Saturday 9th May 2020 Day 30 of the Omer 15th Iyyar 5780
PARASHAT EMOR - 'SAY..." Torahbytes
Leviticus 21:1 - 24:23; Ezek. 44:15-31; Matthew 26:59-66
And when you sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. It shall be eaten on the same day; you shall leave none of it until morning: I am the LORD. (Vayikra/Leviticus 22:29-30)
The regulations for the various Torah sacrifices are difficult for us to understand since we are not provided with all their whys and wherefores. I have the impression that sacrifice was deeply embedded within Israelite and non-Israelite cultures of the day before God gave the Torah. God's directions through Moses therefore provide understanding and guidance for what they were already doing. Thus, it is a challenge to determine the purpose behind a directive such as we just read here. It's impossible to know for sure why, in the case of thanksgiving sacrifices, God required they be eaten on the same day they are offered; no leftovers allowed.
In spite of the lack of explanation, we can see how following these instructions would affect the psyche of the people. Whether they could articulate it or not, they would develop an understanding of the nature of thanksgiving due to the ritual of thanksgiving established by God.
First, thanksgiving was expected. To give thanks is an acknowledgment that the good things we have come to us from outside ourselves.
Ya’akov (James) 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
This requires both thought and action. While gifts obviously come to us from outside ourselves, things that are the result of our labours may not be so obvious. When we work for something, we tend to think that the results we get are extensions of ourselves, not the blessing of God. But we don't possess the kind of power that brings anything into existence. While we have our part to play, the positive results that emerge from our involvement are actually rooted in God, not self. Giving thanks to God, therefore, is an acknowledgement of this reality. Failure to do so is to deny the truth of how the universe works.
Psalm 108:3-6
I will awaken the dawn! I will give thanks to You, Adonai, among the peoples, I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your love is higher than the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, let Your glory be above all the earth.
Even when you have worked many long hours and applied yourself to achieve good things, give thanks to HaShem for your resourcefulness and the strength and focus that He provides. Proverbs 2:22 – ‘In all your ways, acknowledge Him”.
Practicing thanksgiving through sacrifice, not only acknowledges the truth of our being the recipient of God's generosity, it is a tangible and public demonstration of that truth. Going through the ritual takes a concept of thanks and connects us, our family, and others to it. Remembering to say, "thank you," is one thing, but to publicly give back to the giver in the sight of others expresses sincerity and encourages others to do the same.
I am aware that sincerity can be faked. Scripture is clear on the disgrace of pretending to honour God without kavannah – the intent and direction of the heart. As a result, we may be tempted to dismiss all forms of ritual, forgetting that being called out on hypocrisy doesn't undermine ritual itself. Rather, it encourages us to engage ritual in the way it was intended, with sincerity and with the correct heart attitude, acknowledging God as the source of all blessings..
Which brings us to God's directive against having leftovers of the thanksgiving sacrifice. Demanding that thanksgiving sacrifices were either to be consumed the same day as offered or burned up, made the offering exclusive to the purpose for which it was designed. The offering of thanksgiving was to have no other purpose. It was essential for the ritual to focus the attention of the person giving the offering. To allow leftovers reduced the intensity of the experience, thus diminishing the offering of thanks. Unless thanksgiving is focused, it is not the real thing.
In these days of COVID-19, it is important to take time to remember all the good things we have despite the challenges we are facing. But perhaps we need to do more than that. God is worthy of our focused attention. Maybe there are ways that we can offer sacrifices of thanksgiving by dedicating particular time, energy, and resources in an exclusive way. Remember, no leftovers!
Psalm 9:2-3
I will praise Adonai with my whole heart. I will tell about all Your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in You. I will sing praise to Your Name, Elyon!
1 Thessalonians 5:18
in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Messiah Yeshua.