Don't Sacrifice!
As we embark on the journey through the third book of the Torah, the book of Leviticus, we read, in the English translation of the Bible, about many forms of sacrifices: from sacrifices offered by the individual, as atonement or thanksgiving, to the communal sacrifices. Reading about all the sacrifices, we must remember that often the translation misses the essence of the idea it seeks to translate.
Let’s state it loud and clear: Judaism does not advocate, command, or believe in sacrifices.
The Merriam-Webster’s definition of “sacrifice” is as follows:
1: an act of offering to a deity something precious; especially: the killing of a victim on an altar 2: something offered in sacrifice. 3 a: destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else b: something given up or lost, the sacrifices made by parents.
The word sacrifice, as well as offering, represents the idea that one must sacrifice and give up of him or herself for a cause. The word sacrifice implies that G-d would like to see us take something that is precious to us, something that we would very much like to keep for ourselves, and give it to G-d.
Judaism, however, does not believe in sacrifice. The Hebrew word for sacrifice-offering is “Karban” which means to draw close [the root of “Karban” is “Karov” which means close][1].
What does draw close mean?
There are various forms of pleasures in this world, on a spectrum from the tangible to the spiritual and abstract. The more concrete the pleasure, the more tangible it is, the easier it is to experience without any training. A child does not have to develop a taste for sweets; the first time the child tastes candy the child knows that candy is good and pleasurable. But then there are more abstract forms of pleasure, great music, art, wisdom. It takes time and practice to enjoy them, one must invest in developing a taste for them, they may not be as easy to experience in the beginning, but the pleasure they provide, while not as tangible as candy, can be far more enjoyable.
When a mother takes her child to a concert for the first time, the child may be thinking that this is a major sacrifice. After all, why waste the time listening to music when there is fun to be had and toys to be played with? Mother, however, is not demanding a sacrifice from her child. What she is doing is introducing him or her to a higher, deeper, form of pleasure.
In the book of Exodus great things are accomplished. G-d takes the people out of physical and spiritual bondage in Egypt, gives them the Torah, and gives them precise instructions on how to construct a temple, a place where one can become close to the Divine.
And then comes the book of Leviticus. G-d introduces the “Karban”, the drawing close. Nachmanides[2] explains that the purpose of offering an animal was to elicit within the person the feeling that in truth he should be the one offered, and the animal is an exchange for himself. All offerings had two things in common: the blood was extracted and placed on the altar, and some of the fats were burnt on the alter. This symbolizes, not the destruction of the passion and pleasure, but rather it symbolizes devoting the passion and pleasure to the holy and Divine. [3]
In the book of Exodus G-d acts like the mother who took her child from the sandbox to the concert hall. In the book of Leviticus it is the child’s turn to act.[4] It is the child who is called upon to do what no one else can do for him: to draw himself close to the music and experience a deeper pleasure; to draw himself close and experience the pleasure and joy of a relationship with G-d.
[1] There are other, less common, names for “Karban” in the Torah, one example is “Zevach”. The word “Zavach” does not imply taking life per se; rather it implies a positive creation of food, specifically food which brings family together in celebration. See commentary by Rabbi S.R. Hirsh on Exodus 20:20.
[2] Commentary on Leviticus 1:9.
[3] See Lekutey Sichos volume 1 Vayikra.
[4] See Lekutey Sichos volume 16 Pikudey 3 (p. 479).