The Reason for Sacrifices

As is fairly well known, the Rambam and the Ramban argue about the meaning behind korabnos. The Ramabam maintains that since the Jews lived among non-Jews who worshiped animals it was necessary to sacrifice animals on the altar to eradicate their influence.
The Ramban argues that if the Rambam was correct, why did Adam and his sons bring sacrifices? Surely not to remove some insidious influence, since at that time no one worshiped animals!
The Ibn Ezra explains that sacrifices come to help the sinner visualize that his sacrifice is being slaughtered in his own stead. After bringing this Ibn Ezra, the Ramban concludes that the korbanos are brought for hidden esoteric reasons.
The Meshech Chochmah, zt”l, explains the Ramban and attempts to reconcile both opinions. “The Ramban means that sacrifices can be likened to generating electricity in the upper worlds. Through sacrifices, the kohein joins the heavenly spheres together—he ‘closes a circuit’—and achieves great things on high.
“As far as the questions on the Rambam, these can be reconciled by explaining that the Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim was only discussing the reason behind sacrificing on private altars. But the Rambam never meant to explain sacrifices brought in the Mishkan or the Beis Hamikdash.”
It seems clear from the Rambam himself in Hilchos Me’ilah that sacrifices accomplish much more than merely removing the influence of non-Jewish idolaters. “All sacrifices are included in the chukim. Our sages taught that the world rests on the merit of sacrifices. It is by doing the chukim and mishpatim that the righteous merit a portion of the next world.”

The Best Portion

The Rambam teaches an important halachic principle from the fact that the chelev of a sacrifice is reserved for Hashem. “Just like in a sacrifice the chelev, which is the best part of the animal, is reserved for Hashem, the same is true regarding other mitzvos. If you wish to build a shul, make it nicer than your house. When you feed the hungry, do so with the best and sweetest foods on your table. A person who provide clothing for those who need them should do so with his best garments. As the verse states, ‘And all chelev is for Hashem!’”
Once, a certain person came to the Imrei Emes, zt”l, and explained that he wished to daven but did not have tefillin and desired to borrow a pair. To everyone’s shock the rebbe took out a very valuable pair of tefillin which he had as an inheritance from his ancestors and loaned this pair to the man requesting tefillin.
The chassidim were astounded, “The rebbe himself rarely puts on these precious tefillin! How did he lend them, then, to the poor man?” they whispered among themselves.
But when they asked the rebbe about this apparently strange behavior, his answer was sharp and to the point as usual. “What kind of a question is that? Am I not fulfilling the mitzvah of gemilas chassadim when I lend that unfortunate fellow a pair of tefillin? The Rambam writes that we should use the best we own to do mitzvos. As the verse states, ‘And all chelev is for Hashem!’”

No Matter What

Rav Yechezkel Abramsky, zt”l, was an extraordinary scholar as well as a great tzaddik, yet he also made time to give a daily shiur for baalei batim in the Bayit Vegan neighborhood of Yerushalayim.
One of the regular attendees once approached Rav Abramsky and said sheepishly, “I really love your shiurim since what you say really speaks to me. But your words are so sweet that within a few minutes I fall fast asleep for the rest of the shiur. Do you think that I should continue coming?”
Now anyone ought to know that it is better to go to a shiur even if he falls asleep than to waste the time in idle pursuits. But Rav Abramsky also understood that his job was to convince this discouraged baal habayis to continue coming to the shiur. Merely telling him he was better off staying certainly would not give him the chizuk to persevere. So Rav Abramsky chose to give an inspiring answer instead.
“The gemara states that a kohein must sanctify his hands and feet when entering the Azarah. The gemara there discusses various questions of when one must sanctify himself and what type of action works to sanctify him. Interestingly, the Rambam writes that one who sanctified his hands and feet at the laver and then falls asleep must sanctify himself again when he wakes up. The Sefas Emes explains that since when one slumbers his neshamah goes on high, this is the same as leaving the azarah. It follows that he must again sanctify his hands and feet.
Rav Abramsky appealed to the baal habayis, “Think about it. When you fall asleep at the shiur, your soul ascends on high and you can be melamed zechus on our shiur before the heavenly tribunal and point out that there are still some Jews who love Torah and attend shiurim even when doing so is difficult for them!”
His words were spoken with such warmth and they entered this man’s heart and encouraged him to stay. Eventually, he began to remain awake during the shiur and he later became an accomplished scholar thanks to this shiur.