Tzav, Leviticus 6:1 8:36

This parasha continues the themes of Leviticus and outlines details of the sacrifices to be made on the altar. In addition there are some specific instructions to the priests about how they are to keep the fire burning on the altar in regard to the burnt offering or olah offering.

The olah offering stays on the flame all night until the morning. In the morning the priest is to remove the ashes to a pure place outside the encampment. All of this detailed work to be done in the full and special clothing of the priesthood.

This comes to teach us several things. Even the residue of the offerings and particularly the ashes of the olah offering are as sacred and special as the offering itself. Just because the fire consumed the offering all night long doesn’t mean that in the morning, the local cleaning crew can simply sweep up after hours, tossing the ashes aside as refuse. But even the ashes of the burnt offering are to be treated with reverence and ritual. The priest must don his full attire and carefully with attention and solemnity, remove the ashes, and maintain the fire burning on the altar. He is to remove the ashes not just to a trash heap, filled with impurities, but instead to a place that is pure. He then must don the clean clothes of the priesthood again, ready to offer sacrifices for a new day.

Imagine the flame and smoke that ascended to heaven day and night from such sacrifices. Imagine how the entire temple mount must have glowed, to be seen for miles around as it sat atop one of the highest hills in Jerusalem. And imagine too, how even the desert wilderness must have glowed with the all night offerings on the altar. Imagine the column of smoke that must have risen up in the sky, as well as the smell of roasted grains, breads and meat.

These details while perhaps to the modern reader seem trivial considering we are thousands of years removed from offering sacrifices on the altar. For many of us any thought of return to this kind of worship is an anathema. And yet, for our ancestors, it was precisely these heavenly smells, columns of smoke, and all-night offerings that helped carry their atonement and prayers to God. The Kohanim, the priests by keeping the flame on the altar burning, symbolically and religiously conveyed to the people, the ongoing and ever present nature of our God. They helped to convey the message by maintaining the fire of faith if you will, that our offerings, be they offerings of thanksgiving, or sin offerings, or freewill offerings, go beyond time and yes, even space into a heavenly, or Godly dimension. The ongoing altar flame—allows us to bridge the physical dimensions and to allow the divine love and sometimes forgiveness to reach into our very souls reaching the Divine dimensions. Stoking the fire of faith, that was the priestly job. And it is a lesson for each of us in an era when we no longer have priests to intercede on our behalf.

Today as prayer is our offering and each Jew has his or her own direct line to the Divine dimension. Leviticus helps us to learn that our own flame of faith must be stoked daily to help us bridge the physical world and the Divine dimensions. Our prayers are our offering for thanksgiving and atonement today. But too many of us don’t keep our own fire burning.

This Shabbat we observe Shabbat Hagadol—the Great Sabbath. This special Shabbat, the one immediately preceeding the start of Pesach is usually filled with special instruction for observing the Passover holiday. Traditionally the rabbi of the community would teach the rules of Pesach on this day and remind everyone about the intricacies of the special dietary rules for Passover.

Since Passover is one of the most widely observed holidays among the Jewish People—let us utilize this special season as a way to renew and rekindle our flame of faith. Attend or host a seder, refrain from eating bread and leavened product, come to Temple and yes, pray!

Then we can together keep the flame of faith alive!

Leviticus 1:1- 6:16

This week’s we begin reading from the book of Leviticus. The talmudic sages called this book Torat Kohanim the Torah of the priests because this book primarily deals with the laws of the ancient temple service and laws relating to the priest and the many responsibilities.

And yet, it is hard for us to understand the nature of the sacrifices. The Hebrew word is korban from the root to draw close. The many different offerings were specifically a way for the people to bring a gift to God and spiritually elevate his or her soul into the Divine realm. Our Parasha outlines a number of different korbanot, or offerings for very specific things. There are meal offerings—which are offerings of flour, oil and frankincense; peace offerings; sin offerings; guilt offerings; offerings from the king and offerings from the person of poverty. Some are voluntary and others are required. In each case, the point is to draw one’s spirit, one’s soul closer to God and to cleanse and heal those who have committed offenses.

Today we offer no physical sacrifices. With the destruction of the Second Temple in the year 70 by the Romans, the institution of offering these kinds of sacrifices to God were no longer the way we worshipped God. Instead, prayer replaced the physical sacrifices of grain, or doves, goats or wine. Today our words and our deeds, the very way we live our lives is our offering that can draw us closer to God.

The many brachot, the many blessings that we are to recite, help us to be mindful of God’s Divine Presence in our lives and our worlds. When we recite a prayer, say a blessing, we draw our soul out to cling closer to God. Each prayer, each bracha, blessing, is a love poem to the Holy One.

When we read the book of Leviticus today, and we study the various kinds of sacrifices made in ancient days—we are reminded of the basic human need to have God present in our lives. That in each situation of our own lives, be it the need to heal from some physical or emotional trauma, the need to give thanks for the bounty in our life, the need to atone for sin or to be freed from guilt—our prayers, our tzedakah and our mitzvot are the way we offer korbanot, offerings for our era.

May the offerings of your hands and heart, always seek to draw God closer to you.

Vahyakehl-Pekude, Exodus 35:1 –40:38

This week’s double portion, Vahyakehl –Pekude, concludes the book of Exodus with with a gathering of the entire people and a repetition of the instructions to build the Tabernacle in the desert.

From the voluntary contributions of the people, the fabrics, metals, threads, wood and skins were acquired to build the portable place of God’s Divine Presence among the people. The Shekinah, God’s Divine Presence lives among the heartfelt gifts, of the people.

In the portion, the generosity of the Children of Israel is overwhelming. “All the wise people came-those performing the sacred work, each of them from the work that they were doing and they said to Moses, as follows, “ The people are bringing more than enough for the labor of the work that God has commanded to perform.” (Ex. 36:4-5)

The people provided all that the inspired workers need to complete, the ark, and the utensils and the Tent of the Tabernacle itself. Moses even has to instruct the people to stop their offerings and they were even restrained from bringing any additional gifts.

The dedication of the Children of Israel in completing this task, speaks to each of us and to the institutions we support. The Children of Israel’s example is that their free will offerings provide amply for God’s dwelling place. They give freely, generously and with a dedication that seems endless.

Today we have no Ohel Moed, rather the synagogue is the central institution of Jewish life. The Synagogue is our meeting place with the Divine. The Children of Israel’s example is one we should follow. The synagogue should be supported freely, generously and with a dedication that seems endless. This holds true not only through financial support—but with free will offerings of time and human resources!

The synagogue is the glue that holds us together as people. As a place of tefillah - prayer, Talmud torah – Jewish learning, and as a beit k’nesset, place of communal gathering, the synagogue provides the best outlet for learning and teaching and living out of our Jewish ideals, values and the mitzvot. The synagogue at its best open’s our hearts to God and to healing the world. The synagogue helps us transform ourselves into the messengers of the Divine purpose in the world.

The institution of the synagogue deserves to be supported with an equal amount of generosity as the children of Israel gave to the Tent of Meeting.

So many in our day and age, shun ‘organized religion’ and shun the synagogue. And yet, they are missing out—missing out on the deliciously complex, intellectually challenging, heartfelt connections that a synagogue membership and experience can become.

The synagogue is about engagement with tradition, God, and the world. Don’t be left out of this spiritual quest.

Vahyakehl-Pekude, Exodus 35:1 – 40:38

This week’s double portion, Vahyakehl –Pekude, concludes the book of Exodus with with a gathering of the entire people and a repetition of the instructions to build the Tabernacle in the desert.

From the voluntary contributions of the people, the fabrics, metals, threads, wood and skins were acquired to build the portable place of God’s Divine Presence among the people. The Shekinah, God’s Divine Presence lives among the heartfelt gifts, of the people.

In the portion, the generosity of the Children of Israel is overwhelming. “All the wise people came-those performing the sacred work, each of them from the work that they were doing and they said to Moses, as follows, “ The people are bringing more than enough for the labor of the work that God has commanded to perform.” (Ex. 36:4-5)

The people provided all that the inspired workers need to complete, the ark, and the utensils and the Tent of the Tabernacle itself. Moses even has to instruct the people to stop their offerings and they were even restrained from bringing any additional gifts.

The dedication of the Children of Israel in completing this task, speaks to each of us and to the institutions we support. The Children of Israel’s example is that their free will offerings provide amply for God’s dwelling place. They give freely, generously and with a dedication that seems endless.

Today we have no Ohel Moed, rather the synagogue is the central institution of Jewish life. The Synagogue is our meeting place with the Divine. The Children of Israel’s example is one we should follow. The synagogue should be supported freely, generously and with a dedication that seems endless. This holds true not only through financial support—but with free will offerings of time and human resources!

The synagogue is the glue that holds us together as people. As a place of tefillah - prayer, Talmud torah – Jewish learning, and as a beit k’nesset, place of communal gathering, the synagogue provides the best outlet for learning and teaching and living out of our Jewish ideals, values and the mitzvot. The synagogue at its best open’s our hearts to God and to healing the world. The synagogue helps us transform ourselves into the messengers of the Divine purpose in the world.

The institution of the synagogue deserves to be supported with an equal amount of generosity as the children of Israel gave to the Tent of Meeting.

So many in our day and age, shun ‘organized religion’ and shun the synagogue. And yet, they are missing out—missing out on the deliciously complex, intellectually challenging, heartfelt connections that a synagogue membership and experience can become.

The synagogue is about engagement with tradition, God, and the world. Don’t be left out of this spiritual quest.

Parshat Ki Tisa Exodus 30:11-35:12

The novelist Louis L’Amour wrote: “To disbelieve is easy; to scoff is simple; to have faith is harder.” This could describe the children of Israel in the week’s Torah portion Ki Tisa. They take the easy way out.

This week’s Parasha from the Book of Exodus, is the story of Israel’s most grievous sin: the making and worship of the Golden Calf in the desert. Even as they have been witness to the many miracles of redemption from slavery in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea and escape from the Egyptian army, food and water in the desert, and the voice of God presenting the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai, the Children of Israel, urge Aaron to make a god for them when Moses seems not to return from Mt. Sinai in a timely fashion.

How could the Israelites’ lose their faith so soon after the many miracles that they were witness to themselves? How could Aaron, brother of Moses, destined to be High Priest, give in so quickly to the demands of the people? Why doesn’t Aaron try to talk them out of their foolishness? Could it be that he too feared for Moses’ life? Perhaps Moses did indeed perish on the mountain.

Instead Aaron acquiesced to the demands of the people and fashions a golden calf from their jewelry and declares a Festival to God. The people worship with sacrifices, food and celebration.

God informs Moses of the transgressions of the people and God commands Moses to return down the mountain to the encampment. God’s anger is such that God is ready to destroy the people for their faithlessness.

Moses, ever the great leader, intercedes, and pleads on behalf of the People of Israel. Reminding God of the covenant with our ancestors, Abraham Isaac and Israel, God reconsiders.

Moses returns to the encampment, smashes the first set of the Ten Commandments and punishes the people. He then further, pleads before God for forgiveness for their sin.

This story teaches us many things. It teaches us about the need to bolster our faith in difficult times. Rather than follow a course we know will lead us down a wrong path, we can redouble our efforts to stay the course of righteousness. When we are doubting our own connection to the Divine, when God feels absent, or God’s representative feels absent is this time to simply abandon our belief system? Or is this time to investigate more deeply? Yes, it might be easier to sin, and harder to resist but the rewards of faith outweigh by far the damage of faithlessness.

Imagine if Aaron had engaged the people, in a review of the ways God, provided for the people in recent months. Imagine if Aaron had calmed the people, not by making an idol, but had reviewed the Ten Commandments so recently revealed to all. Imagine if Aaron had engaged them in study. Imagine if Aaron had chosen a few of the leaders of the people and shared the burden of leadership and responsibility with them in calming the fears of the people. Perhaps the faith of the children of Israel might not have been as fleeting.

The next time you are feeling your own faith waning, learn from this story what not to do. Don’t take the easy way out. Learn that to bolster our faith even in difficult times, we must seek out those who can inspire us to study more, delve deeper into the spiritual and religious life through mentoring, friendship, and community. We don’t have to worship the idols of our day for meaning—but together we can seek that connection to the Divine through our communal engagement.

It is no coincidence that the parasha opens with the commandment to take a census of the people and to collect a half-shekel from each person. This half-shekel is a further lessons, that no Jew is complete, unless he or she joins with other. Alone we cannot fulfill our potential, together united in community we can fully be accounted for and connected to the Divine. Just like with faith, when our faith is disconnected, when we are feeling alone, our potential is threatened. It might be easier to distance oneself from community, to withdraw but when we reach out in community, our highest aspirations can be fulfilled. It’s harder but it’s worth it.