he Book of Leviticus may lack the drama and suspense of the epics in Genesis and Exodus, and to the modern Jew, the detailed descriptions of ritual animal sacrifices seem at once barbaric and irrelevant. Yet, Leviticus’ placement as the middle of the five books of Moses is not accidental. It is a transitional book that fashions the children of Israel into a holy nation by creating the framework for our relationship with God.

The Hebrew name for both the book and its first parashah, Vayikra, refers to God summoning Moses to deliver another set of instructions to the people: “And (God) Called,” its literal translation. God reenlists Moses as a partner even though his tasks have been completed.

The English name, Leviticus, refers to the priestly rituals. At first, these seem hopelessly irrelevant to our lives as modern Jews today. The rituals, especially the intricacy of the sacrifices, seem hopelessly archaic and brutal. They seem to echo the accepted practices of animal sacrifices shared by all ancient Near Eastern civilizations. Even their purpose seems identical: to express loyalty and to worship properly. These practices developed to meet the religious needs of the people, and God seems to be realistic in accommodating this need of the Israelites. Clearly, the incident with the Golden Calf reflects their desire to normalize their worship. One difference, however, is that while preserving the Levites’ privilege regarding service at the altar, the cult of secrecy that surrounds the priestly duties in pagan religions is removed.

The three types of basic offerings outlined in this parashah (burnt offering, meal offering and well-being offering) are no longer practiced. The destruction of the Temple deprived the Israelites of their ability to reach God through these practices. However, we have adapted to all new realities, including the breakdown of our communication system with God, by creating new ways of connecting with God as required. Prayer now substitutes for Temple rituals.

Ritual — be it through sacrifice or through worship — creates order. In the words of Ismar Schorsch, chancellor emeritus of the Jewish Theological Seminary, “Ritual is a way of giving voice to ultimate values. Each of us needs a sense of holiness to navigate the relentless secularity of our lives.” Rituals, whether through sacrifice or through worship, provide comfort, predictability and familiarity in a world that often seems disordered.

Vayikra is more than just God calling; it is an invitation to approach God. The question of what does God seek from us (later reinterpreted into ethical terms by the prophets) is answered here in painstaking detail. We are given precise instructions for our relationship with the divine. We do not have to wonder what God expects from us because God tells us precisely how to serve God. And, in the doing, we prepare ourselves to hear the call.