Torah Stories By Hannah

Parasha Vayikra

In this week’s Parasha, we learn how HaShem spoke to Moshe to give him commandments about offerings to teach to the Yisraelites. These are the commandments:

When anyone presents an offering of cattle to HaShem, he shall choose his offering from the herd or from the flock. If the offering is from the herd, it should be a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, for acceptance on his behalf before HaShem. He shall lay his hand on the head of the bull, so that it may be acceptable in his behalf. The bull shall then be slaughtered before HaShem, and Aharon’s sons, the priests, shall offer the blood, dashing it against all sides of the altar. The burnt offering shall then be cut into sections. The sons of Aharon shall then put fire on the altar and lay out wood on the fire; and Aharon’s sons, the priests, shall lay out the sections on the wood. Its entrails and its legs shall be washed with water, and the priest shall turn the whole into smoke on the altar as a burnt offering, an offering by fire of pleasing odour to HaShem.

If the offering is from the flock of sheep or goats, he shall make his offering a male without blemish. It shall be slaughtered on the north side of the altar, and Aharon’s sons, the priests shall dash its blood against all sides of the altar. When it has been cut up into sections, the priest shall lay them out on the wood that is on the fire on the altar. The entrails and legs shall be washed with water, and the priests shall turn all of it to smoke on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering by fire of pleasing odour to HaShem.

(The picture on the left is taken from www.templeinstitute.co.il and shows what the altar looks like.)

If the offering is a burnt offering of birds, he shall choose his offering from turtledoves or pigeons. The priest shall bring it to the altar, pinch off its head, and turn it into smoke on the altar; and its blood shall be drained out against the side of the altar. The priest shall spread it open by its wings, without severing it, and turn it into smoke on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, of pleasing odour to HaShem.

When a person presents a meal offering to HaShem, his offering shall be of choice flour, he shall pour oil upon it, lay frankincense on it, and present it to Aharon’s sons, the priests. The priest shall scoop out of it a handful of its choice flour and oil, as well as all of its frankincense, and this token portion he shall turn into smoke on the altar, as an offering by fire, of pleasing odour to HaShem. And the remainder of the meal offering shall be for Aharon and his sons, a most holy portion from HaShem’s offerings by fire.

When you present a meal offering baked in the oven, it shall be of choice flour, unleavened cakes, with oil mixed in or unleavened wafers spread with oil. If your offering is a meal offering on a griddle, it shall be of choice flour with oil mixed in, unleavened. Break it into bits and pour oil on it; it is a meal offering. If your offering is a meal offering in a pan, it shall be made of choice flour in oil. When you present to HaShem a meal offering that is made in any of these ways, it shall be brought to the priest, who shall take it to the altar. The priest shall remove the token portion from the meal offering, and turn it into smoke on the altar as an offering by fire, of pleasing odour to HaShem. And the remainder of the meal offering shall be for Aharon and his sons, a most holy portion from HaShem’s offerings by fire.

No meal offering shall be made with leaven, for no leaven or honey may be turned into smoke as an offering by fire to HaShem. You may bring them to HaShem as an offering of choice products; but they shall not be offered up on the altar for a pleasing odour. You shall season your every offering of meal with salt; you shall not omit from your meal offering the salt of your covenant with HaShem; with all your offerings you must offer salt. If you bring a meal offering of first fruits to HaShem, you shall bring new ears parched with fire, grits of the fresh grain, as your meal offering of first fruits. You shall add oil to it and lay frankincense on it; it is a meal offering. And the priest shall turn a token portion of it into smoke: some of the grits and oil, with all of the frankincense, as an offering by fire to HaShem.

If his offering is a sacrifice of well-being – If he offers of the herd, whether a male or female, he shall bring before HaShem one without blemish. He shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering and slaughter it at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting: And Aharon’s sons, the priests, shall dash the blood against all sides of the altar. He shall then present from the sacrifice of well-being, as an offering by fire to HaShem, the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is about the entrails; the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, that is at the loins, and the protuberance on the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys. Aharon’s sons shall turn these into smoke on the altar, with the burnt offering that is on the wood on the fire, as an offering by fire, a pleasing odour to HaShem.

If his offering is of the flock, whether a male or female, it shall be without blemish. If his offering is a sheep, he shall bring it before HaShem, and lay his hand upon the head of his offering. It shall be slaughtered before the Tent of Meeting, and Aharon’s sons shall dash its blood against all sides of the altar. He shall then present, as an offering by fire to HaShem, the fat from the sacrifice of well-being: The whole broad tail, which shall be removed close to the backbone; the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat that is about the entrails; the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, that is all the loins, and the protuberance on the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys. The priest shall turn these into smoke on the altar as food, and offering by fire to HaShem.

And if his offering is a goat, he shall bring it before HaShem, and lay his hand upon its head. It shall be slaughtered before the Tent of Meeting, and Aharon’s sons shall dash its blood against all sides of the altar. He shall then present, as his offering from it, as an offering by fire to HaShem, the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat that is about the entrails; the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, that is all the loins, and the protuberance on the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys. The priest shall turn these into smoke on the altar as food, and offering by fire, a pleasing odour to HaShem.

All fat is HaShem’s. It is a law for all time throughout the ages, in all your settlements: you must not eat any fat or any blood.

This is how HaShem spoke to Moshe further, saying: Speak to the people of Yisrael like this:

When a person becomes guilty without knowing it in regard to any of the commandments about things that he may not do, and he does one of them – If it is the anointed priest who becomes guilty so that the guilt falls on the people, he shall offer for the sin that he is guilty a bull of the herd without blemish as a sin offering to HaShem. He shall bring the bull to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, before HaShem, and lay his hand upon the head of the bull. The bull shall be slaughtered before HaShem, and the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and bring it into the Tent of Meeting. The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle the blood seven times before HaShem, in front of the curtain of the Shrine. The priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of aromatic incense, which is in the Tent of Meeting, before HaShem, and the rest of the bull’s blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. He shall remove all the fat of the bull of sin offering: the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat that is about the entrails; the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, that is all the loins, and the protuberance of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys – just as it is removed from the ox of the sacrifice of well-being. The priest shall turn them into smoke on the altar of burnt offering. But the hide of the bull, and all its flesh, and as well as its head and its legs, its entrails and its dung – all the rest of the bull – he shall carry to a clean place outside the camp, to the ash heap, and burn it up in a wood fire; it shall be burned on the ash heap.

If it is the whole community of Yisrael that has erred and the matter escapes the notice of the congregation, so that they do any of the things which by HaShem’s commandments ought not to be done, and they realise their guilt, the congregation shall offer a bull of the herd as a sin offering, and bring it before the Tent of Meeting. The elders of the community shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before HaShem, and the bull shall be slaughtered before HaShem. The anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull into the Tent of Meeting, and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle of it seven times before HaShem, in front of the curtain. Some of the blood he shall put on the horns of the altar which is before HaShem in the Tent of Meeting, and the rest of the blood shall be poured out at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. He shall remove all its fat from it and turn it to smoke on the altar. He shall do with this bull just as is done with the priest’s bull of sin offering. The priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven. He shall carry the bull outside the camp, and burn it; it is a sin offering for the congregation.

In case it is a chieftain who becomes guilty by doing without knowing any of the things which HaShem’s commandments says not to be done, and he realises his guilt, or it is brought to his knowledge, he shall bring a male goat without blemish as his offering for the sin of which he is guilty. He shall lay his hand upon the goat’s head and it shall be slaughtered at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, before HaShem: It is a sin offering. The priest shall take with his finger some of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. All its fat he shall turn into smoke on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of well-being. Thus the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin and he shall be forgiven.

If any person of the population becomes guilty without knowing it by doing any of the things commanded by HaShem not to do, and he realises his guilt or the sin of which he is guilty is brought to his knowledge, he shall bring a female goat or sheep without blemish as his offering for the sin of which he is guilty. He shall lay his hand upon the goat’s head and it shall be slaughtered at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, before HaShem: It is a sin offering. The priest shall take with his finger some of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. All its fat shall be removed like the fat of the sacrifice of well-being. This he shall turn into smoke on the altar as a pleasing odour to HaShem. Thus the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin and he shall be forgiven.

If a person becomes guilty:

When he saw or heard something in public and, although he can testify has not done so, he is subject to punishment.

Or when a person touches any unclean thing, like the carcass of any unclean beast or animal, and he forgets and then realises his guilt,

Or when he touches human uncleanness, any uncleanness whereby one becomes unclean and he forgets about the law and then later realises his guilt,

Or when a person utters an oath for a bad or good purpose – anything he might have said – and he forgets the law but later realises his mistake

When he realises his guilt in any of these matters he shall confess his guilt, he shall bring as his penalty to HaShem for the sin of which he is guilty a female from the flock, sheep or goat as a sin offering, and the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin. But if he is too poor to bring a sheep, he shall bring to HaShem two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering. He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first the one for a sin offering, and the second for a burnt offering, slaughtered in the prescribed manner. The priest shall thus make atonement for the sin of which he is guilty and he shall be forgiven. 

And if he is even too poor to bring doves or pigeons, he shall bring a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall not add to it or lay frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. He shall bring it to the priest and the priest shall scoop out of it a handful as a token portion of it and turn it to smoke on the altar, with HaShem’s offerings by fire; it is a sin offering. The priest will so make atonement on his behalf of the sin of which he has become guilty, and he shall be forgiven. It shall belong to the priest, like the meal offering.

And then HaShem spoke to Moshe saying that if anyone commits a sin, by being unintentionally inattentive about any of HaShem’s sacred things, he shall bring as penalty to HaShem a ram without blemish from the flock, convertible into payment in silver by the sanctuary weights as a guilt offering. He shall make amends for that which he was careless about. He shall add a fifth part to it, and give it to the priest. The priest shall make atonement on his behalf and he shall be forgiven. And when a person, without knowing it sins in regard to any of HaShem’s commandments, about things not to be done, and then he realises his guilt, he shall be subject to punishment. He shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish from the flock, or the equivalent, as a guilt offering. The priest shall make atonement on his behalf and he shall be forgiven. 

Then HaShem spoke to Moshe saying that when a person sins and commits a trespass against HaShem by dealing deceitfully with his fellow in the matter of a pledge, or through robbery, or by defrauding his fellow, or by finding something lost and then lying about it; if he swears falsely regarding any one of the various things that one may do and sin thereby. And when he then realises his guilt, he should restore what he has done by repaying the amount that his fraud, or theft or other trespass is worth and adding a fifth to it, repay it to its owner. Then he shall bring to the priest, as his penalty to HaShem, a ram without blemish from the flock or the equivalent as a guilt offering. The priest shall make atonement on his behalf before HaShem, and he shall be forgiven.