Shabbat Zachor- Be Joyous

Vayikra el-Moshe va’y’dabeir A-donai eilav meiOhel Moeid leimor. Dabeir el-b’nei Yisrael… 

And A-donai called to Moshe and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting saying. “Speak to the children of Israel… (Vayikra 1:1-2) 

Vayikra is called Leviticus in Greek and Latin, the book of the Levi’im. This name implies a book of instruction to Aaron and his sons on the ritual of sacrifice in the Mishkan. However, it goes well beyond that. The Hebrew, Vayikra, meaning “And God called…” shows clearly that, as with the rest of the books of the Torah, Vayikra is a book for all Jews. It is not limited to a sub-group within our people. 

When we study the sacrifices today, they seem archaic and out of date. Rambam points out that sacrifices were the primary form of expression in the ancient world. It has entered every culture across the globe. Vayikra elevates sacrifice above the influence of idolatry, from the physical to the spiritual plane. (See notes on Sefer Vayikra) Sacrifices are no longer food for the Gods, but an opportunity for individuals to express their spirituality and to seek holiness. It represents, not God’s need, but our own need for physical expression through pleasing the senses. According to Masekhet Megillah, God will dwell in the holy spaces we create. These are our sanctuaries, our homes, and especially, our tables. These places are filled with the pleasing scents, tastes and textures of our Shabbat and holiday foods. They are filled with the sounds of our singing prayers, brachot and songs. Our eyes are filled with the pleasant sights of new holiday clothes, flowers, the Torah mantles and breastplates, the smiling faces of our family and our friends. 

We have just begun the month of Second Adar. The Jewish leap year is not as easy to identify as the Gregorian. There are seven leap years in every nineteen-year cycle. In those years we add a full month, and not just any month, but the month of Adar. It is said “Mi shenikhnas Adar, marbim bsimcha.” “When Adar begins, joy increases.” We’re an interesting people. The oldest Jewish joke is that every holiday has this message, “They tried to kill us. We survived. Let’s eat.” One would think this would lead us to be a depressed people, melancholy and sad, but instead we are joyous. When Adar begins, happiness is increased. Mourning is forbidden during Nisan, the month in which Pesach occurs. There were no greater days for Israel than the fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur. Sukkot is Z’man Simchateinu, the time of our rejoicing. Even Yom HaZikaron blends seamlessly into exuberant celebration for Yom HaAtzmaut. We focus our mourning onto just a few national days, seeing joy in everything else.  

Rav Sean and I recently saw the documentary “Hava Nagila.” It is a wonderful movie, giving insight into this special song. In one interview, the interviewer states Jewish music is sad. Certainly it has a mournful quality with its minor chords. The interviewee however, hears the wistful longing, the nostalgic joy in the tune and the words. “Hava nagila. Hava nagila. Hava nagila, v’nismecha. (repeat) Hava n’ran’na. Hava n’ran’na. Hava n’ran’na v’nismecha. (repeat) U’ru, u'ru achim. U’ru achim b’lev sameach (4x) U’ru achim! U’ru achim! B’lev sameach! Let us rejoice. Let us rejoice. Let us rejoice and be happy. (repeat) Let’s sing. Let’s sing. Let’s sing and be happy. (repeat) Awake, awake brothers. Awake brothers with a happy heart. (4x) Awake brothers. Awake brothers. Have a joyful heart! 

Life happens. And, in life, not everything brings us joy. We see injustice. We see anger. We experience hardship, and feel pain, but we work hard to rise above it. We create sanctuaries in our homes and in our hearts. We fill our lives with hiddur mitzvah, aromas, flavors, beauty and song! This is our song- Hava Nagila! This is our people- Am Yisrael Chai! These are our celebrations, our sanctuaries, and our life. They bring us together. They bring us nearer to God. They raise up our hearts, our minds, and our spirituality. They make us holy. And it is joyous!