IN A NUTSHELL
Vayikra is the third book of the Torah. This one is quite different from the previous two books. The book of Vayikra does not really tell a story or describe a journey like the other books of the Torah. Everything in it takes place at Mount Sinai, over the course of just one month! There is almost no tale being told, but a lot of mitzvot are introduced.
Vayikra is placed at the centre of the Ḥumash, and it contains the key to understanding Israel’s mission in the world – to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” This is the first time in history a group of people have ever been given a collective mission, and every time we read Vayikra we are reminded of this mission.
The parasha of Vayikra describes the various kinds of sacrifices the Israelites brought in the Mishkan (the portable Temple). There were five: the burnt offering (ola), the grain offering (minḥa), the peace offering (shelamim), the sin offering (ḥatat), and the guilt offering (asham).
QUESTION TO PONDER
Why do you think the Torah asks us to give sacrifices to God? Does God really need them?