake up and we’ve got air all around us, there are sources of
drinkable water, edible things grow from the ground that we’ve been
born into existing upon- you get the idea? All this stuff is here for me
to use so I can live another minute.
I’m thinking that calls for some thanks. I mean like every day!
There is an Olah offering which is a voluntary offering which
expresses our desires to do even more to walk in G-d’s ways.
There is a Sin offering. Here we have an opportunity to recognize and
learn from our mistakes. This offering is a tangible reminder of the
error, even if the error was unintentional.
There is a voluntary offering called the Shelamim, or peace offering.
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It is understood as a celebration, whether of life, of good fortune, or
of friends and family.
A Rabbi friend of mine says: “think of it as sponsoring a big Kiddush!”
It’s about sharing your bounty with others.
This sacrifice teaches us that while it’s OK to get wealthy, a distinction
has to be made between what we need and what we enjoy, and
between what is essential and what is expendable. The korban
Shelamim teaches the value of using what G-d gives us in the proper
fashion.
One last point to make here that has a bearing on how we live today.
For all the sacrifices that the Torah lists here, the Torah explicitly
states that if a person did not have the means to offer a sacrifice of
cattle, he could bring birds.
If he couldn’t afford a bird, he could offer up some flour.
And if he had no flour, even a pinch of incense would do.
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No matter what a person had, he could always use it to come closer to
G-d.
This means that in our time, when it comes to being Jewish, anything
and everything we do, no matter how “small”, can indeed bring us
closer to G-d.
To put this whole Parsha into words we can all relate to, while the
sacrificial system might seem archaic, irrelevant, and even perhaps
unpleasant to some of us, the values that they instill in us, i.e.,
to view mistakes as learning opportunities,
to appreciate all that we have and to share them with others,
and to give of ourselves in self-sacrifice,
are very much relevant and meaningful to our lives.
So we might say- y’know, I kinda do those things anyway…always
have-I’m always learning from my mistakes.
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I’m sure that’s true but these lessons didn’t originate with us.
Experience has taught us some of these values.
How ‘bout our Jewish ancestors from generation to generation over
three thousand years inculcating these values in all of us as they were
passed down from the Torah May’dor vador- It’s in our DNA to be self-
sacrificing,…to be grateful for what we have.
This Shabbat is also special because it is the Shabbat before Purim.
Purim starts tonight at sundown and goes all through tomorrow.
This Shabbat is called Shabbat Zachor., the Shabbat of Remembrance.
What are we to remember?
Primarily, that there are people who hate us just because we are Jews.
In our second Torah reading today, we red (read) of the obligation
G-d gave us to always remember the hate and viciousness that was
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done to us by a tribe called Amalek. As we were fleeing Egyptian
slavery, Amalek saw an opportunity to overrun a weakened group of
former slaves and they attacked us from the rear, where all the
women, children, and defenseless elderly were walking.
We remember evil and keep our eyes open to it at all times.
Unfortunately, that’s what all minorities have to do to survive.
The Book of Esther, which we’ll read here tomorrow morning, tells of
the plot by Haman to kill all the Jews of Persia. Haman was said to
have come from the tribe of Amalek.
In modern times, all evil people who have bad intentions toward the
Jews are referred to in some quarters as Amalek. Many refer to Hitler
as Amalek. Stalin, as well, as he killed thousands of Jews.
In Israel today, there are signs and songs calling the Hamas leader –
Wahya Sinwar – Aznei Sinwar, the ears of Haman. Israelis this Purim
are also using the phrase: Aznei Hamas- to represent the real threat
Hamas poses to the Jewish people.
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It is clear that we are to kill Amalek before he kills us.
See P. 1136, verse 19.“We are commanded: “You shall blot out the
memory of Amalek from under Heaven. “Lo Tish-kach—Do Not
Forget!”
If Judaism is all about looking for antisemitism, or reacting to it, it will
NOT be a Judaism that most people will want to be a part of or see
survive and continue.
On this Shabbat Zachor, it’s important for us to also remember that
Zachor has a positive meaning.
It is a positive commandment to enjoy the Shabbat…to come to Shul
on Shabbat…to sit with our fellow Jews, to pray in the company of one
another, to sing together, to enjoy and Oneg together.
Saying a Kiddush…a Motzi…appreciating our individual blessings in
the company of our fellow congregants and friends.
Yes…we share sadness in our history but we also share a lot of
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celebration and joy.
We can have both sadness and joy in our lives.
There are some who are talking about muting our Purim celebrations
this year in the face of the Oct 7 Massacre and the Hostages situation.
Purim follows Shabbat Zachor because it shows us that in the end, the
antisemites will lose and we will be victorious; We will celebrate.
We Jews can be both sad and happy.
I’ll leave you with this thought: At a wedding, after the greatest
moment of happiness in a man’s life as he becomes married, the
groom breaks a glass. That is to show that even while he is overjoyed
and ready to party, there is always some sadness in the Jew because
of the Destruction of our Temple and for the senseless hatred of us –
by unknown people.
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We’re an optimistic sort!
We will party on and celebrate but always keep an eye out for Amalek.
Such is the lot of the Jew. The Hamans of the world won’t get to us.
They won’t take our joy. That’s why G-d created groggers!
Happy Purim everyone and Shabbat Shalom!