Reading Parshat Tzav (Leviticus 6:1–8:36) in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, the overriding concern of ויקרא (Leviticus) with purification seems all too fitting. There seems no better time for Rashi’s invitation: “Let the pure ones come and study laws of purity.”
Accordingly, it’s hard not to be preoccupied in this week’s portion with the elements of contagion (of holiness, 6:11) and the seven-day quarantine of Aaron and his sons: “And from the entrance of the Tent of Meeting you shall not go out seven days…. [Y]ou shall keep the Lord’s watch and shall not die” (8:33-35). There you have it: a biblical warrant for sheltering in place.
Moreover, the sacrifice of the peace-offering (זבח השלמים), which is described in Leviticus 7:11-16, is also obliquely tied to the theme of illness. Robert Alter translates זבח השלמים as “communion sacrifice,” presumably because it culminates in a communal meal, and the Jewish Publication Society translates it as the “sacrifice of well-being,” but peace-offering seems the best translation because the Hebrew name זבח השלמים is related to the word שלום (peace). The Torah portion tell us this particular type of offering may be brought forward in or for thanksgiving (7:12). Thanksgiving for what? Rashi (following the Talmud, which bases the interpretation on Psalm 107) explains that one should give thanks for recovering from an illness, among other things. And indeed among the great national events that called forth the peace-offering in biblical times was the cessation of pestilence: after David made peace-offerings, a “plague against Israel was checked” (II Samuel 24:25).
With the destruction of the Temple, we can’t follow David’s example, but maybe there is nevertheless still a lesson we can take away from the portion. Why is this particular type of sacrifice called a peace-offering? Some commentators in the Jewish tradition point out that a portion of the offering is burnt on the altar, a portion is given to the כהנים (priests), and the remainder is eaten by the person who brings the offering and his family—in short, everyone gets a part. Thus, as Nehama Leibowitz, paraphrasing Rabbi Yehuda in the Talmud, says: “It harbors ‘peace’ for all parties”: the altar, the priests, and the owners. She cites a commentator named Hoffman who suggests that the peace-offering thereby “reflects the harmony between the offerer, the Lord and His servants.”
Scientific efforts to find a cure for the deadly coronavirus reportedly reflect this spirit of sharing. “While political leaders have locked their borders,” the New York Times reported, “scientists have been shattering theirs, creating a global collaboration unlike any in history.” “What is important,” said the French doctor Yazdan Yazdanpanah, “is to come up with a solution for everyone. The way to achieve that is to collaborate.” Let’s remember that lesson after the crisis.
