Parshas Vayikra
Self Sacrifice
By Rabbi Shlomo Jarcaig
The Torah mandates and details the procedures for bringing korbanos (1),
animal offerings in the Mishkan (Tabernacle). In a variety of circumstances
- daily and seasonal offerings brought at specified times, thanksgiving
offerings that demonstrate our appreciation of G-d’s grace, and sin
offerings to atone for various transgressions - we are told to kill them
and offer them as “gifts” to the Almighty. Why would G-d want us to take
the creatures He chose to create and destroy them? Why is this the
prescribed form of Divine Service for such a wide array of occasions and
circumstances? Are they merely self-preserving sacrifices?
Maharal (2) explains that the purpose of korbanos is to help us maintain
the proper perspective of “who” G-d is and how He relates to the world. In
His infinity, G-d is beyond all physicality. When creatures die, they
return to the realm of existence which is removed from the physical, they
return to their spiritual essence, reconnecting with Him. Everything in
the Universe is comparatively nothing in relationship to Him. When
korbanos are brought, there is recognition that this creature, indeed all
of creation, is temporal and is eventually returning to its source.
Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler (3) explains that the purpose of this world is to
reveal G-d’s Glory. His kindness, mercy, and justice are manifest
throughout the length and breadth of our lives. We facilitate their
revelation through our emulation of His traits. But there is higher
revelation that transcends these; the revelation that all of creation is
virtually nothing relative to Him. The most compelling expression that
everything in the world is null and void, vis-à-vis G-d, is to sacrifice
oneself. But G-d does not want this; it is contrary to the human’s role in
the world. Man was given the gift of free will; through the choices he
makes he assists in the revelation of G-d’s presence. Killing him
eliminates all of those potential revelations, which can only be made by
him. In contrast, the entire purpose of animals is to be used by mankind
to aid us in our revealing G-d’s greatness. We offer korbanos on these
various occasions to remind us of who we are and what our unique role is
in this world. On a daily basis we recognize the unique blessing that
accompanies the dawn of a new day. The arrival of a holiday heralds the
recognition of His unfathomable kindness and the accompanying national
miracles, and there are times when we are cognizant of His personal
providence. All these moments of gratitude compel us to focus, to realize
that His kindnesses exist to facilitate our fulfillment of our role.
Similarly, when we transgress, we recognize we were remiss with the
responsibility of using our free will to carry out that role.
Passover, our Sages teach us, is the season of freedom, which begs the
question: Freedom to accomplish what?
Have a Good Shabbos!
(1) lit. devices to bring one close (e.g. to G-d); plural of korban; often
translated as sacrifices
(2) Acronym for Rabbi Yehuda (ben Betzalel) Loewe; 1526-1609; One of the
seminal figures in Jewish thought in the last half millennium, he was Chief
Rabbi in Moravia, Posen and Prague and author of numerous works in all
fields of Torah
(3) 1891-1954; in Michtav Me'Eliyahu, his collected writings and
discourses; from England and, later, B'nai Brak, he was one of the
outstanding personalities and thinkers of the Mussar movement
Text Copyright © 2006 by Rabbi Shlomo Jarcaig
and Torah.org.
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