Rabbi's Derasha

It occurred to me this week that we’re already a month into the book of Vayikra and I haven’t spoken about it all.  Parashat Vayikra was the Shabbat HaGadol Derasha, Parashat Tzav was at 7:15 in the morning and there was no Derasha, and then Shmini was last week and I spoke about something else.  

It’s not that I’m avoiding it.  Sometimes people think that Vayikra is a little dull compared to the drama of Bereisheet and mostly the first half of Shemot.  They think it’s almost as if we are in another world.  But the themes of this book are the same as everything else since the Garden of Eden: Rectification and obedience.  We are asked to obey, to follow the rules, and we are given a way to rectify our ways if we stray.   

It’s fascinating how many times there are references back to Bereisheet in the midst of the laws of Vayikra.  

Let me give two examples: In this week’s Parasha, in the midst of describing the ritual impurity of a woman who has just given birth, the verses pause to say that if it’s a boy, he’ll be circumcised on the eighth day.  There is only one child whom the Torah describes as having his Bris on the eighth day.  Only Yitzchok is described that way.  Invoking his memory will be significant for a reason I will mention in a minute. 

At the end of the last week’s portion, the Torah lays out what one can eat and what one cannot.  It’s a section associated with the restrictions of Kashrut.  But that’s not how the Torah goes about announcing it.  The first commandment of the Torah -- the first time the Torah actually says the word “Tzav,” or command -- is also about eating.  Most people would say that that is when Hashem tells Adam not to eat from a certain tree.  But that’s NOT the first command.  The first command is to eat from EVERY tree, to enjoy everything.  Then, and only then, Hashem calls out exceptions.  Similarly, the Torah said last week that one can eat from all of the animals that chew its cud and have split hooves.  Then, and only then, the Torah brings the exceptions.  Exactly the same form as in Bereisheet.  

YItzchok hovers over this book for obvious reasons.  There is no more obedient figure in the Torah.  He is the stalwart of Avoda, of divine service.  This is why the Siddur begins with a long recitation of the story of the Akeida.  He is the one who was willing to make the supreme sacrifice, even though he never heard the command directly from Hashem. 

The book is called Leviticus in English and is referred to as Torat Kohanim (the law of Kohanim) by the Midrash.  The people in charge of the Temple service are Kohanim and Levi’im.  They held the keys of rectification because they were known for their obedience. The word Kohen is translated everywhere as “one who serves.”  But how does it come to mean that?  A nun sofeet at the end of a word means that someone does it all of the time.  A “Vatran” is someone who concedes all of the time, a “Gazlan” steals all of the time.  That leaves “Koh,” which means “thus.”  A Kohen acts “thusly,” as one who tries to obey rules precisely.  Kohanim are, in this sense, Koh-nikim, those who are always acting “thusly.”  

In a typical year like this one, the book of Vayikra begins just before Pesach and lasts until just before Shavuot.  It is part of the bridge between the exodus and the giving of the Torah.  When Hashem spoke to Moshe Rabenu at the burning bush, he told him that the exodus would end up in Eretz Yisrael but he also told him that it would culminate in divine service on this mountain -- the bush was at the foot of Har Sinai.  It makes sense that we cover the boo of divine service as we are heading from Pesach until Shavuot.   

It happens that this year, the Gala dinner will fall during this time as well.  In it, we will honor those who serve the community, whose willingness to obey the call to service helps keep things on track.  We will honor the teenagers who so ably have run children’s programming for several years, and we will honor the incomparable Shelli Carol.  We will also hear from those who set the highest standard of service, two IDF soldiers from the local community who served during the nightmare of the last 18 months.  They will tell us about the ultimate service to the Klal.  I hope everyone can get behind this effort as we put service for the Klal, for the community, front and center.