Parashat Tzav teaches us some of the specifics, the commands/rules, of the basic daily sacrifices. This parashah often occurs on the Shabbat preceding Passover, Shabbat HaGadol--the great Shabbat.
This special Shabbat is one in which we recall the original Pesach, the lamb offering whose blood marked the homes of the Israelites and whose meat was eaten the night before their exodus. Not only is this special Shabbat a time of reflection, but as the first Pesach is recalled it is a time when we are given a last minute reminder of the “rules” for our own Pesach preparations.
How many of us often find ourselves feeling like Judaism has too many rules? Rules that are sometimes difficult, confusing, and rules that perhaps on the surface offer nothing spiritual. Too often many of us view Judaism as a religion of difficult rules and commands, as a dogma that we must follow. But this is the time to change that mindset, as Judaism is not about dogma. Rather the rules and commands that we and our ancestors have been given are about the actions that can help us to regulate our lives and bring us closer to God. These rules were and are about setting a course for ourselves, that if we perform or do them over and over, they will cease being “hard” and rather be a natural part of our daily living. Take for example the sin and guilt offerings of this week’s parashah. Sure, in our hearts and minds we could simply reflect on what we did and apologize to those whom we hurt, but an action, a regular thing that we have to physically do on top of reflection, changes the course of lives in a much different way. If you sin, and have to physically do something, then I believe you are more likely to have done proper teshuvah and won’t repeat it again.
Of course today we don’t have sacrifice to regulate the actions of our lives, but we do have ritual. And whether or not a Jew is fully ritually observant, these rituals and commands can still help to guide one’s life, for when we learn and understand the “hows and the whys” of our practice then we can truly consider whether or not our actions might bring us closer to God, rather than just assuming that they are “outdated” and have no meaning in the modern world.
This Shabbat, as we recall the first Passover sacrifice and reflect on the upcoming holiday, we think of the many rituals that will not only regulate our lives for the duration of the holiday, but we also remember that these same rituals link us historically and certainly spiritually to the generations of Jews who came before us. As we clean out the chametz, prepare our seder meals, and spend a week eating matzah, these are all actions that link us not only to the Jewish people but to God. Parashat Tzav and our celebration of Pesach can remind us that it is the actions of our hands, and not solely the reflections of our hearts, that truly connect us to God! As Passover approaches, make this the year that you learn about doing and not just about reflecting! Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach!
