Parshat Vayikra: Heroism and Hamburgers
Parshat Vayikra is an expensive parshat. The Hebrews are asked to give sacrifices to G-d for their guilt, their sins, and also for peace. The sacrifices themselves are meat or flour, burned on an altar.
Burning a hamburger or roasting some wheat doesn’t seem like a big deal, especially for doing some naughty stuff. But in reality, the Hebrews don’t have Burger King or Whole Foods in the Middle East. It was a big deal to watch your best crops or your best animals burn in front of you.
Every culture has a story about the hero and sacrifice. The hero doesn’t ultimately become a hero until he or she gives up something for someone else. G-d gives us the chance, in Vayikra, to be heroes, to give up something for the greater good. What a cool thing!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKcsPboW73w]