This is crazy: I became a Bar Mitzvah 50 years ago, reading this week’s Parsha: Vayikra, the beginning of the Book of Leviticus. I can’t even fathom that amount of time that has passed. I’m sure many of you reading this can understand of which I speak. Time just passes by so quickly.
I don’t remember what I said in my Bar Mitzvah speech, and since the portion spoke of the start of the sacrificial system and the Priests, I don’t think I would have understood whatever I wrote about, because I still don’t get it today! This week’s Torah portion, Vayikra, begins with God telling Moses to teach the Israelites about the different offerings they shall make to atone for their sins. The offerings were animal offerings for some types of sins, and grain offerings for other types. While today we typically pray directly to God in our own words, the sacrificial system in Vayikra reflects a very different way of connecting with God.
In ancient times, the sacrificial offerings were an essential form of communication with God. The offerings were not only a physical gift but also a way of expressing one’s gratitude, atonement, or request for blessings. The first paragraph of Vayikra reads that the sacrifices were brought by individuals to the priests who performed the sacrifice on the person’s behalf. The person bringing the offering would place their hands on the animal, symbolizing the transfer of their sins or intentions onto the sacrifice. Then, the priest would carry out the ritual, acting as an intermediary between the person and God. But only the Priests made the actual sacrifices.
In this way, sacrifices were a form of prayer, but not in the way we experience prayer today. While we atone for our sins through our own prayer to God, the sacrifices were the way the ancient Israelites prayed. We, as individuals, pray directly to God—our words, our thoughts, and our hearts are what connect us. The sacrifices, however, were an expression of devotion and an act of communal worship given to the priests who were the intermediaries. In a sense, the priest was not only performing the ritual but also helping to carry the person’s intentions to God.
Today, it’s up to each individual to atone for sins and pray the prayers of our hearts. And even though we don’t use intermediaries to pray to God, the underlying message of the sacrifices remain relevant. Just as the Israelites used sacrificial offerings to express their needs, gratitude, and repentance, we still find ways to offer our hearts to God. Whether through the words of prayer or acts of kindness, our “offerings” today are reflections of our devotion and our desire to communicate with God.
The lesson of Vayikra reminds us that even though the means may have changed, the fundamental need to reach out to God—to express our hopes, struggles, and gratitude—remains timeless. Whether through sacrifice or prayer, the act of turning toward God is a central part of our spiritual journey.
Shabbat Shalom,
Cantor Michael Shochet
