We have the ability to rise above what is customary — and reach the heights of what is right.

"Nir's Weekly Parasha" — Parashat Tzav

Parashat Tzav is the second weekly portion in the Book of Leviticus, continuing the discussion of sacrifices that began in last week’s portion, Parashat Vayikra.

The instructions here are extremely detailed — I mean really, really detailed. For example:

"And Moses brought Aaron’s sons forward and put some of the blood on the ridge of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet; and Moses dashed the rest of the blood against all sides of the altar." (Leviticus 8:24)

There is an ongoing, almost obsessive focus on sacrifices — on slaughtering, on offering, again and again and again. This relentless focus reflects a profound cultural preoccupation with sacrifices in the geographic region during the time the text was written.

This meticulous attention to detail — how to slaughter, what to slaughter, with which tools, how to cut the animal, where to smear its blood, and for what purpose — demonstrates how deeply the biblical editors were shaped by the prevailing local customs of their time. They could not simply detach themselves from the rituals practiced all around them — rituals they themselves engaged in long before these practices were recorded in writing.

Humans naturally adopt customs from the cultural menu offered by their surroundings.

Fortunately for us, the world around us today offers a much broader and more diverse range of customs — including those that reflect the evolving nature of our relationship with animals.

We are privileged to live in an era where it is socially and economically easier than ever to free ourselves from old chains — and to choose to do what we believe is the right thing to do.

We have the ability to rise above what is customary — and reach the heights of what is right.

We have the ability to offer a vision of a world where animals do not suffer for human pleasure.

In the photo: Dror, who was rescued by volunteers at Freedom Farm Sanctuary, after being born paralyzed in his hind legs, together with Maya, whose care for Dror (as with all the sanctuary's residents) is a moving expression of love, compassion, friendship, and taking responsibility.

(Dror receives holistic treatment — including acupuncture, physiotherapy, movement therapy, and much more — but above all, Dror is treated with endless love. And he is happy — and unique in the happiness he brings to my heart every time I think of him.)

Wishing you a peaceful weekend,

Happy Passover and Shabbat Shalom,

Nir