2021/5781
The Sefer of VaYikra is primarily known for its discussion of Korbanot and the laws regarding them. It is difficult to grasp the concept of Korbanot: one buys an animal, burns it on the altar, and everything is forgiven. It seems ridiculous to the outside observer — it is as if you just expect magic to happen. First, we must define the word “Korban”. The root word of “Korban” is Karov, which means to be close. The letter Nun at the end of the word indicates something that does the action. To explain by way of example, the word “Shakran,” which means liar in modern Hebrew, has the root word of Sheker, which means a lie. Thus, a Korban, by definition, is something that brings us closer to something else, which, in this case, is Hashem.
How do sacrifices help one achieve a closer relationship with God? Rav Yosef Albo in Sefer Ha’Ikkarim explains: bringing a Korban shows that you have love and loyalty to such an extent that you are willing to dedicate your physical being to Hashem. We ask, though, that it is much easier to give away an animal than to give yourself away. How is giving an animal away like giving yourself away?
We offer an explanation by looking at a radically different area of Halacha: the basis for not being allowed to steal. Interestingly, to understand this, one must understand the basis for not being able to kill. What makes it wrong to kill? The answer is simple. By killing someone, you will have stopped his or her ability to express him or herself physically in this world, which is not your right. You have no right to diminish anyone else in any way. The same applies to stealing, where many opinions in the Gemara (Bava Kamma 119a) state that stealing is just taking (part of) a person's self. If you were to take money from someone, he or she can no longer express himself with that money. Essentially, money and possessions are extensions of a self and are used to express yourself. Because you are not allowed to diminish someone, you can not steal from him.
Thus, when you give something like a Korban, you are offering Hashem an extension of yourself. This is why the Gemara (Sotah 30a) teaches that one cannot steal money or cattle for a Korban — because that is an extension of another person, not you. However, there is one question yet to be answered: why use animals?
It seems that burning money might be a more efficient use of time: you can do it in your backyard without the process of bringing a Korban. However, even though money is considered as an extension of oneself, a living animal that someone owns is a physical living extension of them. There is an inherent value in a living thing that we recognize. This is why we bring Korbanot. Ironically, while some might view Korbanot as animal cruelty, it is actually precisely because we recognize the value in a living thing that we bring animals.
Nowadays, we no longer have Korbanot, but we have Tefillah. Although Korbanot might seem useless today, they inform us that Tefillah, something that the Gemara (Berachot 32a) claims is greater than Korbanot. Tefillah is not a bunch of words we say mechanically, but something that allows us to connect to Hashem in various manners.