sacrifice

This week’s double portion of Acharei Mot and Kedoshim covers a lot of ground in a small amount of space. It covers the ritual of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), restrictions on where and how sacrifices can be made, proscriptions for the resident alien, a list of prohibited sexual relations, a stern reminder about honoring one’s parents, issues of social justice, a detailed explanation of how to love one’s neighbor, and a miscellaneous list of other commandments ranging from agricultural laws to prohibitions against sorcery and child sacrifice.

Drawing Near

As we finish the book of Shemot (Exodus) we now turn to the book of Vayikra (Leviticus). When most people begin a study of the book of Leviticus, they probably don’t get that excited. It’s almost entirely focused on animal sacrifices, various sprinklings of blood, bodily discharges, and purification rituals. The modern reader finds a study of Leviticus more repulsive than edifying. This is because these rituals are foreign to the modern reader in a time when animal sacrifice is considered more barbaric than spiritual.