But if he cannot afford two turtle

He shall not put oil over it, nor shall he place frankincense upon it,

for it is a sin

offering. (Vayikra 5:11)

Rabbi Yehuda said: Beloved is a

mitzvah performed at its proper time, for he brings a tenth of an efa immediately, and there is no waiting until he

becomes wealthier.

(Yalkut

Shimoni, Vayikra 4,

474)

Once a woman brought a kometz

and the priest scorned her, saying: "What are they offering?"

"What is there to eat in it?" The priest heard in a dream: "Do

not scorn her, for it is as if she had offered her soul."

(Vayikra

Rabbah 3:5)

That is

as Scripture states: to revive the spirit of the humble (Isaiah 57:15). R. Yitzhak said: come and see, when the Holy One,

blessed be He, mentioned an animal sacrifice, which is the sacrifice offered by

the wealthy, He mentioned neither the owner's soul nor name, rather [He says], when

a person [adam] brings a sacrifice (Vayikra 1:2). However, when He mentions the meal offering,

which is a poor-person's sacrifice, He shows it favor and publicizes it,

saying, when a soul [nefesh] makes a sacrifice – as if he

person] had only a se'a of wheat to feed his household, [but] he took it

and ground it and made it into fine flour and brought it as a sacrifice. He is

left with nothing; therefore Scripture accounts it to him as if he had

sacrificed his own soul. That is why it says: when a soul makes a sacrifice.

(Midrash HaGadol, as quoted in N.Leibowitz, Iyyunim Hadashim

Besefer Vayikra, pg. 42)

Why Bother Me with Sacrifice Now?

Yonatan Orich

Parashat Vayikra opens the third of the Five Books of Moses, that

book is also known as Torat Kohanim – the Law of the Priests.

The previous book of the Torah – Shemot

– deals with the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery and their

formation into a nation. However, up to now we have encountered a passive

lifestyle (the Lord will fight for you and you shall remain still) that

suppressed the people's creative abilities. Now we read of the call for the

building of the Tabernacle, and the organizing of the priestly service and the

sacrifices. What is happening?

The detailed procedure of the Tabernacle service establishes

the worship of God in terms of practices and obligations, rather than founding

it upon mere religious experience alone. The obligation to serve God remains in

force even when we are not inclined to it. Hit'habrut

– "connectedness" – is important and central [Rahmana

liba ba'ei – "God

wants the heart"], but there is also a plain understanding that religious

emotions are incapable of persisting over time without the obligations of a

practical halakhic framework.

In my humble opinion, Moses' invitation to the tent of

Meeting created a kind of framework for serving God. The framework, the

invitation, makes the encounter with God more ceremonial and respectful. Things

would look entirely different if such an encounter took place in a happenstance

fashion. I think this is the point made by the midrash:

On this basis

they said: Any scholar who is without intelligence – a scoundrel [neveila] is better than him. Know that it is so. Go

and learn from [the example of] Moses, [who was] the father of wisdom, the father

of prophets, who took Israel out of Egypt, and who performed miracles, wonders

in the Land of Ham, and awe-inspiring things at the Red Sea, and who ascended

to high heaven and brought down the Torah, and who was engaged in building the

Tabernacle. Despite all this he did not enter until He called him, for it is

said, And He called Moses. (Yalkut Shimoni Vayikra 1: 429)

The technicalities of the Tabernacle service were also

important for an additional reason. The sinner wanders about in the world, not

finding his place. He seeks solace for his powerful feelings of guilt and of

hope in the service of his God. The Torah offers the path of repentance and

repair to him together with the sacrificial service. The technicalities of

ritual slaughter are of no use to anyone, but they do serve as a significant

symbol of the virtue of peace which the sinner should adopt. Rabbeinu Behayeiy writes:

It should

furthermore be explained that Scripture designated the domesticated animals for

sacrifice on the altar in order to teach the virtue of innocence [temimut], for the domesticated animals are innocent,

and they live in human settlements, and it was they who were chosen by our

father Jacob when his mother told him please go to the flocks (Bereishit 27), and he chose the trait of peace and

was called an ish tam – a man of

innocence – which is translated as gevar shalim – a man of peace, and the Torah given to his

seed is entirely peace, for it is said, her ways are ways of pleasantness

and all her paths are peace (Proverbs 3). Likewise Israel

is called Shulamit [from the root shalom

= peace], for it says, return, return, O Shulamit

(Song

of Songs 7),

for they are a nation within which dwells eternal peace. That is why the Holy

One, blessed be He, chose this kind [of animal] for sacrifice, for the

sacrifices are peace in the world…

This notion of the sacrifice and the altar as symbols of

peace appears earlier: And when you make for Me an

sword upon it and desecrate it (Shemot 20:22). Following

the Sages' lead, Rashi makes this comment: "…for

the altar was created to lengthen man's days, and iron was created to shorten

man's days [because it is used to make swords]. It is improper that the "shortener" be wielded over the "lengthener"

(Middot 3:4). Moreover, the altar makes peace between

Israel

and their Father in heaven. Therefore, the cutter and

destroyer shall not come upon it" (Judaica Press

translation).

The idea that sacrifices symbolize peace is not just some

nice "vordt" to tell on Shabbat eve.

It is anchored in the plain meaning of Scripture. I think that the sacrificial

service is a kind of tshuvat mihamishkal – repentance through successful

re-engagement with the conditions that led to past failure – for the sin that

sprang from the sacrifices of Cain and Abel. Those two wanted to offer up the

best of their possessions to God; they wanted to devote their all to His

worship. That powerful drive led them to hatred and murder. Adding to the

description of Cain's envy of Abel found in the plain meaning of Scripture, the

midrash tells us how they

argued over the ownership of the location of the future Temple:

…about what

did they quarrel? One said, "The Temple must be built in my area,"

while the other claimed, "It must be built in mine." For thus it is

written, and it came to pass, when they were in the field: Now field

refers to nought but the Temple,

as you read, Zion [i.e. the Temple] shall be plowed as

a field (Micah

3:12).

Out of this argument, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, etc. (Bereishit Rabbah

22:7, based on Soncino translation)

This midrash

and the story in tractate Yoma 23a about the priests

who competed with each other for the honor of cleaning the altar show us that

the Sages were aware of the dangers that arise when religious fervor is

combined with competitiveness. That is to say: the holy service in itself does

not guarantee peace if people are motivated by acquisitiveness and

competitiveness.

However, the laws of the sacrifices with their intricate

practical details ward off any messianic-emotional outburst. They repent for

the shedding of Abel's blood over the first altar. Worship of God cannot

tolerate hatred, anger, or murder.

Yonatan Orich is a student in Yeshivat Har Etzion

When a person from [among] you brings a

bring your sacrifice.

The Sacrifices: Of You? Of Animals?

What does it say previously about this matter? When one

through robbery (Vayikra 5: 23) and

afterwards, This is the ritual of the burnt

offering (6:2). If you want

to offer a sacrifice, never rob anything from anyone. Why? Because,

in connection with the burnt offering, God loves justice and hates robbery.

When can you make a burnt offering that is acceptable to Me?

When your hand has no part of robbery. David said: Who

may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart (Psalms 24:3-4).

From the beginning of the laws of sacrifices we learn, when mikem

presents an offering…

The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: When you offer sacrifice

to me, be like Adam [a play on the verse, When any of you – adam – presents an offering]

who could not steal from others because he was the only person in existence.

(Yalkut

Shimoni Vayikra 6: 480)

Adam ki yakriv

mikem [When any of you presents]: This may be

read as allowing for human sacrifice, since it could have been formulated less

ambiguously as Adam mikem ki

yakriv. However, Scripture has avoided this and

prohibited it [human sacrifice], and so the verse should be rendered: If a

cattle or sheep, but not humans. And that is what the prophet said: Which

mind (Jeremiah

19: 5).

And that is why the section regarding sacrifices begins with the word adam [human being], to tell

you that humans will be the sacrificers and not the

sacrificed.

(Rabbeinu Behayeiy on Vayikra 1:2)

It is written: Which I never commanded, never decreed,

and which never came to My mind (Jeremiah 19:

5).

Which I never commanded – This is the son of Mesha King of Moav, as it is

written: So he took his firstborn son, who was supposed to succeed him as

king, and offered him up as a burnt offering (II Kings 3: 27).

Never decreed – this is Yiftah.

And which never came to My mind – That is

Isaac, Abraham's son.

(Ta'anit 4a)

Adam ki yakriv

of you presents an offering of cattle to the Lord] One must

understand why the word adam

appears several times in Leviticus. In my humble opinion, it appears that

if Adam had not sinned, sacrifice would be practiced in a completely different

way, in the spiritual manner of angels, as God said, "I want words" (Shemot Rabbah 38:4). That is why

it begins with the word adam, as if to say

that Adam's sin made this form of redress, i.e., the presenting of an

offering of cattle, necessary.

(Yodei

Binah, pg. 57)

"Jerusalem

and Bar Kamtza"

There was an incident involving a certain man whose friend

was called "Kamtza" and whose enemy was

called "Bar Kamtza." He made a feast, and

told his servant: "Bring me Kamtza." He

went and [mistakenly] brought him Bar Kamtza. He came

and discovered him [Bar Kamtza] sitting [at the

feast]. He said to him: "Look, you hate me, what are you doing here? Get

up and leave!" He said to him: "Since I am already here, leave me

alone, and I will pay you the cost of whatever I eat and drink." He told

him: "No!"… "I will pay the cost of your entire

feast!"… "No!" They grabbed him by the hand, stood him up, and

took him out.

Bar Kamtza said: Since there were

sages sitting there and did not protest – they are untroubled [by my

humiliation] – I will go and inform on them to the king. He came to the Emperor

and told him: "The Jews have rebelled against you"… The Emperor

said, "Who can know?..

He told the Emperor: Send them an offering and see if they

will sacrifice it.

He went and sent a calf with him [Bar Kamtza].

On the way, Bar Kamtza mutilated its lip – others say

he mutilated the external membrane of the eye – a place that is considered a

flaw for us [rendering the animal unfit for sacrifice] but not for them

The Sages said it should be sacrificed to preserve the peace

of the kingdom. Rabbi Zekhariyah ben

Avikolus said to them: "[People] will say,

‘unfit animals are sacrificed at the altar!?'"

They said that Bar Kamtza should

be killed, so that he would not go and tell the king, Rabbi Zekhariyah

told them: "People will say: ‘One who blemishes a consecrated animal is to

be killed?!'"

Rabbi Yokhanan said: Rabbi Zekhariyah ben Avikolus's humility destroyed our house, burned our temple,

and banished us from our land."

(Gittin 55b-56a).

Readers respond 

Bombs are set

in professors' homes, and we say nothing. Extreme rightists hold political

demonstrations in the name of religion, and we remain silent. Those extreme

rightists commit pogroms and various attacks against members of minorities, and

we simply do not react. Instead, for too long I read the vague and abstruse

Talmudic speculations of the honorable authors whose work appears in Shabbat

Shalom. I understand that genuine discussion of the controversial issues

will not be welcome in every synagogue. Nonetheless, I ask what point is there

to Netivot Shalom's

producing a periodical if it constantly sits on the fence in connection with

the acute moral issues of the hour? You, the editor,

have demonstrated your concern, but it seems that your writers feel that the

Torah is largely irrelevant to modernity. This is the only religious

publication distributed in synagogues that can offer a critical voice. The time

is come for it to assume its responsibility and say its piece. Yes – this will

require courage.

Pinchas Leiser, editor of Shabbat Shalom, responds:

I thank my

friend David Waimann for his letter. It offers me an

opportunity to once again make clear my guidelines for editing Shabbat

Shalom. As we announced in our first issue, the main goal of Shabbat

Shalom is to expose the worshipping public of Israel's synagogues to a variety of

themes in the Torah as it has been interpreted through the ages. These themes,

springing from the committed reading of our literary sources, form a systematic

world view composed of values that we think cannot be separated from each

other.

We believe that

the fact that all human beings, without distinction of religion, race, or sex,

are created in the Divine image, together with our collective memory of

enslavement in Egypt, demand that every human being – as a human being – must

be treated respectfully. Similarly, we hold that it is impossible to

distinguish between "ceremonial" commandments and the recognition of

peace as a religious value, as was expressed in today's article by Yonatan Orich, which cited the midrash

that tells us that the altar is intended to lengthen human life.

Despite our

deep commitment to the values of justice, freedom, and peace as religious

values originating in the Torah of Israel, and despite our understanding that

this must be the contribution of religious Zionism, it is important for us to

create serious discourse, even involving a "disagreement for the sake of

heaven," with religious Jews who disagree with us.

Therefore,

perhaps in contrast to other Shabbat sheets, we do not deal in political op-eds but rather in value-informed Torah interpretation which

invites dialogue. Different writers differ in how explicitly they relate their

Torah interpretation to current issues, and as an editor I respect that

stylistic variety.

Sometimes, as

David Waimann writes, I see my editorial role as

requiring my response to unpleasant events to which we are witnesses when such

events involve desecration of the Name of Heaven and seriously damage Torah

morality. Usually, an issue is printed about three weeks before its

distribution date, making it understandably impossible to react to critical

events in "real time."

I hope and

believe that our writers' articles and the passages from midrashim

and commentaries published in Shabbat Shalom also bring our readers to

think about simple human values such as peace, social justice, human dignity,

the treatment of the stranger and the Other in Torah terms. We welcome any

further comments on this important issue.

If you enjoy Shabbat

distribution.

• Hebrew edition distributed in Israel

  $700

• English edition distributed via

  email $ 100

Issues may be

advance to appear in the English email.

In Israel, checks payable to Oz VeShalom

may be sent to Oz VeShalom-P.O.B. 4433, Jerusalem 91043.

US and British tax-exempt contributions to Oz VeShalom may be made through:

New Israel Fund, POB 91588, Washington, DC 20090-1588, USA

New Israel Fund of Great

2DD, Great Britain

Please note

that the NIF is no longer accepting donations under $100

PEF will also

USA

All

as no. 5708.

About us

Oz Veshalom-Netivot Shalom is a movement dedicated to the

always been central to Jewish tradition and law.

Oz Veshalom-Netivot Shalom shares a deep attachment to the land of Israel and it no less views peace as a

between Jews and Arabs is not an option but an imperative.

5,000 copies

www.netivot-shalom.org.il.