Korbanot (Sacrifices and Offerings)

There are two forms of blessings; those provided by G‑d's universe, and those we earn by the sweat of our brow and the toil of our hands. These two forms of blessings are represented by the animal offering and the wine libation.

The key to “korbanot” (sacrifices) is bringing our entire life “close.” This is through the understanding that every obligation in Judaism is assembled from the components of everyday life . . .

An animal does what it does, it makes no choices, it makes no mistakes. Lions eat zebras and raccoons knock over garbage pails. We can be annoyed but never angry with them. We must never be raccoons.

My father had lots of rules. Some of them I understood, and some of them I didn't understand

Why does the book devoted to mitzvot start with the laws of sacrifices? Perhaps they encapsulate the inner meaning of mitzvot more than any other individual mitzvah . . .

Are you a goring bull, trampling on everyone and everything in its way? A meek, little lamb that timidly follows the crowd?

The service of sacrifices involves much more than the animal being offered on the altar.

"She demanded Medical School or else!" "She force fed me chicken soup -- intravenously!" Jewish novelists have made millions denouncing their mothers to the world...

Why, if a person sinned and wished to make atonement, or he was just in a generous mood and wished to offer something to G‑d, does he sacrifice an innocent animal? Why doesn’t he sacrifice himself, for example?

Does the mitzvah count if you scrupulously perform the physical details but without feeling?