Reflections from Rabbi Ellis

Vayikra is the first Parsha in the third book of the Torah, Vayikra. The book of Vayikra is a departure from the previous two books of the Torah in both style and content. While sacrifices were performed throughout the first two books of the Torah, Vayikra proscribes for us how to perform them. Vayikra is the first book of the Torah that deals largely with Jewish law. We switch from a narrative based text telling the story of our nation to an expository text delineating for us how to live as a holy nation in the Holy Land. Vayikra is a difficult text to read because of how technical and dense the wisdom transmitted in it is

For the last five weeks the Children of Israel have been busy creating the Mishkan, the house of G!d. At the end of last week’s Parsha, which was also the conclusion of the second book of the Torah, we finally finished the project and for the first time ever G!d has a residence in this world, a place to call home. Our Parsha starts a long list of different sacrifices that were offered in the temple that we created. The Mishkan was a tool to bring us closer to G!d to allow us to perceive his presence is this world. This week’s G!d tells us how to use that tool.

When describing the sacrifices in our Parsha, the text repeatedly states that they are a pleasing aroma for G!d. Rashi, the 11th century Torah commentator par excellence, explains this figuratively. He explains that it pleases G!d that we do what he has asked of us. This is a beautiful idea, but it is applicable to every commandment, yet the term a pleasant aroma for G!d is used only in connection to the sacrifices performed in the Mishkan. What then is this pleasant smell and what does it tell us about the sacrifices and the purpose of the Mishkan.        

The essence of taste is smell, our tongue can only detect five flavors while our nose can sense over a trillion, yes trillion, scents. It is the aroma that makes food worth eating.  G!d created a home for himself in our world so that we would come to it and interact with him. The interaction par excellence in Judaism is eating. On Shabbat it is a Mitzvah to eat three rich meals, on Pesach we are commanded to eat Matza we also ate of many of the sacrifices in the Mishka. By sharing a meal together, we share our lives and cultivate love and brotherhood. The pleasing aroma for G!d of our Parsha is a pleasing aroma that brings us closer to G!d. It is we who enjoy the aroma and G!d that takes pleasure in our joy. 

This is also the secret of Purim. Of the four Mitzvot unique to Purim three of them are centered around food. The theme of Purim is Jewish unity and our need to cultivate it. How do we achieve that? By eating together and if we can’t eat together by sharing food. This week we see how great G!d’s desire is to connect with his children, the nation of Israel, and that an essential part of striving to be like G!d is to do whatever we can to be connected to every other Jew. 

Shabbat Shalom!