Between Destiny and Chance By Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

The third book of the Torah is known in English as “Leviticus,” a word deriving from Greek and Latin, meaning “pertaining to the Levites.” This reflects the fact that in Judaism the priests—descendants of Aaron—were from the tribe of Levi, and that the ancient rabbinic name for the book was Torat Kohanim, “the law of the priests.” It is an appropriate title. Whereas Shemot and Bamidbar are shot through with narrative, the book between them is largely about sacrifices and the rituals associated first with the Tabernacle and later with the Temple in Jerusalem. It is, as the name Torat Kohanim implies, about the priests and their function as guardians of the sacred. By contrast, the traditional name, Vayikra, “And He called,” seems merely accidental. Vayikra just happens to be the first word of the book, and there is no connection between it and the subjects with which it deals. The truth, I will argue here, is otherwise. There is a deep connection between the word vayikra and the underlying message of the book as a whole.