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March 23, 2013
PARASHAT TZAV
(TZAV MEANS “COMMAND”)
1ST Aliyah (P. 429, verse 2)
The study of the laws in Leviticus stood at the center of the rabbinic learning. It was customary for small children to begin their study of the Bible with Leviticus. Leviticus contains most of the laws which the Jew is commanded to observe on a regular basis, and it was only natural that the child’s program of study should begin with the practical knowledge required for the life of mitzvoth. Even after the destruction of the Temple and the cessation of sacrificial worship and Temple ritual, Leviticus remained at the foundation of Jewish life. Among the institutions still central to Judaism, which have their Biblical origins in Leviticus, are most of the dietary laws; many festival rituals; most of the laws regulating marriage, sex and family purity; and the commandments governing the seventh year. Another aspect of the heritage of Leviticus is its unique theology of the performance of mitzvoth. Leviticus teaches that the ritual commandments and the ethical or social ones are equally important and valid. Nowhere outside of Leviticus is there a clearer explanation of the reason for the Jewish people’s existence. God has entered into a relationship with Israel so that they might perpetually sanctify His name. How can we sanctify God’s name, in today’s world? Many liberal Jews have discarded much of Leviticus as irrelevant to their lives. This may be far from the truth. The key is to make the mitzvoth or, at least the spirit behind the laws, relevant to our own lives.
2nd Aliyah (Sha ne) (P. 430, verse 12)
Many contemporary Jews find this portion among those that make their eyes glaze over. Over the years, however, many people have come to appreciate the power of rituals described in this Torah portion. Leviticus and its rituals were transformed by Christianity and Judaism. Christianity transformed sacrifices by bringing sacrificial symbolism right into the heart of its service. After the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, the Rabbis replaced the sacrificial system by updating its rituals. Jews could communicate with God through prayer and study. New rituals, from Leviticus, developed around the preparing and eating food. The Talmud says that the table upon which we eat is like the altar of the Temple. We are told to wash our hands before breaking bread, just as the Priests did before offering sacrifice. On the Sabbath, the challot represent the showbreads used at the Temple. Before we eat the challah on Friday evening, Harriet and I sprinkle salt on it. This reflects a Temple ritual. A second Amidah or Standing Prayer is added to the Shabbat service, in Conservative synagogues, to commemorate the additional sacrifices done on the Sabbath. Rituals are an important element in Judaism whether eating, praying or performing mitzvoth. Deeds of loving kindness, as expressed by the prophets, have also become part of the rituals of Judaism. After all, sharing the sacrificial food to include the poor came from the pages of Leviticus. Our lives are made much richer through the rituals of the Torah. It is up to us to live by the spirit behind the rituals. Our families are strengthened by the rituals we follow. Performing rituals make us better people. That is exactly what Leviticus tried to do for the ancient Israelite.
3rd Aliyah (Shileshe) (P.432, verse 11)
The Korban Todah, the thanksgiving offering, was different than the other sacrifices. It is a celebration of life and its wonder. The Rabbis of antiquity thought that, in the coming time, all sacrifices would be annulled except for the thanksgiving sacrifice and that all prayers would be prayers of thanksgiving. Life summons us to rejoice at the bonds of friendship and love. Life also beckons us to enjoy the majesty of a mountain range, to appreciate the sounds of rushing waves and to marvel at a sunset. We can show our gratitude for the wonders of the world and the happiness in our lives by offering a thanksgiving korban. No, don’t run out and find an animal for sacrifice! A simple prayer, a donation to the Greater Boston Food Bank, visiting someone in the hospital or just coming to Shabbat services would be enough. A thanksgiving offering is not brought with an ulterior motive but will bring you closer to God. To be a Jew is to feel a sense of gratitude; to see life as a gift. In a world awash with self-interest, rage, violence and disappointment, we should remember to say, todah rabbah, thank you very much.
4th Aliyah (Rivee) (P. 435, verse 2)
The next two portions give us a detailed and exact account of the consecration and the dedication of the altar. The whole community was invited to the sacred rites, which, of course meant a festive feast at the end of the ceremonies. The ceremonies involved several sacrifices, a washing rite almost like a mikvah and the elaborate dressing of the High Priest. Aaron was anointed with oil. Who else, in Jewish tradition, would also be anointed with oil? The priests were servants of the people, who could achieve spiritual elevation through the sacrificial system. It was the priests’ duty to represent the people before Adonai by performing the priestly service prescribed by God. The people’s wellbeing rested, to a large extent, on the priests, who acted as intermediaries to God. In later years, the priestly class built up considerable prestige and political power. It also must be noted that, according to “A Woman’s Commentary”, in other Near East cultures the rites of the priests were kept secret and were transmitted privately to each generation. In contrast, Leviticus reflects a commitment to keep the rules of the priestly trade public. This is why we are able to read such detailed descriptions of the sacrificial rites. The Torah presents all these details to show the significance it attached to both the Tabernacle and the Priesthood. And it does it in full public view!
5th Aliyah (Ha meshe) (P. 436, verse 14)
Tzav focuses upon the sacrificial system. It goes into detailed instruction on how and when to offer a korban/sacrifice. It also focuses on how to consecrate the altar, ordain the priests, most notably the high priest. It is a look back in time when keeping God’s world in order meant animal and grain sacrifices. Tzav makes Leviticus appear to be a manual or guide book for priests. It is very interesting that, in Talmudic times, after the destruction of the Temple, the Rabbis of the Talmud read the word “zot torat / here is the “ritual of” as zot Torah here is the “Torah for” (Leviticus 6:2 as an example) Instead of ritual of the burnt offering, ritual of the grain offering, ritual of the reparation offering, ritual of the purification offering the rabbis substituted the study of the Torah as an act equally as valid as sacrifice. This was a conscious way to update the rituals of the Torah. What are some of the sacrifices mentioned in this portion?
Olah (Leviticus 6: 1) ---the burnt offering and may have been used to open up the communication channels to God.
Mincha--- (Leviticus 6: 13-16) A person can substitute a grain offering instead of using a more costly animal sacrifice.
Purification Offering---(6:18) this will decontaminate a person if he/she came in contact with impurity such as blood, or giving birth.
Reparation or ashun Offering (7:1) --- This offering cancels ritual or ethical violations, if they were committed inadvertently.
Sh’lamin or well being offering (7:29) ---If the person has a sense of wholeness and is satisfied with his/her life the person brings a Sh’lamin offering to the Temple.
Zevah todah or Thanksgiving offering--- (7:12) an individual has reason to thank Adonai for good fortune; recovery from an illness; a good crop may offer a Zevah todah offering. The “Gomel blessing”, found in the prayer book, comes from this sacrifice.
(Let us read Leviticus 8: 22-30 to get nitty gritty sense of the ordination of Aaron and the Priests.)--------------OPTIONAL
6th Aliyah (She she) (P. 437, verse 22)
Rabbi Sidney Greenberg believes one of the important messages Leviticus, with its animal sacrifices, is the inescapable truth—that sacrifice is at the center of life. He said, nothing worthwhile in life is ever achieved without it. This is a lesson worth pondering in an age dedicated to instant self-gratification, self-indulgence and self-pampering. If we want the rewards of achievement, we have to be ready to pay an awesome price which achievement sternly demands. Life, the Torah would remind us, is an altar, and the things that go on an altar are sacrifices. Until we have learned that basic truth, we are not yet ready for mature and meaningful living. “No religion is worth its salt”, wrote Rabbi Alba Hillel Silver, “which does not make great demands of its adherents”. In Leviticus, it is expressed in the various sacrifices given on the altar. We have all made sacrifices in our personal lives: studying to pass a test; saving money to go on a trip or to buy something special; sacrificing our time to take care of our elderly parents; sacrificing for our children. “Tzav” refers to God’s issuing a command. The command of sacrifice is for our personal benefit and for the benefit of the community. Sacrifice, according to a poet, leads to the doorway of the Eternal. The sacrifice itself allows us to enter the doorway.
7th Aliyah (Shive-e) (P. 437, v. 30)
The Sabbath immediately preceding Passover is called Shabbat HaGadol, the Great Sabbath. One of the distinctions of Shabbat HaGadol among Eastern European Jews was that it one of the two times during the year that the Rabbi would address the congregation. Do you know the other occasion? Shabbat Shuva, the Sabbath of Repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, was the other one. According to some, the word “Gadol”, meaning great or big, refers to the length of the Rabbi’s sermon. I don’t know whether that was a compliment or a commentary on an overly long, never ending sermon. Did you know that Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was initially viewed as a failure because of its brevity? The main speaker, at Gettysburg, was Edward Everett who spoke for almost two hours. His speech was viewed as a great success. It was a period where, believe it or not, there was no TV, radio, computers or video games. The sermon was viewed as the entertainment of the day. Many, however, see Shabbat Hagadol as a reference to a verse at the end of the haftarah by the prophet Malachi. He said: “(3:23 and24) Lo, I will send Elijah the prophet to you before the coming of the awesome, fearful day of the Lord. He shall reconcile parents with children and children with their parents…” Shabbat Hagadol parallels the redemption that we recall during Passover. Just as the people of Israel were redeemed from Egypt after generations of slavery, so too will the people be redeemed with the coming of the messiah in the time to come (From the website, “My Jewish Learning”).
Maftir (P.856, verse 17)
Haftarah—“Shabbat HaGadol (P.1005)
“Ya-a-mode, Ya-a-mode, Ele-e-ezar ben Daveed v’Shrona, Maftir Chazak”
or:
“Ya-a-mode, Ya-a-mode ben Ben Moshe, Maftir Chazak”