The Ultimate Offering
The Torah states, “When a man among you (mikem) brings an offering to Hashem...” Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh explains this verse on an allusionary level, “The Torah is commanding those who are the true soldiers of G-d to take the initiative to bring close those who are far from Him. The Jew who is brought back to the way of Torah is called ‘an offering to Hashem.’ Why is this so?
The Jewish people have been chosen to be attached to G-d; however, as a consequence of sin, one is removed from his Father in Heaven. As the verse states, ‘You are attached to G-d...’ Since the Jewish people are considered to be His Children, He desires that they be brought close. Thus, anyone who is capable of doing so is obligated to inform and direct the Jew who has strayed to bring him close to G-d. If one has the ability to do so and does not, he is deserving of punishment.” If one sees his fellow drowning, he is obligated to do everything that he can in order to rescue him. If he does not, he is held culpable for his death. Similarly, every Jew is responsible for the spiritual wellbeing of his fellow. If as a result of one’s passivity, his fellow is not brought close, then he is held accountable.
Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh continues, “Those who are the most accomplished in Torah have the greatest degree of obligation to bring close those who have strayed from G-d. The one who brings merit to those who have distanced themselves from G-d will receive reward. As it states in Chazal, ‘If one brings merit to the Jewish people, he merits special Divine Protection that he will not sin.’ G-d will protect him from inadvertent sin...When one brings back that he who has strayed from his roots it is the ultimate offering to G-d. He does not need to bring a sin offering or a guilt offering...”
The verse in Prophets states, “We will pay the oxen with our lips.” The Gemara in Tractate Menachos explains that since we no longer have the Temple in which to bring offerings, when one articulates the portion of the offerings in the Torah, it is valued as if he had brought those particular offerings. If one takes the opportunity to bring a Jew back to his spiritual roots, then it will be valued by G-d as if he had brought the ultimate offering. This is greater than even the offerings that were brought in the Temple because it is considered as if one had saved the life of his fellow in the physical and spiritual sense.
Man’s Relevance to Atonement
The Torah states, “When a man (adam) among you brings an offering...” The Gemara tells us that the Torah usually refers to “a man” as “ishe,” As the Gemara explains that when the Torah repeats the word “ishe, ishe” regarding the bringing of a sacrifice it is to include that a non-Jew is also able to bring a sacrifice to the Temple. If this is the manner in which the Torah usually expresses itself, why does the Torah refer to “a man” as “adam” and not “ishe” in the opening verse of the Portion of Vayikra, which discusses the laws that pertain to offerings?
Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh explains that Adam was pure in his essence. There was no aspect of evil in his being. If this were so, then there is not sufficient justification for Adam to have rationalized his behavior regarding his eating of the Tree. His sin could not have been inadvertent. It was due to Adam’s choice that he ate of the Tree. Thus, his transgression was classified deliberate. Because of Adam’s degree of purity and clarity, inadvertency had no relevance to him. Therefore, a sin offering, which is intended to atone for inadvertent transgressions, had no relevance to Adam. As a result of his sin, existence became tainted with evil. Just as Adam’s foreskin, which is a covering that is an expression of his spiritual impurity, so too did man inherit this spiritual blockage that denies him a natural level of clarity and understanding of G-d and purity. After the sin of Adam every human being has true relevance to inadvertent transgression that distorts truth and thus allows man to sin. Thus, the Torah tells us that one can atone through the bringing of a sacrifice.
