"Religious" interaction with our fellows

Vayikra

Leviticus 1:1 - 5:26

Précis: The title of the Third Book of the Torah, Vayikra (“And He called”) is usually translated as “Leviticus” in English, from its Septuagint (Greek) name, which in turn is based on the fact that much of the Book concerns ritual sacrifices performed under the auspices of the Levites. 

            The introduction to this Book in Etz Hayim reminds us that the “central concern” of the ancient Israelites was “how they were to express their loyalty” to Adonai. The answer from Vayikra: they were “to be holy, for I Adonai Your God, am holy.”  Yet, as noted in the introduction to this Book in the Plaut Commentary, much of this “holiness” is expressed in terms of rituals which ceased to exist with the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E. The word generally used in English for the ritual offerings in the Temple is “sacrifice,” but there is a deeper meaning to be found in the Hebrew word, korban, from a root meaning “to draw closer.” The system of “sacrifices” (“korbanot”) was designed to allow the Israelites to “draw closer” to the Ineffable.

            With the end of the sacrificial system, the instructions of Vayikra first remained an important area of study because of the belief that a restoration of the sacrificial system would occur. It remained important as a way to interpret modern concerns about our relationship to the Divine in light of the ancient rituals.

Leviticus 5:21 “If a person sins and commits a trespass against the Lord by dealing deceitfully with his fellow in the matter of a deposit or a pledge, or through robbery, or by defrauding his fellow, or by finding something lost and lying about it; if he swears falsely regarding any one of the various things that one may do and sin thereby...”

            We see in this verse a message we usually associate with Yom Kippur: A “trespass” (transgression or sin) against a fellow human being is simultaneously a trespass against God.

            This is one of the most significant ethical tenets of Judaism, because it establishes the concept that God is essentially a third party to every human interaction. All of our interpersonal relationships, be they with family members, friends, co-workers, congregants or strangers (and even with our enemies!), are to be informed by the knowledge that God demands that we act in an ethical and compassionate manner. It is a unique “Jewish” understanding that our interpersonal actions are inherently “religious” in nature. Living a Jewish life should mean that we act with an understanding that God is involved in every aspect of our mundane human interactions.