LEVITICUS I-V
ABOUT KORBANOT
The third book of the Torah (Pentateuch), Vayikra, is also known as Torat Kohanim, Leviticus, in English, because it details the laws concerning the tribe of Levi. We find the instructions pertinent to the Kohanim (Priests) and the Korbanot, the sacrifices that will be offered in the Beit HaMikdash. It is important to note that the word “sacrifice” does not adequately represent the idea contained in the biblical word Korban which comes from the Hebrew root “krv” which means “near” and encapsulates the desire of the human being for a “closeness” to God, according to which the Korbanbecomes the instrument for this closeness.
The Torah conceives of several types of Korban. First, we must highlight the Korban Tamid, the daily offering on behalf of the Jewish people. Indeed, the Shacharit (Morning) prayer is an echo of this Korban and the prayer is recited during the period corresponding to this offering on the Beit HaMikdash (Temple of Jerusalem). Additional Korbanot were offered during the Holy Days, a fact that is reflected in the Musaf prayer that is incorporated during these festivities.
Some sacrifices, such as the Olah, ascent, were totally consumed by fire on the Mizbeach, the altar, except for the skin. In the case of Minchah, on the other hand, the Kohanim shared the remains of the animal that were left on the altar. The Korban Shelamim, offered as a peace offering, or perhaps as an expression of gratitude for being “Shalem,” complete and satisfied, except for a few internal parts and fats, the greater part of the animal could be consumed by the Kohen and the family making the offering. Like the previous two, it is a freewill offering from the person.
These sacrifices are an expression of gratitude from man in recognition of God’s providence. To atone for a mistake, the Korban Chatat was offered. It should be noted that only faults committed carelessly, unintentionally, required this sacrifice, which had to be accompanied by Teshuvah, sincere repentance for sin.
Intentional transgressions received the punishment prescribed by the Torah, and there was no option of a Korban in such cases. In other words, you can’t make a mistake with every intention of doing so, and then apologize for it. Four types of Korban Chatat were described, depending on who had made the mistake by carelessness. The first corresponds to the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) and the second when the collective made a mistake.
The third type referred to the head of the nation, including the king. The fourth referred to any individual. Tradition considers the first two types to be more compromising because they include religious leadership and the entire nation. A different Korban, called Asham, refers to the unintentional misuse of property belonging to the Sacred.
In addition to the offering, the person must make the due devoluton plus a fine equivalent to one-fifth of the object in question. It is pertinent to recall the position that Rambamassumes in More Nevuchim, a treatise in which he discusses the reasons that motivated certain norms to be legislated. He argues that in Canaan they used to cook lamb in their mother’s milk, as part of an idolatrous cult. At the same time, they wore clothes made from a mixture of wool and linen. Therefore, the Torahforbade these practices to differentiate the Hebrews from pagan rituals.
Similarly, he considers that God imposed the laws of the Korbanot as an intermediate stage, with the goal of their eventual total abolition. Since the nature of the human being does not allow for an abrupt transition, when one considers that the practice of sacrifices was previously universal and there were even peoples who practised human sacrifice. Therefore, the Torah regulates sacrifices. They usually had to be offered by the Kohen and only in the Beit HaMikdash. This interpretation of Jewish tradition presents difficulties because it implies that the order of the sacrifices of the Beit HaMikdash has no intrinsic value, is a kind of concession, and is unlikely to be a reality in the Messianic era.
Ramban, Nachmanides of Gerona, does not agree with Rambam‘s interpretation. He argues that if that were so, why did Noah offer sacrifices when he left the Ark? At that time there were neither Egyptians nor Canaanites with their idolatrous cults. Ibn Ezra, for example, explains the Korbanot differently when he emphasizes that man manifests himself through thought, word, and action.
When offering the Korban, the person must place his hands on the animal as a reference to a fault he committed through the action. He must confess his mistake and, in this way, atone for the fault he committed. The consumption of the inner parts of the animal by fire is preferred, which according to the language of the Torah are found in the kidneys of the person.
In conclusion, for Ramban, Ibn Ezra, and other exegetes, it is inconceivable that the Laws of the Torah are transient, because God’s will has to be valid for every geographical place and every time.
We conclude with a thought by Harav Kook that considers the difficulties of modern man in understanding the meaning of animal sacrifice. We pray that God will rebuild the Beit HaMikdash, an event that can only be accomplished miraculously. As an integral part of that miraculous event, says Harav Kook, the Creator will reveal a novel understanding of the spiritual scope of the Korban that will be satisfying, even to the sophisticated mind of contemporary man.
