In Kabbalistic terms, the purpose of the sacrifices is to elevate the worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah to the level of the world of Atzilut, and to unite Z’eir Anpin and Nukva of Atzilut. In the messianic future, the three lower worlds will have risen permanently to the level of Atzilut, and the union between Z’eir Anpin and Nukva will be constant, just as the union between Abba and Ima is now. Hence, the majority of sacrifices will be obsolete.
The purpose of the thanksgiving-offering, in contrast, is to acknowledge the preeminence of the spiritual levels higher than Atzilut, particularly God’s transcendent creative light (sovev kol almin), thereby infusing the union of Abba and Ima with new inspiration. This process will continue in the messianic era.
Chasidic Insights
In the messianic era, communal sacrifices will continue to be offered up, but there will no longer be more personal sacrifices, with the sole exception of the thanksgiving-offering. Similarly, we are taught that in the messianic era, all forms of prayer will cease except for prayers of thanksgiving.
The purpose of personal sacrifices (other than the thanksgiving-offering) is to orient the animal soul toward Divinity. (In certain cases, this involves atoning for sin.) Since in the messianic era this process will have been completed—and we will no longer sin—these types of sacrifices will become superfluous. Only the thanksgiving-offering, whose function is to express our acknowledgement of our dependence upon God, will remain.
