Shabbat 21 March 2015 – Parasha Vayikra

Shabbat comes in at 5.49pm & goes out at 7.02pm

Mazal tov to HWPS members, Janet & Alan Solomon, on their Golden Wedding Anniversary.  They’re delighted to invite congregants to join them for Kiddush to celebrate this special occasion.

There will always be the more and less privileged in any society.  The upper-class always has access to better health care, better education and better vacation spots.   There will always be a secretary or administrative assistant who types the letters and answers the phone for that person in the corner office.  And there will always be a janitor or cleaning person who will come each evening and to empty the trash and vacuum that corner office.    There is no such thing as a truly classless society.   We can only aspire to equal opportunities.    And we can teach that all people have equal access to God.

Parshat Vayikra speaks of sin offerings of the different classes in society.  If a political or religious leader sins, he brings one kind of more expensive sacrifice.  The ordinary person brings a sheep or goat.  But what if he or she cannot afford an animal?  Then he or she can bring birds, pigeons or turtledoves.  But what if he or she cannot afford a bird?  Then they can bring a flour offering.  All people from every class have an equal opportunity to “return” to God.  The expensive sacrifice is not better than the inexpensive one.   All people are equal in God’s eyes.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Paul Arberman