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Vayikra

03/30/2017 09:53:08 PM

Mar30

In America ignorance of the law is no excuse. That is to say that even if you had no idea that such a law existed, if you break the law then you are accountable. According to such logic, the onus is on each citizen to review all of the local and federal laws to ensure that one doesn’t inadvertently break the law. Laws in Judaism work the same way. In Parshat Vayikra, Moses relates specific commands for an Israelite who violates the law without knowing it at the time, but learns about his guilt later. Like American law, the Torah rules that the person is liable to bring a sin offering. Why should the person have to bring a sin offering for a mistake made in ignorance? Had the Israelite known they were doing something wrong, surely they wouldn’t do it!
 
In our own religious practice, we make similar arguments each day. “I don’t know all the rules of this ritual, or I don’t have the time to work out the complexity of those laws.” We use the ignorance of Jewish law and tradition as a way of excusing ourselves from the burden of their fulfillment. But do we have a greater responsibility to know more and learn more about the Jewish laws?
 
According to Parshat Vayikra, the answer is “yes” and “no.” On the one hand, what is right or wrong doesn’t change depending on if we knew it at the time of our mistake. If we make a mistake, then the Torah tells us that we are accountable for it. We should have known better and thus we are responsible for our actions. It is our responsibility to learn what is expected of us and to make sure we don’t do that. Yet, on the other hand, there is a level of leniency for sins made inadvertently. Even though we objectively sinned before the Divine, the punishment for inadvertently sinning is to bring a sin offering, a punishment less severe than having sinned on purpose.
 
Therefore, as we reflect on our own religious practice, let us take responsibility for learning more about the Jewish laws that govern us. Let us take the time to engage with our Jewish tradition and limit ignorant actions (or inaction). However, let us also recognize the limits of our humanity. We can’t know everything all of the time and it is human to make mistakes. As we continue on our journey to learn and expand our religious lives, let us therefore also leave room to forgive our own mistakes, and the mistakes of others.
Thu, March 28 2024 18 Adar II 5784