Voices of WRJ: Parashat Vayikra

by Barbara Thomas Parashat Vayikra translates to “and God called” and begins with instructions on how to approach God with sacrificial offerings of animals. This method of approaching God is not part of modern religious practice, but the significance of animal sacrifice to an agricultural society is a guide to how important our sacrifices should be to us when we approach God so that we can gain strength and understanding as we are led to a more righteous place. WRJ makes significant sacrifices and leads us, as sisterhood members, to make significant sacrifices of money, time, and emotion; a modern equivalent of this animal sacrifice. In Parashat Vayikra, it is not just the priests who are instructed on how to approach God but the entire community, men and women alike. The priests help to slaughter the animals but the community supplies them and they were used to support the community-at-large, allowing the poorer members to benefit from what the community brought to sacrifice.  Each of our personal acts, each of our sisterhood’s acts, and each of WRJ’s acts of “loving kindness” does the same thing by supporting our world and bring us closer together and closer to God. Parashat Vayikra goes on to address other types of offerings to “Restore Order” (Women’s Torah Commentary).  These offerings are in response to wrongs that are committed knowingly or unknowingly; by priests, congregational and community leaders, by men and women and by the rich and poor. The prayer in our Yom Kipper service says, "Yom Kippur atones only for sins between man and God, not for sins against another person. To atone for sins against another person, you must first seek reconciliation with that person, righting the wrongs you committed." Judaism teaches that offenses against fellow human beings are also offenses against God. Referring back to the opening chapters of Parashat Vayikra, the community benefits from the sacrifices made to God. Therefore, even if we as individuals, or sisterhoods, have not committed a specific offense we are part of, and benefited from the society/community, where offenses were committed. We therefore are called upon to seek reconciliation before we are free to approach God with our prayers. While we no longer use animal sacrifice to atone to God for our offenses, WRJ has led the way in seeking reconciliation by working to correct wrongs in this world  by leading and teaching its membership, both individuals and sisterhoods, how to stand up for civil rights, justice, and caring for those less fortunate than ourselves. In these ways, we work to make reparations for offenses to our fellow human beings by our society, and thus open the path to approach God with our prayers. Credit to: The Women’s Torah Commentary for insights to the portion and to Rabbi Barbara Goldman-Wartell for her insights and editing. Barbara Thomas is a WRJ Board member, and Sisterhood Executive Board member, Past Sisterhood President (2 times!) and past Temple Board member of Temple Concord in Binghamton, NY. Being active in WRJ runs in the family as her Aunt Eleanor May z"l' was a NFTS Board member, and Sisterhood President, Temple President and Temple Treasurer of Temple Israel in NYC.