Many Jews today are mystified by the very concept of animal sacrifices - What possible reason could there be for killing and, depending upon the type of offering, burning or eating an innocent animal? What part did the kohen play in this seemingly strange ritual? And what is behind the separate burning of the fat and sprinkling of the blood? Let us examine these questions through the guidance of Rabbi Nachman and his main disciples Rav Noson.
The main purpose of offering sacrifices on the mizbayach was to repair a person's mental faculties that had been damaged as a result of his sins. The collective soul of the Jewish People must also be rectified or restored by bringing back to Hashem the souls of Jews who have fallen very far away during their various incarnations. That a soul has fallen away from Hashem is usually manifested by the person being reincarnated as either a secular Jew, perhaps even anti-religious, or as a Gentile (a non-Jew). In these situations, the evil that was unleashed through the person's sins obstructs the holiness of his neshama (Jewish soul) such that the person does not feel any attraction to Hashem. Fortunately, the lost souls can be reclaimed through the efforts of Jews who still have a connection to Hashem and perform his mitzvahs (commandments) - especially the mitzvah of tzedaka (charity). When a Jew makes a Tzaddik (saint) his messenger in distributing tzedaka, he initiates the following process: Contributing to a worthy charity is an act of love. This act creates a spiritual wind which travels through the atmosphere and is inhaled by all who come in contact with it. When this spiritually purified air is inhaled, it activates and arouses all the holy sparks (units of Hashem's light that provide life and power to those who possess them), which have become fragmented. covered over by layers of spiritual filth, and lay dormant due to one's estrangement from Hashem. The spiritual "air" clears away some of the layers of spiritual filth that had covered the holy sparks within, and the mind of the estranged person is awakened and suddenly has great inspiration to seek out and return to Hashem. This spiritual mechanism is the underlying reason why a non-observant Jews becomes ba'alei t'shuva (lit. master of return - generally referring to someone who became Torah observant) and why Gentiles become gerim (converts).
Depending upon the type of sacrifice, either the mizbayach, the kohen, or the owner of the animal consumed the sacrifice. Eating in holiness in this fashion would eventually effect the body physically as well as spiritually. (The same can be said of eating in holiness by abstaining from those foods which Hashem has told us content spiritually harmful impurities - foods which the Torah labels as treife or not kosher.) In this, there seems to be an inconsistency. The Torah strictly prohibits the consumption of dahm (blood) and certain types of chaylev (animal fats). This restriction even applies to certain types of fats in a kosher animal. Despite this prohibition, the major part of each animal sacrifice was the offering of the chaylev, and sprinkling of the dahm upon the altar, somehow indicating that chaylev and dahm are actually good things. Why then are humans forbidden to partake of something, which is permitted to the altar? Rav Noson gives a lengthy explanation to answer this question.
The expression "chaylev" in the Torah very often refers to the best, as the verse says. "I [Pharaoh] will give you [Joseph and this family] the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land." (Genesis 45:18) The Torah thus informs us that chaylev contains spiritual energies that are the best and highest quality. The chaylev covering the kidneys and loins was considered prime and therefore the most essential portions offered upon the mizbayach. According to the Talmud in Berachoth, the kidneys are an essential energy center for reproduction and decision making. The Medrash states that the brain draws spiritual energies from the kidneys in the decision-making process. When Hashem was contemplating the creation of the world, He drew to Himself, as it were, the spiritual energies of the Supernal Kidneys. When He set in motion the cycles of reproduction in the world, this too came from the "Heavenly Kidneys". In His decision to create a Chosen People, the Jews, again Hashem accessed the spiritual energies contained in the Supernal Kidneys. However. since this was a higher aspect of the creation. the spiritual energies were not simply from the Kidneys, but from the chaylev covering them. As mentioned above. chaylev contains spiritual energies that are the highest quality. Therefore, because the Jewish soul is derived from the best or prime spiritual energies, the goodness of which it is comprised can never be completely, vanquished by the forces of evil.
Now we can understand why the main part of an animal sacrifice was its chaylev portions. Every sacrifice offered in the Temple had to be donated, either by an individual or the congregation, and was therefore considered a charitable contribution or tzedaka. As mentioned above, tzedaka creates a spiritual wind that travels through the atmosphere. So, when an animal is sacrificed to Hashem in holiness, the energies of goodness that are contained in the chaylev are released into the atmosphere through the energies of tzedaka. As mentioned above, when estranged Jews or Gentiles who possess fallen holy sparks would inhale the holy air created by the sacrifices, much of the spiritual filth and materialism that covered over the holy sparks would be removed. Then. the holy sparks within the estranged person would be exposed and activated causing that person to thirst for Hashem. It gives Hashem great pleasure when people use their free-will to come close to Him, particularly those who were very far from Him. In fact, as evidenced by the verse in the Torah which is repeated at every description of the various types of sacrifices, "An offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to Hashem," (Lev. 1:9) it is apparent that Hashem takes great pleasure not from the sacrifices themselves [it is ludicrous to think Hashem actually has any need for chaylev or animal flesh], but from the spiritual energies that are unleashed into the world as a result of the offerings.
To conclude Rav Noson's explanation of the prohibition of human consumption of the fats offered upon the mizbayach: Although we mentioned that chaylev contains the spiritual energies of goodness, foremost, it is spiritually connected to the forces of evil. The good energies chaylev possesses are embedded deep within its spiritual essence and greatly covered over by evil forces, not unlike an estranged Jew. Only the awesome holiness of the altar's fire has the ability to burn away the negative aspects of chaylev and unleash its powerful good. A human being is unable to accomplish this. The nature of chaylev's negative spiritual energies is to cover things over, as the verse says, "He [the officiating kohen] shall remove [from the sacrificed animal] the fat that covers the innards." (Lev. 4:8) ["Innards" here refers to the spark of holiness at the core of every living thing] Therefore, if a person were to consume any chaylev, its evil energies would be activated, which would cover up any exposed holiness within his body, making him spiritually insensitive, unable to respond to any spiritual stimulus. as the verse says, "But Yeshurun [the Jews] grew chaylev [by neglecting the Torah, especially by eating forbidden foods]., and kicked [against Hashem, rejecting Him]; You have grown fat, thick, and fleshy. And he (the Jews) forsook Hashem who made him and despised the Rock of his salvation." (Deut 32:15) (Lekutai Halachoth: Yoreh Dayah: Hilchoth Chaylev V' Dahm 3:1, 4)
Rabbi Nachman taught that human intelligence functions much like a candle. Just as the flame of a candle is nourished from the wax or chaylev of the candle, so the mind is nourished from the fits of the body. The quality and type of fat that is contained in the body determines how intelligent and productive one thoughts will be in leading the person to seek out, find, and serve Hashem. As we mentioned, chaylev is connected to the forces of evil, having energies that block and obscure spiritual sensitivity. In addition forbidden chaylev clogs the pathways and channels of the mind, preventing its nourishment from positive spiritual energies and lights, causing a person to completely forget about Hashem. Without this vital spiritual nourishment., all sorts of doubts and questions plague an individual, driving him away from Hashem. This is one reason why the Torah prohibited the consumption of certain fats.
In addition to the prohibition regarding chaylev. the Torah also prohibited ingesting blood. Speech is intimately connected to the soul. When a person speaks, fragments of his soul are emitted which transmit and empower the spoken words, as the verse says, "My soul departed through His speaking." (Song of Songs 5:6) The blood has the greatest concentration of spiritual energies, giving life and sustenance to the body, as the verse says, "The soul of all flesh is [most highly concentrated] in the blood." (Lev. 17:14) Since the soul empowers speech and the greatest concentration of the energies of the soul are in the blood, blood affects the power of speech and speech affects the spiritual purity of the blood. 'The holy Ari taught that the main reason why the Egyptians were able to control and torture the Jews was due to their blood of the Jews becoming spiritually polluted. because they abandoned Hashem and adopted Egyptian cultural practices, as the verse says: "I [Hashem] passed then [at the time of the Egyptian enslavement] by you [the Jews], and I saw you stained with your own blood." (Ezekiel 16:6) When the blood is spiritually polluted and is under the control of the forces of evil, it becomes very difficult to pray, learn Torah, or utter any holy speech, as the verse says, "I [King David] became mute with silence [du'mee'yah, which comes from the Hebrew root dum, blood. Allegorically the verse implies that David became unable to utter holy words due to spiritually polluted blood]; I was silent [obstructed] from the good things [King David cries out that he was silenced i.e. unable to study Torah - the ultimate good - because of the great sufferings inflicted upon him by his enemies. (Rashi)] and my pain was stirred [because he was unable to learn Torah, evil attached itself to him, polluting his blood]." (Psalms 39:3) The 'Torah's injunction against eating blood implies that animal blood. in and of itself contains energies which are spiritually damaging. Therefore to protect us from those very strong evil forces which would inhibit holy speech and thus hamper our ability to learn Torah. Hashem forbade us to consume blood.
As mentioned above, the fire of the mizbayach was so holy that it had the ability to bum away all the evil energies associated with the chaylev, opening the mind of the one who brought the sacrifice giving him access to greater spiritual light and the knowledge and awareness of Hashem. This newly acquired spiritual light would eliminate all doubts, questions, confusion, and problems in his belief in Hashem. Burning the chaylev on the mizbayach put the penitent in a new state of mind, bringing him to renewed faith. It was this renewed faith and state of mind that constituted the atonement from the sacrificial offering. All sacrifices were purely a means to this end.
As opposed to the chaylev, the blood from the sacrifices was not burnt upon the mizbayach, but was sprinkled or poured on its wall at the base. Why was the procedure for the blood different than the chaylev? Rabbi Nachman taught that there are two types of questions. There are questions for which, if one analyzes the problem properly, all answer can be found. But there are also questions which are beyond the ability of the human mind to comprehend, such as what is the ultimate purpose for the creation of the universe. These are questions which, if not approached correctly, can lead one to doubt Hashem's existence (G-d forbid). If a person would know the answers to this second type of question, he would lose his free choice, for there would be no room for doubt. The chaylev corresponds to the first type of question. Purified chaylev (through burning on the mizbayach) unclogs and nourishes the mind. A clear mind can reason out answers to the questions about Hashem and His universe that are within the realm of human comprehension. The blood corresponding to the second type of question, is associated with the heart, the seat of faith. In order for the blood to function properly, it must flow through the narrow passages of the veins and arteries. This symbolizes limitation, the unknowable, i.e. those questions and doubts about Hashem that the limited human mind cannot comprehend until the Messiah comes. Therefore, Rabbi Nachman points out that we should strive to answer the answerable questions and avoid thinking too much about those questions which have no solution in our present state of consciousness. This is why the blood merely touched the mizbayach. symbolizing that we do not delve deeply into unanswerable questions, but rather just slightly touch upon them - pondering, but never allowing the lack of an answer to diminish our faith in Hashem. Therefore. the sprinkling of the blood upon the altar wall unleashed the spiritual energies of faith, renewing the penitents own faith, effecting his atonement.
It is written in many holy books that one who studies a great amount of Torah has no need for excessive fasting in order to purify his body. The fire of Hashem contained in the holy words of the Torah is like offering a sacrifice, which bums away or dissolves the bad fats of the body, opening up the channels of the mind to be nourished by Hashem's light. (Lekutai Halachoth: Yoreh Dayah: Hilchoth Chaylev V' Dom 4:9, 1)
Hashem loves every person and wants each person to
come close to Him, using their free-will to work at unraveling and sifting
through the problems and confusion of life. Hashem gave us the Torah and
it's many restrictive commandments not as a burden or liability, but rather,
in His infinite mercy, as a vital tool and survival kit to help elevate
us and reduce our confusion, mental suffering and doubts in this world
of darkness and turmoil. The Torah, when properly followed, is far more
effective than any psychotherapist could ever be. It is a roadmap to the
eternal bliss of the hereafter. May Hashem help us use his Torah wisely
and raise ourselves to the highest levels. Amen!
Rabbi Eliyahu, the Vilna Gaon. had reached unprecedented and awesome levels of Torah knowledge. Yet despite his knowledge, he would shy away from answering questions of Halacha, Jewish law. People with questions, he would refer to the city Rabbi. Only on rare occasions did the Gaon agree to reply to questioners. One such incident occurred on a certain Friday afternoon, the eve of Shabbos. The Vilna tailor's wife discovered something questionable about the chicken she had been cooking for Shabbos. She showed the chicken to her husband who immediately dispatched his son to ask the city Rabbi about the problem. The woman, who was not aware that her husband had already sent her son to ask the Rabbi, instructed her other son to go the nearby house of the Vilna Gaon. In the meantime, the city Rabbi had ruled that the chicken was kosher and ritually fit for consumption. However, the Vilna Gaon ruled that the chicken was unkosher, not fit to be eaten. Now the tailor didn't know what to do. He immediately ran to the city Rabbi's house to ask what should be done. The Rabbi still insisted that the chicken was kosher. "Not only that, the Gaon and I will come tonight to taste it!" the Rabbi added.
The tailor's face lit up. Two such distinguished guests would come to his home! This was no small matter and he and his entire family worked feverishly to prepare for their important guests. Meanwhile, the city Rabbi went to the Goan's house and, respectfully told him about the two contradictory rulings. "I am dust under your feet [your knowledge far surpasses mine]." said the Rabbi to the Gaon. "However. I cannot undermine or debase the office of the city Rabbi. I have not come here for my own honor, but to prevent the public front losing confidence and respect for the decisions rendered by the Rabbinate. The proper thing to do is for both of us to visit the tailors home tonight and taste the chicken." "The Rav's request obligates me to appear." agreed the Gaon in his great humility and so, agreed to visit the tailor's home together with the Rabbi right after the Friday night Shabbos meal.
The excited tailor seated his honored guests, while
his wife brought out soup made from the chicken in question. When she served
the soup, she passed it by the candlesticks and some unkosher animal fat
front the candles dripped into the soup. The city Rabbi was thoroughly
shaken-up. Surely this was a clear sign from Heaven that the Gaon was right,
the chicken was indeed unkosher. "Forgive me. my master, Heaven has proven
you to be correct," the Rabbi declared. "Surely not!" exclaimed the Gaon.
"The Rav's decision is binding upon the entire community and the chicken
is surely kosher, as the Torah states: 'According to the law they [the
Rabbis] shall instruct you... you shall not veer from what they they [the
Rabbis] tell you to the right or to the left' (Deut
17:11). Since I had forbidden the chicken, for me it was prohibited
to eat it. Heaven protected me from sinning by eating it." (Stories
of the Vilna Gaon)
[Passover is of such awesome spiritual importance
that we must spend serious time in preparation for it. So, in addition
to the other preparations, it is imperative to pray for Hashem's assistance
in its proper observance]. Help us to receive the holiness of the holiday
of passover upon us with awesome sanctity and with great happiness and
joy. Help us to merit to fulfill the commandment of drinking the
four cups of wine on Passover with great sanctity and purity. Open for
its the [heavenly gates containing the] light of knowledge [of Hashem]
and the holy light of the Supernal brain to be drawn upon its on Passover.
Help us be worthy to conduct the Seder (Passover ritual meal) with great
sanctity as is befitting and to recite the Haggadah (Passover ritual book)
with a loud voice, great awareness [of what we are doing]. great joy and
happiness, and with great warmth and fervor. Through this let us be worthy
of attaining Tikun HaBris [being connected to Hashem] and to produce new
Torah insights through my prayers and supplications. (1
Lekulai Tefelos 20)
All of Israel is accustomed to provide funds prior to Passover to enable he poor to purchase wheat needed to. bake matzah, unleavened bread. Anyone who resides in a town for twelve months or, according to some customs, for thirty days and doesn't plan to permanently live there is required to donate to the town's community chest to provide for the Passover needs of the town's poor. Even a Torah scholar is reqired to donate to this fund, [this is unlike other forms of taxes, where Torah scholars were exempted from paying]. If someone plans to live in town permanently, he is required to contribute to this fund immediately upon his arrival. The town must provide Passover funding to a pauper who plans to become a permanent resident upon his arrival, or of a temporary resident who lives in town at least thirty days. A temporary resident, who has been in town less than thirty days is given matzah for each day of Passover. (Aruch HaShulchan: Orach Chaim: Hilchos Pesach Siman 429:7) The Rambam writes that anyone who does not contribute to the needs of the poor, his Passover is considered an abomination to Hashem.
Volume 3, Issue 24