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

[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).