Temple Service, The

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?

To strain the bounds of galut, but not overstep them; to accept and conform to the will of G-d, while appreciating that it is G-d's desire that we contest His will whenever limits our connection with Him --that is the ultimate art

The Eternal Relevance of the Beis HaMikdash The Book of Vayikra concerns itself primarily with the sacrificial offeringsSee the Ramban’ s preface to the Book of Vayikra. which were one of the central services carried out in both the Sanctuary and the Beis...

I can see the experiential quality of it all: an ancient temple with heavenly music and mystical song; priests in flowing robes deep in meditation; mesmerizing, choreographed ritual. But why the barbecue?

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?