by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine

Vayikra-G-d’s Secret

Parshas Vayikra describes the system of sacrificial offerings, including the offerings of atonement. The Torah describes how a person may sometimes fail in his service of G-d and how he can rise up once again to restore his relationship. There are many lessons to be learned from the mitzvah of atonement. One of the most important lessons is that it is indeed possible for a person to make a mistake.

From the earliest times, the human condition was a confusing one. When G-d was about to create mankind, He courteously asked the angels their opinion. The angels looked at the destiny of mankind and said, “Don’t bother creating man. His story is one full of error.”

Yet, G-d did create mankind despite man’s tendency to make mistakes. G-d understood clearly that, in mankind, He was not creating angels. He knew that He was creating human beings. Free choice, and the potential for human error, is what makes success in life so treasurable.

The system of atonement is based on the awareness that human beings sometimes make mistakes. G-d knows that secret. We would do well to remember that secret as well.

There is a humorous story told of a woman who came to a Rabbi with a problem. She said, “Rabbi, help me. My son is crazy.”

After declaring repeatedly how her son was a meshugeneh, she finally explained. “My son is truly crazy. He eats pig meat and dances with non-Jewish women.”

The Rabbi responded, “Your son is not crazy. If he would eat non-Jewish women and dance with pigs, that would be crazy. But, what he is doing is a human failing. We have much experience in helping people out of such behavior.”

Too often, we don’t take the human component into account when we assess ourselves. I admire people who strive for perfection. Yet, there are people who not only strive for perfection, but truly expect everything to be perfect. One wonders if they have not forgotten that they are human.

I recall, for example, reading an article in a Jewish periodical that I felt was very well written. I was so touched that I obtained the author’s phone number and called him to thank him for writing the article. His response shocked me. He said, “Yes, it was a nice article. But, did you see the typo in the second paragraph. It really ticked me off that they printed it like that.”

I paused. I wondered. “Can a person strive for perfection so badly that he forgets that he is human?”

Sometimes, we don’t allow ourselves the luxury of being human. Sometimes, we don’t even allow others the luxury of being human.

I once attended a Bar Mitzvah at which the Bar Mitzvah boy read beautifully from the Torah, but he made two mistakes. The mistakes were noticed immediately, and he corrected them.

When the president got up to wish Mazal Tov he stated , “And I would like to compliment Michael on that perfect, or, well, almost perfect reading of the Torah….” I cringed. To my way of thinking, it was a perfect reading. As a human being, all of thirteen years old, if he reads beautifully, and corrects his two mistakes smoothly and professionally, then it is a perfect reading.

The angels looked at the human being through angel eyes. They saw human failings and said to G-d, “Mankind isn’t worth your trouble.”

But, G-d had a secret. G-d knew that human beings were created as human beings, not as angels. Life allows for atonement. Life is a growing process. Too often, we forget G-d’s secret: that human beings are human.

So, the next time you set out to do good, don’t give up as the angels did at the first sight of imperfection. Treasure goodness, even if it is imperfect goodness. Remember G-d’s secret. Allow yourself the luxury of being human.

With best wishes for a wonderful Shabbos.

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