The chapter of Judaism Reclaimed which relates to parashat Vayikra focuses on Rambam’s radical approach to the institution of sacrifices. Rambam understands that korbanot were legislated as a practical means of aiding the Jews’ transition from the heavily pagan mindset that they had absorbed in Egypt toward the monotheistic concepts of a single, all-powerful Deity. God knew that it was far beyond the capabilities of His nascent nation to relate to Him without resorting to the sacrificial rites which were then inseparable from religious practice. Rambam suggests that this would be like asking people in his time to imagine a religion without prayer or synagogue, being based just on an intellectual attachment to God.
God therefore incorporated sacrificial offerings within Judaism, carefully denuding them of the bloodthirsty and immoral associations that were prevalent in ancient pagan worship (more on that in next week’s post). The aim was to diminish, gradually, the significance of sacrifice within the nation’s religious worship as the Jews became capable of a more sophisticated conception of and connection to God.
Ramban (Nachmanides) launches a stinging attack against the “empty and damaging” approach of Rambam which includes powerful questions such as the fact that sacrifices can be seen to predate the phenomenon of idolatry in the Torah, rather than being a reaction to it, and the Torah’s description of sacrifices producing “a pleasing aroma” for God (implying a positive purpose rather than a necessary concession). Further question emerge from within Rambam’s own works: On the one hand he states unequivocally that that the entire purpose of the Torah’s commanding of korbanot is in order to withdraw the Jewish People from harmful forms of worship, rather than for any inherent purpose or benefit that the korbanot might positively confer. Yet a few chapters later Rambam describes how various categories of sacrifices can provide atonement –an apparent positive function of the korbanot. Furthermore, in Hilchot Melachim, Rambam emphasises that animal sacrifices will be restored in the utopian, non-idolatrous Messianic era – a question left open by earlier authorities.
Judaism Reclaimed draws upon an array of earlier sources including Abarbanel and Ritva to compile a defence and develop a more profound understanding of Rambam’s position. Most interesting are the concluding comments of Ritva (Rabbi YomTov of Sevilla) who, despite being a student of Nachmanides, is critical of his teacher for being unable to detach himself from his mystical worldview in order to appreciate the wisdom inherent in Rambam’s approach. Ritva’s words echo a major theme of Judaism Reclaimed, a book which strives to understand various commentaries within the context of their broader worldview before comparing and contrasting their conclusions.
First posted to Facebook 26 March 2020, here.
