TORAH READING FOR 16 ADAR II 5782 SHMITAH Mar 18-19, 2022
PARSHA
From Reform Judaism https://reformjudaism.org/torah/portion/tzav
Tzav (צַו — Command [Aaron and His Sons]) – Leviticus 6:1-8:36
The Eternal One spoke to Moses, saying: “Command Aaron and his sons thus: This is the ritual of the burnt offering: The burnt offering itself shall remain where it is burned upon the altar all night until morning, while the fire on the altar is kept going on it.” – Leviticus 6:1-2
SUMMARY:
- The five sacrifices that the priests are to perform are described. (6:1-7:38)
- Limitations on the consumption of meat are delineated. (7:17-27)
- Details about the ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests and the preparation of the Tabernacle as a holy place are given. (8:1-36)
HAFTARAH
Jeremiah 7:21-8:3, 9:22-23
From Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tzav
Connection to the Parashah
Both the parashah and the haftarah refer to the burnt offering (עֹלָה, olah) and sacrifice (זֶבַח, zevach). In the haftarah, Jeremiah spoke of the priority of obedience to God’s law over ritual sacrifice alone.
RECOMMENDED READING
From Reform Judaism https://reformjudaism.org/torah/portion/tzav
From the Altar to the Bimah: What is Expected of a Leader?
By: Rabbi Dvora E. Weisberg
STRUGGLING WITH TORAH and REFLECTION
You can read this week’s full Torah Portion at https://www.sefaria.org/Leviticus.6.1-8.36
From “The Torah / A Women’s Commentary” edited by Dr. Tamara Cohn Eskenazi and Rabbi Andrea L. Weiss, Ph.D.
צו Tzav – Leviticus 6:1-8:36
The Priestly Torah and the Priests’ Ordination by Tamara Cohn Eskenazi, pp.593-594
Parashat Tzav (“issue a command”) continues with instructions about sacrificial offerings that began in Leviticus 1–5. However, whereas 1:1–2 began with instructions to all the people of Israel, 6:1 starts with a command specifically addressed to the priests. The first section of the parashah (Leviticus 6–7) contains instructions about the priests’ portions from the sacrificial rituals. The second section (Leviticus 8) records the ordination of the priests.
In establishing a sacrificial system and a professional priesthood, biblical Israel resembled other ancient cultures. One notes, however, two differences. First, priests in most cultures in the ancient world kept the secrets of their profession away from the public eye and transmitted them privately from generation to generation. In contrast, Leviticus reflects a commitment to keep the rules of the trade, as it were, in public view.
A second difference is that neighboring cultures such as Mesopotamia included women priests (even though they did not perform the same rituals as males priests), whereas the Bible recognizes only male priests. Scholars concur, however, that women played an important role in many facets of popular religion in ancient Israel (as did men), even though the priestly teachings in Leviticus do not acknowledge or discuss such roles.
Although parashat Tzav does not mention women explicitly, it treats three areas that do involve women. The first pertains to the roles and possible privileges of women as members of priests’ families. Such women apparently benefit from the priests’ share of sacrificial foods. There is a question, however, whether they may eat the part of the offering designated as “most holy” (see Another View [below]).
The second area concerning women pertains to the highly valued, formal priestly garments (see Exodus 28 and Leviticus 8). Archeological and biblical evidence shows that women excelled in weaving, spinning, and sewing (see at Exodus 35:25;…) Therefore, we may assume that women made the priestly garments. According to the book of Samuel, each year Hannah made and brought a special garment for her son Samuel who served at the sanctuary at Shiloh (I Samuel 2:19). Plausibly priests’ mothers and wives likewise made clothing for their family members.
The third area to consider is whether women were among those who offered the sacrifices that these passages discuss. Biblical references elsewhere do suggest that Israelite women, like Israelite men, worshipped and sacrificed in the shrines–often as part of their households. For example, according to Leviticus 12:6 and 15:29, women are obligated to offer sacrifices after childbirth and irregular bleeding. Proverbs 7:14 presents a female persona who mentions her need to offer the well-being offerings. And in I Samuel 1, Hannah and her husband present and slaughter the offering that she has brought–together with a portion of flour and a jar of wine–to the shrine in Shiloh as payment for a vow….
Another View – by Hilary Lipka, p. 608
Most likely, Leviticus 6:11 specifies that “only the males” among Aaron’s descendants may eat of certain sacrifices (rather than “every male”). Why can the females in Aaron’s line not partake of these offerings? What determines which priestly portions are restricted to the sons of Aaron, and which may be shared by his daughters as well?
The answer lies in the degree of holiness of the offering. The biblical text distinguishes between sacrifices considered to be “most sacred” (kodesh kodashim) and those considered to be “sacred” (kodesh). Three types of offerings fall under the rubric of “most sacred”: the meal offering (6:10), the purgation offering (6:18) and the reparation offering (7:6). The three most sacred offerings are considered most holy, which means that anyone who touches them–much less partakes of them–must have been previously consecrated, that is, made holy. For this reason, these three sacrifices may be eaten only by Aaron and his sons, that is, the male descendants of the priestly line. Any male of Aaron’s line who has been consecrated–even the blemished priests who are not permitted to officiate–may partake of the most sacred portions within the sanctuary precinct.
In contrast, the priestly portions of offerings labeled simply as “sacred,” rather than “most sacred,” such as the sacrifice of well-being and the first fruits offerings, are not restricted to those who have been consecrated. These offerings can be consumed by all members of the priestly family and household, including both the sons and the daughters of the line of Aaron, as long as they are not in a state of ritual impurity (see Numbers 18:11–19 and Leviticus 22:1–16). It is interesting to note, however, that the daughter of a priest may eat of the portion of the sacred donations assigned to priests only while she is a member of a priestly household. According to Leviticus 22:12-14, if the daughter of a priest marries a layman, she may no longer eat of the sacred gifts. However, if she is widowed or divorced and without offspring, and she rejoins her father’s household, she can once again partake of the portion of sacred offerings allocated to the priests’ families.
PRAYERS
From “Mishkan T’filah / A Reform Siddur”:
FOR OUR COUNTRY p.516
THUS SAYS ADONAI, This is what I desire: to unlock the fetters of wickedness, and untie the cords of lawlessness; to let the oppressed go free, to break off every yoke. Share your bread with the hungry, and take the wretched poor into your home. When you see the naked, give clothing, and do not ignore your own kin.
O GUARDIAN of life and liberty, may our nation always merit Your protection. Teach us to give thanks for what we have by sharing it with those who are in need. Keep our eyes open to the wonders of creation, and alert to the care of the earth. May we never be lazy in the work of peace; may we honor those who have [served, suffered or] died in defense of our ideals. Grant our leaders wisdom and forbearance. May they govern with justice and compassion. Help us all to appreciate one another, and to respect the many ways that we may serve You. May our homes be safe from affliction and strife, and our country be sound in body and spirit. Amen.
FOR HEALING
We recite MI SHEBËRACH for the victims of abuse, brutality, conflicts, fear, natural disasters, pandemics, tragedies, violence of all kinds especially directed at individuals and specific communities including us, and war; for all those at home alone or lonely; for all those in need of physical, emotional, and mental healing. “R’fuah sh’lëmah” – a complete recovery!
YAHRZEITS/ANYOS
We say KADDISH YATOM for those of our friends and families who have died and been buried this last week; those in the period of Sh’loshim (30 days since burial); those who have died in the last year; and those whose Yahrzeits/Anyos occur at this time; as well as the victims of brutality, conflict, disease, natural disasters, pandemics, tragedies, violence of all kinds, and war.
This coming week, 16 Adar II through 22 Adar II, we lovingly remember:
Irma Fabela
Aunt of TKH member Ida Farmer
Those victims of the Sho’ah (Holocaust) who died at this time of year.
“ZICHRONAM LIV’RACHAH” – MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE FOR BLESSING.
TORAH STUDY AND SHAZOOM
We will meet as usual at the regular times for Torah Study and Shazoom this evening, Friday, March 18, 2022.
Zoom regularly updates its security and performance features. Making sure you have the latest version of Zoom, please join us online this Friday evening with wine/grape juice for Kiddush and Challah for Motzi.
Topic: Torah Study – Tzav (triennial part) Lev 8:1-36
Time: Mar 18, 2022 06:00 PM Arizona
and/or
Shazoom – Erev Shabbat Service
Time: Mar 18, 2022 07:30 PM Arizona
To join Torah Study and/or Shazoom click on the following link [you may need to copy it into your browser]: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/72510500854?pwd=Z3VQZWF4U1BBZytNYmh3aHFTWkFDZz09
Meeting ID: 725 1050 0854
Passcode: 4NrMk0
Hint: The last character of the password is the number zero.
Shabbat Shalom – Buen Shabbat!
-Ruben