INTPARSHA61 -22: Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei

From: "Yeshivat Har Etzion's Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash"
To: yhe-intparsha@vbm-torah.org
Subject: INTPARSHA61 -22: Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei

YESHIVAT HAR ETZION
ISRAEL KOSCHITZKY VIRTUAL BEIT MIDRASH (VBM)
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INTRODUCTION TO PARASHAT HASHAVUA

by Zvi Shimon

PARASHAT PEKUDEI

The Significance of the Sacrifices

In this week's Torah reading we conclude the book of
Exodus and commence the book of Leviticus. Despite being
different books in the Torah, the content of Exodus and
Leviticus is intricately connected. The last half of the book
of Exodus, from chapter 25 to the end, deals primarily with
the construction of the Mishkan, the abode of God. Exodus
concludes with God's dwelling in the newly constructed
Mishkan: "When Moses had finished the work, the cloud covered
the Tent of Meeting, and the Presence of the Lord filled the
Tabernacle" (40:33,34). The book of Leviticus, the third book
of the Pentateuch, follows with the rules regarding the
offering of sacrifices. The Mishkan is the abode of God where
one goes to encounter the divine and to worship him.
Furthermore, it is the location where all sacrifices are to be
offered. Several week's ago, in parashat Teruma, we discussed
the significance of the Menorah. This week's discussion will
focus on the underlying idea behind the offering of animal
sacrifices on the brass altar of the Mishkan.

What is the significance behind the offering of
sacrifices? What is their function in man's worship of God?
(We do not intend, by our question, to inquire into the
significance of the different types of sacrifices but rather
wish to find an underlying idea imminent in the sacrificial
enterprise as a WHOLE.) The Rambam (Rabbi Moshe ben
Maimon, Egypt, 1138-1204) discusses this question in his classic
philosophical work, originally written in Arabic, 'The Guide
to the Perplexed'. In the section which deals with the
rationale behind the different commandments of God, the Rambam
offers the following explanation for the offering of animal
sacrifices.

"It is impossible to go suddenly from one extreme to the
other; it is therefore according to the nature of man
impossible for him suddenly to discontinue everything to
which he has been accustomed.... The custom which was in
those days general among 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 burn 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 [to].... For this reason God allowed these kinds
of service to continue; He transferred to His service
that which had formerly served as a worship of created
beings, and of things imaginary and unreal, and commanded
us to serve Him in the same manner; viz., to build unto
Him a temple; "And they shall make unto Me a sanctuary"
(Ex. 25:8); to have the altar erected to His name; "An
altar of earth thou shalt make unto Me" (ibid. 20:21); to
offer the sacrifices to Him; "If any man of you bring an
offering unto the Lord" (Lev. 1:2), to bow down to Him
and to burn incense before Him. He has forbidden to do
any of these things to any other being; "He who
sacrificeth unto any god, save the Lord only, he shall be
utterly destroyed" (Ex. 22:19); "For thou shalt bow down
to no other god" (ibid. 34:14). He selected priests for
the service in the temple; "And they shall minister unto
Me in the priest's office" (ibid. 28:41). He made it
obligatory that certain gifts, called the gifts of the
Levites and the priests, should be assigned to them for
their maintenance while they are engaged in the service
of the temple and its sacrifices. By this Divine plan it
was effected that the traces of idolatry were blotted
out, and the truly great principle of our faith, the
Existence and Unity of God, was firmly established; this
result was thus obtained without deterring or confusing
the minds of the people by the abolition of the service
to which they were accustomed and which alone was
familiar to them." (Guide to the Perplexed 3:32)

The worship of God by the offering of sacrifices is not
the preferred form of worship. The Torah commands it only in
an attempt to curb idolatry since sacrifices were the
universally accepted form of worship. According to the Rambam,
it would have been impossible, for the Torah to totally annul
the custom of sacrifices since it was so ingrained in people's
behavior. Instead, God limited the scope of sacrifices to one
location, the Mishkan, and designated the sons of Aaron to be
responsible for sacrificing on the altar. In a similar vein,
he Rambam explains the Torah's determination of the animals
suitable for sacrifice:

"Scripture tells us, according to the version of Onkelos,
that the Egyptians worshipped Aries, and therefore
abstained from killing sheep, and held shepherds in
contempt: "Behold we shall sacrifice the abomination of
the Egyptians," etc. (Exod. 8:26); "For every shepherd is
an abomination to the Egyptians" (Gen. 46:34). Some
sects among the Sabeans worshipped demons, and imagined
that these assumed the form of goats, and called them
therefore "goats" [se'irim]. This worship was
widespread: "And they shall no more offer their
sacrifices unto demons, after whom they have gone a
whoring" (Lev. 17:7). For this reason those sects
abstained from eating goats' flesh. Most idolaters
objected to killing cattle, holding this species of
animals in great estimation. Therefore the people of
Hodu [Indians] up to this day do not slaughter cattle
even in those countries where other animals are
slaughtered. In order to eradicate these false
principles, the Law commands us to offer sacrifices only
of these three kinds: "Ye shall bring your offering of
the cattle [viz.], of the herd and of the flock" (Lev.
1:2). Thus the very act which is considered by the
heathen as the greatest crime, is the means of
approaching God, and obtaining His pardon for our sins.
In this manner, evil principles, the diseases of the
human soul, are cured by other principles which are
diametrically opposite." (Guide to the Perplexed 3:46)

The Rambam posits that the reason for offering sheep and
cattle as sacrifices, and not other animals, is to negate and
uproot the mistaken and skewed beliefs of the idolatrous
world. The Torah commands us to sacrifice the idols of the
other peoples in order to distance the Israelites from the
idolater's faulty conceptions. Do you agree with the Rambam's
approach?

The Ramban (Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman, Spain, 1194-1274)
rejects outright the Rambam's explanation:

"But these words are mere expressions, healing casually a
severe wound and a great difficulty, and making 'the
table of the Eternal polluted,' [as if the offerings were
intended only] to remove false beliefs from the hearts of
the wicked and fools of the world, when Scripture says
that they are 'the food of the offering made by fire, for
a pleasing odor.' Moreover, [if the offerings were meant
to eliminate] the foolish [ideas] of the Egyptians, their
disease would not thereby be cured. On the contrary, it
would increase the cause of sorrow, for since the
intention of the above-mentioned wicked ones was to
worship the constellations of the sheep and the ox, which
according to their opinion possess certain powers [over
human affairs], and which is why they abstain from eating
them in deference to their power and strength, then if
these species are slaughtered to the Revered Name, it is
a mark of respect and honor to [these constellations].
These worshippers themselves were in the habit of so
doing, as He has said, 'And they shall no more sacrifice
their sacrifices unto the satyrs,' and those who made the
[golden] calf sacrificed to it. Now the Rabbi [Moshe ben
Maimon] mentions that the idol-worshippers used to
sacrifice to the moon on the days of new-moon, and to the
sun when it rose in a particular constellation know to
them from their books. The disease of idolatry would
surely have been far better cured if we were to eat
[these animal-deities] to our full, which would be
considered by them forbidden and repugnant, and something
they would never do!

"Furthermore, when Noah came out of the ark with his
three sons, there were as yet no Chaldeans or Egyptians
in the world, yet he brought an offering, which was
pleasing to God, as concerning it Scripture says, 'And
the Eternal smelled the pleasing odor,' and on account of
it 'He said in His heart, 'I will not again curse the
ground any more for man's sake.' 'Abel likewise brought
of the first-born of his flock and of the fat thereof.
And the Eternal had regard unto Abel and to his
offering.' Yet there was as yet not the slightest trace
at all of idol-worship in the world.

"The Scriptural expression concerning the offerings is,
'My food which is presented unto Me for offerings made by
fire, for a pleasing odor unto Me.' Far be it that they
should have no other purpose and intention except the
elimination of idolatrous opinions from the minds of
fools!" (Ramban Leviticus 1:9)

The Ramban rejects the Rambam on several grounds. First,
he rejects the Rambam's approach since it attaches no inherent
value to the sacrifices, and regards them as being only are
only a protective guard against idolatry with no independent
significance. The Ramban rejects this argument because it
contradicts verses such as, "My food which is presented unto
Me for offerings made by fire, for a pleasing odor unto me"
(Numbers 28:2), which relate positively to the sacrifices. I
would add to the Ramban's reservations the fact that
sacrifices entail a whole complex of commandments so that it
is hard to relegate such a large number of commandments to
such a minor role bereft of positive meaning. Second, the
Ramban critiques the Rambam's approach on its own grounds,
claiming it is factually incorrect. The idolaters, themselves,
sacrificed these animals to the constellations. They did not
object to sacrificing these animals but rather refrained from
eating them. Were the Torah's intention to negate the beliefs
of the idolaters it would encourage eating the animals, not
sacrificing them. Finally, the Ramban rejects the Rambam's
explanation on historical grounds. The Torah recounts
instances such as the offerings of Abel and Noach where
sacrifices were offered before there existed any idolatry and
God nevertheless looked favorably upon them.

The Ramban offers an alternative explanation to the
sacrifices:

"It is far more fitting to accept the reason for the
offerings which scholars say, namely that since man's
deeds are accomplished through thought, speech and
action, therefore God commanded that when man sins and
brings an offering, he should lay his hands upon it in
contrast to the [evil] deed [committed]. He should
confess his sin verbally in contrast to his [evil]
speech, and he should burn the instruments of thought and
desire in the human being. He should burn the legs [of
the offering] since they correspond to the hands and feet
of a person, which do all his work. He should sprinkle
the blood upon the altar, which is analogous to the blood
in his body. All these acts are performed in order that
when they are done, a person should realize that he has
sinned against his God with his body and his soul, and
that "his" blood should really be spilled and "his" body
burned, were it not for the loving-kindness of the
Creator, Who took from him a substitute and a ransom,
namely this offering, so that its blood should be in
place of his blood, its life in place of his life, and
that the chief limbs of the offering should be in place
of the chief parts of his body." (Ramban ibid.)

The sacrifice is a substitute for the person himself. The
punishment deserved by the person offering the sacrifice is
symbolically transferred to the animal. The owner of the
animal, through the act of sacrificing, inculcates his
culpability and realizes that because God is merciful, his
sins are forgiven and his sacrifice accepted. Can you spot any
weaknesses in the Ramban's explanation?

Rabbi Hoffman (Rabbi David Zvi Hoffman, Germany, 1843-
1921) points out several difficulties in the Ramban's
approach.

1. Not all sacrifices are brought for the atonement of sins.
Besides the sin offering there are also burnt offerings and
meal offerings which are not brought for the atonement of sin.
Therefore, the Ramban's explanation does not encompass the
whole gamut of sacrifices since he only refers to the sin
offering.

2. Even the sin offering is not brought for a sin which
carries a punishment of death but rather for a sin perpetrated
unwittingly. Therefore it is incorrect to see the sin offering
as a symbolic representation of the punishment deserved by the
sinner.

3. According to the Ramban's explanation, the focal point of
the sacrificial procedure should be the slaughtering of the
animal, the actual infliction of death. However, this is not
the case since anyone, even a non-Levite, can perform the
slaughtering. The most important part of the sacrificial
process is actually the sprinkling of the animal's blood onto
the altar, an act which can only be performed by a priest.

As Rabbi Hoffman points out, the sprinkling of the
animal's blood is the most important part of the sacrifice.
Although the different types of sacrifices have different laws
with regard to the flesh of the animal, (either burning the
whole animal on the altar or having parts of it eaten by the
owner, or offering parts to the priest,) one aspect never
changes in all the animal sacrifices. The blood of the animal
is always brought to the altar. The bringing of the blood to
the altar is therefore the common denominator in all animal
sacrifices. If we are to search for an underlying explanation
to all animal sacrifices we must focus on the offering of the
blood.

What does blood represent, what is its significance? The
Torah gives the following answer in explaining the prohibition
of eating blood:

"But make sure that you do not partake of the blood; for
the blood is the LIFE, and you must not consume the life
with the flesh"(Deuteronomy 12:23).

It is forbidden to eat blood since it is the life of all
creatures. The Torah states another reason for this
prohibition:

"And if anyone of the house of Israel or of the strangers
who reside among them partakes of any blood, I will set
My face against the person who partakes of the blood, and
I will cut him off from among his kin. For the life of
the flesh is in the blood, and I have assigned it to you
for making atonement for your lives upon the altar; it is
the blood, as life, that effects atonement." (Leviticus
17:10-11)

It is not only that the blood is life but as a result of
its being the essence of life it is reserved for the altar. We
are now better equipped to understand the significance of the
sprinkling of the blood onto the altar? The offering of blood
is a proclamation of God's ownership of our lives. The blood
sprinkled on the altar, as the Ramban explained, represents
the blood (the life) of the person offering the sacrifice.
However, its offering is not an act of atonement, a symbolic
transfer of the punishment of the person offering to the
animal. Rather, it is a statement, a symbolic portrayal of
God's dominion over our lives. Through the sprinkling of the
animal's blood on the altar (which represents life), we
acknowledge that our lives are not our own but belong to God
who created us. The sacrifice reiterates our commitment to God
and the devotion of our lives to the fulfillment of His will.
A Torah lifestyle carries with it the awareness and the
responsibility of choosing one's course of action and
direction in life based on the will and commandment of He who
is the provider and owner of all life.

Rabbi Hoffman proves this explanation of the underlying
idea behind the sacrifices by analyzing some of the earliest
cases of sacrifices in the Torah.

"Noach, who saw with his own eyes the destruction of the
world and its evil inhabitants [in the flood], and who
was miraculously saved by God, grasped that his life was
a gift from God and totally dependent upon Him, and he
vividly expressed this awareness through the sacrifice of
animals. The blood , the "life" of the animal, which was
offered on the altar, symbolized the soul of man and his
life, and in this sacrifice Noach's feelings flowed forth
and were given an outward expression, that not only his
wealth but also his very life belongs to God..."

This idea is explicitly and most powerfully expressed in
Abraham's sacrifice in the binding of Isaac.

"God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his favored son, to
whom he was connected with all his soul, and whose life
was more dear to him than his own. After having displayed
his full willingness and unrestrained compliance [with
God's command], came a call to preserve his son's life,
and then appeared suddenly a ram which he offered instead
of his son. Through this was expressed clearly the idea
that via the life force which we offer to god by means of
the sacrifice of a living creature, we symbolize our
complete submission to God and our total obedience to His
commands... This is the essence of the fear of God:
unlimited obedience of God. "For now I know that you fear
God, since you have not withheld your son, your favored
one, from me" (22:12).

This idea implicit in the sacrifices of Noach and Abraham
serves as the foundation for the understanding of animal
sacrifices offered in the Mishkan. The sacrifices are not only
aimed at curtailing idolatry. They are a powerful, dramatic
and most vivid expression of man's devotion to his Creator.

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YESHIVAT HAR ETZION
ISRAEL KOSCHITZKY VIRTUAL BEIT MIDRASH
ALON SHEVUT, GUSH ETZION 90433

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