Rav Kook on Vayikra: Maimonides and "Korbanot"

Vayikra: Maimonides and Korbanot

Why did God command that we offer korbanot (sacrifices)? What is the purpose of this form of serving God?

Maimonides' Explanation

Much has been written about Maimonides' controversial analysis of the Temple service in his "Guide to the Perplexed" (vol. III ch. 32). Maimonides based his explanation on the difficulty in changing human nature. Deep-rooted customs and beliefs cannot be uprooted overnight. It would have been futile for the Torah to command the Israelite slaves to suddenly cease all forms of worship that they had become familiar with in Egypt. Such a revolutionary demand would be like a religious leader nowadays demanding that we suspend all external forms of worshipping God — no fasts and festivals, no prayers and petitions in times of trouble, just a mental service of God through reflection and meditation, without action or speech.

For this reason, the Torah permitted those forms of worship that were practiced in those times. However, the Torah required that everything be done for God alone. In this way, the nation would be educated and weaned away from idolatry, without being stripped of those methods that they were accustomed to use to express their spiritual feelings.

"It is unreasonable to expect that one who grew up as a slave, laboring with mud and bricks, should one day just wash his hands from the dirt and straight off (without any preparation) do battle with the giants. Therefore, God did not bring the people into the Land of Israel right away and did not lead them "the way of the Philistines" (Ex. 13:18). Similarly, it is unnatural for one who is accustomed to many forms of service and activities, so ingrained that they are like unquestionable laws, that one should suddenly desist from them."

Nachmanides Objects

Other medieval scholars rejected Maimonides' approach out of hand. Nachmanides (on Lev. 1:9) in particular vociferously attacked this position. He refuted Maimonides' explanation with two major arguments:

The Torah writes that korbanot are a "pleasant fragrance to God." This phrase indicates that this form of divine service has an intrinsic positive value, and are not just a means to wean the people from false beliefs and habits.

We find that long before the idolatrous Egyptians, Noah offered sacrifices to God, and they were accepted — "God smelled the pleasant fragrance" (Gen. 8:21). Similarly, we find that God accepted Abel's offerings of sheep, and this was long before idolatry and its practices had spread throughout the world.

To Reform a Prince

And yet, it would seem that support for Maimonides' explanation may be found in the Midrash. The Midrash explains the need for korbanot by way of a parable:

"This is like a coarse prince who would eat unslaughtered meat. The king said: Let him always be at my table, and he will be reformed on his own. So too, since the Israelites were devoted to idolatry in Egypt ... the Holy One said, let them offer their sacrifices before Me at all times" (Vayikra Rabbah 22:8).

A careful reading of the Midrash, however, reveals an approach greatly different than that of Maimonides. The parable speaks of the prince eating all of his meals at the king's table. Clearly, dining with the king is in itself a great privilege and honor, besides its secondary benefit as a means to reform the prince's coarse habits.

Rather, the parable is describing a situation where the son, due to his inappropriate behavior, did not deserve to dine with the king. Dining with the king is certainly a great honor, but eating exclusively at the royal table is a special measure designed to refine the prince's behavior. So too, offering korbanot is a spiritual perfection of very high level. Through this service, we merit a lofty spiritual elevation, like one who dines with the King Himself, gaining the special favor of the King of life.

The Midrash uses this parable to explain a temporary edict that was in force only while the Israelites were in the desert. For those 40 years, they were forbidden to slaughter meat for their own personal consumption; they could only eat from shelamim (peace-offerings) offered in the Tabernacle (see Deut. 12:20). The Midrash explains the reason for this one-time decree was to wean them away from idolatrous practices, ensuring that no one would continue the idolatrous practices of Egypt in the privacy of his home.

Jeremiah's Clarification

This may be the true meaning of the verse upon which Maimonides based himself: "For I did not speak with your fathers nor did I command them when I took them out from Egypt regarding offerings and sacrifices" (Jeremiah 7:22).

This verse is very problematic. How could Jeremiah claim that the Torah does not command us to offer korbanot? We find many chapters in Leviticus devoted to the performance of sacrifices. And why does the verse stress "when I took them out from Egypt"?

The verse cannot be referring to those offerings that the Torah explicitly commands us to bring. Rather, it refers to the special situation that existed "when I took them out of the land of Egypt," when meat was only permitted when brought as a shelamim offering in the Tabernacle. One might think that this is the ideal situation, and we should all emulate the actions of that 'generation of knowledge.' Jeremiah therefore explained that this plethora of offerings was not an end unto itself, but only a provisional decree of that generation, in order to wean them away from the idolatrous practices they had adopted in Egypt.

(adapted from Midbar Shur, pp. 158-159)