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Sefer Vayikra is quite famous for being a book about Korbanot, sacrifices. The seder of Mishna that describes these korbanot is called "Kodshim" (holy things). It is often difficult for contemporary man to conceive of the central element of our relationship with God and the representation of kedusha by the slaughtering of animals and the rite of burning them on the altar. In order to better understand why sacrifices and the killing of animals took on such a prominent role in the Israelite cult, I want to look at several aspects of our relationship to animals in Tanakh and then introduce an interesting theological idea. In the first chapter of Breishit, man is given control over the animals, as it is said "U'rdu bidgat hayam uv'of hashamayim uv'chol chaya haromeset al haaretz." (Gen. 1:28) (and rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and all the living things that creep on earth.) However, while man was given dominion over the animals, it is not clear that he was yet permitted to kill them or eat them. The next passuk prescribes that the fruit bearing trees should be for food, not animals. This state of affairs changed once Adam and Chava and ate from the Etz HaDaat and were expelled from Gan Eden. Following that account, the Torah tells us that God provided man with garments of skin and clothed them. "Vayaas Hashem Elokim L'Adam Ul'Ishto Kotnot Or Vayalbishem" (Gen. 3:21). Recall, previously after having eaten from the tree, Adam and Chava covered themselves with fig leaves. Now, having been punished God, provides them with leather clothing (presumably better quality than fig leaves). However, one would assume that in order to have clothing made of skins, an animal must first have been killed. In giving man this gift of clothing, God demonstrated to man, that their relationship can be bridged through the death of an animal. Following this event, it is known that man began sacrificing animals as of means relating to God. The two most familiar accounts as Hevel sacrificing his cattle (as opposed to Kayin's unaccepted produce offering) and Noah's sacrifices post-deluge.

Following the flood, another change in the relationship between man and animals takes place. At this point, man is now permitted to eat meat. The Torah states, "Kol Remes asher hu chai, lachem yihyeh l'ochlah." (Gen 9:3) (Every creature that lives shall be yours to eat.) However, this allowance is given with the prohibition against eating an animal with its "life-blood in it" (basar b'nafsho damo) and with the prohibition against killing other human beings. Having seen the evil that preceded the flood, the Torah is in a sense conceding to man's "thirst for blood" by allowing him to eat meat, but he may not eat live flesh or kill other human beings.

The relationship develops further in Shmot with the commandment to Bnei Yisrael to offer the Korban Pesach. At this point the death of the animal and sacrifices has gone from something that was voluntary to something obligatory.

This brings us to Sefer Vayikra. In Sefer Vayikra, laws are set out regarding the nature of sacrifices and how they are to be carried out. Yet, sefer vayikra does more than that, it also introduces the laws of kashrut, the prohibition against eating blood.

So, let's briefly recap this history and begin to draw some themes from it. Initially, man had dominion over animals but was not permitted to kill them. Then, man sinned distancing himself from God, but God restores that relationship through the death of an animal to provide man clothing. Man sins again, more animals die as they are now permitted for food but there is a prohibition against eating live flesh. Then we move specifically to the world of Bnei Yisrael. Bnei Yisrael enter a relationship with God also involving the death of an animal (the korban pesach). (One should note that korban pesach along with brit milah are the only two positive commandments which if violated carry a punishment. That punishment is karet (cutting off). Chazal explains that by refusing to do these two mitzvot, one is effectively cutting himself off by refusing to be part of klal yisrael. Hence, the korban pesach is essential to bnei yisrael's relationship with God at the same level as b! rit milah). Finally, we come to sefer vayikra which details all of the other korbanot (each of which is representative of different aspects of our relationship with God, a subject for a different dvar torah) but also includes additional prohibitions such as kashrut and the prohibition against eating blood (which in the sacrificial world belongs to God and must be sprinkled or poured on the altar).

In summary, we see that as man becomes more distant from God, man can bridge that relationship and become closer by killing animals. However, every time that occurs in the Torah there are additional limitations put on our usage of these animals.

So now, the ultimate question, why is it that the death of animals bridges the relationship between man and God. I like to suggest an opinion I had read by Rabbi Ira Stone, a congregational rabbi in Philadelphia. Rabbi Stone asks, "What is it that divides man from God in the first place?" The answer is death. God is immortal, but we as humans will one day die. This separation is supported by God's statement when banishing Adam from Gan Eden (the first distancing between man and God). "And the Lord God said, 'Now that the man has become like one of us, knowing good and bad, what if he should stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever!" (Gen. 3:22). Chazal suggest that Adam was supposed to be immortal, but now that he has become like God in "knowledge," he must become separate from God with respect to mortality. Therefore, according to Rabbi Stone, in order to bridge that relationship, man must transcend his own death. This is do! ne in the sacrificial system, by the death of the animal taking the place the death of the man. This transposing of man's mortality onto the animal is represented by "smikhut," the laying of one's hand on the animal. Prior to slaughtering the animal, the person offering lays his hand on the animal and then commences with the slaughter. In doing this "smikha" man is passing his mortality onto the animal that is about to die, and for that moment becomes immortal. At the moment in which he is immortal, man has become like God and the distance between them has been bridged.

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