A Thought On Parshas Vayikra
"...im olah korbano min ha'bakar...""...if his sacrifice is an offering, it will come from cattle..." (3:3)
The Torah instructs us that a burnt offering - a korban olah - may be brought in the form of a bull (hence the reference to cattle above), or in the form of a sheep, or in the form of a bird. We all know that these are not really three options to chose from but rather are intended as the prescriptive choices for three types of people. A rich person may offer a cow. An average one can offer a sheep. The poor bring birds as offerings. It seems easy to understand this: the richer one is, the more he can afford. Only a poor man, who needs to bring an offering, would be allowed to chose a small bird, since that is all that he can afford. Nonetheless, each one's offering is accepted Above, since it is one's sincerity, not one's budget, which make a difference in HaShem's world.
Although we can certainly live with this interpretation, there is another perspective offered by Rabbeinu Bachya. The relative costs of the three animals are not just proportionate to the relative wealth of the person who brings them as sacrifices. Remember, this korban olah was brought to atone for one's wayward thoughts. It was not a sin offering per se, for that type of sacrifice (a korban chatos) was brought to atone for wayward behavior. The olah was to atone for the internal behavior - the lust, the urge, the plan, the scheme, the fantasy of committing a sin - which is usually a precursor to overt misconduct.
Often, the more wealth and riches which one acquires, the more secure they become in their belief that it is their own abilities which earn them a good living. They are more likely to assume that it is their own skill and talent which brought them their fortune. This leads to excessive pride and even arrogance. Those thoughts and those feelings are the internal dynamics which can lead to overt misconduct and sinful behavior. Hence, that rich person needs to bring a sacrifice which is not only costly but which also symbolizes the extent of his internal struggle. The korban needs to be big in proportion with the size of his "ego" or inflated self importance.
Meanwhile, the average person is less likely to become as grandiose or preoccupied with haughty thoughts. He is just a regular sort of person, and he brings a regular sort of korban to symbolize his level of internal swaying. The poor man seldom has any illusions about his own power or majesty, so when he offers an olah, it is an inexpensive bird which symbolizes the lowliness which he sees in himself, which limits the extent of his internal drifting. He is a humble sort of person and his sacrifice is also humble. Each person brings something which befits his perceived stature and sense of identity in this world.
In our own lives, many times we can learn about our own self image by examining the things which draw our interest. The "things" which we value, the objects which we need to have close by and which we associate with our personality or our identity, may symbolize to ourselves - and to others - something about our internal preoccupations. Two weeks ago we talked about the "inkblots" and how our perception of ambiguity is shaped by our internal process. The symbols which we chose to represent ourselves also reveal things about our internal process. What does your car say about you? Your circle of friends? Your attire? Your hobbies?
Each person who seeks to atone for himself is afflicted with his own burden and the animals which are brought may represent the ways in which his or her status shapes the form and content of that internal struggle to maintain focus and stability. Good Shabbos and wishing our people a meritorious Pesach, looking ahead to the time when we may all bring forth our offerings with joy as we reunite in Jerusalem. D Fox
The Torah instructs us that a burnt offering - a korban olah - may be brought in the form of a bull (hence the reference to cattle above), or in the form of a sheep, or in the form of a bird. We all know that these are not really three options to chose from but rather are intended as the prescriptive choices for three types of people. A rich person may offer a cow. An average one can offer a sheep. The poor bring birds as offerings. It seems easy to understand this: the richer one is, the more he can afford. Only a poor man, who needs to bring an offering, would be allowed to chose a small bird, since that is all that he can afford. Nonetheless, each one's offering is accepted Above, since it is one's sincerity, not one's budget, which make a difference in HaShem's world.
Although we can certainly live with this interpretation, there is another perspective offered by Rabbeinu Bachya. The relative costs of the three animals are not just proportionate to the relative wealth of the person who brings them as sacrifices. Remember, this korban olah was brought to atone for one's wayward thoughts. It was not a sin offering per se, for that type of sacrifice (a korban chatos) was brought to atone for wayward behavior. The olah was to atone for the internal behavior - the lust, the urge, the plan, the scheme, the fantasy of committing a sin - which is usually a precursor to overt misconduct.
Often, the more wealth and riches which one acquires, the more secure they become in their belief that it is their own abilities which earn them a good living. They are more likely to assume that it is their own skill and talent which brought them their fortune. This leads to excessive pride and even arrogance. Those thoughts and those feelings are the internal dynamics which can lead to overt misconduct and sinful behavior. Hence, that rich person needs to bring a sacrifice which is not only costly but which also symbolizes the extent of his internal struggle. The korban needs to be big in proportion with the size of his "ego" or inflated self importance.
Meanwhile, the average person is less likely to become as grandiose or preoccupied with haughty thoughts. He is just a regular sort of person, and he brings a regular sort of korban to symbolize his level of internal swaying. The poor man seldom has any illusions about his own power or majesty, so when he offers an olah, it is an inexpensive bird which symbolizes the lowliness which he sees in himself, which limits the extent of his internal drifting. He is a humble sort of person and his sacrifice is also humble. Each person brings something which befits his perceived stature and sense of identity in this world.
In our own lives, many times we can learn about our own self image by examining the things which draw our interest. The "things" which we value, the objects which we need to have close by and which we associate with our personality or our identity, may symbolize to ourselves - and to others - something about our internal preoccupations. Two weeks ago we talked about the "inkblots" and how our perception of ambiguity is shaped by our internal process. The symbols which we chose to represent ourselves also reveal things about our internal process. What does your car say about you? Your circle of friends? Your attire? Your hobbies?
Each person who seeks to atone for himself is afflicted with his own burden and the animals which are brought may represent the ways in which his or her status shapes the form and content of that internal struggle to maintain focus and stability. Good Shabbos and wishing our people a meritorious Pesach, looking ahead to the time when we may all bring forth our offerings with joy as we reunite in Jerusalem. D Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 7:56 AM
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