22 Elsie Stern
comment on moments in the Abraham story when the protagonist seems
lacking in absolute confi dence in God, overall, the portrait of Abraham
constructed in the rabbinic literature is one of radical faith in and obedi-
ence to YHWH. By beginning the parashah in Genesis 12:1, the creators of
the lectionary cycle shape Abraham’s journey to Canaan in ways that con-
form to, and support, this rabbinic portrait.
Th e parashah and haft arah pair for the morning of Yom Kippur (Day
of Atonement) provides an example of the power of the lectionary pair-
ing to shape the meaning of its constituent texts. Th e Torah reading for
Yom Kippur morning is Leviticus 16:1 – 34 and Numbers 29:7 – 11. Th e fi rst
of these describes the prescribed priestly ritual for the Day of Atonement.
It includes the purifi cation of the innermost, holiest parts of the shrine and
describes the scapegoat ritual in which a goat, which was ritually loaded
with the outstanding sins of the Israelites, would be sent over a cliff into
the wilderness. Th e unit also includes the commandment to practice self-
denial and cessation from all work. Th e unit concludes by reiterating the
purpose of these yearly rituals:
Th is shall be a statute to you forever: In the seventh month, on the tenth
day of the month, you shall deny yourselves, and shall do no work, neither
the citizen nor the alien who resides among you. For on this day atone-
ment shall be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins you shall
be clean before the lord. It is a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you
shall deny yourselves; it is a statute forever. Th e priest who is anointed and
consecrated as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement, wearing
the linen vestments, the holy vestments. He shall make atonement for the
sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the
altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of
the assembly. Th is shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atone-
ment for the people of Israel once in the year for all their sins. And Moses
did as the lord had commanded him. (Leviticus 16:29 – 34)Th e reading from Numbers reiterates the commands to practice self- denial
and cessation from all work and also enumerates the sacrifi cial off erings
particular to the day. It is clear why the framers of the lectionary desig-
nated these readings for Yom Kippur: they are the pentateuchal texts that
describe the rituals mandated for the holiday by the priestly authors in an-
cient Israelite times. Even though the sacrifi cial rituals became obsolete in
the post – Second Temple period, the mandates regarding self-denial (inter-