Many people recoil from learning about the sacrificial service, based as it is on customs alien to modern thinking. This book follows the opening section of the book of Leviticus, in order to extract the values that lie at the foundation of the world of sacrifices.
In the context of the voluntary offerings, the book explores the religious consciousness expressed by bringing a burnt offering, a meal offering and a peace offering, and what is the religious function fulfilled by mandatory sacrifices – the sin and guilt offerings. The unit is presented in a fresh way, offering a new perspective that makes the complex world of sacrifices accessible to the modern reader.
The book includes a textual analysis of the chapters focusing on the sacrifices, according to the order of the verses. Multiple literary elements are taken into account in order to understand what makes each sacrifice unique, and to define the function of each one. This book is engaged in a constant dialogue with all of the many discussions regarding this unit, beginning from the halakhic midrashim, to the medieval commentators, to modern scholars.
Along with the specifics of the laws, special attention is also given to the words chosen to accompany the world of sacrifices, and thus, distinctions are made between throwing the blood and placing the blood, and smoking with fire, as opposed to burning. Through this analysis, the unique purpose of each offering will be revealed, as well as the religious expression that it offers the one who brings it.