Pent. Lev. 9:1-11:47
This week’s portion begins with the first celebration of sacrifice after the seven day ordination ceremony that marks the investiture of Aaron and his children as priests in the Mishkan - the tabernacle. The sacrifice on the eighth (sh’mini) day marks the first time that the altar is used for a sacrifice on behalf of the Israelites. As the ordination ends Moses hands over the responsibility for making the sacrifices to Aaron and the priests. He says, “Come forward to the altar and sacrifice your purgation offering and your burnt offering, making expiation for yourself and for the people; and sacrifice the people’s offering and make expiation for them, as the Eternal has commanded.”
This seems rather easy. Aaron has to make two offerings. Yet, the rabbis were curious: if the first offering was for Aaron and the people, why did he have to make a second offering only for the people?
The Ramban suggests that the repetitive offering teaches a lesson: “Learn that only the innocent can atone for the guilty.” When Aaron offers the first sacrifice, to expiate the sins of the people along with his own, he still needs expiation himself. Because he is not yet free of guilt, how can his offering be expected to assist those for whom he was supposed to offer sacrifices? He first must be freed of sin himself before he can truly atone for the sins of others. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra expanded on the Ramban’s commentary writing, “No one can atone for another until first cleansed of all personal sin.”
We learn from our rabbis that the one of the challenges of leadership is living up to the highest standards of the community’s hopes. If a leader fulfills the community’s ideals, the rest of the community is encouraged to do the same. We learn from this Torah portion that true leadership demands that one remakes oneself according to one’s ideals. It is also important to realize that each one of us is called upon to be a leader of Judaism. The Torah says, “You shall be to me of priestly lineage, a holy people.” If we each take on the effort of living a life full of Torah and mitzvot, we will become living proof of how vital and relevant Judaism is today. This is a great task that takes considerable commitment, but with a little effort each day, we too, can become like Aaron, a leader who embodied the ideals of his people.
Shabbat Shalom,
Cantor Korn
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