This week we begin the book of Wayyiqra’ (Leviticus). The perashah teaches us about the various qorbanoth (offerings) used in the ritual service of the Temple or Tabernacle. The word qorban—commonly translated as “sacrifice” or “offering”—comes from the Hebrew root meaning “to draw near.” By bringing an offering before the Most High—blessed be His Name—a person draws near to their Creator.
Our Sages teach that had the nations understood this, they would never have destroyed the Temple. In the first four ‘aliyoth (readings), we learn about the voluntary offerings:
- ‘Olah – an offering that is entirely consumed by fire.
- Minḥah – a gift in the form of loaves, cakes, or wafers.
- Zebaḥ shelamim – a peace offering.
After this, the Torah describes the qorbanoth brought for “sins.” But first we must define what is meant by “sin.” A sin refers to a transgression of the Torah—whether from Sinai or decreed by the Sanhedrin (the Supreme Court of Israel). Each transgression carries its consequence, the most severe being kareth—spiritual excision.
It is important to know that these offerings were exclusive to the people of Yisrael. The descendants of Noaḥ also had a tradition of offering to the Creator voluntarily in the form of ‘olah, but not as atonement for sin. Even more, the Torah clearly states that no offering can atone for intentional sins. These are referred to in Hebrew as ‘awon and pesha‘—the latter being more severe than the former. On the other hand, unintentional sins (ḥeṭ’) can be atoned through a qorban ḥaṭṭa’t.
The wealthy would bring a young bull, the middle class a lamb, and the poor would offer cakes or wafers. Blood was not always required to atone for a ḥaṭṭa’t-level transgression. For a transgression to require a ḥaṭṭa’t, it had to:
a) Be of a type whose punishment is kareth,
b) Be a lo ta‘aseh (a negative commandment—“you shall not…”),
c) Be transgressed through action, not through speech,
d) Be committed unknowingly or accidentally.
If a person did not intend to transgress—or committed the act accidentally—it would not require a ḥaṭṭa’t offering. This is one of the reasons why the Christian doctrine of a man dying “for the sins of the world” as a “sin offering” has no foundation in the Holy Torah.
Upon studying the qorban system, one sees that it does not provide a method of atonement for ‘awon (intentional sin) or pesha‘ (rebellious or malicious sin). So what remedy does the Torah offer for these? The answer is teshubah (repentance). The Torah teaches through this path that only the Creator can judge the heart. If the Torah requires offerings even for accidental sins, how much more severe are ‘awon and pesha‘?
Our Sages teach that when one violates a negative commandment, they create an adversary (satan) for themselves. If the person persists in their wrongdoing, Heaven may decree punishments such as death, suffering, loss of livelihood, and more. However, teshubah is powerful—it can cancel any decree, as it is written: “If My people humble themselves, repent, and seek My face, I will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
The vehicle for repentance is fasting—whether communal or individual.
Aḏonay, praised be His Name, has promised to send a redeemer to Ṣion for those among Ya‘aqob (the Israelites) who do teshubah. May it be the will of the Merciful One to grant us the merit to return in repentance for every sin—both public and private.