Weekly Sidra: Vayikra (and He called)
Torah Portion: Vayikra / Leviticus 1:1-5:26
Haftorah: Yeshayahu / Isaiah 43:21-44:23

The book of Leviticus is called Vayikra ("and He called") in the Torah, and is also known as the Book of Sacrifices. It is sometimes called Torat Kohanim – the Law of the Priests – since it deals largely with the various offerings brought to HaShem for sacrificial purposes in the mishkan (Tabernacle). Vayikra opens where the book of Exodus left off, with God calling to Moses from the ohel mo’ed (Tent of Meeting). The part I want to focus is in Vayikra / Leviticus 1:1-2.

And He called to Moses; and HaShem spoke to him out of the Tent of Meeting, saying: “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: A man who shall bring near of you an offering to HaShem; of the cattle, of the herd and of the flock, shall you bring near your offering… [Vayikra 1:1-2]

This past Tuesday March 16th, 2010 (The First of Nissan) was Temple Mount Awareness Day.  It reminded me much of this week’s Parasha.

In the Parshah of Vayikra, which opens the book of Leviticus, HaShem speaks to Moshe from the Tent of Meeting and begins His communication of the laws governing the bringing of the korbanot (badly translated as sacrifice), the animal and meal offerings that are the central feature of the service performed in the Sanctuary.  Here is a summary of the various Korbanot:

Meal Offerings

Meal offerings, called menachot ("gifts"), are prepared of fine flour, with olive oil and frankincense. The priest removes a kometz ("handful"–actually the amount grasped by his three middle fingers), to be burned on the Altar; the remainder is eaten by the priests.

There are five types of donated meal offerings:

1) the standard "meal offering" whose kometz is removed before it is baked;
2) the "baked meal offering," which came in two forms: loaves or
3) flat matzot;
4) the "pan-fried" meal offering;
5) the minchat marcheshet, deep-fried in a pot.

The Peace Offering

The shelamim, or "peace offering," could be either male or female, and either from "the herd" (i.e., an ox or a cow), a sheep or a goat.

The Sin Offerings

The korbanot discussed up to this point are "donations"–offerings pledged out of a desire to give to HaShem. Now the Torah moves on to discuss obligatory offerings, such as the chatat, the "sin-offering" brought to atone for an inadvertent transgression of the divine will. Different offerings are prescribed depending on the stature of the transgressor.

The Guilt Offerings

For certain transgressions, the offering brought in atonement is not a "sin offering" but an asham ("guilt offering"). An asham is distinguished from the standard sin offering in that it was a male sheep, and that it had to be worth at least "two shekels of silver of the shekel of the Sanctuary."

Three types of asham are described in our Parshah. The first is brought by one who unintentionally made unauthorized use of property belonging to the Sanctuary–a crime called me’illah ("betrayal"). He must pay back what he had expropriated and add to that an additional one-fifth of its value, and also bring an asham  to obtain atonement for his unintentional trespass.

A second type of "guilt offering" is the asham talu, brought by one who thinks he may have unwittingly committed a transgression, but is not sure (for example, he had two pieces of meat before him and ate one of them; later, he discovers that one of them was cheilev–forbidden fat–a trespass which would obligate him to bring a sin offering if he would know with certainty that he committed it).

The third and last asham of our Parshah is the one brought in atonement by one who swears falsely in the process of defrauding his fellow man.

As Jews we must yearn for the rebuilding of the Temple.  It is not enough just to pray for it constantly.  In Ezekiel 46 we see that even Mashiach will bring sacrifices to the Temple.

Thus said HaShem the Judge (or God depending of the context in Hebrew):  “The prince shall enter by way of the vestibule outside the gate, and shall attend at the gatepost while the priests sacrifice his burnt offering and his offering of well-being;  [Ezek 46:1-2 Emphasis mine]

Thus the yearning for Mashiach and the Rebuilding of the Temple are inextricably linked. You can’t have one without the other… May Mashiach be revealed and the Temple be rebuilt speedily in our days.

We want Mashiach Now!!