Feb 19 – 7 Epiphany
Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18
Ritual and Moral Holiness

Background: Leviticus may be better known for its early rabbinic name which translates to the “Priests’ Manual.” While this book may be the Priests’ Manual most, if not all, the regulations in it are meant for the entire community; yet this book does provide an outline for how the priests can help the community to distinguish between the “common and the holy, between the clean and unclean.” This passage is generally located in the “H” (Holiness Code) section of the book – a section that outlines ritual purity and impurity tenets.

Theme: This passage focuses not only on the ritual holiness of the community but also touches on the question of morality. The morality discussed is not simply for some few individuals but for the entire population of the Israelites as a whole. This passage helps define the proper relationship between one group of people and another and the latter portions of the assigned text (Lev 19:18) are used by Jesus in his summary of the law. 

Questions to Ponder:
* Read Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18; please read verses 3-8 for context.
* Briefly describe the political, social, and religious situation in Israel for this passage.
* For what reason might the author be reiterating the Ten Commandments at this point in Scripture?
* What do you think is the purpose of observing the commandments of God?
* What implications can be inferred by the placement of the commands, e.g., verses 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, and 17-18? Do you think the ordering of the discussion has any impact on the message being offered in the text?
* What principle is being reinforced by God to Israel in verses 9-10?
* For what reason might God demand Israel not glean to the edges of their fields in verses 9-10?
* In verses 13-14, how might withholding pay “overnight” constitute theft from a worker?
* Using verses 15-16 as a guide; which do you think is more important in God’s kingdom, or at least in the workings of humans, justice, mercy, or leniency?
* How might these edicts be viewed by the “popular” culture of the day in Israel? How might these passages be viewed as an impeachment of the way Israelites were treating their kin and others who are in their country?
* How might the commands given in this passage be interpreted today? Do you think these commands are generally observed in our society and our culture? Why or why not?
* What is the promise offered by God to those who read and observe his commandments?
* What do you think is the connection between ritual and ethics?
* Should our ritual and our ethics be interrelated?