The Meaning of Sacrifices

At the beginning of this month we read the Parasha Vayikra, which is mainly about sacrifices. In biblical times and especially at the time of the Tabernacle, Judaism was still a pure sacrificial cult. This means that communication with the Eternal did not take place in direct conversation or primarily with words. Instead, sacrifices were made whose nature was fixed in order not to make the mediating role of the priests too great and at the same time to ensure that the priests were concerned. They were responsible for the correct application and interpretation in the event of ambiguities.

sacrificing a lamb

Only much later - today the destruction of the second temple is considered the final date - there was a shift from sacrifices to prayers and direct communication with the Eternal. The relationship between us and him became more personal and closer. It also forced us as a community to take the education of the individual more seriously in order to put those inquiries, complaints and requests to the Eternal on a solid footing that were not priests. We must not forget that at that time many very real and existential events were understood exclusively as an expression of the will of the Eternal. And whenever we do not fully understand how something works, it is only human to not want to do anything wrong. In his book The Honey and the Sting, Rabbi Walter Rothschild compares the tendency towards many rules in Judaism with today's need to regulate things like nuclear power plants to a high degree in order to give us a certain feeling of security.

Although we pray instead of sacrifice today, ritual sacrifices are not only historical relics, but also carry deeper spiritual meanings that continue to have an impact to the present day. Five types of sacrifices are described in our parasha:

1. Burnt offerings (Ola): These sacrifices are completely burned and symbolize the believers' devotion to the Eternal. The fire that consumes the sacrifice represents total surrender and the desire to please the Eternal.

2. Food offerings (Mincha): These offerings usually consist of fine flour and oil. They are an expression of gratitude and recognition of the goodness of the Eternal. The Mincha is often considered a type of sacrifice for daily subsistence.

3. Peace offerings (Shelamim): These offerings serve community and peace. They are offered in a festive setting and allow believers to eat and celebrate together. This promotes social cohesion and community among believers.

4. Sin offerings (Chatat): These offerings are offered for unintentional sins. They symbolize repentance and the desire for reconciliation with the Eternal. The idea behind the Chatat is that even unintentional transgressions can strain a relationship with the Eternal.

5. Guilt offerings (Ascham): These offerings are intended for conscious transgressions and aim to make amends. They show the individual's responsibility for his actions and the desire to restore the relationship with the Eternal.

The Talmud (Yoma 5b) already emphasizes that the Eternal is not interested in physical sacrifices, but in the inner attitude of the believer. Rabbi Akiva (ca. 50-135 CE) put it aptly: "The actions of people are more important than the sacrifices." This statement makes it clear that the intention and the attitude of the heart of the believer are the focus. It was no coincidence that Rabbi Akiva also advocated replacing sacrifices with prayer after the destruction of the Second Temple. This also gives us an idea today of how much the sacrifices represented a real communication with the Eternal for the believers at that time.

Our sacrificial practices are rich in symbolism. The blood that is shed in many sacrifices represents life (or, in modern terms, the soul) and the precious relationship between man and God. A little after our parashah, the book of Vayikra 17:11 states, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood.” This connection between blood and life/soul underscores the seriousness of the sacrifice and the need to dedicate one’s life to the service of God.

Ritual purity also plays an essential role. The regulations on purity and impurity discussed in Leviticus show that one’s relationship with God is also a matter of inner and outer purity.

Although we no longer offer physical sacrifices today, the symbolic meaning of sacrifice remains relevant. The idea of ​​sacrifice can be applied to personal and societal sacrifices in everyday life. These modern sacrificial rituals reflect the ethical and spiritual values ​​rooted in the ancient texts. For example, Tzedakah (charity) represents a modern sacrifice. Providing financial support to those in need is a form of social responsibility and compassion. Today, we often view Tzedakah as a central duty that shows that the individual is willing to sacrifice some of their wealth to help others or the community. It is an acknowledgement of being part of a whole that cannot exist without context. Chesed (also translated as charity) is also a form of sacrifice in modern times. It means actively helping others in the community. Chesed includes kindness, compassion, and the willingness to give time and energy to others. Among spiritual practices, fasting and prayer have taken the place of the physical sacrifices of old. Fasting, especially on Yom Kippur, is a form of self-discipline and inner reflection that helps believers to focus on their relationship with God. It also symbolizes the distance from self-importance and egoism, which puts a heavy strain on every relationship - even between people. Prayer is certainly the further development of the sacrificial cult that allows for the most personal touch and the most intimate relationship with the Eternal. In addition to communal prayers, which we believe are received more favorably, there are many ways to seek individual contact with the Eternal and find answers to very personal challenges. Although this individual prayer practice is much less pronounced than in other religions, it is becoming increasingly popular and widespread in Judaism.

From sacrifices to prayer

So we can learn from our Parasha Vayikra that the old-fashioned and somewhat primitive-sounding term sacrificial cult is not as dusty as it sounds. On the contrary, it also provides us with important concepts that we still live out every day in the further developments of the sacrificial cult - such as Tzedaka, Chesed, fasting and prayer. And the parasha teaches us that we should not take the "how" of it lightly, but should strive for purity in intention and implementation.

I hear the stubborn child say: That is obvious! Otherwise you wouldn't do it at all! - and I answer: That may be, but it has probably never been so obvious that it would not have been included in the Torah in the parasha Vayikra. For safety, so to speak.

For the coming Passover, we all wish to have the inner attitude (nefesh) to make these "sacrifices" in such a way that we are well and correctly understood by the Eternal and our community. We will celebrate a Passover seder that will once again deeply impress us and remind us of the things that we all too quickly forget in everyday life.