Meaning behind Korbanot

Abraham said: Master of the Universe, perhaps the Jews will sin before You. Will You treat them as You did the generation of the flood and the generation of the dispersion, and destroy them? God said to him: No. Abraham said before God: Master of the Universe, tell me, with what shall I inherit it? How can my descendants ensure that You will maintain the world? God said to Abraham: “Take for Me a three-year-old heifer, and a three-year-old goat, and a three-year-old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon” (Genesis 15:9). God was alluding to the offerings, in whose merit the Jewish people, and through them the entire world, will be spared divine punishment. Abraham said before God: Master of the Universe, this works out well when the Temple is standing, but when the Temple is not standing, what will become of them? God said to him: I have already enacted for them the order of offerings. When they read them before Me, I will ascribe them credit as though they had sacrificed them before Me and I will pardon them for all their transgressions. Since the offerings ensure the continued existence of the Jewish people and the rest of the world, the act of Creation is read in their honor.

The Sages said that a person should always divide his years into three parts, as follows: A third for Bible, a third for Mishna, and a third for Talmud. The Gemara asks: How can a person divide his life this way? Who knows the length of his life, so that he can calculate how long a third will be? The Gemara answers: No, it is necessary for one’s days, i.e., one should divide each day of his life in this manner.

(1) They established that one should recite the part of "Eyzehu M'komam" and the baraita of Rabbi Ishmael after the section of the daily offering in order that every person would attain merit by learning Bible, Mishnah, and Talmud every day in that the baraita of Rabbi Ishmael is in place of Talmud since midrash is like Talmud.

(2) I have written what went up in my spirit about the simple understanding of the matter from the roots of the commandment of the sacrifices on the commandment of the Temple in the Order of Vayikchu Li Trumah (Sefer HaChinuch 95). And I will also continue according to those reasons in the explanation of the regular sacrifices, to say that we were commanded in this regular service, which is twice a day - with the rising of the sun and with its inclining towards the evening - in order that we be aroused from this action and that we place all of our hearts and all of our thoughts to cling to God, blessed be He. And we have said several times that a person is acted upon - and his nature is aroused - according to the involvement of his actions. And hence in that a man's nature is designed that he needs to prepare nourishment for himself twice [a day], morning and evening, he is commanded that he place his industry and his occupation in the occupation of the service of his Creator two times [a day] as well, that the service of the servant to himself not be more than his service to his Master. And why all of this (what is its reason)? In order to regularly arouse his spirit and his desire to remember his Creator, and through this to make his actions proper and be blessed from [God]; as He is One who desires kindness. [It is] as they, may their memory be blessed, expounded (Sifrei Bamidbar 143:3), "'A fire, of pleasing smell to the Lord' - since I said, and My will was done" - meaning to say, that the entire portion of the Higher from any sacrifice is only His desire, blessed be He, that the servant do what his Master has commanded him, in order that he be fit to merit His goodness, blessed be He.

(3) Incense is precious to the Holy One, blessed be He. You know this to be so because David was anxious to burn incense, as it is said: I will offer unto Thee burnt-offerings of fatlings with the sweet smoke of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats (Ps. 66:15). Hence you find that no sacrifices in the entire world were praised as highly as those of the leaders. Why? Because they offered incense prior to making their sacrifices, as Scripture states concerning each of their offerings: One golden pan of ten shekels, full of incense (Num. 7:20).