Ilustration Credit: Rivka Tsinman
One of the קָרְבָּנוֹת (korbanot, sacrifices) that appears in this week’s parashah is a kind of אָשָׁם (asham) called the עוֹלֶה וְיוֹרֵד (oleh ve-yored). This means “up and down,” and the name refers to the way the korban’s cost could go up or down.
(ו) וְהֵבִ֣יא אֶת־אֲשָׁמ֣וֹ לַיהוה עַ֣ל חַטָּאתוֹ֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר חָטָ֜א נְקֵבָ֨ה מִן־הַצֹּ֥אן כִּשְׂבָּ֛ה אֽוֹ־שְׂעִירַ֥ת עִזִּ֖ים לְחַטָּ֑את...
(ז) וְאִם־לֹ֨א תַגִּ֣יעַ יָדוֹ֮ דֵּ֣י שֶׂה֒ וְהֵבִ֨יא אֶת־אֲשָׁמ֜וֹ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָטָ֗א שְׁתֵּ֥י תֹרִ֛ים אֽוֹ־שְׁנֵ֥י בְנֵֽי־יוֹנָ֖ה לַֽיהוה אֶחָ֥ד לְחַטָּ֖את וְאֶחָ֥ד לְעֹלָֽה׃...
(יא) וְאִם־לֹא֩ תַשִּׂ֨יג יָד֜וֹ לִשְׁתֵּ֣י תֹרִ֗ים אוֹ֮ לִשְׁנֵ֣י בְנֵי־יוֹנָה֒ וְהֵבִ֨יא אֶת־קׇרְבָּנ֜וֹ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָטָ֗א עֲשִׂירִ֧ת הָאֵפָ֛ה סֹ֖לֶת לְחַטָּ֑את...
(6) And they shall bring their asham to God, for the sin they did, a female animal from the flock - a sheep or a goat - as a hattat…
(7) And if they can’t afford a sheep, they shall bring two turtledoves or two pigeons to God, as their asham for their sin. One will be prepared as a hattat and one as an olah…
(11) And if they can’t afford two turtledoves or two pigeons, they shall bring a tenth of an ephah of flour as a hattat…
- What do you notice? What do you wonder about?
- Bringing an asham usually helped people to feel forgiveness and closure in certain situations when they did something they regretted. Why might it be so important for a korban to have cheaper and more expensive options?
- Different people can afford different things. How can we learn from this korban about allowing people to participate even if they can’t afford as much as others can?
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