It is known that the word korbon (קרבן) is from the etymology korov (קרוב). The essence of the korbonos (offerings) is (Leviticus 1:2), “A man, when he brings, from you a korbon to G-d.” That a Jew’s closeness to G-d is when he gives over (sacrifices) and brings close his faculties and talents to G-d.
Note: In order to understand this, I am bringing here the teaching of the Alter Rebbe taught by the Rebbe in HaYom Yom (12th of Adar II):
“The Torah portion dealing with altar offerings begins: ‘A man who offers (yakriv) of you an offering to G-d.’ The logical order of the words should be, ‘A man of you who offers, etc.’
The Alter Rebbe answers: ‘A man who offers’ - in order that a man become closer to G-d - ‘of you an offering to G-d’ - he must bring the offering of himself. He must sacrifice his personal ‘animal,’ the desire for evil that is called the animal soul.”
And this is the difference between bringing offerings and all other Mitzvot: All other Mitzvot are “Organs” (Maimonides, end of his introduction to Sefer HaYaD and to Sefer HaMitzvot), the 248 Positive Mitzvot represent the 248 Organs of the male body (excluding the female’s reproductive organs) and “Sinews” (Zohar, Vol I 170b), the 365 Prohibitions represent the 365 Sinews.” Each mitzvah being either an individual Organ or an individual Sinew. And with every other Mitzvah—Mitzvah from the etymology tzavsa v’chibur - bonding and connecting—we connect a specific individual Organ or Sinew of ours to G-d.
However, the essence of a korban is that the Jew gives himself entirely, and becomes entirely close to G-d.
This is emphasized in the explanation of Nachmanides (Leviticus 1:9) as to why korbonos brings atonement (See Appendix XI):
“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... so that its (of the offering) blood should be in place of his blood, its life (of the offering) in place of his life.”
More then this, the essence of the korban is the concept of Teshuvah (Return; Repentance), as is understood from the words of the previously quoted Nachmanides, the Teshuvah is above and beyond all Mitzvot, and thus, through Teshuvah all blemishes created through the transgression of Prohibitions, and through the neglect of performing Positive Mitzvot are atoned for.
Note: In explaining that the essence of korbonos is the Jew giving himself entirely over, and bringing his entire being close to G-d, the rebbe answers as to why the Torah-portion of korbonos begins with voluntary and donation offerings, rather than with obligatory ones.
And this is one of the reasons as to why the Torah-portion of korbonos opens with the ones brought because of promises and donations—as Rashi states in the very beginning of the portion (Leviticus 1:2), “‘When a man from among you brings’: (i.e.) if he wishes to bring. Of voluntary offerings the concept (portion’s matter) is speaking”, and only afterwards does the Torah-portion continue with the Sin-offering and the Guilt-offering, which are obligatory. For, through the korbonos the Jew becomes entirely close to G-d, and this does not express itself in obligatory offerings, being that they are obligatory, what is primarily expressed is the commandment of G-d to bring a Sin-offering or a Guilt-offering, or the likes. Rather, it is specifically in the voluntary offerings that it is more clearly expressed that the Jew is bringing himself close to G-d through the voluntary donation of his heart.
Note: The Rebbe is now focusing on the Mystical Dimension of our specific ruling of, “If one vowed to bring a small one, and brings a large one instead, he has fulfilled his obligation.”
When a Jew vows to bring a korbon, his intention is not of a specific individual mitzvah - “the utterance of your lips observe,” and the likes, - rather, as explained earlier, his intention is to fulfill the all-encompassing concept of offering himself, the absolute giving (devotion; dedication; surrender) of himself to G-d.
As are the words (see Appendix XII) of our Sages (Menochos 104b) concerning (Leviticus 2:1) the word “nefesh (person; soul),” found by the portion of the donation flour offering: “The Holy One, Blessed be He, said, ‘Whose practice (is it) to bring a meal offering? (It is that of a) poor (person); and I will ascribe him (credit) as if he offered up his ‘nefesh’ before Me.’”
Note: To understand what the Rebbe is saying here, we will need to know the wording of the teaching for, “and I will ascribe him” is, “ma’aleh ani olov - אני עליו מעלה,” which in its literal sense means, “I will elevate upon him,”
The intention in addition of the words “ma’aleh ani olov -מעלה אני עליו ” (“I will elevate upon him”) in the teaching is that the person has with this also the giving of a empowerment from Above. Thus, the “offers (hikriv; korbon) his soul” is performed in a greater exalted dimension than that of reaching with his own capacity of his faculties and service. Rather, he reaches the level of, “G-d elevates upon him.”
Therefore, in fulfilling this specific mitzva (of offering a voluntary korbon) it is included within the all-encompassing mitzvah - the all-encompassing tzavsa v’chibur bonding of the Jew to G-d through his voluntary donation and offering of the korbon.
Therefore, what is primarily considered here is the all-encompassing matter, the absolute devotion of the Jew and his complete getting close to G-d. --Thus, the ruling here is that if he brings a large one instead he fulfills his obligation, for it is the all-encompassing matter of his vow, his absolute devotion and his complete getting close to G-d, that is the primary consideration.
Note: Now the Rebbe is going to zoom in on the deeper mystical dimension of “a small one” and “a big one” in this ruling.
According to this—that we are speaking of the all-encompassing devotion and getting close to G-d dimension of a korbon—we can explain the spiritual dimension of “a small one” and “a large one”:
At the onset of a person’s spiritual service he is in a state of small. However, being that we are speaking here of the spiritual service of korbonos, in bringing his entire soul close to G-d, and of surrendering himself, thus, this is the “bringing himself close” and “large” korbon. This is in a likening to that which is explained (Torah Ohr 114d --and the Rebbe cites two other sources, as well) concerning the connection between Inferior Fear (Acceptance of the Yoke; Obedience) and the Superior Fear of G-d.
And therefore, when, “And he brought a large one (instead of his vowed small one)” this is mystically saying that this brings to the surrender and bringing himself close to G-d in a manner of large, that also in a revealed manner, and with all the faculties of his soul (not just in an abstract all-encompassing essence level) he becomes entirely close to G-d.
Note: In explaining how, here, concerning the spiritual service of offering a voluntary korbon there is that the small is connected to the large, the Rebbe is going to refer to the different levels of Fear and Awe of G-d.
There are two primary levels of Fear of G-d. There is the Inferior Fear, which is the simple fear of retribution, in which our Fear of Heaven is the simple drive and self-negation of an obedience to fulfill G-d’s commandments, and not to transgress any of G-d’s prohibitions. Then there is the Superior Fear, in which we stand in a total awe and self-negation in the face of G-d’s infinite exaltedness and omnipotence.
The correlation the Rebbe is speaking of here is the teaching about the connection between the Inferior Fear and the Superor Awe, being like that of the connection between the small state of one’s onset of spiritual service to the large all-encompassing state of bringing himself close, and surrendering himself entirely, to G-d, through offering a voluntary korbon.
Note: And now the Rebbe closes the sicha with emphasizing how this matter brings to the imminent coming of Moshiach, the building of the third Holy temples, and offering korbonos, in its fullest spiritual state, within it.
And (see Minochos 110) through engaging with the laws of korbonos it is as if we have actually offered the korbon, and (Minochos, ibid), “Torah scholars, who engage in (studying) the laws of the (Temple) service, the verse elevates them (ascribes them) as though the Temple was built in their days (and they are serving in it).”
And from this “as though” it becomes “Temple was built,” in actuality, with the coming of our Righteous Moshiach, and there it will be the actual, “offer an offering,” and more than this, it will be (Prayers Liturgy), “will bring offerings as the mitzvot of Your will” in the third Holy Temple, may it be built speedily in our days, practically and tangibly so.
