(א) וַיִּקְרָ֖א אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר ה' אֵלָ֔יו מֵאֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ב) דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם אָדָ֗ם כִּֽי־יַקְרִ֥יב מִכֶּ֛ם קָרְבָּ֖ן לַֽה' 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 ה' (ד) וְסָמַ֣ךְ יָד֔וֹ עַ֖ל רֹ֣אשׁ הָעֹלָ֑ה וְנִרְצָ֥ה ל֖וֹ לְכַפֵּ֥ר עָלָֽיו׃ (ה) וְשָׁחַ֛ט אֶת־בֶּ֥ן הַבָּקָ֖ר לִפְנֵ֣י ה' וְ֠הִקְרִיבוּ בְּנֵ֨י אַהֲרֹ֤ן הַֽכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ אֶת־הַדָּ֔ם וְזָרְק֨וּ אֶת־הַדָּ֤ם עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ סָבִ֔יב אֲשֶׁר־פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃
(1) And the LORD called unto Moses, and spoke unto him out of the tent of meeting, saying: (2) Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When any man of you bringeth an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd or of the flock. (3) If his offering be a burnt-offering of the herd, he shall offer it a male without blemish; he shall bring it to the door of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. (4) And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. (5) And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD; and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall present the blood, and dash the blood round about against the altar that is at the door of the tent of meeting.
(א) ויקרא אל משה. לכל דברות ולכל אמירות ולכל צוויים קדמה קריאה, לשון חבה, לשון שמלאכי השרת משתמשים בו, שנאמר (ישעיה ו ג) וקרא זה אל זה, אבל לנביאי אמות העולם נגלה עליהן בלשון עראי וטמאה, שנאמר (במדבר כג ד) ויקר אלהים אל בלעם:
א"ל רב חסדא לאבימי גמירי דעבודת כוכבים דאברהם אבינו ד' מאה פירקי הויין ואנן חמשה תנן ולא ידעינן מאי קאמרינן
Rambam, Moreh Nevuchim (Guide for the Perplexed) 3:32
The Torah’s sacrifices replaced the idolatrous practices of the ancients in which Jewish people had been steeped
But the well-known custom which was common then, and the general mode of worship in which the Israelites were brought up consisted of sacrificing animals…It was in accordance with the wisdom and plan of God…that God did not command us to give up and to discontinue all these manners of service. For to obey such a commandment would have been contrary to the nature of man, who generally cleaves to what he is accustomed to; in those days it would have made the same impression as a prophet would make at present [the 12th Century] if he called us to the service of God and told us in His name, that we should not pray to God nor fast, nor seek His help in time of .trouble; that we should serve Him in thought, and not by any action.
Offering sacrifices was a statement in defiance of idolatry
The Egyptians worshipped Aries, and therefore abstained from killing sheep, and held
shepherds in contempt – “behold we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?” (Shemot 8:22) and “for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians” (Bereishit/Genesis 46:34)…Most idolaters objected to killing cattle and held this species of animal in great esteem. Therefore the people of India up to this day do not slaughter cattle even in those countries where other animals are slaughtered. In order to eradicate these false principles, the Torah commands us to offer sacrifices of only three kinds: “You shall bring your offering of the cattle, of the herd and of the flock” (Vayikra 1:2) [The three types are cows/bulls, goats and sheep.] Thus the very act which is considered by the heathen as the greatest crime is the means of approaching God and obtaining His pardon for our sins. In this manner, evil principles, diseases of the human soul, are cured by other principles, which are diametrically opposed.