Rabbi 360

We might not expect to find a statement of economic equity tucked into the description of animal sacrifices in the book of Leviticus, but that is exactly what we find in this week’s Torah portion.

Having completing the book of Exodus last week with a description of the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary that will serve as the spiritual and communal center of the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness, the Torah in Leviticus now turns to an in-depth description of the mechanics of the Israelite worship, which centered on a system of animal and food sacrifice overseen by a group of hereditary priests.

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While the concept of worship itself is one with which we are familiar, this system of animal sacrifice seems very foreign. Essentially, depending on one’s spiritual motivation—atonement for sin, for example, or gratitude—one would bring a particular offering that then had a particular manner of “processing,” carried out by a priest on behalf of the one bringing the offering.

So, in Leviticus, we read:

If a person incurs guilt—

When someone has heard a public imprecation but (although able to testify as having seen or learned of the matter) has not given information and thus is subject to punishment;

Or when a person touches any impure thing (be it the carcass of an impure beast or the carcass of impure cattle or the carcass of an impure creeping thing) but does not attend to it, and then, being impure, they realize their guilt;

Or when someone touches human impurity (any such impurity whereby one becomes impure) and, though knowing about it, does not attend to it, but later they realize their guilt;

Or when a person utters an oath to bad or good purpose (whatever a human being may utter in an oath) and, though knowing about it, does not attend to it, but later they realize their guilt in any of these matters—

upon realizing their guilt in any of these matters, that person shall confess having sinned in that way.

And they shall bring as a penalty to GOD, for the sin of which they are guilty, a female from the flock—sheep or goat—as a purgation offering; and the priest shall make expiation for the sin, on their behalf. (Leviticus 5:1-6)

What interests me in this case is less the specific actions labeled as sins (that’s another conversation) but the fact that if one wants to remedy their sins, they go through an atonement ritual that involves bringing a goat or a sheep to the priest who carries out the ritual sacrifice.

But the Torah doesn’t stop there:

But if their means do not suffice for a sheep, they shall bring to GOD, as the penalty for that of which they are guilty, two turtledoves or two pigeons—one for a purgation offering and the other for a burnt offering. (Leviticus 5:7)

The Torah goes on to describe a different means of sacrifice for birds instead of livestock. But the important point here is that one has the option to bring birds instead of livestock if they can not afford a sheep or a goat. And while the process for sacrificing a bird is different than a sheep or goat, the outcome is the same. Regardless of the offering, the sins are forgiven. If they have more limited financial means, they are not excluded from community and ritual, but an accommodation is made towards inclusion.

And the Torah does not stop there:

And if their means do not suffice for two turtledoves or two pigeons, they shall bring as an offering for that of which they are guilty a tenth of an ephah of choice flour for a purgation offering; they shall not add oil to it or lay frankincense on it, for it is a purgation offering. (Leviticus 5:11-13)

Again, an accommodation is made. If one can not afford either a livestock offering or a bird offering, one can bring grain. And again, different offering, different process, same outcome.

Thus within a practical discussion of sacrifice we find a statement of equity and inclusion. No one is to be excluded from the community, from ritual, from spiritual life based on their economic means. Everyone has something to contribute. Every contribution is valuable.

We continue to struggle as a society as to how to devise the most equitable and fair economic system. We all need the same things—health care, shelter, public services, gasoline—but we know that the delivery of these systems are not the same. Those with means have more access in some cases, and in others, the cost is borne more by some than others.

Thinking about the rising gasoline prices now in the wake of the war in Iran, we know that since everyone pays the same amount for gas, the rising prices are going to be a greater financial burden for some than others. The reliance on sales tax for revenue in Washington State is a similar regressive tax—everyone is taxed at the same rate, but that means those who have less are paying a larger percentage of what they have than others on (sometimes the same) goods and services.

Washington State’s recent passage of the “millionaire’s tax” is another step towards a more equitable system of generating revenue wherein those who have more pay more, a more equitable form of pooling resources to provide for things that benefit the common good.

And while all systems will have their positives and negatives, we can take our cues from the Torah’s guidance this week: everyone contributes what they can based on their means, and regardless of what one is able to contribute, everyone benefits. Community—especially spiritual community—must be fair, equitable, and accessible to all.