The Portion of Vayikra (Leviticus 1:1-5:26)

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 9, 2023 | Vayikra

The portion of Vayikra opens where the book of Exodus left off; after God’s glory descends to the Tabernacle, Moses cannot enter, therefore God has to call to him to come forward. The portion, like most of the book of Leviticus, continues with a detailed accounting of...

The Peace Offering in the City of Peace

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 10, 2022 | Holiness, Kindness and Compassion, Passover, Temple, Vayikra

People who are unfamiliar with the Bible think that a sacrifice is an unspecified animal that is slaughtered haphazardly and thrown into a blazing fire to be burnt entirely. But the book of Vayikra (Leviticus) is incredibly specific, describing a variety of sacrifices...

Beginning a Child’s Education with Leviticus

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 9, 2022 | Education, Vayikra

The books of Genesis and Exodus are narratives, telling the stories of the Creation until the Exodus. Though these are fascinating tales that seem like prime material to tell children, there is a Jewish custom to begin a child’s Torah education with Vayikra...

Does Being the Poor Man’s Sacrifice Make the Meal Offering Less Desirable?

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 8, 2022 | God, Temple, Vayikra

The meal offering was characteristically brought by the poor as it was less expensive than a meat offering. The offering consisted chiefly of fine flour, olive oil and frankincense. The grain could either be raw and mixed with oil, or mixed with oil and cooked into...

Atoning For Unintentional Sins

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 7, 2022 | Repentance, Vayikra

The book of Leviticus begins with a discussion of the korbanot, or sacrifices, that were brought in the Tabernacle and Temple. One of these sacrifices was called the korban chatat, or sin offering. The word chatat (sin) is derived from the word chayt, meaning...

Why Does The First Word Of The Book Of Leviticus Have A Small Aleph?

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 6, 2022 | God, Hebrew Language, Humility, Modesty, Vayikra

The Hebrew names of the books of the Torah are named for the first word that appears in each book. The Hebrew name of the the book of Leviticus, therefore, is Vayikra (וַיִּקְרָא), which means “And he called.” This calling refers to God calling out to Moses from...