I almost thought I wouldn’t write this week.

I often go through this; “I have no inspiration, no idea what to write.”

This week, though, I’ve been sick in bed with a flu or a bad cold, so it’s been “special circumstances.”

But then I listen to something, read something, and decide it will be really short; “I’ll just say this one thing.”

This week, the “one thing” is about the line Lev. 5:7:

וְאִם־לֹ֨א תַגִּ֣יעַ יָדוֹ֮

V’im-lo tagi’a yado…

If the person’s means do not suffice…

Literally translated, it means “If the person’s hand does not reach (far enough)”

The context is the type of animal a person is to sacrifice based on the type of wrongdoing needing forgiveness; can they afford it? If they can’t, they can exchange it for a different animal.

This week’s reading, as we begin the book of Leviticus, or Vayikra, is all about sacrifices.

Vayikra means “And he called,” which is how the Parsha, and the entire book, begins:

וַיִּקְרָ֖א אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלָ֔יו

Vayikra el Moshe vay’daber YHVH elav

And God called to Moses and spoke to him…

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks answers the question, “Why does it say here that God called to Moses and then speaks to him, when it usually simply says ‘God spoke to Moses’?”

Sacks quotes from Rashi, 11th Century Torah commentator, who explains, “It’s because each time God is calling specifically to Moses.”

It’s a personal “calling.”

There was another lively and challenging discussion with my younger daughter last week about the state of the world and our individual responsibility and ability in creating the future we want for it.

She was questioning, “If our civilization is crumbling, and there’s really nothing we can do about it, where’s the hope?”

My response was from an interview I heard recently on Krista Tippet’s On Being with Isabel Wilkerson.

That “what can we do?” question came up from someone in the audience.

The interviewee answered, “Stick to your expertise and your field. If you’re in the medical field, serve the world through that. If you are a climate scientist or activist, serve in that way,” etc., etc.

Wilkerson was very adamant that the way we serve the world is very personal.

In other words, it’s all about what’s within your reach.

When reviewing Vayikra, it’s hard to miss the repetition with each sacrifice described;

The person making the sacrifice must place their hand on the head of the animal.

It doesn’t say why, but to me it seems a sign of respect—for the animal.

My daughter ultimately sent me a document entitled, “An Animist Manifesto.”

Animism is about respecting the living world.

It says that everything is a person (except plastic—you can read more here.)

So let me end with this excerpt:

“Just because the world and the cosmos is full of life does not make it a nice and safe place to live.

“Lots of persons are quite unfriendly to others. Many see us as a good dinner.

“They might respect us as they eat us. Or they may need education.

“Like us, they might learn best in relationship with others who show respect even to those they don’t like, and especially to those they like the taste of.

“Although evolution has no aim, life is not pointless.

“The purpose of life is to be good people—and good humans or good rocks or good badgers.

“What we have to find out is what ‘good’ means where we are, when we are, with whom we are, and so on.

“It is certainly wrapped up with the word 'respect’ and all the acts that implies.”

The lesson of Vayikra for me at this time is for us each to answer these questions very personally:

What am I being called to do in this moment, as I am, where I am?

How can I show respect in this moment, place, and circumstance?

And.

How far can my hand reach?

These should be guiding questions for the choices—and sacrifices—we make.

Because, as the Animist Manifesto says, it might be rude to hug a tree without knowing it; try introducing yourself first.

And say Amen.