This week we begin reading the 3rd book in the Torah, Vayikra. This is perhaps the most technical of all the books in the Torah, with many of the Parshiot in this volume dedicated to laws and their application to Jewish life. Most of Vayikra does not contain stories or description of people and their actions, but rather focuses on the technical aspects of how the Jewish people must conduct their day-to-day affairs as well as much written about the Temple, its sacrifices and rituals.
When I read about the Mishkan (Tabernacle), which the Temple was based on, I find it much easier to relate to the beauty of the vessels and the structure of the rooms than the description of the animal sacrifices that were offered up in the sanctuary. In a world where veganism and vegetarianism is ever more popular and the modern understanding of animals notes that they are sentient beings, it can be hard to reconcile the notion of animal sacrifice which was inherent to the ancient Jewish worship and tradition.
In fact, this week’s Parsha spends significant time dedicating itself to the descriptions of each sacrifice that were conducted in the Sanctuary. Although we no longer offer up animal sacrifices, the concept can still offer us important insights into the ways we can be living our lives.
For the Jewish people in the desert, the Mishkan was the central place where they could connect with G-d. Offering these sacrifices was their method of getting closer to G-d. There is no indication that these sacrifices were easy to make.
When the Temple was destroyed in the year 70, animal sacrifices in the Jewish tradition ceased and instead prayer replaced these offerings. This means that to become close to G-d today, we have to offer our whole selves, with prayer, but also concrete acts of kindness, compassion and generosity towards all people who are on earth with us.
The Rambam, in his well-known book “Guide for the Perplexed”, notes that animal sacrifices were one of the earliest ways that the Jewish people learned how to serve G-d without feeling different from the people around them – who all used animal sacrifices as well.
However, the Rambam notes that “the sacrificial service is not the primary objective of the commandments, but that prayer is a better means of obtaining nearness to God.” Therefore, the shift to prayer helped the people connect better to G-d, as they recognised its superior qualities: in that any person in any place has the ability to offer up prayers straight to G-d.
While animal sacrifices may be hard to relate to, understanding that prayer offers us a direct line to G-d, at any time and any place forms our understanding of the dedication we should provide to G-d in order to best connect. We all desire to feel close to G-d and offer up our own forms of sacrifice.
As Pirkei Avot states, mitzvah goreret mitzvah – one mitzvah meads to another. The more good we do, the more kindness we spread. This is a model that remains true even today. Sacrifices are alive and well: they just have to be slightly redefined for our time.
ARK Centre acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of this nation. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands on which our organisation is located and where we conduct our activities. We pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past, present and emerging. ARK Centre is committed to honouring Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas and their rich contribution to society.