Shabbat Message--The Recognition of Sacrifice During The Time of Crisis:
The Message of Tsav: The Culmination of the Exodus Story
By Barbara Levin, MD, MPH,
WLCJ Vice President, Women's Health Chair
This week’s parashah, Tsav, is a detailed description of the ordination of Aaron and his sons to begin the sacrificial worship in the
Mishkan
. It is the culmination of the story of the Exodus, the point at which the wandering tribe becomes a people with a purpose, and yet it is fraught with mystery and mishap. The moment finds us still at Mount Sinai, after Revelation, the golden calf, and forgiveness, about to dedicate the
Mishkan
and move on to the Promised Land. This reading always comes as we prepare to remember the Exodus, and yet it seems so removed from the Exodus story of miracles and majesty, How does this ordination story resonate with Exodus’ account of freedom and redemption? What is the importance of sacrifice to this story?
As spring breaks in the Northern Hemisphere, many people prepare for festivals which recognize rebirth and renewal, freedom and personal responsibility. In the Jewish tradition, the celebration of Passover brings families together to retell our central story of Exodus. Those gathered at a Seder reenact the Plagues and remember both the hardships of slavery and the challenges of moving through the desert to the Promised Land. More Jews celebrate Passover than any other holiday, but not in the same way this year. The question “Why is this night different?” takes on an entirely new meaning this year.
Central to the plot of Exodus, are the Ten Plagues, which each of us has memorized and sung year after year as part of the Seder. Each is recounted with a drop of wine: blood, frogs, lice…….coronavirus, our modern scourge. This new one makes the perils of these ancient plagues, very real in modern terms. What was the purpose of the original Ten Plagues in the Hebrews fight for freedom? Do we yet know the meaning of this modern menace?
The word "plague," comes from the King James version of the Bible. The word choice is reasonable because of the recurrence of epidemic disease in medieval times. The Hebrew word,
makah
, actually means blow or strike, which makes a bit more sense in the context of a power struggle described in the interactions between Pharaoh and God’s appointed surrogate, Moses. Did we think we would encounter such a scourge in our own lifetime?
Why were these specific plagues chosen in ancient times? Each blow was slightly worse leading from disbelief to discomfort to destruction and finally to death; each one was a blow to Egyptian daily life, economy and beliefs. Daily we experience the ups and downs of public health predictions and changes in policy; each change seems like a blow to our normal existence. The growing fears around coronavirus follow the descent from disbelief to disaster. We magically believed it was “over there and would not reach our shores,” and “ that it would disappear.”
In modern revised versions of the Haggadah, the plagues change frequently. For example, in a feminist adaptation, the plagues might be: need for equal pay and child care, and protection from sexual attack. The Haggadah for 2020 could highlight thoughts of social distancing, quarantine, isolation, sickness, lack of preparedness, and so on. These traumas do not select who is afflicted.
In the Exodus story, the Egyptians were warned about the hail and told to protect themselves and their animals. We have had such warnings in our current situation as well. The tenth plague differed from all the others. During the first nine plagues, the Israelites and the land of Goshen were protected by God. Now for the first time the Hebrews would have to take action – dab the blood of a lamb on their doorposts and lintels – in order to be spared. This theme of growing responsibility continues to evolve through this week’s parashah and beyond into the wilderness. We now face such questions of personal choice and responsibility. The importance of personal agency is intertwined within this story of liberation. The need for individual actions are suggested and then required in this story of the Hebrews' exodus from Egypt, and also in our modern saga. These plagues are the heart of the Exodus, our central story of freedom from slavery, and are essential to support the need for personal decision-making and action, as well as the basis for our understanding of the need for justice and social action.
And what is there to learn from this modern pandemic? The lessons of the coronavirus have yet to be written, but one lesson is clear. Humans do not fully control their destiny, but neither are they powerless or without agency and responsibility.
From the reading of Tsav, which begins with the word “Command” comes the message of acceptance and forebearance. Aaron and his sons learn the mechanics of animal sacrifice, but the names of these sacrifices are perhaps more important than the actual animals involved. The sacrifices were for sin, guilt and peace. The first two indicate the failings of humankind in meeting their responsibilities to each other, to the planet, and to their creator. The third one is the
shelamim
sacrifice, the Hebrew root connecting with the words
shalem
(whole) and shalom (peace). Rabbi Bradley Artson interprets this sacrifice as aspirational, seeking solace and strength in unity and forgiveness. The power of the ordination ceremony was the acceptance by Aaron and his sons, as representatives of the Hebrew people, for the covenant of the Torah. This priestly family’s burden of sacrificial service, as we learn in next week’s parashah, also requires personal sacrifice.
In 2020, our awareness of the impact of COVID-19 on our lives and on our communities changes daily. We too are in a place calling for personal commitment to preserve life and sustenance. We are blessed by the sacrifices made by so many. We owe debts to the health workers, first responders, volunteers, and others, who are working to save lives and move beyond this crisis. And we pray and work for the welfare of those who are most vulnerable, as we take in the lesson of the Seder.
This year when we sit at our online Seders, we will not only remember the story of the Exodus, but also of the reality of these afflictions in our own time. We retell this story and share it with our children to internalize its important lessons:
- At the darkest times there is hope of redemption. Spring follows winter
- We are fragile creatures at the mercy of forces beyond our control. We have power and agency and bear responsibility for shaping our fate
- We have a core obligation that we must never forget to look after the vulnerable in our midst
- As MLK quoted: “The arc of the moral universe may be long, but it bends toward justice.” Can we still proclaim the words of Psalm 145, as we have for thousands of years, through Crusades and pogroms, in concentration camps and death camps, that God is “just in all God's ways, and loving in all God's deeds”? And we add: “Happy are those who dwell in Your house…”
Passover, the most celebrated of Jewish holidays, sets the stage for remembering the Biblical plagues. The challenge of our life is to replay the acts of courage and belief it took the ancient Hebrews to step out of Egypt and to face the challenges of their day with courage and moral decision-making; we must follow their lead. In their willingness to accept their roles, Aaron and Moses are models of courage for our present times. As we make droplets of wine for the plagues of old, it would be nice for a miracle to happen in these times as well…….coronavirus.
