Who Needs Sacrifices Anyway

Ariel Seri-Levi • 2007

The opening of the book of Vayikra, brings to light the age old debate over the essence of the Korbanot, and also gives new meaning to prayer.

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The opening of the book of Vayikra, know also as Torat Kohanim– the book of priests, brings to light  the age old - but still relevant debate - over the essence of the Korbanot, the sacrificial offerings. The Rambam, who dedicated many chapters of his great philosophical work ‘Guide to the Perplexed’ to tracing the reason and meaning behind each of the commandments, speaks in detail of the wrongful opinions of the idle worshipers and their customs that were very widespread in ancient times. One of his central claims is that a large part of the commandments are meant only to uproot the idol-worship rites and rituals - which educate to wrongful opinions - and replace them with alternative rituals, and therefore it is pointless to search within these commandments for further meaning:

But the custom which was in those days general among all men, and the general mode of worship in which the Israelites were brought up, consisted in sacrificing animals in those temples which contained certain images, to bow down to those images, and to bum incense before them; religious and ascetic persons were in those days the persons that were devoted to the service in the temples erected to the stars, as has been explained by us. It was in accordance with the wisdom and plan of God, as displayed in the whole Creation, that He did not command us to give up and to discontinue all these manners of service; for to obey such a commandment it would have been contrary to the nature of man, who generally cleaves to that to which he is used.[1]

The Rambam, who in his grand legal composition ‘Mishne Torah‘ dedicated much labor into the laws of sacrificial offerings down to the smallest detail, is not suspect of treating this subject lightly. None the less, any reader would feel a slight discomfort at reading The Rambam words, and bothersome questions might fill his head. Is this really what a whole book in the written torah and mountains of Halachot in the oral torah are dedicated to? Isn’t the Torah divine and eternal? How can it be constrained to a specific historic context?

I would like to look into another aspect of The Rambams perceptions regarding the connection between God and man. After the destruction of the temple, in an important development by the sages, the sacrificial offerings were essentially replaced with the “work of the heart”, prayer. Now it is very easy and tempting to portray sacrifices as ancient rituals resembling idol worship, as seen in the verses:

“Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in hearkening to the voice of the Lord”, and in contrast to see prayer as an inner process and that creates dialogical affinity, the pure voice of the soul that is eternally praying. But The Rambam cut our sentimental musings short, with the sentences that flows the previous passage:

It would in those days have made the same impression as a prophet would make at present if he called us to the service of God and told us in His name, that we should not pray to Him, not fast, not seek His help in time of trouble; that we should serve Him in thought, and not by any action.

In other words, The Rambam is telling us that it’s all a matter of habit. There is no essential difference between the mass slaughtering that may seem shocking to the vegetarians of our generation, and the prayer and fasting that seem from a far more spiritual world. Were it possible - and The Rambam goes on to explain why not - we would be commanded to serve God “in thought, and not by any action.”

To those who are not familiar with the philosophical world of The Rambam - for it is he who gave us the permission to interpret through historical context – it is hard to accept such a concept, which places the connection between man and his creator, the fulfillment of Mitzvot and even prayer, solely on the knowledge of the “correct” metaphysical facts. God is not interested in our sincere prayers just as he has no need for our fragrant offerings. What then, are we to do?

Rabbi Tzadok Hakohen addressed this issue, in light of the sages and The Rambam.

He explains that God does not have any actual interest in our offerings. The offerings are actually for our own benefit. The torah is actually being considerate of the “ancient Hebrew” who was raised amongst idol worshipers, and longs to present a gift to his God, to offer him something of his own, to give him pleasure. God allows this however, notes Rabbi Tzadok, God has no actual need for such things, and the person presenting the offering is doing so for his own will and benefit.

This insight seems to be even harder to swallow then  The Rambams, since according to Rabbi Tzadok there accentually is no difference between  offerings and prayer, everything that is said about the offering applies to prayer as well. While The Rambam speaks of a divine will - even if it’s an overly philosophical, maybe even alienated will - to teach us the truth, Rabbi Tzadok has describes an almost total indifference. Would a child give a drawing to his parents, if their response would be to shrug their shoulders and say “well, if you insist…”?  Would you serve coffee to a guest that with each sip expresses how kind he is for not pouring it in our face? And if so, what is the point of such a “subjective” form of prayer? Is man talking to himself? What for?

But Rabbi Tzadok doesn’t leave us hanging. He goes on to explain that there is one thing that God does derive “enjoyment” or “benefit” from – our will to serve him, our will to please him. The same is true for sacrificial offerings as well as prayer. God wills our desire to pray.

The parents really have no need for the drawing itself, that the child will probably forget the next day.  A different child’s drawing won’t interest them at all. And the guest- he can have his coffee at home, but he chose to have it in our house. This is the secret, tells us Rabbi Tzadok.  God wills the heart. He does not want us to pray he wants our desire to pray. He does not want our sacrifice; he wants our desire to sacrifice.

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If so, it would seem that we have followed down The Rambam’s path: God grants man the right to offer sacrifices and pray the right to realize his aspirations - that are idolatrous by origin- even though God has no need for them. Even though the offerings and prayers cannot change him, cannot leave any impression on him and no pleasure is derived of them. But Rabbi Tzadok ads an extra twist in the end. God actually does derive pleasure, does want, but not the drawing, not the coffee, but our desire to please him; an eternal yearning of man to find favor in his eyes , to give him what he does not lack, an innocent childish gift, and even imagine that he enjoys it!- it is that yearning that God yearns for.

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[1] ‘Guide to the Perplexed’, part 3 chapter 32.

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