Spin-a-Verse on Vayikra

אָמַר רַבִּי אַסֵּי מִפְּנֵי מָה מַתְחִילִין לַתִּינוֹקוֹת בְּתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים וְאֵין מַתְחִילִין בִּבְרֵאשִׁית, אֶלָּא שֶׁהַתִּינוֹקוֹת טְהוֹרִין וְהַקָּרְבָּנוֹת טְהוֹרִין יָבוֹאוּ טְהוֹרִין וְיִתְעַסְּקוּ בִּטְהוֹרִים.

Vayikra Rabbah 7:3

Rabbi Assey said "Why do young children start [to learn Torah] with the laws of the priests (ie Leviticus)? Because young children are pure and the sacrifices are pure - pure ones should come and busy themselves with the pure.

ויקרא א׳:א׳-ה׳

(א) וַיִּקְרָ֖א אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֵלָ֔יו מֵאֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ב) דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם אָדָ֗ם כִּֽי־יַקְרִ֥יב מִכֶּ֛ם קָרְבָּ֖ן לַֽיהוָ֑ה מִן־הַבְּהֵמָ֗ה מִן־הַבָּקָר֙ וּמִן־הַצֹּ֔אן תַּקְרִ֖יבוּ אֶת־קָרְבַּנְכֶֽם׃ (ג) אִם־עֹלָ֤ה קָרְבָּנוֹ֙ מִן־הַבָּקָ֔ר זָכָ֥ר תָּמִ֖ים יַקְרִיבֶ֑נּוּ אֶל־פֶּ֝תַח אֹ֤הֶל מוֹעֵד֙ יַקְרִ֣יב אֹת֔וֹ לִרְצֹנ֖וֹ לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ (ד) וְסָמַ֣ךְ יָד֔וֹ עַ֖ל רֹ֣אשׁ הָעֹלָ֑ה וְנִרְצָ֥ה ל֖וֹ לְכַפֵּ֥ר עָלָֽיו׃ (ה) וְשָׁחַ֛ט אֶת־בֶּ֥ן הַבָּקָ֖ר לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְ֠הִקְרִיבוּ בְּנֵ֨י אַהֲרֹ֤ן הַֽכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ אֶת־הַדָּ֔ם וְזָרְק֨וּ אֶת־הַדָּ֤ם עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ סָבִ֔יב אֲשֶׁר־פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃

Leviticus 1:1-5

(1) The LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying: (2) Speak to the Israelite people, and say to them: When any of you presents an offering of cattle to the LORD, he shall choose his offering from the herd or from the flock. (3) If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall make his offering a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, for acceptance in his behalf before the LORD. (4) He shall lay his hand upon the head of the burnt offering, that it may be acceptable in his behalf, in expiation for him. (5) The bull shall be slaughtered before the LORD; and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall offer the blood, dashing the blood against all sides of the altar which is at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.

ויקרא ב׳:א׳-ד׳

(א) וְנֶ֗פֶשׁ כִּֽי־תַקְרִ֞יב קָרְבַּ֤ן מִנְחָה֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה סֹ֖לֶת יִהְיֶ֣ה קָרְבָּנ֑וֹ וְיָצַ֤ק עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ שֶׁ֔מֶן וְנָתַ֥ן עָלֶ֖יהָ לְבֹנָֽה׃ (ב) וֶֽהֱבִיאָ֗הּ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹן֮ הַכֹּהֲנִים֒ וְקָמַ֨ץ מִשָּׁ֜ם מְלֹ֣א קֻמְצ֗וֹ מִסָּלְתָּהּ֙ וּמִשַּׁמְנָ֔הּ עַ֖ל כָּל־לְבֹנָתָ֑הּ וְהִקְטִ֨יר הַכֹּהֵ֜ן אֶת־אַזְכָּרָתָהּ֙ הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חָה אִשֵּׁ֛ה רֵ֥יחַ נִיחֹ֖חַ לַיהוָֽה׃ (ג) וְהַנּוֹתֶ֙רֶת֙ מִן־הַמִּנְחָ֔ה לְאַהֲרֹ֖ן וּלְבָנָ֑יו קֹ֥דֶשׁ קָֽדָשִׁ֖ים מֵאִשֵּׁ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ (ס) (ד) וְכִ֥י תַקְרִ֛ב קָרְבַּ֥ן מִנְחָ֖ה מַאֲפֵ֣ה תַנּ֑וּר סֹ֣לֶת חַלּ֤וֹת מַצֹּת֙ בְּלוּלֹ֣ת בַּשֶּׁ֔מֶן וּרְקִיקֵ֥י מַצּ֖וֹת מְשֻׁחִ֥ים בַּשָּֽׁמֶן׃ (ס)

Leviticus 2:1-4

(1) When a person presents an offering of meal to the LORD, his offering shall be of choice flour; he shall pour oil upon it, lay frankincense on it, (2) and present it to Aaron’s sons, the priests. The priest shall scoop out of it a handful of its choice flour and oil, as well as all of its frankincense; and this token portion he shall turn into smoke on the altar, as an offering by fire, of pleasing odor to the LORD. (3) And the remainder of the meal offering shall be for Aaron and his sons, a most holy portion from the LORD’s offerings by fire. (4) When you present an offering of meal baked in the oven, [it shall be of] choice flour: unleavened cakes with oil mixed in, or unleavened wafers spread with oil.

ויקרא רבה כ״ב:ח׳

(ח) רַבִּי פִּנְחָס בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר מָשָׁל לְבֶן מֶלֶךְ שֶׁגַּס לִבּוֹ עָלָיו וְהָיָה לָמֵד לֶאֱכֹל בְּשַׂר נְבֵלוֹת וּטְרֵפוֹת, אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ זֶה יִהְיֶה תָּדִיר עַל שֻׁלְחָנִי וּמֵעַצְמוֹ הוּא נָדוּר [גדור], כָּךְ לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהוּטִים אַחַר עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים בְּמִצְרַיִם וְהָיוּ מְבִיאִים קָרְבָּנֵיהֶם לַשְּׂעִירִים, דִּכְתִיב (ויקרא יז, ז): וְלֹא יִזְבְּחוּ עוֹד אֶת זִבְחֵיהֶם לַשְּׂעִירִים, וְאֵין שְׂעִירִים אֵלּוּ אֶלָּא שֵׁדִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים לב, יז): וַיִּזְבְּחוּ לַשֵּׁדִים, וְאֵין שֵׁדִים אֵלּוּ אֶלָּא שְׂעִירִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה יג, כא): וּשְׂעִירִים יְרַקְּדוּ שָׁם, וְהָיוּ מַקְרִיבִין קָרְבָּנֵיהֶם בְּאִסּוּר בָּמָּה וּפֻרְעָנֻיּוֹת בָּאוֹת עֲלֵיהֶם, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִהְיוּ מַקְרִיבִין לְפָנַי בְּכָל עֵת קָרְבְּנוֹתֵיהֶן בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, וְהֵן נִפְרָשִׁים מֵעֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וְהֵם נִיצוֹלִים, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: אִישׁ אִישׁ מִבֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וגו'.

Vayikra Rabbah 22:8

(8) Rabbi Pinhas in the name of Rabbi Levi stated: This is comparable to a king’s son who strayed and was accustomed to eat non-kosher meat. The king declared, “let him always eat at my table and on his own he will eventually become disciplined.” Similarly, because Israel was attached to idolatry in Egypt and would bring their sacrifices to the goat-demons, as it is written (Leviticus 17:7) "No longer shall you sacrifice to goat-demons, which refer to the shedim they sacrificed to (Deuternomy 32:17) "and they sacrificed to shedim", and those shedim refer to the goat-demons, as it says, (Isaiah 13:21) "and the goat [demons] shall prance there." And they would offer sacrifices on high places and retribution would befall them, the Holy One blessed be He said “let them offer sacrifices before Me at all times in the Tent of Meeting and they will be separated from idolatry and be saved.” This is the meaning of what is written (Leviticus 17:3-7): “Any man of the House of Israel who slaughters an ox or sheep or goat... and does not bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting as a sacrifice to God.... that man will be cut off from among his people… so that they no longer offer their sacrifices to the goat-demons that they are wont to stray after."

Heavenly Torah, Abraham Joshua Heschel, as translated by Rabbi Gordon Tucker, pg. 86

The basic difference in attitude to the sacrifical system may be summarized thus:

In the school of Rabbi Ishamel the view was, "Not for my sake do you offer sacrifices, but for your sakes, to satisfy your needs. For My part, I am pleased that having given you the commandements, you fulfil My will, and I shall reward you."

In the school of Rabbi Akiva, the view was, "I desire nothing else but the sacrifices. Their sweet savor brings delight to Me."