For the week ending May 10, 2003
Parashat Emor (Leviticus 21:1-24:23)

Sacrificing for a Good Cause

Parashat Emor lists out the sacred dates on the Jewish calendar (starting with Pesach and ending with Sukkot) and specifies how each one is to be observed - through cessation of work and offering of sacrifice. I am always struck by the detailed list of diverse sacrifices: free will offering, sacrifice of wellbeing, explicit vow, thanksgiving offering, elevation offering, sin offering. Each holiday is a distinct occasion with a specific theme (harvest, atonement, celebration of the first fruits, recounting the miracle of Passover) and a different emotional overtone (somber, thankful, celebratory), and yet each is marked by the same action - nonaction (not working) and giving of one's wealth or self.

It is not a coincidence that these two ideas are linked -- a pause in our busy schedules coupled with a giving over of our material wealth. If we were only asked to make "sacrifices" they might become routine and mundane; something that we did in a rush, in between other activities, without giving them their due. Giving of self and wealth needs to be coupled with contemplation and consideration. We need to consider our motives, our capacity, and the purpose we hope to achieve.

Parashat Emor gives us an opportunity to consider how the spirit of ancient sacrifice can be integrated into our modern tzedakah, volunteering, and activism. Each type of ancient sacrifice can be translated into a modern analogue.

Free Will Offering: These are the spontaneous gifts we give and acts we do "in the moment" and without hesitation --things that just "feel right". We are not obligated or instructed specifically; presented with real need, we are compelled and reach out. In the above quotation these do not "count" towards our sacrificial obligations. Spontaneous giving is encouraged and praised, but it is not a replacement for considered sacrifice.

Sacrifice of Wellbeing: Writing checks to tzedakah or choosing causes to work for reminds me of my fortune and privilege. I feel obligated to "give back" and "share the wealth". A modern version of "sacrifices of wellbeing" might be to commit ourselves to set goals for our tzedakah - a portion of our income - and insure that a large portion of that goes directly to helping people in need. I write this knowing that I have a long way to go in this regard.

Explicit Vow: Sacrifices related to vows were a way to seal a promise or a commitment. I think of these as "putting your money where your mouth is." It is often easy to pay lip service to the issues and causes that we care about. It is harder to commit to action and consistent support. When I think of explicit vows in relation to tzedakah and activism, I think about the need to prioritize the issues of the day and make a personal commitment to one or two of them in a deeper way - by changing my own actions, getting personally involved, or giving more significantly.

Thanksgiving: It is not enough to merely share of our wealth; there is a place to express gratitude, and to acknowledge all the forces that came into play to enable our good fortune. I make my Thanksgiving gifts to the institutions that have invested in me in some way or created the conditions that enable me to live life as I do.

Sin Offerings: These are intended to acknowledge the wrongness of actions in a public way. I am reminded of the list of "sins" we recite on Yom Kippur, most of which are everyday sins that are almost unavoidable in living life - gluttony, false accusation, proffering bad advice, arrogance. Perhaps our modern equivalent to sin offerings should be to give of our wealth and selves to reduce the harm that we have committed by polluting the environment, consuming more than our fair share of resources, and benefiting from the cheap labor of others in this country and abroad. Our tzedakah and actions can be a way to acknowledge and begin to compensate for this destruction.

Elevation: The offerings of elevation are associated with Shavu'ot and include the instructions for counting the Omer. They are part of a journey to spiritual elevation - of returning to Sinai to receive the law. I think of these gifts and actions as recommitments -- reminding oneself of what is truly important. The section describing the elevation offerings prescribes the leaving of the corners of a field as a means of caring for the poor. It is the only offering that incorporates direct instructions for how to conduct business. There is something very profound about a deeply spiritual journey that is rooted in "real life" and not only in symbolism - in a very practical, literal sharing as well as a figurative one.

In Parashat Emor (22:2) Aaron and his sons are instructed to be "scrupulous about the sacred donation" - to insure that donations are made in the proper way with the correct intention. Our modern "sacrifices" lack some of the drama and pyrotechnics of ancient sacrifice, but they can employ the same elements of contemplation and scrupulous intention and of using the festivals as opportunities to pause, take stock, and give generously.