The Gift that Goes Up

Parashat Vayikra: Leviticus 1:1–5:26

by David Wein, Tikvat Israel, Richmond, VA

This week’s parashah describes the offerings presented in the tabernacle, including olah, minchah, and hattat.

Olah

Hashem takes in the smell of the burnt offering, the smell after months and months of rain, which Noach smelled; he was the first one to offer something up. Destruction and chaos were behind him, the gift, the Olah, went up to Hashem, up in smoke.  

Yitzchak, already a young man, understood what was happening, he must have understood, even though he never heard the initial command: “Take now your son, your only son, the beloved one, Isaac, and go for yourself (Lech Lecha) to the land of Moriah, and offer up the gift that goes up there, on one of the mountains that I will show you” (Gen 22:2). Avraham, his father, was offering him back up to God; he was to ascend, to make an aliyah. So they walked together, father and son. Going up, up the mountain.

And he called to Moshe—

 YHWH spoke to him from the Tent of Appointment, saying:

 Speak to the children of Israel and say to them:

Anyone—when (one) among you brings-near a near-offering for YHWH

 From domestic-animals: from the herd or from the flock you may 

bring-near your near-offering.

 If an offering-up is his near-offering, from the herd,

 (then) male, wholly sound, let him bring-it-near,

 As acceptance for him, before the presence of YHWH

 He is to lean his hand on the head of the offering-up,

 That there may be acceptance on his behalf, to effect-ransom for him.

(Lev 1:1–4, Everett Fox translation)

That which is offered up, the olah, brings near the One Who Is High and Lifted Up. We remember the binding of Yitzchak when we pray, “May his merit give us acceptance on his behalf.” May the near-sacrifice of Yitzchak ransom us, the sons and daughters of Yakov.

Minchah

East of Eden

in front of the two winged angelic Keruvim 

Kayin, the firstborn son of Humanity

Took from the fruit of the ground a gift to Hashem

But he kept the best fruit for himself. 

There

Hevel, a gift, a minchah, from the firstborn of his flock

A gift offering from his very best. 

Kayin’s face darkened.

The wolf is at the door

The devouring wolf

“Where is Hevel?”

Hashem asks a question to which he knows the answer.

The blood of Hevel is spilled, like his gift, and flows into the ground.

As Yakov brought to Esav, after betraying him: “Please, accept this gift, this minchah, from your servant, seeing your face is like seeing the face of Hashem” (Gen 33:10).

As Yakov’s sons brought a gift to their brother, Yosef. Having betrayed him, near starvation and out of options, they bring their best tribute to the vice regent of Egypt. 

Now what is left of the grain-gift (is) Aharon’s and his sons’, a holiest holy portion from the fire offerings of YHWH. (Lev 2:3, Everett Fox)

The grain-gift is the tribute, the minchah, the once-a-day afternoon prayer of the sons and daughters of Yakov. Aaron and his sons eat the remainder of that which is left by Hashem. Is it possible to have a meal with God? Like a young boy who asks for money, so he can buy his mom chocolates for her birthday, and he, of course, gets to eat half, so they share the sweets together. But it’s the best gift she’s ever received: a gift offering from his very best, a tribute to her maternal love.  

Hattat

Kayin: The wolf is at the door, the devouring wolf, but you must overtake him—sin, guilt, the yetzer ha-ra, inclination for badness. The offering that addresses the devouring wolf is from the same root as the word for sin: Hattat. It’s the offering that purges.

 If the Anointed Priest should sin, bringing-guilt upon the people, 

he is to bring-near, for the sin that he has sinned, 

a bull, a young of the herd, wholly-sound, for YHWH as a 

hattat/decontamination-offering. (Lev. 4:3, Everett Fox) 

Yeshua

The Shepherd-Rabbi, Yeshua, arranges for a Passover meal. He raises the cup filled to the brim with wine. Perhaps he is thinking of the innocent Hevel, slain before his time by the devouring wolf, bringing his heart-felt gift. Or maybe he’s thinking of Yitzchak, gratefully offering that which goes up, which is Yitzchak himself. Indeed, this Shepherd-Rabbi will soon be high and lifted up, 

Behold, My servant will prosper,

He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.

Just as many were appalled at You—

His appearance was disfigured more than any man,

His form more than the sons of men.

So He will sprinkle many nations. (Isaiah 52:13–15, TLV)

He will make himself the olah, like Yitzchak, he will make an aliyah to the Holiest place, Kiddush Hashem, like the martyrs of the sons and daughters of Yakov. 

Perhaps the Shepherd-Rabbi was thinking of the devouring wolf of Kayin, the power of sin and guilt to devour the sheep, and the wolf devoured him whole, unto death. The Shepherd was acting like a helpless, slaughtered lamb. And he was gone. And then, just as the Shepherd was devoured and gone, and the wolf and the devouring shepherds were upon the little lambs, the Shepherd-Rabbi reappeared, but this time, as a gate, a door, and on the door was written The Name: YHWH. And the voice of the shepherd/door called out gently to the lambs, and they recognized the kindness of his voice, and they entered through the gate, and they were safe. They were safe from the wolf, safe from death, and nothing and no one could take them out. They were home.  

Or perhaps the Shepherd-Rabbi was thinking of you in that moment, raising the Passover cup, and then offering himself: the gift, the going up, the drawing-near, the one-who-became-as-sin, the wholly-sound lamb.