Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its partners assume any responsibility for them. Please contact us in case of abuse. In case of abuse, Rabbinic midrashic collections often open with “sales pitches” for the book they propose to interpret. One of the opening midrashim of Tanhuma Vayikra reads: “Once Moshe had brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, split for them the sea, brought them to the desert, sent down manna for them to eat, brought up water from the well for them, brought the quail for them and made the Mishkan (the Sanctuary) for them, he asked God: ‘From this point on, what is there for me to do?’ The Holy One Blessed be He answered him: Come on, I have work for you that is even more important than what you have already accomplished. I want you to teach Israel about purity and impurity and how to offer sacrifices before Me.’” (See Tanhuma Vayikra 3)