Presence

Naomi Chana:

"This year, what strikes me first and last about Leviticus is how the book is saturated with the mystery of God's presence: calling, commanding, burning, descending, moving in for keeps."

And don't forget eating. Leviticus is quickly becoming my favorite of the Five Books as well. The last few parshiyos, when looked at from a perspective that eschews quaint moralisms, considers greater structure and imagery employed in the narrative and is fluid in interpreting the relevance and context of commandments given in response to either existential or experiential events, comprise, in my opinion, the most direct and relevant exploration of Man's encounter with the Divine. There is so much here, it's hard to put it into words; Naomi Chana does a good job, though. I actually cried last year at the end of Parshas Bechukotai. I don't remember why, though.