The SA/TO & Rel/Ed
Connection
Parshat Tzav:
Thus said HaShem:
Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom; let not the strong man glory in his strength;
Let not the rich man glory in his riches; but only in this should one glory: In that you strive to know Me:
I am HaShem, who acts with kindness, justice, and equity in the world; It is in these that I delight.
[Jeremiah 9:22-23]
The final words of this week’s haftarah for Parsha Tzav leave quite the lasting impression on us.
They are distantly related to the subject of the Torah portion itself, primarily listing regulations concerning
the sacrifices that ancient Israelites offered to HaShem.
Or does this large discrepancy actual exist? Both the priests who supervised the sacrificial
system and the prophets who urged the people to seek justice saw these activities as a kind of service to HaShem.
Indeed, Jeremiah suggests that it is exactly through understanding and imitating HaShem’s
attributes of justice, kindness and equity that we are best able to attain an intimate knowledge of HaShem.
A later rabbinic story also asserts a link between sacrifices and ethical acts on behalf of others:
Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai was once walking with his student Rabbi Yehoshua near Jerusalem after the
destruction of the Temple. Rabbi Yehoshua looked at the Temple ruins and said: “Woe unto us! The place that
atoned for the sins of the people Israel through the ritual of animal sacrifice remains in ruins!” Then Rabbi
Yohanan ben Zakkai spoke to him these words of solace: “Do not grieve, my child. There is another way of gaining
atonement even though the Temple is destroyed. We must now gain atonement through acts of kindness (g’milut hasadim),
for it is written: Lovingkindness I desire, not sacrifice (Hosea 6:6).”
Questions:
- In what ways can pursuing justice be a spiritual practice for you?
- The rabbinic story links the idea of personal atonement to acting on behalf of others.
How is your spiritual state connected to the welfare of others?
B'ahava,
Justin Turnofsky,
2005 SA/TO Int'l General Board
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