The "Who" and "Why" of Leviticus
There are a few things that you should keep in mind.
First, a long time ago, there was no Torah scroll with all 5 books written upon it. There were eventually 5 scrolls. As part of the changes that became known as "Rabbinical Judaism", these books were eventually combined. But initially, each one was separate.
Next, most Jews during the second Temple period were illiterate. That would eventually change, but the idea of Jews in 50CE learning Torah and having their own copy is applying a modern legend upon what we know of the time.
A scroll of a piece of Scripture was rare, because the people who had such scrolls were wealthy and educated men who could afford them. Not only that, but nobody seems to have had a complete set of the Old Testament stories. These were expensive items, and the books that people had made were the ones that interested them. Based on the collection at Qumran, the story of Esther and of Nehemiah were so uninteresting that not a single copy was found. It doesn't mean that they did not exist, but only that the community that stored their collections there fore safekeeping had no interest.
This brings us to the book of Vayikra/Leviticus.
In this week's parashah, we read how the priesthood were in control of everyone's lives, even down to what happens in the privacy of their own bedrooms. Not only that, but the only way that you could approach the Holy place of God was to be tahor (pure), and only the priesthood could declare that you were tahor, and they could also declare that you were the opposite.
The priesthood were the intermediaries between the worshiper and God. Repeatedly we read, including this week, that the priest atones for the person. This atonement is nothing like the Christian view, but the verb means "covers over", as in accepting and processing the offering.
The priesthood got the best clothes, food, and everything that they could want from the people, and worked only a handful of days over their entire lifetime. There is a legend that, because they worked so rarely, they had contests, such as a race, to see who would get to be part of the next sacrifice. Apparently they stopped when some contestants would bring knives and stab their opponents in the race.
Now think for a moment - what type of person would want to collect this book, where the priests have power over practically everyone and are to be treated as special?
Most likely, other priests, or people of power and influence.
In Deuteronomy 17:11, we have a verse telling us that, concerning civil cases brought before a court, that the people who did so had to obey the edict of the court, not veering left or right. The Rabbis then reinterpreted it to mean that those who go before ANY authority would have to obey them, even if they say that left is right and right is left.
In other words, those in authority were to be obeyed in all decisions.
At one point, this was the priesthood. But after there was no more Temple, a priesthood became irrelevant, and that power went to the Rabbis.
Which brings me to this week's talk about menstrual blood.
When a religious woman is menstruating, there are certain rules that the Rabbis established, extra restrictions that go beyond Scripture. One of these has to do with waiting 5 days, and the additional requirement of having 7 days of being blood free. If there is any spotting, the woman dabs the area with a gauze, puts it in a plastic bag, and either she or her husband will bring it to a Rabbi to determine if she is impure or pure.
The Rabbi has the power to declare that she can have relations with her husband, or not.
Think of how much power that was given, a power that once belonged to the priesthood.
So while the Book of Leviticus is a book of the Priests, it is also a book of power over those who have none.
Keep that in mind when you read the story of the person with tzaraat, and the tamai women who both needed permission from an elite in order to be included with the pure people again.
First, a long time ago, there was no Torah scroll with all 5 books written upon it. There were eventually 5 scrolls. As part of the changes that became known as "Rabbinical Judaism", these books were eventually combined. But initially, each one was separate.
Next, most Jews during the second Temple period were illiterate. That would eventually change, but the idea of Jews in 50CE learning Torah and having their own copy is applying a modern legend upon what we know of the time.
A scroll of a piece of Scripture was rare, because the people who had such scrolls were wealthy and educated men who could afford them. Not only that, but nobody seems to have had a complete set of the Old Testament stories. These were expensive items, and the books that people had made were the ones that interested them. Based on the collection at Qumran, the story of Esther and of Nehemiah were so uninteresting that not a single copy was found. It doesn't mean that they did not exist, but only that the community that stored their collections there fore safekeeping had no interest.
This brings us to the book of Vayikra/Leviticus.
In this week's parashah, we read how the priesthood were in control of everyone's lives, even down to what happens in the privacy of their own bedrooms. Not only that, but the only way that you could approach the Holy place of God was to be tahor (pure), and only the priesthood could declare that you were tahor, and they could also declare that you were the opposite.
The priesthood were the intermediaries between the worshiper and God. Repeatedly we read, including this week, that the priest atones for the person. This atonement is nothing like the Christian view, but the verb means "covers over", as in accepting and processing the offering.
The priesthood got the best clothes, food, and everything that they could want from the people, and worked only a handful of days over their entire lifetime. There is a legend that, because they worked so rarely, they had contests, such as a race, to see who would get to be part of the next sacrifice. Apparently they stopped when some contestants would bring knives and stab their opponents in the race.
Now think for a moment - what type of person would want to collect this book, where the priests have power over practically everyone and are to be treated as special?
Most likely, other priests, or people of power and influence.
In Deuteronomy 17:11, we have a verse telling us that, concerning civil cases brought before a court, that the people who did so had to obey the edict of the court, not veering left or right. The Rabbis then reinterpreted it to mean that those who go before ANY authority would have to obey them, even if they say that left is right and right is left.
In other words, those in authority were to be obeyed in all decisions.
At one point, this was the priesthood. But after there was no more Temple, a priesthood became irrelevant, and that power went to the Rabbis.
Which brings me to this week's talk about menstrual blood.
When a religious woman is menstruating, there are certain rules that the Rabbis established, extra restrictions that go beyond Scripture. One of these has to do with waiting 5 days, and the additional requirement of having 7 days of being blood free. If there is any spotting, the woman dabs the area with a gauze, puts it in a plastic bag, and either she or her husband will bring it to a Rabbi to determine if she is impure or pure.
The Rabbi has the power to declare that she can have relations with her husband, or not.
Think of how much power that was given, a power that once belonged to the priesthood.
So while the Book of Leviticus is a book of the Priests, it is also a book of power over those who have none.
Keep that in mind when you read the story of the person with tzaraat, and the tamai women who both needed permission from an elite in order to be included with the pure people again.
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