The Vital Role of Sacrifice in Understanding Holiness

1. The Vital Role of Sacrifice in Understanding Holiness
Introduction
A. One could say that nothing of consequence, good or evil, is achieved
without sacrifice.Do you think this is true, first, with respect to the good?
(First, we know that the strength and beauty of family life depends vitally on
sacrifice. We devote our time, energy, creativity, love, and material
resources to support and sustain our families, especiallyour children. It is
true perhaps that sometimes, especiallyin these days, we do or give too
much. And sometimes our effortdoes not always work out perfectlyor as
well as we would wish. Nevertheless, it’s most often true that without our
sacrifice, chances for the well-being of our children or the enterprise of the
family and its future, more generally, would be substantially diminished.
Second, we know that so much of the richness of our own lives has been
made possible bythe sacrifice of those who came before us. Whetherwe
think religiously, patriotically or nationally, economically, technologically, or
in virtually any other aspect of life, we see the fruit of those who sacrificed
in all aspects of our lives.
For Christians, surely, there is no greater example than that of Jesus.

2. For all of us, it’s ancestors. It’s martyrs. It’s sages. It’s prophets and
teachers. It’s all who built and carried forward our traditions. It’s the great
generation that fought and won perhaps the awful most wars in history, in
the 20th
century. It’s our parents and their parents, going all the way back,
who gave us life and passed on to us the values we cherish most.)
B. And what about with respect to the evil?
(We talked about this in our discussionof idolatry. Isn’t the essence of
idolatry the devotionand sacrifice of time, energy, spirit, and resources in
service of all the sorts of things and forces we identified as our modern day
idols?
This could be our ambition to achieve fame and fortune at the expense of
serving the values we hold most dear.
Or it could be prizing security so much we fail to take the risk to disrupt
ease and comfort to fulfill our deepest God-givenchallenges.
We worship sportand spectacle so much we oftensacrifice the time and
commitment we owe to the service of God’s expectations and instead fill up
our lives with the pretend-meaning of mass entertainment.

3. Sometimes we abandon and sacrifice loving-kindness and compassionout
of our blind and total adherence to our own group and its supporting
ideologies. While we should be proud of our own distinctiveness and its
special and rich meaning, we can sacrifice the best virtues we’ve been
taught from this tradition to fight too narrowly for its outward self-interest.
And, in doing so, we risk the loss of peace and harmony, which our values
teach us to prize most, and instead reap the fruit of disaffectionand
perhaps war.)
C. How could it be argued that sacrifice is central to the practice of our faith
in God?
(Religious people believe their lives are to be led principally in service of
God, in the way of God.God has taught us our mission. In the Jewish
covenant, we are to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. God is holy,
so should we be holy.
We have studied now for almost two years all the many ways in which we
must bend our lives toward service of God, putting other interests to the
side and devoting ourselves - our minds, hearts, hands, and feet, indeed all
our might and soul - to service of God. Isn’t this sacrifice of the deepest
sort?
We pray. We tithe. We give service in sacred space and in the world. We
know of, and indeed practice, many acts of sacrifice to and for God. And
we know all this is central, both from what we have beentaught and what
we have experienced inour lives.

4. Now here’s the beautiful thing about our lesson today and the lessons that
will follow over the next few weeks. Though couched in the ancient
language of sacrifice in the Temple,there are underlying truths to this
Biblical text that are vitally important to us and help us enrich our service to
God in our own lives and in our own times.
Please understand what I am saying and what I am not saying. I do not
foreseeany of us bringing animals to church or synagogue to kill them and
offerthem up as sacrifices! Nor, on the other hand, am I here to say that
the ancients were somehowless legitimate or close to God because they
did. Further, I am not about to justify either their practices or ours, if we
make our offerings in half-hearted ways, or deceptively, or hypocritically.
What I mainly want to say is that if we apply our clothes-body-soul analysis
to these verses we will find a treasure of inspired guidance and help in
drawing near to God and then living in the Way of God.
Recall the meaning of Vayikra - God calls. God calls us to what? God calls
us to draw near. We now reach that part of our study of sacred space
where God teaches,and we learn directly, how to draw near the Divine.
And it begins,as we have just discussed inour introductory thoughts, with
the fundamental idea that we serve God, and that we devote ourselves to,
nay, shall I say, sacrifice of ourselves, or even, sacrifice ourselves to God.)

5. D. More specifically, how do these mitzvot add to our understanding about
drawing near to God in sacred space and its purpose in living out our faith?
(Let’s begin with our recollectionthat the principal word for sacrifice in
Hebrew is korban, which means to draw near. One could say that when we
sacrifice, when we bring offerings, in sacred space, we are drawing near to
God. Fundamentally, put a little differently, our purpose of encounter with
the Divine in sacred space is to draw near to God by bringing offerings.
In ways we’ll explore, it is in these acts through which we associate with
God’s holiness, that we come closerto holiness, and from which we leave
to re-enter the world better able to fulfill our covenant mission.
While the priests in ancient times made sacrifices in the Temple in ways we
would not and do not in our own time, we’re looking for the underlying
elements of these sacrifices that inspire and instruct us. At its mostbasic,
people - then and now - bring and offerof themselves and their resources
something of great value and, with joy, to pay homage to God, sustain
relationship with God, and serve God.
There is a conscious, purposeful, and directnature to the offerings.
Sometimes the offerings are personal, and sometimes they’re communal.
Sometimes they’re purely voluntary; sometimes they’re made at regular

6. and periodic times; and sometimes we feel compelledto make offerings.
We come in many different ways and for many different reasons.
First, we come simply to show reverence for God. We may do so for no
other reason but to do so. We may want to express thanksgiving. We may
seek favor or protectionin our lives of service to God.We know God
always responds to a cry; we may be crying out. And we have faith that
God will rememberand hear us, and bless us. This attitude to God is
central to holiness.
Second, the experience of offerings in sacred space cements a relationship
between the worshipper, the community, and God through a communion of
sorts. In ancient times, there was an actual sharing of food between the
people and God.We’ll explore all sorts of ways of sharing that can occur in
our own time, including that of food.This sharing, and all it entails, is also
fundamental to holiness.
Third, we draw near to God to atone for wrongdoing, to turn back to God’s
ways, and to relieve the harm effected by our straying. Most serious sins,
especiallythose that have damaged others, cannot be entirely erased by
this nearness alone, but the nearness is always a part of the process, and
a necessaryone. We confess, repent, and, through the sacrifice of the
offering we bring, we manifest our dedication to God and community of
repair and return.
The world doesn’t tend to end with our wrongs, but a piece of it typically is
injured and, without repair, remains so. Those we’ve hurt often are still hurt,
and we often bear shame or guilt for it. God seeks healing and offers grace.

7. But we do others, God,and ourselves great good when we participate in
acts of reconciliation and shalom. This is a part of what our living in
holiness is all about, and this is part of why God’s grant to us of sacred
space is such a blessing.
We’ll think of how this can be done in our own times. But, as we do, we’ll
ponderwhether some of the drama, the connectedness, and the sacrifice
of ancient time ought to be restored to ours.
Fourth, when, with God’s help, we feel expresslyblessedwith bounty and
the many gifts we’ve been given, we may want to come to sacred space to
celebrate with God, the Source of our bounty, and our community. Drawing
near to God and our community in wholeness and gratitude for our God-
given blessings is a part of experiencing holiness, too.
In all of these ways, we know we’ve been blessedwith life and God’s
support. Holiness entails that awareness; yet, it also entails our
acknowledging this truth and indeed our contributing of ourselves to life’s
renewal and restoration. Though their manner may seem odd to us
moderns, this is what the ancients deeplybelieved they were doing with
their sacrifices. We should find ways in our drawing near to God to do the
same.
Finally, we will study tithes and vows. With tithes, we acknowledge that a
regular part of the yield with which we’ve been blessed should be allocated
to serving God’s mission both in sacred space and the world. And, with
vows, we find ways to make and honor unique urges we feel to give and

8. commitments we make upon those urges. Both are key ways in which we
both feel holiness in our lives and act on that holiness both in supportof
sacred space and extending the sacred into more of the secular world.
I-IV.Let’s then get started on the mitzvot of sacrifice. Read Deuteronomy
12:13-14,26 and Leviticus 17:3-4. Right off the bat here, we have a
problem.If we’re commanded only to offersacrifices in the ancient Temple,
and we interpret sacrifices broadly, why are we having this conversation?
Should we cancel class for the next three Sundays?
(As we have discussed, there were experiences of sacred space, including
sacrifices,in many places both before and during the two Temple periods.
Yet, the traditional reading of this text has been that sacrifice was permitted
only in the Temple once it was built and only so long as the Temple stands.
Now, having said that, I rush to state several caveats. First, it is generally
deemed important by mostsages to continue to study these mitzvot for a
variety of purposes. Second,it could be argued that the sacrifices that are
no longer permitted are only those that were explicitly performed inthe
Temple.Third, many sages do look deep within the elements of Temple
rituals, as do we, for analogues that can help us facilitate and give meaning
to our own worship and service experience.
We don’t have time to go through the full exercise of explicating these
verses. But suffice to say the Bible foresawa central Temple as the
principal means of worship and sacrifice in Jerusalem in the Promised
Land. The drawing near in the Temple was seen as key to the people’s

9. relationship with God. It was to this God and not to the many pagan gods of
the day that we were to draw near through offerings.
So, a personof faith in the modern, post-Temple time has a choice. It’s no
longer a matter of choosing God’s single Temple in Jerusalem or pagan
sanctuaries. We have none of the former and plenty of the latter. While we
will not implement the actual rituals that took place in the Temple, we have
a decisionto make about the 100 or so mitzvot that teach of the rituals
regarding offerings. Are these instructions no longer of value and no longer
applicable at all, or do they teach of an ongoing expectationof sacrifice that
God has for us? Do they also reflect a need that we have forGod and
guide us in ways we should learn and follow? I side, without hesitation, with
the latter.
Of course, taking that positionrequires that we wrestle, as we have been
doing, with the issues of: what is sacred space, and where is sacred
space? For while we’ve agreed that our relationship with God entails the
possibilityof encounter of the Divine anywhere, the discrete and formal
sacred encounter we’ve been exploring these many weeks, including the
offerings we will now discuss, occurs in sacred space.
We’ve had many rich discussions about where that space is and what
happens there. I encourage you to review notes, recall our discussions,
and keep these thoughts in your mind as we now dig deeperinto the details
of sacred encounter.
My hypothesis has been and remains: God calls us to draw near in sacred
space with the express purpose of guiding us, inspiring us, and preparing

10. us in holiness to go out into the world as a kingdom of priests and a holy
nation.)
V-VI. A. Though we have spent considerable time,and for good reason, on
this introduction, I want to cover two specific typesof offerings today. First,
the voluntary burnt offering. Read Leviticus 1:2-3 and Deuteronomy 12:17.
Several questions arise, as we think about what the language of these
ancient practices might mean for us today: 1) What do you make of the
wide variety of animals that might be offered, that is, from the herd or the
flock? 2) What do you make of the fact that, unlike most other offerings,
these must, according to Maimonides’ reading of the verse from
Deuteronomy, be burnt whole?; and 3) Can you think of offerings we make
today that have a kinship to these offerings at a fundamental level, and why
and how we could make them?
(1. They were of a wide variety of types and value of animals, suggesting
that all, from rich to poor, could bring and offerthem. And they could do so
for a variety of reasons, needs, and purposes forwhich they could, at any
time, come forward to draw near to God.
2. While atonement, sinful thoughts, or failure to fulfill good intentions may
have explained this sacrifice at a certain level, the offering more generally
appears to encompass a broaderrange of needs and desires to draw near

11. God on a voluntary basis. But it is to God that we come, and this offering is
intended for God alone.
3. This offering may, for us as well, call upon us to sacrifice material
resources, to be sure. But doesn’tanother sort of sacrifice come more to
mind, such as what we give up in prayer? Worship, meditation, moments of
devotion also seem to fit. In doing all of these, we “burn up time,” perhaps
our most valuable “commodity.” The market value of the time of some may
far exceed that of others, just as the value of a bull exceedsthat of a dove.
Further, some of the our time is more valuable than that of other time.
What motivates this sacrifice? If we “bring a bull,” perhaps we have gotten
off the mark in fulfilling the goals of our better selves, or have beencaught
up in unproductive thinking or deeds, and we have a strong need to get
back and right with God. We seekin doing so to re-orient ourselves to the
correct path, to holiness, if you will. If we “bring a goat or a pigeon,”
perhaps we simply seekstrength and supportor comfort that comes from
time spent - above and beyond - in meditation, devotion, and nearness to
God.)
VII-VIII.Read Numbers 28:2-4 and Exodus 30:13.These are the morning
and early evening burnt offerings made by the priests, yet provided forby
the community through their contributions devoted to God. What is
distinctive about these offerings,and what might such offerings look like in
our own time?

12. (As opposed to the previous offerings,these have the touch of regularity -
morning and evening. They seem to say that we have a need to, and God
has a desire for us to, draw near regularly, in some fashion with the
community and with community resources.
We have a need to direct the entirety of our hearts and thoughts to attach
ourselves to God, as Chinuch says, at least as often as we ourselves feel
the need to eat. We constantly awake our intellect and emotions to
rememberand be near the Creator, so as to be holy as the Divine wishes.
Could this be regular prayer, morning and evening? Community prayer,
devotionals, and/or study each day, whether at church/synagogue or in
friendship circles? Or, if we see this as interior, do we regularly bring our
whole self - all its components - to this prayer/devotional? In any event, we
are to contribute resources to support our individual and collective capacity
to engage in these regular offerings.)
IX-XVI.Read Leviticus 2:1-16;Leviticus 6:9-16. These mitzvot relate to the
voluntary meal offering that was made to God,while a portion was reserved
for food for the priests. (The priests separately made their own meal
offerings.) What might have beenthe purpose of this offering, and what
meaning might it have for us?
(Some sages say it was an offering that could be afforded by the poorand
thus created an opportunity for all to draw near God regardless of means.

13. The fact that the priests were to eat a portion of this offering suggests,
however, that it may have been a different offering altogether than the olah.
It is modest.It does serve the priests, too. We offerit, with salt, as if to say
it must be fresh. We do not offerit with leaven and honey, as if to say we
do not offerit with the attitude that we delay or flatter in our approach to
God.
In more recent times, the minchah offering has become associatedwith the
afternoon prayer. Perhaps an idea for us is that we ought to break up the
day with a moment of prayer, devotion, or meditation in the afternoon. It
could serve as a reminder, a brief restoration, or a turning. Perhaps it could
be a momentof spiritual and ethical accounting for the day - recalling our
highest goals, how we’re meeting them, and what we can do during the
remainder of the day to do better.
We live each day in the hustle and bustle of our lives, touching all sorts of
emotions, the good and the bad. Many in different cultures pull away in the
middle of the day for tea or exercise or meditation. Maybe these mitzvot
give people of faith some other wonderful ways to draw near God at mid-
day, and then return to work, the office, or other busy-ness,restored in the
Divine way for the rest of the day.
One final point: since the priest also eats of this offering, perhaps we find
ways to support those who help us draw near to God in some appropriate
way as part of the minchah offering. This could be financial support or help
in relieving burdens or perhaps even a lifting message ofsupport,which
may be as valuable as any support we might give our modern day priests.)

14. Conclusion