Vayikra
Leviticus 1:1-5:36
Isaiah 43:21-44:23
Vayikra, this week’s Torah portion, and the Book of Leviticus share the same Hebrew name. The Book of Leviticus is enigmatic because, following the elegant narratives of creation and the chronicles of enslavement, redemption and revelation found in Genesis and Exodus, a reader enters the arcane and mysterious world of taboos and rites, sexual prohibitions, dietary restrictions, structured systems of sacrifice and healing, and priesthood-directed economic, social and religious life.
Nevertheless, for a good reason, the rabbis of the Eastern European yeshiva world used to begin a child’s study of Torah with the Book of Leviticus and not with the mysterious, absorbing, imaginative, inventive tales of Genesis or with the powerful saga of Israel in Egypt depicted in Exodus.
On first blush, Leviticus — referred to by the Talmud as “The Book of The Regulations of the Priests” — is insipid, uninspiring and unimaginative to many readers. Nevertheless, understanding the reason that the rabbis utilized the esoteric and mysterious text of Leviticus to initiate children into the world of Torah study will enrich one’s appreciation of Leviticus.
By focusing early education on Leviticus, a rabbi could sidestep many of the troubling theological issues Genesis and Exodus present: how God created something out of nothing; the nature of Adam and Eve’s sin; why God created evil; how God could have ordered Abraham to sacrifice Isaac; why God hardened Pharaoh’s heart when what He really wanted was to have Pharaoh allow the Israelites to go forth to freedom; and so forth.
Although substituting the order of sacrifices, rituals and obligations for the narratives of Genesis and Exodus raises troubling questions about a God who, for example, is depicted as needing the immolation of animals’ blood and flesh as a form of worship, the rationale for selecting Leviticus as the first text for children to study comes from a far more positive principle. It also elevates the importance of this ritualistic and cultic text.
The wide variety of offerings, sacrifices, rules and regulations that seem so out of date and tedious were designed to make the Israelites a unique people, separate and apart from pagans. The Holiness Code found in the center of the book states: “Kedoshim t’heyu — You shall be holy.” (Lev.19:2). The Torah looks askance at ritual observances followed to the letter of the law if such practice means ignoring requisite moral behavior. Instead, it recommends the highest ethical behavior, the value of being able to control appetites, to say no to something tempting, be it a questionable business deal, a compromise of cherished principles, an illicit sexual encounter.
It insists on prohibitions against stealing, robbing, defrauding, oppressing, lying and slandering (19:11-17), or favoring one party to a dispute over another (19:33-36). Instead it insists on providing for those in need who cannot afford to bring a sacrifice (5:7-11), providing food and interest-free loans to the needy (25:35-37; 19:33-36), diagnosing and quarantining contagious skin infections (13:14, 47-59).
For the serious reader of Leviticus, there can be no bifurcation of the study of the law and practice of mitzvot — divinely commanded acts. Thus, a child’s study of Torah began with Leviticus because the rabbis understood that sacrifice and justice are at the heart of life. Once a child has learned the order of sacrifices, rituals and obligations and becomes a practicing Jew, the theological questions of Genesis and Exodus present less of a threat.
Leviticus teaches that restraining perverse desires and focusing on living an upright life makes a Jew unique. Whether studying or offering sacrifices while at the same time being able to say no when everyone else says yes, combining ritual with justice are at the very center of the life of a principled Jew. Anything else does not measure up to this demanding standard — a valuable lesson not only for children but also for every Jew.
Stephen S. Pearce is senior rabbi at the Reform Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco.