Vayikra

Vayikra, known in English as Leviticus, is the third book of the Hebrew Bible and the Torah. The name Vayikra comes from the opening word in Hebrew, meaning “And He called,” signaling God addressing Moses. The book follows Exodus and precedes Numbers. Traditionally, it was attributed to Moses, but modern scholarship views it as the work of the Priestly source, compiled and edited during the Persian period.

Vayikra concentrates on priestly matters and the cultic system of ancient Israel. Its central aim is holiness—described as being set apart for service to God—and it presents laws governing ritual offerings, purity, and ethical behavior. The book sets out the five major types of sacrifices: burnt offerings, grain offerings, peace offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings, detailing procedures, purpose, and priests’ roles. It also includes regulations for the priests (the Kohanim), ritual purity and impurity, and laws concerning clean and unclean foods and bodily discharges.

Key sections include the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) in Leviticus 16, which describes a ritual for atonement and cleansing of the sanctuary; and the Holiness Code (Leviticus 17–26), which expands holiness to dietary, sexual, and civil laws and includes calls to ethical conduct. Chapters 25–26 discuss sabbatical andjubilee concepts and further ethical injunctions.

Vayikra has had profound influence on Jewish law and liturgy. It is frequently studied for its priestly theology, ritual prescriptions, and its role in shaping concepts of purity and holiness in Judaism, as well as its reception in Christian theology.