will not need to bring an Olah, a Chatas, a Minchah or an Asham.” The Maharsha explains that Rava is saying that not only is learning Torah considered like bringing a korban, but it is also true that Torah protects a person from sin. Therefore, one who learns Torah will never need to bring a korban to atone for a sin, as the Gemara says (Sotah 21A): “Torah, both at the time when one is learning and not at the time that he is learning, protects and saves a person.”
A Korban Connects to Hashem:
The Maharal (Tiferes Yisroel 70) explains the concept of korbanos by saying that a sin leads to the sinner becoming distanced from Hashem. The korban (which has the root word of “kiruv”, to draw close), brings the person back to once again be close to Hashem by annulling the sin.
However, we need to know that being close to Hashem is not a simple thing. A person must constantly think to himself: How lucky we are to be His chosen people and to be able to be close to Hashem at all times. One should not be like the “chasid shoteh” who came to the Kotzker Rebbe zy”a and claimed that he had seen Hashem Yisborach in a dream! The Rebbe told him, “The Gemara says (Brachos 55B) that if one thinks about something all the time, that is what he sees in his dreams. You probably think about Hashem all day, which is why you saw Him in your dream.”
The chasid foolishly replied, “That can’t be. I am busy learning and davening all day. I don’t have time to think about Hashem at all!”
