Vayikra

#vayikra #parshathashavua #sefervayikra #lessonswecanlearn #neverleavelearningbehind

This week we complete Sefer Vayikra with a double portion, B'har and B'Chukotai, with the challenging Mitzvot of Sh'mitta and Yuval (The Sabbatical Year and the Jubilee Year) and then, in a sense, sealing the agreement between God and the Jewish people with a series of blessings and curses, aimed at the collective, should they obey or disobey the laws and precepts which stand as part of the agreement.

Sefer Vayikra is a challenging book and full of surprises and mystery. All in all, I think it embodies the idea of B'chol Levavcha, B'chol Nafsh'cha, B'chol Meodecha, that God asks 100% of us. Sefer Vayikra enters into our homes, the ground we walk on, into our bodies, into our speech and into our interactions with others, both those close to us and those whom we employ. We are completing it this week, but its ideas remain with us each and every day.

May we hear better news soon.

Shabbat Shalom,

Leann

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Vayikra

Vayikra,

you are in our skin

and between the hairs of our heads.

You are in our beds

and in the walls of our houses.

You are in the clothes we wear,

 the foods we eat.

You are there, 

deep inside of us,

deep in our thoughts,

 in our words we speak.

Vayikra,

you are the ground under our feet,

 the money in our pockets.

You are the I and the Thou,

and the I and they.

You see us for who we are

and still ask for more.

Vayikra, you offer us life,

but don’t avoid death.

You mystify us

You are blood and sweat,

and what is released from us.

You surprise us at every turn,

yet we have begun to expect surprises

You provide the answers

and, in turn, we provide the questions. 

You ask much of us.

Sacrifice is but one of the things that is demanded.

Vayikra,

You are the worst of us and yet, an ideal to strive for.

You are both temptation and a gift.

Again and again you dangle both the holy and profane.

We see the choices, but is there a choice?

There is no mystery to you, yet you leave us baffled.

You give us answers, all lead us to questions.

Vayikra, when we leave you behind,

in our thoughts, in our skin, in our blood,

in our actions and our words

you will still be with us.

Until next year.

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Other posts from Parshiyot Behar and B'Chukotai from Words Have Wings

https://www.wordshavewings.net/post/there-is-always-hope There is Always Hope

https://www.wordshavewings.net/post/the-song-of-the-land The Song of The Land

https://www.wordshavewings.net/post/soil-a-meditation Soil: A Meditation

https://www.wordshavewings.net/post/_hush. Hush

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These are the commandments that יהוה gave Moses for the Israelite people on Mount Sinai.

Leviticus 27:34

אֵ֣לֶּה הַמִּצְות אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֧ה יְהֹוָ֛ה

אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בְּהַ֖ר סִינָֽי׃