Reflections on the Book of Leviticus
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It should be understood from the outset that what follows concerning the various individual offerings that may be brought apply exclusively to sins contemplated or committed between man and God. With regard to transgressions that take place between man and man, sacrifices are of no avail. What is required in that regard is restitution, where it is feasible as in the case of theft or robbery, or the appropriate punishment in cases in which the damage cannot be repaired. In matters between man and God, there cannot be any restoration of the prior state of affairs; a sin against God is irreparable. The purpose of offering a sacrifice, accompanied by sincere repentance, is to assure that the sin will not be repeated in the future; it cannot and does not alter the past. It therefore is taken as a given that atonement can be granted only for sins committed in error and for those committed unknowingly. That the idea of a grant of atonement does not apply at all to deliberate acts is an obvious correlate of the idea that God has endowed man with the faculty of reason, which is inherently sufficient to prevent such transgressions. Accordingly, if one sins knowing that what he is doing is wrong, he should be punished in a manner commensurate with the character of his transgression. However, it is with regard to that which is hidden from man, which man's reason cannot deal with effectively, that the entire sacral system has been constructed, including the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, the role of the priests and Levites and their prayers before the Ark of the Covenant, all of which are designed to enable the people to cope with the mysteries they cannot explain. In other words, the whole ritual structure is intended to facilitate the wellbeing of the people, a notable societal goal, a prerequisite to the establishment of the moral and just society envisioned by the covenant. In this regard, it has been remarked: “In a very real sense, the ancient Israelite system of sacrifice served the same function that psychotherapy serves today: Those of us plagued by feelings of guilt, shame, anxiety, depression, and other `sins' harmful to our souls seek out women and men specially trained in the art of expiation, who for a sacrificial fee help us to surrender these burdens to God (or a Higher Power) and reach a new psychic balance.”
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About the Book
The theme that unifies the diverse contents of this biblical work is that of holiness, as the text asserts: Ye shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy (Lev. 19:2). The burden of the work is set forth guidelines as to how the children of Israel were to attain that goal. One of the great practical issues dealt with in Leviticus is the problem of connecting with the one and only God through the practice of a form of worship that is superficially similar to but at the same time radically different from the modes of worship practiced by the other peoples of the ancient world, which almost universally included sacrificial rites. Because it was extremely difficult for one to relate to a deity that could not be depicted graphically, sacrificial rites were also prescribed for the children of Israel as a concession to human weakness, but were designed in a manner to leave little if any room for human inventiveness, which if left unchecked would likely result in idolatrous practices. Accordingly, the ancient rites were infused with layers of detailed instructions and obscure symbolisms that make the text difficult to comprehend, while raising important ethical considerations that are an essential aspect of the biblical concept of holiness. This study explores some of the profound ideas that lie buried beneath the surface of this extremely complex biblical text.
About the Author
Dr. Martin Sicker is a writer and lecturer on the Middle East and Jewish history and religion. His is the author of 45 previous books including Reading Genesis Politically; The Trials of Abraham; The Ordeals of Isaac and Jacob; Aspects of Jewish Metarational Thought; The Exodus and the Reluctant Prophet; The Convocation at Sinai; The Theopolitical Discourses of Moses; Pondering the Imponderable; and The Book of Daniel.