Parshas Vayikra contains the Torah’s introduction to the various types of korbanos/sacrifices and offerings the Jews are to bring. There are numerous different offerings, depending on the reason for the korban.
Some are because a person did something wrong, while others are because they want to thank Hashem, or simply to draw closer to Him. Each has its own details and guidelines.
From the fact that there are such specific guidelines to the offerings Hashem is willing to accept, we learn that coming close to Hashem is not about how we “feel,” but how much we want Him to be pleased with us.
If you give someone a gift you like but they don’t, and you expect them to be appreciative, you’re thinking of yourself and not of them. We need to think about Hashem if we want to come closer to Him, signified by the word korban, whose root is karov, meaning close.
The fact that there are so many types of offerings teaches us that, in general, there are many ways to come close to Hashem. There’s not just one approach, and every person can find their way to grow their closeness with Hashem.
It is common for different people to be passionate about different mitzvos, and they can build their connection to Hashem around those.
Of course, Amalek sought to drain the passion and feeling out of Judaism, and that is why we always remember to blot out that cynicism and approach Hashem with warmth and enthusiasm.
