Leviticus 1:1- 6:16
This weeks 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 offeringswhich 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 ones spirit, ones 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 Gods 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 dayswe 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 guiltour 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.
Posted by Lee at March 26, 2004 06:07 PM
