Parshas Vayikra - Attention in the Details

 Parshas Vayikra – Attention in the Details

Parshas Vayikra is not an easy parsha to stay focussed on while reading it. The repetitious nature of the list of karbanos (sacrifices) requires deliberate concentration, and that is, perhaps, particularly appropriate to note when discussing the fourth perek of Sefer Vayikra, the perek dealing with offering for unintentional sins.

Before looking at Perek daled, it is interesting to note that the first three perakim, each of which focuses on a different type of offering, each refer differently to the person who brings the sacrifice and, then, only once at the beginning of the specific perek. Perek aleph, which discusses elevation offerings, refers to “adam ki yakriv, a human (adam as the term for the most basic level of humanity) who brings an offering” (Vayikra 1:2). Perek beis, describing the various mincha offerings, uses the phrase “Vnephesh ki takriv, When a person (with the inference of a life spirit) offers” (2:1). Perek gimmel, which is a peace offering, does not actually mention who is bringing it but takes a more passive form of “If his offering is a feast peace offering” (3:1).

The fourth perek, which describes the unintentional-sin offering, returns to the term, nephesh/person, but only for one pasuk, 4:2, before it seems to repeat with a different subject. Thus we have: “Speak to Bnei Yisrael, saying: If any person shall sin through error, in any of the things that God has commanded not to be done, and shall do any one of them: if the anointed priest shall sin so as to bring guilt on the people, then let him offer for his sin, which he has sinned, a young bullock without blemish to God for a sin-offering” (4:2-3).

While the perek begins with a general person, it immediately switches to specific person. And whereas the previous three perakim used only pronouns to refer to the person bringing the offering at all points after the first mention, in perek daled the person (or persons) bringing the sin offering changes a total of four times. The offering of the anointed kohain begins at 4:2. At 4:13, the subject switches to “kol aidas Yisrael/the entire congregation of Israel.” Pasuk 4:22 describes what must happen if the one who sins unintentionally is a prince of the people. Finally, at verse 27, the text refers back to the nephesh, the person.

The fact that this is some sort of hierarchy is, it seems, obvious. For that very reason, it seems important to recall that the offering being discussed is for unintentional sin. There was no intent. The transgression occurred because the person was either not paying attention, was not meticulous enough in his/her actions, or because they chose, at that moment, not to care enough to put their full effort in.

That the offering is for unintentional sin brings a different significance to the hierarchy. The fact that the anointed priest is mentioned first informs us of the weight of his responsibility. He had to be the type of person who would not slip into laxity of concentration, who would be conscientious of his actions at all times. Why then, one might ask, is the congregation of Israel mentioned next. This goes to the concept, perhaps, of kol Yisrael areivim zeh l’zeh, all of Israel is responsible for one another. We can only get to a state where the entirety of the klal sins unintentionally if we do not act as guardians of each other (appropriately, of course, not as hashgafa police). We all have to care.

That a prince and a person are distinguished is an additional reminder that being a leader requires one to know that he or she must live to a higher standard. How often do we see those in positions of power knocked down for an infraction that only happened because of their position of power? How often does one see the attainment of power, fame, fortune, and etc, lead to a relaxation in standards because one thinks that they suddenly know better or cannot be called out? From a Torah perspective, to be a leader, to be a prince, means that one has an even greater responsibility to be conscientious and meticulous to follow the Torah correctly.

Without a Beis Hamikdash, it is easy to read the parshiot of the sacrifices with one’s eyes only. How many bulls or libations or turtledoves can one read about. And yet within those pasukim are valuable lessons about living one’s life in the best possible way.

This Dvar Torah is written with thoughts of our brethren fleeing the war and with prayers for continued besoros tovos/refuah shelaima for Rivka bas Golda.