Parshas Acharei Mot: Dire Warnings Against Child Sacrifice

The Torah portion this week, Acharei Mot, Vayikra (Leviticus) 16:1–18:30, invites us to look to a future when human spiritual growth finally merits the messianic Redemption. The portion opens as Moses delivers a stern warning from Hashem to Aaron to refrain from seeking transcendental bliss or suffer a similar fate as his sons, Nadav and Avihu. 

The portion also provides guidelines for annual Yom Kippur observance and prohibitions against deviant sexual acts, idol worship and child sacrifice, signifying a sharp departure from accepted customs in biblical times, particularly in Canaanite society. The portion details animal sacrifice in temple centered Judaism as a way of atoning for offenses towards God and man. Sin results when a person’s animal soul holds sway over their godly soul. Our animal soul motivates us to increase our personal desires for safety, satisfaction and gratification, while our godly soul motivates us to seek God’s desire for us to create a Heaven on earth through God guided application of kindness, justice and mercy.

Specific warnings against the Canaanite practices mentioned above start with Leviticus 18:3, You are not to engage in the activities found in the land of Egypt, where you used to live; and you are not to engage in the activities found in the land of Kena‘an, where I am bringing you; nor are you to live by their laws.

A warning against child sacrifice gets its own line item in Leviticus 18:21, And you shall not give any of your offspring to pass through for Molech. And you shall not profane the Name of your God. I am the Lord.

It gets more dire in Leviticus 20:2-5. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Say to the people of Israel, Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. I myself will set my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given one of his children to Molech, to make my sanctuary unclean and to profane my holy name. And if the people of the land do at all close their eyes to that man when he gives one of his children to Molech, and do not put him to death, then I will set my face against that man and against his clan and will cut them off from among their people, him and all who follow him in whoring after Molech.”

It is clear from these verses that destroying one’s children defies the Almighty’s will and natural law. Additionally, severe consequences ensue for anyone supporting or engaging in these practices or remaining uniformed or silent as crimes against God and innocent children continue.

Current idol worship by many people of profiteering 'experts' and woke ideologues harm children in many evil ways, all of which pertain to the deviance referred to in Acharei Mot. Medical and scientific fact, intellectual honesty and intuitive wisdom guide us to include pre-born children from conception to birthday in this set of targeted children. This leads us to a much needed examination of the parallels between abortion and child sacrifice. I found an excellent treatment of this subject in the Journal of Biblical Ethics in Medicine. The article uses Tanakh references to call Christians to abandon support for abortion and to remind Jews that Judaism prohibits child sacrifice.

Abortion and the Ancient Practice of Child Sacrifice

https://bmei.org/abortion-and-the-ancient-practice-of-child-sacrifice/

The messianic age cannot be rushed. It will ultimately occur when every Jew and righteous gentile achieves character refinement by living according to God’s guidance and redeeming past errors through Teshuvah and repentance rather than seeking esoteric release from sin through self-involved pseudo-spiritual practices. Judaism instructs us to value and protect children rather than sacrifice them in the pursuit of selfish goals or misguided objectives. We are challenged to cultivate a culture of life within Judaism and in our neighboring communities. Doing so animates our godly soul, inviting God’s presence and grace into our daily lives and leading to that messianic age in which we hope.

Cecily Routman

May there be abundant peace from Heaven, and good life upon us and upon all Israel. Amen.