Vayikra (parsha)

Vayikra, VaYikra, Va-yikra, or Vayyiqra (ויקרא — Hebrew for "and He called,” the first word in the parshah) is the 24th weekly Torah portion ("parshah") in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the first in the book of Leviticus. It constitutes for the proposition that whenever God spoke to Moses, God first called out to him. (Sifra 1:1.) And the Sifra deduced from God’s calling “to him” in proof that a burden that is too heavy for 600,000 — hearing the voice of God (see demonstrated that out of the 10 different names that Scripture applied to Moses, God always addressed Moses by his given name. (Leviticus Rabbah 1:3.)

The Mishnah deduced from that the priest “dash the blood round about against the altar” to teach that the priest threw the blood against two opposing corners of the altar, thus hitting all four sides of the altar and satisfying the requirement to dash the altar “round about.” (Babylonian Talmud Zevachim 53b.)

The Mishnah taught that the priest’s obligation in (Mishnah Zevachim 1:1–14:10; Tosefta Zevachim 1:1–13:20; Babylonian Talmud Zevachim 2a–120b.)

Leviticus chapter 2

Tractate Menachot in the Mishnah, Tosefta, and Talmud interpreted the law of meal offerings in )
*Not to burn honey or yeast on the altar ()
*The Sanhedrin must bring an offering when it rules in error. ()
*To bring an offering of greater or lesser value (if the person is wealthy, an animal; if poor, a bird or meal offering) ()
*Not to put frankincense on meal offerings ()
*To return the robbed object or its value ( [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0301.htm#6 6,] [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0301.htm#9 9–10] [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0301.htm#13 13–14,] [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0301.htm#17 17;] [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0303.htm#5 3:5;] [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0304.htm#7 4:7,] [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0304.htm#10 10,] [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0304.htm#18 18,] [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0304.htm#24 24–25,] [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0304.htm#29 29–30,] [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0304.htm#33 33–34,] [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0305.htm#7 5:7,] [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0305.htm#10 10;] ), frankincense ("levonah") ( On Shabbat Zachor, the Sabbath just before Purim, Jews read Deuteronomy [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0525.htm#17 25:17–19,] which instructs Jews: “Remember ("zachor") what Amalek did” in attacking the Israelites. () identifies Haman as an Agagite, and thus a descendant of Amalek. Numbers [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0424.htm#7 24:7] identifies the Agagites with the Amalekites. Alternatively, a Midrash tells the story that between King Agag’s capture by Saul and his killing by Samuel, Agag fathered a child, from whom Haman in turn descended. (Seder Eliyahu Rabbah ch. 20; Targum Sheni to Esther 4:13.)

The Weekly Maqam

In the Weekly Maqam, Sephardi Jews each week base the songs of the services on the content of that week's parshah. For parshah Vayikra, Sephardi Jews apply Maqam Rast, the maqam that shows a beginning or an initiation of something. In this case it is appropriate because Jews are initiating the Book of Leviticus.

Further reading

The parshah has parallels or is discussed in these classical sources:
*Psalms [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2619.htm#13 19:13] (unknowing sin); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2620.htm#4 20:4] (burnt offerings); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2640.htm#7 40:7] (sacrifices); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2650.htm#3 50:3–23] (sacrifices of thanksgiving); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2651.htm#16 51:16–19] (sacrifices); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2666.htm#13 66:13–15] (burnt offerings); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt26a7.htm#22 107:22] (sacrifices of thanksgiving); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt26b6.htm#17 116:17] (sacrifices of thanksgiving).
*The Wisdom of Ben Sira [http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=KjvSira.sgm&
] Jerusalem, circa 180 B.C.E.
*Philo. [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book4.html "Allegorical Interpretation"] 3:48:143–49:144; [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book6.html "On the Birth of Abel and the Sacrifices Offered by Him and by His Brother Cain"] 36:118; [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book8.html "On the Posterity of Cain and His Exile"] 35:123; [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book18.html "On Mating with the Preliminary Studies"] 30:169; [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book20.html "On the Change of Names"] 41:234; [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book21.html "On Dreams, That They Are God-Sent"] 1:14:81, 2:10:71, 44:296; [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book27.html "The Special Laws" 1:] 37:199, 42:233, 43:236, 53:289; [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book28.html 2:] 6:26; [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book30.html "The Special Laws" 4:] 23:119, 123. Alexandria, Egypt, early 1st Century C.E.. Reprinted in, e.g., "The Works of Philo: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition". Translated by Charles Duke Yonge, 66, 108, 144, 319, 361, 372, 393, 409, 553, 556, 561, 570, 627–28. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Pub., 1993. ISBN 0-943575-93-1.
*Josephus, "Antiquities of the Jews" [http://www.interhack.net/projects/library/antiquities-jews/b3c9.html 3:9:1–4.] Circa 93–94. Reprinted in, e.g., "The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition". Translated by William Whiston, 94–95. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Pub., 1987. ISBN 0-913573-86-8.
*Mishnah: ; Shekalim 6:6; Bava Kamma 9:7; Sanhedrin 4:5; Shevuot 2:5, 3:5–11, 4:13, 5:1–3; Horayot 1:1–2:7, 3:3; Zevachim 1:1–14:10; Menachot 1:1–13:11; Chullin 1:4, 7:1; Arakhin 5:6; Keritot 1:2, 2:4, 4:3, 6:6–9; Parah 1:4. Land of Israel, circa 200 C.E. Reprinted in, e.g., "The Mishnah: A New Translation". Translated by Jacob Neusner, 3, 261, 524, 591, 616, 623–25, 629–30, 690–94, 699–766, 779, 817, 837, 839, 845, 849–50, 1014. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988. ISBN 0-300-05022-4.
*Tosefta: Peah 3:8; Demai 2:7; Challah 2:7; Bikkurim 2:1; Kippurim (Yoma) 1:5; Bava Kamma 7:5; Makkot 5:2–3; Shevuot 1:6–3:8; Horayot 1:8–10; Zevachim 1:1–13:20; Menachot 1:1–13:23; Chullin 9:14; Keritot 2:13–15. Land of Israel, circa 300 C.E. Reprinted in, e.g., "The Tosefta: Translated from the Hebrew, with a New Introduction". Translated by Jacob Neusner, 1:65, 85, 339, 348, 542; 2:987, 1214, 1221 1221–35, 1297–98, 1307–69, 1401–02, 1429–30, 1437, 1453, 1562–63 1563. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Pub., 2002. ISBN 1-56563-642-2.
*Sifra 1:1–69:1. Land of Israel, 4th Century C.E. Reprinted in, e.g., "Sifra: An Analytical Translation". Translated by Jacob Neusner, 1:65–345. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1988. ISBN 1-55540-205-4.
*Jerusalem Talmud: Berakhot 8a. Land of Israel, circa 400 C.E. Reprinted in, e.g., "Talmud Yerushalmi". Edited by Chaim Malinowitz, Yisroel Simcha Schorr, and Mordechai Marcus, vol. 1. Brooklyn: Mesorah Pubs., 2006.
*Leviticus Rabbah 1:1–7:1; 8:4; 10:3; 22:10. Land of Israel, 5th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., "Midrash Rabbah: Leviticus". Translated by H. Freedman and Maurice Simon, 4:1–88, 90, 104, 124, 288. London: Soncino Press, 1939. ISBN 0-900689-38-2.
*Babylonian Talmud: Zevachim 2a–120b; Menachot 2a–110a. Babylonia, 6th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., "Talmud Bavli". Edited by Yisroel Simcha Schorr, Chaim Malinowitz, and Mordechai Marcus, 72 vols. Brooklyn: Mesorah Pubs., 2006.
*Rashi. "Commentary". [http://www.chabad.org/library/article.asp?AID=9902&showrashi=true Leviticus 1–5.] Troyes, France, late 11th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., Rashi. "The Torah: With Rashi’s Commentary Translated, Annotated, and Elucidated". Translated and annotated by Yisrael Isser Zvi Herczeg, 3:1–57. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1994. ISBN 0-89906-028-5.
*Judah Halevi. "Kuzari". [http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/khz/khz03.htm 3:60.] Toledo, Spain, 1130–1140. Reprinted in, e.g., Jehuda Halevi. "Kuzari: An Argument for the Faith of Israel." Intro. by Henry Slonimsky, 184. New York: Schocken, 1964. ISBN 0-8052-0075-4.
*Zohar [http://www.kabbalah.com/k/index.php/p=zohar/zohar&vol=27 3:2a–26a.] Spain, late 13th Century.
*Thomas Hobbes. "Leviathan", England, 1651. Reprint edited by C. B. Macpherson, 503–04, 572. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Classics, 1982. ISBN 0140431950.
*Jacob Milgrom. "Leviticus 1-16", 3:129–378. New York: Anchor Bible, 1998. ISBN 0-385-11434-6.

External links

Texts

* [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0301.htm Masoretic text and 1917 JPS translation]
* [http://Bible.ort.org/books/torahd5.asp?action=displaypage&book=3&chapter=1&verse=1&portion=24 Hear the parshah chanted]

Commentaries

* [http://www.jtsa.edu/community/parashah/archives/index.shtml#lev Commentaries] from the Jewish Theological Seminary
* [http://judaism.uj.edu/Content/InfoUnits.asp?CID=919 Commentaries] from the University of Judaism
* [http://www.ou.org/torah/ti/archives/vayikra.htm Torah Insights] and [http://www.ou.org/torah/tt/indexvayikra.htm Torah Tidbits] from the Orthodox Union
* [http://urj.org/torah/leviticus/index.cfm? Commentaries] and [http://urj.org/shabbat/leviticus/ Family Shabbat Table Talk] from the Union for Reform Judaism
* [http://www2.jrf.org/recon-dt/index.php#Vayikra Commentaries] from Reconstructionist Judaism
* [http://www.chabad.org/parshah/default.asp?AID=15574 Commentaries] from Chabad.org
* [http://www.torah.org/learning/parsha/parsha.html?id1=41 Commentaries] from [http://www.torah.org/ Torah.org]
* [http://www.aish.com/torahportion/pArchive.asp?eventType=24&eventName=Vayikra Commentaries] from [http://www.aish.com/ Aish.com]
* [http://www.shiur.com/index.php?id=C0_180_6&spar=180&s_id=180 Commentaries] from [http://www.shiur.com/ Shiur.com]
* [http://www.tfdixie.com/parshat/vayikra/ Commentaries] from [http://www.tfdixie.com/ Torah from Dixie]
* [http://ohr.edu/yhiy/article.php/2563 Commentary] from [http://ohr.edu/index.php Ohr Sameach]
* [http://www.judaic.org/addtl_files/vayiqra.htm Commentaries] from [http://www.judaic.org/ The Sephardic Institute]
* [http://www.teach613.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=44&Itemid=48 Commentary] from [http://www.teach613.org/index.php Teach613.org, Torah Education at Cherry Hill]