Nachmanides on the Reason for Offerings

(xi) Nachmanides, Leviticus 1:9:
“It is far more fitting to accept the reason for the offerings which scholars say, namely that since man’s deeds are accomplished through thought, speech and action, therefore G-d commanded that when man sins and brings an offering, he should lay his hands upon it in contrast to the (evil) deed (committed). He should confess his sin verbally in contrast to his (evil) speech, and he should burn the inwards and the kidneys (of the offering) in fire because they are the instruments of thought and desire in the human being. He should burn the legs (of the offering) since they correspond to the hands and feet of a person, which do all his work. He should sprinkle the blood upon the altar, which is analogous to the blood in his body. All these acts are performed in order that when they are done, a person should realize that he has sinned against his G-d with his body and his soul, and that “his” blood should really be spilled and “his” body burned, were it not for the loving-kindness of the Creator, Who took from him a substitute and a ransom, namely this offering, so that its blood should be in place of his blood, its life in place of his life, and that the chief limbs of the offering should be in place of the chief parts of his body. The portions (given from the sin-offering to the priests), are in order to support the teachers of the Torah, so that they pray on his behalf. The reason for the Daily public Offering is that it is impossible for the public (as a whole) to continually avoid sin. Now these are words which are worthy to be accepted, appealing to the heart as do words of Agadah (homiletic teachings)"