As korbanos are accepted by Hashem, Who in His great mercy, accepts a substitute instead of sinful man (see Ramban to Vayikra 1:9), what aspect of our own personal avodas Hashem (service of G-d) can we learn from continuous and constant fire of the mizbayach that was never extinguished?
When it comes to our relationship to Torah and mitzvos, our love for Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael, our thirst for always learning and growing more in chochmas ha’Torah (the wisdom of Torah), thereby coming closer to HKB”H, it is clear that the fire and passion of Yahadus - and all that it encompasses - must never be extinguished within ourselves Even in the proverbial ‘rainy times’ in life, even when the world is storming and the 'winter rains’ and 'winter winds’ whip themselves into a frenzy around us, when nothing makes sense and it seems as if, chas v’shalom it can and never will be, Am Yisrael will be extinguished, our flame, our fire, our commitment to Torah, to the neshama, to our nation and Land, will never, ever be snuffed out. If a korban is an offering instead of man, we must appreciate the Divine Mercy of Hashem, Who will always take us back and it is He Who ensures our eternal flame, which represents our eternal survival.
Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, the Rav, zt’l, teaches, “The Ramban writes, at the beginning of Vayikra (1:9), writes that when the Torah uses the word korban, it means human sacrifice and not that of an animal. The Torah, of course, abhors and rejects human sacrifice - but only as far as its physical implementation is concerned. Man belongs to G-d. All our possessions, all our talents, all our thoughts, all our feelings - everything belongs to G-d. There is not a single thing in human life which does not belong to Him. There is not a single thing which G-d does not want man to offer Him, including man himself, including his own existence. An animal is a very inadequate substitute for the real and genuine korban, which is human sacrifice.
“Yet the Torah says that man can substitute something else for his own being. What the Torah is really out to achieve, of course, is observance of all the mitzvos. G-d is interested not so much in human sacrifice as in human restraint, human control, human surrender, human submission. If man is ready to sacrifice his life, and spiritually surrender to G-d, then he can bring a substitute for himself. G-d knows man, his frailties, his weaknesses, his indecision, and his self-love; and because of His compassion, His middas ha’rachamim, G-d substituted animal sacrifice for human sacrifice.
“R’ Shimon ben Azzai observed that whenever the Torah speaks of korban there is no mention of Kel or Elokim (Elokim denotes G-d of Exacting Justice); only Hashem, the Tetragrammaton, in mentioned (Menachos 110a). Shem Hashem means rachamim, mercy. If G-d dealt with man in accordance with strict justice, He would require of man (one thing): himself” (Abraham’s Journey, p.69).
May we merit to witness the immediate redemption of our nation, our Land and our holy city, when the Beis HaMikdash will be rebuilt and we will offer korbanos from Har HaBayis once again, as a rei’ach ni’cho’ach lifnei Hashem. שלום ושבת טובות בשורות בברכת
