Parashat Vayikra
March 21, 2023
Rabbi Rachmiel Gurwitz, Middle School Rabbi-in-Residence
Parshat Vayikra is seemingly impractical. It describes korbanot (offerings or sacrifices) that we can no longer bring without a Beit haMikdash (Temple) and describes in detail the exact process for the different types of korbanot. Yet, our tradition has always been nimble and flexible, able to pivot and redirect. In the eyes of the chassidic masters, the korbanot are a guide for how to draw close to God and not just ancient ritual.
He writes: In my humble opinion, there is an allusion here to the levels in the human process of drawing close to the Creator (God). There are three levels (quoting the three animal sub-groups mentioned in the verse):
The Hebrew word korban does not mean to sacrifice as it is often translated, rather it means to draw near, from the root .ק.ר.ב. So, when the second verse of the parsha states:
“דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם אָדָם כִּי־יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם קׇרְבָּן לַה’ מִן־הַבְּהֵמָה מִן־הַבָּקָר וּמִן־הַצֹּאן תַּקְרִיבוּ אֶת־קׇרְבַּנְכֶם׃
Speak to the Israelite people, and say to them: When any person (adam) of you (mikem) presents an offering from the cattle, from the herd or from the flock, you shall choose an offering.”
It is not simply speaking about bringing an animal sacrifice 2,000 years ago, but the act of a person (adam) themselves (mikem) drawing close to God. The Degel Machane Ephraim, an 18th century work by chassidic master Rabbi Moshe Chaim Ephraim of Sudilkov, expands on this verse, transforming it from a simple action to a step by step process of personal transformation. Speak to the Israelite people, and say to them: When any person (adam) of you (mikem) presents an offering from the cattle, from the herd or from the flock, you shall choose an offering.”
He writes: In my humble opinion, there is an allusion here to the levels in the human process of drawing close to the Creator (God). There are three levels (quoting the three animal sub-groups mentioned in the verse):
- “From the cattle” – First, a person must separate themselves from harm like cattle that distances themselves from danger; we too must distance ourselves from spiritual danger like gossip and other foolish actions.
- “From the herd”- One must search (bikur, which shares a root with bakar meaning herd) and explore how they can draw close to God.
- “From the sheep” Finally, just as the word for sheep (צאן) is a unification of itself (the Hebrew letters for sheep combine visually to make the letter tzadi; צ = א + נ), a person must work to unify themselves with God through Torah study and prayer.
The Degel Machane Ephraim uses this verse as a roadmap for drawing close to God. We must remove unnecessary distractions from our everyday lives, we must sincerely and genuinely search for meaning and truth, and through prayerful self-reflection and studying Torah we can draw close to God.
Perhaps korbanot were an ancient system for an ancient people, yet their function and message — we all must strive to draw close to God — has never lost its relevance. My hope is that as we journey towards Pesach and we re-experience redemption as a Jewish people, we can use the framework of Parshat Vayikra and the Degel Machane Ephraim to claim our own personal redemption as well.
Perhaps korbanot were an ancient system for an ancient people, yet their function and message — we all must strive to draw close to God — has never lost its relevance. My hope is that as we journey towards Pesach and we re-experience redemption as a Jewish people, we can use the framework of Parshat Vayikra and the Degel Machane Ephraim to claim our own personal redemption as well.
Shabbat Shalom!