Shabbos Parashas Vayikra - 5778

Shabbos Parashas Vayikra - 5778

Rabbi Hal Miller

When a person offers a meal-offering to God, his offering shall be of fine flour.

[Vayikra 2:1]

Most discussions about the sacrifices center on the animal offerings. In fact, verse 2

of our parsha seems pretty explicit: "When a man among you brings a offering to God,

from animals, from the cattle or from the flock shall you bring your offering." But there

are other sacrifices discussed later in the parsha. Ramban interprets this verse as a

limitation and negative commandment regarding animals, applicable if someone brings

an animal offering, and not relevant to anything else. In fact, the entire second chapter

of Vayikra is about meal offerings.

Our verse does not speak of 'if', but 'when', thus the Torah clearly contemplated more

than just animal offerings.

In Bereishis chapter 4, Kayin of his own free will, decided to bring an offering to God,

from the fruits of his farming. His brother Hevel followed suit, but made it an animal

sacrifice. God rejected Kayin's but accepted Hevel's. Does that mean that we are

only to bring animals but not plant produce? Our verse seems to be proof to the

contrary, that grain is acceptable, so long as it is brought correctly.

In fact, there are many ways to bring a meal offering. This chapter describes the

Omer, the oil-and-frankincense version that is burned, the baked version with oil,

the skillet-fried, and the deep-dish type. In other places, the Torah describes other

meal offerings. What ours have in common include things like prohibitions on honey

and on leaven, plus they all have salt.

Rashi points out that both animal and meal offerings in this chapter are of the

voluntary type of offering, not the required ones.

What are the differences? Why do we have both kinds of offerings?

Rav Hirsch looks at a difference in who may bring each type. The verse in chapter

1 is addressed to 'adam', any man who desires to bring an offering. In our chapter,

the person is signified by the term 'nefesh'. When referring to humans, nefesh is

applied to Jews specifically, while adam means any non-Jew as well. Further, the

blood spilled and offered with an animal sacrifice is termed dam nefesh -- the blood

of that life is the sacrifice. With the meal offering, it is the nefesh that brings the

sacrifice. The two types of offerings each have their specific purpose. Neither is

more nor less important than the other.