THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
In the book of Leviticus, we read: ‘And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Declare to the children of Israel, and say to them, If any man vows to dedicate his life to the Lord according to your valuation, your valuation of a man from twenty years old to sixty years old shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the holy shekel’ (Leviticus 27:1-3). After briefly addressing women and children, He adds: ‘But if he is poor and cannot fulfill your valuation, let him be presented to the priest, and let the priest assess his value’ (Lev. 27:8).
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This dialogue holds a profound and mysterious significance, which we will explore in detail at an appropriate time. For now, let us summarize that some of the Israelites, eager to dedicate their souls to God, followed the law’s ceremonial practices and presented their valuations to the priests stationed at the Divine altar. However, others aspired to this same honor, desiring to be recognized as sanctified and holy, yet their financial constraints hindered this longing. The scribes and Pharisees urged them strongly to fulfill these vows, motivated by a greed for wealth and a propensity for shameful gain. They feigned respect toward their parents, contending they could scarcely procure enough to sustain themselves and their families while also providing for their clothing needs.
These leaders encouraged them to view their obligations to God as a secondary matter. If their parents approached them requesting customary support, they suggested it was acceptable to tell them: ‘The gift that you would have received from me is dedicated to God. If you had received anything from me, understand that this would have hindered my pledge to the gift of God and would have interfered with my dedication, as I have offered myself to Him.’
The parents, fearing sacrilege and profoundly concerned about the laws governing such matters, endured their predicament with sorrow, misplacing the blame on Divine commandments, which seemed to impede their basic needs. Thus, it is stated, ‘You shall invalidate the commandment of God for your tradition.’ The law requires honoring one’s parents, and it is paramount to uphold that in the context of piety without neglecting the Divine commandments regarding them. Therefore, we should not disregard what is due to God in favor of human concerns, nor forsake human duties in favor of God, but rather, we ought to prioritize our love for God, the origin of all things, and immediately follow that by honoring our earthly parents in a way that befits them, keeping these principles in mind.