Expert: Shulamit - 7/29/2006

Question
I've been told that animal sacrifice could only take place in the Jerusalem Temple and that the Jewish People never accepted the idea of vicarious atonement or sacrifice. So, What was the purpose of doing animal sacrifices at that time?

If the Jewish people never accepted the idea of vicarious atonement, why is it spelled out in detail in the Torah how to do animal sacrifices for means of atonement for sins (sin offering)as a requirement to do? Why does it say in Leviticus 17 that blood is the atonement for the soul?

Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.  

Answer
    Dear Sarah,

    You are asking an enormous question, that has created many conflicts amongst Jews, for centuries. I will take your astute comments and questions in order, as you posed them, and see if I can do them reasonable justice briefly. Then, if you have specific follow ups, please do ask them.    


>> I've been told that animal sacrifice could only take place in the Jerusalem Temple

       Absolutely true.



>> and that the Jewish People never accepted the idea of vicarious atonement or sacrifice.

       Also true.


>> So, What was the purpose of doing animal sacrifices at that time?

       Ah: here is the central issue of the debate. The view I subscribe to, and do most Conservative Jews (who have an opinion on this) is that the Torah, regardless whether or not you believe it was given by G-d, was given to a particular people, at a particular time. And at that time, they were surrounded by tribes of other people who vehemently believed in the necessity of sacrifice to cleanse one's soul (or whatever).
       Therefore, even though atonement still required the person carrying the guilt to atone directly for their sins (if they stole, repay the loss, if they injured, make some kind of restitution, etc.) the Torah allowed for the symbolic atonement. This is what people expected then.



>> If the Jewish people never accepted the idea of vicarious atonement, why is it spelled out in detail in the Torah how to do animal sacrifices for means of atonement for sins (sin offering)as a requirement to do? Why does it say in Leviticus 17 that blood is the atonement for the soul?

      So that accomplishing animal sacrifices would be so incredibly difficult, that people would readily accept prayer in its stead. Mind you, prayer doesn't accomplish vicarious atonement, either. Again, it is still the thing you do AFTER you have actively atoned.



>> Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

      Yes, excellent citation. And context helps make it much clearer...

      In the paragraphs above (starting at Lev. 17:1) there is this whole discussion about NOT slaughtering animals out in the fields. Rather, "So that the Children of Israel will bring their feast-offerings that they have been slaughtering on the open field, and they shall bring them to Ha'shem to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to the Kohen; and they shall slaughter them as peace-offerings... ...They shall no longer slaughter their offerings to the demons after whom they stray; this shall be an eternal decree to them for their generations."

      Bit by bit here. First, notice the reason they must bring their offerings to the Tent of Meeting? Because these folks simply weren't used to being "The Children of Israel" yet. These folks were truly proto-proto-Jews. They were still offering up every animal they slaughtered to appease the "the demons" that is, they were still worshipping idols.
    
      And as every undergraduate Psych major knows, it is very hard to stop a person from doing something to which they've become habituated. But it isn't quite so hard to substitute in something else, if that something works for them. So the Torah doesn't just say, "stop that idol worshipping with your meat!" But instead says, "Here, do this, instead. It will benefit you, and if you keep doing it the other way, it will end up separating you from the Children of Israel. (Which need not be a punishment, so much as a realistic result of continuing to worship idols. Jews don't have much tolerance for idol worship.)

      Now, the "blood is the atonement for the soul" part. So, again, it needs context. Here are verses 10, 11, and 12, from my Stone Chumash:

     "10. Any man of the House of Israel and of the proselyte (convert) who dwells among them who will consume any blood -- I shall concentrate My attention upon the soul consuming the blood, and I will cut it off from its people."

      So here we see the point the text is getting to: DON'T EAT BLOOD.


     "11. For the soul of the flesh is in the blood and I have assigned it for you upon the Altar to provide atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that atones for the soul."

      Once again, G-d is offering the people who were into animal sacrifice, an explanation they could make some sense from. It doesn't say, "Wow, I really love that blood, give it to me, and I'll be happy, but if you keep it for yourselves, I will be very angry." It just says, "don't eat it, because, oh yah, THAT'S the important part."

      Honestly, I'm not saying this to put down G-d or the people back then. To the contrary, G-d shows plenty of willingness to work with folks where they are (the perfect psychologist, of course), and the people are acting reasonably, considering their experiences and circumstances.

     
      OK, so much for the "brief" answer!

      I've actually spent over an hour working this answer out, but it is a deeply important question. Given that I've spent so long on it, I'm not going to spend another half hour editing it! So, if anything I've written here isn't clear, by all means, let me know. (I'm not THAT good of a writer...something's got to be convoluted in an answer that long.)

      Thanks for asking.

      Best,

      Shula