Parashat Vayikra: Sacrifices, essence, and meaning
Someone who sins is meant to bring something of himself – his heart and emotions – and to experience a sense of closeness to God and love for Him through the offering.
This Shabbat, we will read parashat “Vayikra,” the first portion of the third book of the Torah – Leviticus. This portion, which commands the bringing of sacrifices, begins with the verse:
“When a person from among you brings an offering to the Lord: from the cattle, from the herd, or from the flock, you shall bring your offering” (Leviticus 1:2).
From the wording “When a person from among you (Hebrew mikem) brings an offering,” we already understand that the act of offering a sacrifice is not a pagan ritual of slaughtering animals as gifts or bribes to deities controlling the universe as was the custom among followers of ancient, fanatical religions.
The emphasis here is that the person is meant to bring something of himself – his heart and emotions – and to experience a sense of closeness to God and love for Him through the offering. The word korban (sacrifice) comes from the root karov (closeness).
A person who offers a sacrifice without inwardly drawing closer to God with a broken and humble heart achieves nothing with his offering. Concerning such individuals, King David said:
“For You do not desire a sacrifice, or else I would give it; a burnt offering You do not favor. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit....” (Psalms 51:18-19).
When the Temple stood, the person bringing the sacrifice was present for a sacred and uplifting ceremony. With the pure and moving singing of the Levites filling the air, the person would reflect on his spiritual state and wholeheartedly return to God.
The force that opposes the soul’s light is referred to in Jewish thought as the “animal soul.” The offering of an animal on the altar sharpened the distinction between human and beast, symbolizing the person’s commitment to spiritual living, serving God, and refining his character – contrary to the animalistic pursuit of physical desires and bodily pleasures.
Don Isaac Abarbanel, in his introduction to the Book of Leviticus, explains why the act of placing an animal on the altar is called a korban: “Because this act creates a great closeness between the one bringing the offering and God.”
Intentional vs. Unintentional sins
Based on this explanation, we can understand why a person who sins intentionally brings a korban. It seems logical that someone who knowingly distanced himself from God through sin should offer a korban to draw close again. But why does a person who sinned accidentally need to bring an offering, and why does the Torah require only an unintentional sinner to do so?
The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that the sin of an unintentional transgressor lies in allowing oneself to be drawn toward worldly desires and indulgences even before committing the actual sin. These indulgences created a spiritual state that made it possible for the person to transgress, even unknowingly.
The things people do instinctively, without awareness or intention, reveal their inner state – what they are immersed in and what brings them pleasure. The actions of a righteous person are acts of goodness and holiness, whereas one who stumbles into sin demonstrates through his behavior that his focus is on the mundane and fleeting pleasures.
An action that happens naturally for a person reflects his essence and what his “self” is connected to. As a result, he is instinctively drawn to such actions until he ultimately finds himself committing an actual transgression against God.
Because of this, the Torah requires a korban for unintentional sins. The offering serves as a means of spiritual realignment, bringing the individual closer to God and lifting him out of the spiritually distant state he may not have even been fully aware of.
The writer is rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites.