Sunday, March 2, 2014

Parshat Vayikra, (Leviticus 1:1-1:13)-3/2/14

“If his sacrifice is a burnt offering from cattle, an unblemished male he shall bring it. He shall bring it willingly to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, before the Lord."

My wife said my drawing looks more like a pig with long legs. I could have reminded her that she studied human anatomy, not animal anatomy. But instead, I agreed. I feel that pigs don't get a fair shake in the Jewish world ... and I can't draw cows without looking at a photo.

I'm glad most humans today don't do sacrifices. Or do they? Do we sacrifice for our children? Where else do we sacrifice? Do we sacrifice to spread the wealth? Do we sacrifice in the way we do so many things just because we feel guilty?

I liked the idea that you can't steal an animal and then give it for a sacrifice. The proof here is that Adam never stole ... because he owned everything so it wasn't possible. Whoever thought that up would not get an “A” in logic.

I've heard a few rabbis say that we do not sacrifice because it will make G_d happy or whole. It can do fine without our contributions. But when we don't share what we have it tends to eat us alive. My wife said tonight at dinner, “wouldn't it be good if everyone saw themselves as an interconnected molecule of everything?" Sacrificing in the sense of releasing some of what we have, and the unblemished part at that. It is a great cleansing. It makes us whole, because we recognize we are part of the everything. 

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