The word sacrifice evokes a distant world — ancient altars, priestly garments, smoke rising heavenward. To many, these offerings feel like relics of a bygone age. Yet the Torah never called them obsolete. Instead, it called them qorbanot — "draw-nearings." At their heart, sacrifices were never about appeasement or mere ritual. They were about approach. They were about nearness. They were about restoring relationship with the Holy One of Israel.

 

When we misunderstand the offerings, we misunderstand the nature of worship itself. The grain, the incense, the blood — each one carried a message. Each one was a picture. Each one pointed to the gravity of sin, the cost of peace, the fragrance of thanksgiving, and the beauty of voluntary devotion.

 

This teaching aims not to reinstate Temple rites, but to reclaim their meaning. Without understanding the sacrificial system, we lose sight of the way our ancestors communed with YHWH. This is not about nostalgia — it is about truth. And truth, when rightly understood, becomes a path home.

 

Speak to the children of Yisrael, and say to them, When any

one of you brings near an offering to YHWH…  (Leviticus 1:2)