​Dear Friends,
 
Finally, finally, Leviticus, Leviticus, ends, ends. 
 
Leviticus ends in this week’s Torah portion, twice. 
 
Note the end in chapter 26 - Leviticus 26:46: “These are the laws, rules and directions that the LORD established, through Moses on Mt. Sinai, between God and the Israelite people.”

And, then read the ending of the next chapter, Leviticus 27:34: “These are the commandments that the LORD gave Moses for the Israelite people on Mt. Sinai.”
 
Clearly, there are two endings, in chapter 26, and in chapter 27.  Apparently, chapter 27 of Leviticus was added to the book, including additional taxation laws, and thus required its own, supplemental conclusion. 
 
What do we make of this oddity? Here are a few lessons:

1. Torah was not set in stone, despite what later commentators and biblical literalists claim; rather, it was malleable. A need for an additional chapter to address gifts and fees to Temple priests necessitated adjusting the text. The new chapter was appended, but the initial ending in chapter 26 was not deleted, thus offering transparent historiography and allowing us to see the changed text.  We learn that if the Torah may be pliable, then so too, our lives and our society ought to be flexible. Too often leaders, parents, teachers - any of us - stand fixed and firm on positions and fail to bend with changing circumstances.  As the world turns, so too, ought our approaches to the world.
   
2. Conclusions are necessary. We abhor endings. We hate throwing away the ratty old sweater. We resist ending a dying relationship.  We keep the ancient jalopy running. Endings are upsetting; they require us to conclude and close a comfortable chapter, and to broach the risky unknown. Therefore, we resist and balk at conclusions, hoping against reality that the ending will be mitigated. But, endings come as a matter of course; Leviticus bearing two conclusions reinforces this truth. We would be wise to embrace endings – whether in families, illness or politics – and allow them to empower us to advance ourselves. Combining the foregoing two lessons, we learn that at times we must draw lines in the sand. Despite the worthy need to be flexible and to bend with the times, there are times when one must declare, “enough is enough.” An ending is needed; note a child’s temper tantrum, credit card spending, legal or political maneuvering. Imagine the Levitical writers penning the chapter’s second conclusion; likely, they decided that “enough was enough,” and opted to close the book. Although they surely could have deliberated additional taxes to underwrite the priestly operations of the Temple, they stopped and wrote their ending.
3. And, knowing when to end also is an important and often overlooked virtue!
4. Shabbat Shalom!

 
Rabbi Douglas Kohn