Vayikra

Food for Soul and Body and the Global Hunger Shabbat

Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan

Parshat Vayikra: First God calls to Moshe from the tent of meeting.  Then we get a detailed introduction to exactly how the priests should manage the sacrifices.  Finally we get information about when and why someone might bring a sacrifice.  To put it in a different way: first comes the invitation, then comes the setting up of the food, then comes the actual interaction.

The Mishkan is like "God's Kitchen," where all your problems are solved over a meal.

If you have a special joy to share, you bring a zevach shelamim, a well-being offering.  If you fixed a problem but still feel bad about it, you bring an asham, a guilt-offering.  If you feel creeped out by something uncanny, or if you need to deal with something hideous in national current events, you bring a khatat, a purification offering. The priest takes your offering, gives you something to eat, and disappears your problems in smoke. Parshat Vayikra teaches that a good meal feeds both body and soul.

American Jewish World Service (AJWS) invites Jews around the world to join this week in a "Global Hunger Shabbat," and to learn about social injustices that contribute to global hunger: ecosystems shattered by poorly managed building projects, government policies favouring large corporate food imports over local farming, economic marginalization of women even in areas where they are primary food growers. AJWS encourages us to join the "food sovereignty" movement that supports local farmers in becoming self-sufficient. Join YAC, Or Shalom's Young Adult Community, in taking seriously this initiative for study and action. To learn more: www.ajws.org/hunger

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