Below is a collection of Parashat Vayikra resources created by The Lookstein Center staff or contributed to the site by Jewish educators.

This is a growing collection. Check back soon or write to us at content@lookstein.org if you didn’t find what you’re looking for. 

Return to Sefer Vayikra Resources
Parasha Points

Different types of offerings are brought into the Mishkan (Tabernacle). They roughly break into two categories: those that can be brought voluntarily and those that are mandated.

    • The minha, olah, and shelamim sacrifices are in the voluntary category. Although these are sometimes mandated, they can also be brought voluntarily.
    • In the mandatory category are the hatat and the asham sacrifices. These can never be brought voluntarily.
Major Mitzvot
  • The olah sacrifice is completely burned on the mizbeah (altar). For most of the other types, the kohen (priest) eats a specific portion. For the shelamim sacrifice, even the person bringing it gets to eat a specific portion.
  • Every offering must be salted.
  • No hametz (leavened bread) is permitted in the korbanot (sacrifices).
Educational Themes
  • Our behavior impacts our relationship with God. We have the power – and the responsibility – to manage that relationship. 
  • God does not need our sacrifices as “food,” but we need them to express our religious commitments.
  • Rabbinical tradition created an alternative to sacrifices designed for a world in which there are no offerings. That alternative is prayer.
  • Leaders, because of their public role, have greater consequences for their actions.
Notable Quotes

The need for salt – וכל קרבן מנחתך במלח תמלח

DISCUSSION AND REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Question #1: The first parshiot of Vayikra describe the details of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and the korbanot (sacrifices). Korbanot are hard to understand today – but simply put, they were a way that people would bring gifts to God. Sometimes, these gifts would be a way to say, “I’m sorry, I made a mistake”, or “thank you,” or for other reasons.  It was a way to feel closer to God. Do you have to be rich to give a really good present? In Parashat Vayikra, we learn that all gifts were equal – whether you are rich or poor. A rich person would bring a cow as a gift and a poor person could bring a bird or even just fine flour. What’s most important is that a person gives it with sincerity. Did you ever give a person a gift that was small, but you gave it with all your heart? Describe what it was and how you felt? How was the gift received?

Question #2: Did you ever notice how a really good person doesn’t need to call attention to himself/herself but can be recognized by some of the quiet things they do? Do you know anyone like this? Can you describe him or her? The book of Vayikra begins with the words “And God called to Moses.” But you will notice that the Aleph at the end of the Hebrew word “Vayikra”  is written small and the word reads more like “Vayikar.” Why would a letter be made small? “Vayikar” means that something happened just by chance. The Midrash explains that this is an example of Moses’s humility. He did not want it to seem that God was calling only for him because he is more important than anyone. The small Aleph reminds us of Moses’s humility. Isn’t it amazing what you can learn from the size of a letter?!

Question #3: This parasha is all about korbanot, sacrificial offerings to God. The word korban is often translated as “sacrifice,” which means something very different from the word korban itself which implies something to bring us closer to God. Do you think that God wants us to give things up in order to get closer to Him? Do you think that for us to feel closer to God we need to give something up?

Question #4: There are special offerings we are obligated to bring when we sin even without being aware that our actions were forbidden. Why should we be accountable for things that we do not know or are not aware of? How about in interpersonal relationships – should we feel guilty about hurting someone unintentionally? Should we feel slighted when someone says something innocent that happens to hurt us?