PARSHAT VAYIKRA 5785 – SERVICE AND SUSTAINING THE WORLD

בס "ד

Integrar la Torá en la propia vida a través de la reflexión y la conversación puede ser una experiencia increíblemente divertida y atractiva. Es un viaje de descubrimiento, en el que la sabiduría ancestral y las enseñanzas intemporales cobran vida en nuestras experiencias cotidianas. A través de la reflexión, tenemos la oportunidad de sumergirnos en el rico tapiz de la Torá, extrayendo profundas ideas y lecciones que resuenan en nuestras vidas modernas. La alegría reside en los momentos "ajá", aquellos en los que un versículo o una historia de la Torá conectan de repente con nuestros retos, aspiraciones y valores personales. Y cuando participamos en conversaciones sobre la Torá con otras personas, se convierte en una exploración interactiva, en la que diversas perspectivas e interpretaciones mejoran nuestra comprensión. Estos diálogos a menudo despiertan el entusiasmo y la curiosidad intelectual, haciendo que el proceso de aprendizaje sea agradable y satisfactorio. La Torá se convierte en una parte vibrante y dinámica de nuestras vidas, que nos ofrece no sólo orientación, sino también una fuente inagotable de fascinación, conexión y crecimiento.

NOTA: No te sientas obligado a consultar todas las fuentes ni a responder a todas las preguntas, a menos que quieras hacerlo. Incluso una sola fuente o una sola pregunta te dará mucho material para debatir y meditar. Disfrútalo.

Some thoughts from the parsha

Service, Sacrifice, and Sustaining the World

Parshat Vayikra opens with instructions for bringing offerings to G-d—a subject that may feel distant to modern readers. The Torah shifts here from epic stories and miracles to detailed laws of Temple service, which may seem unrelated to everyday spiritual life. But a deeper look shows that these offerings reflect core principles about our relationship with G-d and our role in sustaining the world.

The Sages taught that the world stands on three pillars: Torah (wisdom), service of G-d, and acts of kindness. In ancient times, that service was expressed through offerings in the Temple, which had the power to bring atonement, heal moral imbalance, and even sustain the very existence of the world. The story of Noah’s offering after the flood shows this clearly: when Noah made his offering, G-d responded by promising never again to destroy the earth. This tells us something timeless—human moral action can shape the world’s destiny.

Even though the Temple no longer stands, these core ideas remain deeply relevant. The spiritual benefits of sacrifice—acknowledging our faults, seeking closeness with G-d, and bringing ourselves back into alignment—can still be pursued today through:

• Repentance (Teshuvah) – returning to the path of righteousness;
• Prayer (Tefillah) – sincere communication with G-d, often called “service of the heart”;
• Charity and acts of kindness (Tzedakah) – using our resources to uplift others and fulfill our moral responsibility.

These three actions are not substitutes for ancient rituals—they are expressions of the same deep yearning to live a life connected to the Divine. Just as the offerings represented the purification of thought, speech, and action, so too our words, deeds, and intentions shape our lives and influence the world around us.

What This Means for Noahides

For Noahides, the message is clear and empowering: you, too, can sustain and uplift the world through your spiritual service. While you are not commanded in the Temple offerings, you are very much invited to take part in the values they represent:

• Living with moral awareness
• Turning away from harm and toward the good
• Creating harmony through acts of justice, generosity, and compassion

This form of service is not bound by time or location—it is accessible to all, everywhere.

May we all be blessed to serve with sincerity, to repair what is broken, and to help bring about a world where G-d’s presence is felt more fully by all people.

Ahora, reflexiona sobre las siguientes preguntas:

1. How do acts of service—whether spiritual or ethical—help sustain the world around us?
2. What role can prayer or personal reflection play in repairing mistakes and seeking closeness with G-d?
3. Why do you think the Torah emphasizes offerings that involve thought, speech, and action? What does that say about human responsibility?
4. In the absence of a Temple, what are meaningful ways for people today to connect to G-d and seek atonement?
5. How can you make your daily life into a kind of offering—something dedicated to a higher purpose?

¡Shabbat Shalom!

Por el rabino Tani Burton

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