There are about 613 commandments (mizvot) in the Torah (Pentateuch), which coincides with the Christian first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
About 100 of these are related to sacrifice. So, its safe to say that probably one of the more important tenets practiced in Judaism historically is the sacrifice, since 1/6th of the total laws in the religion are related exlcusively to sacrifice. Although it is not unique to Judaism, sacrifice is certainly unique to most religions today.
In the Torah, there are directions of how, when, where, and what sacrifices should be made. The instructions are specific and failing to do it correctly (or even if you do it correctly, but you're the wrong person to do it). The instructions are detailed and precise. For example, the red heifer sacrifice instructions go something like this, in Numbers 19:
- Bring a red heifer without defect or blemish and who has never had a calf or born a yoke,
- Have the high priest slaughter it, then dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the tent.
- While he watches, the heifer is to be burned completely.
- The priest must, while watching, throw some cedar, hyssop, and scarlet wool onto the burning heifer.
- After that, the priest and the guy in charge of the fire must wash their clothing and bathe, but they will both be unclean until evening.
- When the burning is done, a man who is clean should gather up the ashes of the heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside of camp where they are used in the future for use in water of cleansing (for the purification from sin).
Women and Sacrifice
Most of the important sacrifices are made by the priest, but regular people can (and SHOULD!) make sacrifices, too, historically. Women were required to perform a number of korbanot (sacrifices) too including:
- After childbirth
- Following recovery from illness or danger
- On Passover - women could offer the sacrifice and hold a seder themselves, if they wanted to!
- In atonement for transgression and sins
- Following the cure from certain diseases
Women could also voluntarily participate in a number of other offerings and rituals for which they were not obligated, including:
- First Fruits on the Holiday of Shavuot
- Sheqalim (tax to maintain/support the Temple)
- Peace offerings and charity
- Laying on of hands of sacrificial animals for sacrifices they didn't have to perform themselves, and they could even slaughter their own sacrificial animals if they wanted.
If a woman was performing a sacrifice, they could enter the Temple through the women's gate but offer the sacrifice in the same place as men. Women who were not offering sacrifices were required to remain within the women's courtyard while at the Temple.
We do know that Korbanot revolved around the Temple. The sacrifices were almost always made there or had something to do with the Temple itself, so it is no surprise that when the Temple was destroyed, the sacrifices stopped. One of my readers (Jennifer from Tyler) asked this question, which I posed to Moreh Joel:
Question: How does sacrifice come into play in modern interpretations of the Law?
Joel: A helpful thing in addressing this question is to first understand how it came to play into the ancient interpretation of the law and what sacrifice meant to Jews.
So: the ancient Hebrew word for “sacrifice” (which is a real misnomer) is Korban. A Karban, in the Hebrew, derives from the word Karov, which means “close” or “near.” The Karbonim (sacrifices) were seen as a means of drawing near to God, but the interesting bit is how they were done and when.
The reason sacrifice is a misnomer is that they can be better described as a kind of holy barbeque because when the people made Karbonim, the entire community was invited to join in eating the sacrificed animal.
It was a communal ritual that was costly and demonstrative of commitment (a psychological mechanism which creates strong loyalty and affiliation). This also gives mundane things (killing and eating an animal) a sacred and community affirming power and draws us close to God. Hence the term Karban. The remarkable idea of the Karban is that any of us, with a community of faith and commitment, can approach God without an intervening agent. The “sacrifice” is not a sacrifice in that sense – it’s a value proposition.
There came to be a belief amongst Jews (derided by the prophets) that simply performing the perfunctory mitzvah of karbanim as commanded would be sufficient to appease God (as though God needs these offerings somehow) and so obsession with ritual as a stand in for religious experience became fashionable.
Isaiah and Jeremiah and other prophets derided this practice and in doing so, explain the significance of Karbanim themselves.
I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. (Amos 5:21)
In modern Jewish practice since the Temple has been destroyed and we can no longer make offerings, charity and community participation have replaced Karbanim the reason being that, in the end, this is what Hashem truly desires:
Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. (Isaiah 1:17)
Joni: So is it fair to say that the point was not the sacrifice… the point was the relationship with other people and that its only through community that you can truly connect with God? Sacrifice was really more of an investment in the community and religious institution you chose.
Joel: that is the spirit of the Karbanim – we are supposed to draw near as individuals and as a community to God and the measure of our intimacy is our charity and willingness to advocate for the least fortunate amongst us.
