parsha bit: Vayikra

[cellio]

The book of Vayikra describes in detail the various korbanot (sacrifices) to be brought under different conditions. After the destruction of the temple this was no longer possible, and the rabbis declared prayer to be a temporary replacement. The Rambam held that this was not meant to be temporary; it was part of the progression from animal sacrifice to prayer to intellectual contemplation. In modern times, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel said that prayer doesn't replace sacrifice; it is sacrifice. We sacrifice selfishness and greed in a quest for truth, mercy, and love. (Man's Quest for God: Studies in Prayer and Symbolism, as cited in another torah commentary not presently to hand.)

Comments

[dvarin.livejournal.com]

Isn't that confusing the two meanings of "sacrifice"?
I mean, you're presumably not sharing out selfishness among priests and supplicants after dedicating it to God, like you would with a physical offering?

[murphstein.livejournal.com]

Beautiful teaching. Thanks for sharing.

I love Heschel. I'll have to read Man's Quest for God (along with the 40 other books on my list).

[chaos-wrangler.livejournal.com]

This may work better with a more literal translation of korban - the root qrb (mixing transliteration systems, I know) means close/near so a korban is a way to get closer to god, not something that one gives to god even though one would prefer to keep it (i.e. a sacrifice). Talking to/about god seems to fit rather easily into the category of nearer-maker.