God Accepts All Offerings

Parshat Tzav

by Rabbi Avi Billet

Towards the beginning of Tzav we find a depiction of the general Korban Mincha (“meal offering”) and a similar personal offering brought by the High Priest, Aharon.

Both of these “korbanot” are perfect examples of why the word “korban” is best translated as “offering” (as opposed to “sacrifice”) because there is no animal involved, no slaughtering involved, no blood involved, no taking of animal life involved. Furthermore the Hebrew verb-root “KRV” cannot be translated to mean “sacrifice” as it is used a number of times in chapter 8 to describe how “Moshe brought Aharon and his sons close.” This depiction closely follows a very common translation of KRV, which means “close” (as in ‘come closer’ as opposed to ‘close the door’).

The simple explanation for all of this is that korbanot are a means of expressing ourselves in the lifelong goal of building a relationship with God. While a korban sometimes translates to the death of an animal, the general idea is that the offering – whatever it may be – is meant to give us a leg up in our continued effort to get closer to God.

This is why when we watch Moshe “bring Aharon and his sons close” and we see the very same verb as the verb used to describe how korbanot are brought utilized to depict how Moshe readies his brother and nephews for their task through bringing them close to God, we understand Moshe is not sacrificing them as an offering. “Vayakrev” simply means “he brought them close.”

This definition of bringing them close is utilized by Rashi, Rabbenu Bachaye and others, and simply demonstrates that the concept of a “sacrifice” is foreign to Judaism in all forms. We don’t sacrifice things, we give offerings. And we bring offerings to get closer and closer to God.

Not living in a time when the Korban-ritual is active or in line with our cultural sensibilities, it is sometimes hard to relate to the concept of a Korban, or what it means to bring a Korban.

But is it?

Read through chapter 8 of Vayikra, and we find Moshe essentially bringing his brother and his nephews as Korbanot through a simple ritual in which he washed them, dressed them in their priestly garb, and anointed each of them with oil. So that they could serve God and represent the people in doing so.

And so I think that it’s not far fetched to suggest that the korban culture does not have to be a relic of the past. Just like the Korban Mincha which did not include an animal and was largely eaten by the Kohanim following certain menu rules, and just as “Vayakrev Moshe” (Moshe brought close) his brother and nephews through readying them to serve God, the idea of getting closer to God can be alive and well even without a Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple).

It just depends on what we value and how much we are willing to give as an offering.

Avraham Avinu was willing to offer his son because God instructed him to. That story has been analyzed by many thousands of scholars over millennia – suffice it to say for now that God does not want (and never wanted) human sacrifice.

But nowadays people do give of their most precious possessions for God. Many people live, at great expense, in the community they feel is best for their family. Many people, at great expense, enroll their children in yeshivas and day schools and Jewish summer camps, so their children can have a Jewish education parents are not necessarily equipped to provide or supplement at home.

Many people, at great expense, enhance their Shabbos table and their Yom Tov table with delicious food and wine, to make every Shabbos and every holiday special, all in the name of honoring God.

[God bless those who spend between $50,000-$100,000 to have their family together in a hotel for Pesach. This is a luxury not required by any Jewish law. And for those who take out a second mortgage on their house in order to do this, I don’t know what to say.]

 We are at a time in the year when schools (especially high schools) send out their acceptance letters for the coming year. The criteria for acceptance in some schools, in some cases, seems arbitrary, and the fact that some children are not accepted to any school is a shameful stain on a community that is supposed to value Jewish education. The offerings of these families are not being rejected by God. They are being rejected by Jewish educators.

There is another tragic reality facing many hundreds of families. For reasons beyond the scope of this dvar Torah, they do not want to sacrifice their children in the name of something they don’t believe in. But they do want their children to have a Jewish education. They and their children have been maligned and ostracized, and their offerings to have their children come close to God through a Jewish education (and in some cases their being welcome in shul!) is also being rejected by large segments of our community.

I am pretty confident God wouldn’t throw Jews out of the Jewish community. God accepts all offerings that bring His adherents closer to Him. We should too.