Having completed the portions describing the building of the Mishkan (tabernacle), the Torah now presents the order of sacrifices that were offered there. Although they are certainly more esoteric than other parts of the Torah, the portions dealing with Temple sacrifice have much to teach.

Consider the opening thought of this week's portion. It speaks in an introductory fashion about an individual offering a sacrifice to the Lord. The term used for individual is Adam, (Leviticus 1:2) a strange word, as the Torah most often in such circumstances uses the term ish or isha (man or woman). Several thoughts come to mind as to the reason for this unusual choice of words.

Adam, unlike all others, was fashioned by God Himself. The name evokes the imagery of this first human being who was intimately connected to the Lord. The use of Adam here appears in order to express the hope that, through the sacrificial service, the individual comes close to Hashem.

Rashi suggests another solution. Just as the first Adam was able to take advantage of all the world had to offer without concern that it belonged to others (for he was alone in the world), so must every person who brings a sacrifice be certain that the offering to God be solely his or hers. It must not be stolen for in the process of serving God one must never violate interpersonal ethics.

Another thought comes to mind. Adam evokes the imagery of Adam who was pure in the garden of Eden. In time, Adam, together with Eve, violated God's command. When an individual brings a sacrifice, he/she is attempting to return to the pristine state of Eden, a fixed Eden without sin -- an Eden of complete innocence. Thus, when bringing the sacrifice, the individual is called Adam as the korban is about the quest to right a wrong and to achieve the state of "Paradise Regained."

Still another thought. While it is true that the sacrificial service outlined in our portions deals specifically with the Jewish people, the use of the term Adam speaks to the universal dimension of the Temple. Adam was the parent of all humankind. From him, all human beings emerged. The term Adam by its very definition embraces the whole world. Perhaps the Torah uses the term Adam to remind us that ultimately the Temple in which sacrifices are brought, is a place where all humankind will one day come to worship the Lord. (beit tefillah le-khol ha-amim).

It would be erroneous to think that the term Adam only applies to a man. According to the Midrash, Adam was both male and female. Chava (Eve) comes into being through a bifurcation of Adam into separate male and female entities. Indeed, the term Adam used here sends the message that the korban (sacrifice) applies equally to men and women - both can approach and come close to God.

We are taught that every little word in the Torah is there to teach us something significant. The use of the word Adam confirms this idea as it teaches us so much about how God wants us to act toward one another and to view the world.


Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Avi Weiss