Voices

During recent Shabbatot, we’ve been reading from the Book of Leviticus.

Leviticus is the third book of the Torah, and is told primarily through Hashem’s speech to Moses about how Moses should instruct the Israelites.

This is a break in form from the more narratively skewed books of Genesis and Exodus.

Leviticus is instead concerned with legal, ritual and moral practices. Through Hashem’s words to Moses, the Israelites are told how to interact with one another, how to make sacrifices, how to handle legal disputes and how to act in a holy manner, among many other instructions.

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Our Jewish calendar expects a lot from us during the course of the year.

Every week, we must make time for rest, relaxation and refreshment as we approach Shabbat.

We are expected to evaluate our lives and our souls in the lead-up to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

We are expected to be devastatingly sad and melancholy on dates like Tisha B’Av.

And, of course, we are expected to be euphorically happy as we approach Purim.

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