The Meaning Behind Sacrifices: Ancient Ritual, Eternal Connection

The Sages taught, “The world stands on three things: on Torah, on avodah (service), and on gemilut chasadim (acts of kindness)” (Pirkei Avot 1:2). Rabbi Ovadia of Bartenura explains that avodah refers specifically to the service of sacrifices in the Temple. As the Talmud states (Taanit 27b), without the system of communal offerings, the very foundations of heaven and earth would not endure. As a case in point, Hashem swore never again to bring a flood upon the world in the merit of Noach’s sacrifices. Clearly, korbanot (sacrifices) were central to the world's spiritual balance.

But why did the Torah command sacrifices altogether? The Rambam offers one of the earliest philosophical explanations. In Moreh Nevuchim (Guide for the Perplexed), he explains that in ancient times, animal sacrifice was the prevailing religious practice. Across the world, sacrifices were offered in temples, and people were deeply attached to these rituals. Hashem, in His wisdom, did not expect the Jewish people to abandon these ingrained instincts overnight. Instead, the Torah redirected their natural religious tendencies toward a higher, holier purpose, namely bringing offerings to the Creator Himself (Guide for the Perplexed III:32).

An interesting detail in the Torah underscores this: in all passages dealing with korbanot, only the Divine name Hashem is used - never Elokim, Shaddai, or any other name. The Sifrei (on Bamidbar 143) points out that this is deliberate. As Rabbi Avraham Korman explains, names like "Elokim" often imply forces of nature. Using them in the context of sacrifices might imply the offerings were directed toward nature itself, echoing pagan beliefs. To make it clear that sacrifices are offered solely to Hashem, the Torah uses only that name (Korman, HaEmunah HaYisraelit, p. 195).

The Rambam’s approach was not accepted by everyone. The Ramban (Nachmanides), for example, offers a different perspective (in his commentary to Vayikra 1:9) and explains that korbanot are meant to reflect the totality of a person's actions: thought, speech, and deed. The sinner places his hands on the animal to symbolize his wrongful actions, confesses with his mouth, and watches as the animal’s innards, which represent emotion and desire, are burned. The blood, representing the soul, is sprinkled on the altar. Through this symbolic act, the person confronts the reality that they deserve the fate of the offering, yet Hashem, in His mercy, accepts the animal in their place, grants them atonement, and allows them to begin anew.

Later scholars continued to explore the depth of korbanot. Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg explains that the word korban comes from the Hebrew root karov, meaning "to draw near." A korban is both something brought close to the altar and something that draws the offerer closer to Hashem (HaKetav VeHaKabbalah on Vayikra 1:2).

Similarly, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch qualifies that a korban is not meant to serve Hashem's needs. It serves the spiritual needs of the person bringing it insofar as it expresses the desire to bring something of oneself into a closer relationship with Hashem. The act of hakrava (offering) is meant to transform the individual, not to satiate the Divine appetite (commentary on Vayikra 1:2).

Ultimately, the korban is not about the ritual, but about the relationship. Whether it is viewed as a way to redirect ancient instincts, a symbolic confession, or a personal offering of closeness, the act is meant to elevate the soul and renew the bond between humanity and the Divine.