"This is the law of the elevating-offering,…of the meal-sharing,…of the sin-offering,… of the guilt-offering…and of the peace-offering."(Lev. 6:2, 6:7, 6:18, 7:1, 7:11)

...anyone studying the laws of the burnt-offering is as if he had actually offered such a sacrifice.

A homiletical message contained in this verse may be the thought expressed by Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish (Menachot 110) that anyone studying the laws of the burnt-offering is as if he had actually offered such a sacrifice. I plan to follow the same approach.

Let me preface my remarks by recalling that numerous Kabbalists who have engaged in a study of these matters have said that the principal purpose of Torah and its study is to recapture sparks of sanctity which have "fallen" and as a result are being held captive. We are dealing with two separate aspects of fallen sparks of sanctity here. One refers to the sparks of sanctity which descended into the World of Chaos for reasons which are well known. The term "sparks" of sanctity is enough for these students of Kabbalah to know what we are talking about.

The only way such souls can be rescued from the clutches of the spiritually negative forces...is the study of Torah.

The second aspect of that term is that it refers of souls which are being oppressed by cruel humans ever since the time Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden. At that time, Adam provided the negative elements in our world with a great deal of spiritual loot. The only way such souls can be rescued from the clutches of the spiritually negative forces which hold them captive is the study of Torah in such a way that Torah becomes the mainstay of our lives. Torah is the only effective antidote to the forces of the Evil Urge, as we know: "If the evil urge attacks you, drag him to the house of Torah study. If he had been as hard as stone before you dragged him to the house of Torah study, you will find that he melts; if he had been as tough as iron, he will explode." (Kiddushin 30)

In our verse, the Torah has revealed the marvelous properties of the Torah. When the Torah writes: "This is the Torah", this is an introduction to the description of its powers. The Torah continues: "l'olah" (the elevating offering), to tell us that means of Torah study the Jewish people can elevate themselves to be the vehicle of G‑d's presence. The Torah goes on to say: "l'mincha" (the meal-offering). This word may be translated in several ways, all of which are correct. The word reflects the concept of "menucha/rest"; it reflects the concept "nachat/calm, tranquility"; it also reflects the concept of "hanacha/deposit, repose".

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"and for the sin offering and the guilt offering"

These words clarify two separate aspects of the descent of the sparks of sanctity into the nether regions which we referred to earlier. The sparks of sanctity which descended at the time the world was still in chaos, "Tohu va'vohu" [before the period which commenced with G‑d creating light at the beginning of the Torah's report in Gen. 1:3 - Ed.] are here referred to as "l'chatat", i.e. "the Torah of the sin-offering", whereas the sparks of sanctity which descended into the realm of Satan after Adam sinned are referred to as "la'asham", i.e. "the Torah of the guilt-offering". The Torah had to inform us of this division in order for us to appreciate that not only can it help us locate and isolate, i.e. identify these sparks of sanctity, but Torah can also be the instrument of rescuing these sparks of sanctity from their exile.

The Torah alludes to this when it writes: "ul'milu'im", i.e. "to make them fill their original places". The word "l'milu'im"refers to the original place assigned to the sparks of sanctity which descended into chaos before G‑d created order in the physical universe.

By vanquishing one's evil urge, one can again isolate the realm of good...

The words "ul'zevach hashlamim" refer to the sparks of sanctity which descended into the clutches of the spiritually negative forces rampant in our world after Adam's sin. The expression "zevach" in this connection reminds us of: "he who offers a thanksgiving offering honors Me…and I will show him salvation." (Ps. 50:23) The Talmud (Sanhedrin 43) comments on this verse that the person the Psalmist refers to sacrifices his evil urge. "Zove'ach/slaughtering" means vanquishing that which one slaughters. By vanquishing one's evil urge, one can again isolate the realm of good which had been inextricably fused with the forces of evil while that soul had been in the clutches of Satan, i.e. of the evil urge.

This is a tremendous spiritual accomplishment, as commented upon by David who viewed himself as "my heart was slain inside of me". (Psalms 109:22) David referred to having killed the evil urge within him, This is a very great spiritual accomplishment, but it cannot be achieved except through Torah, as we mentioned when we quoted the Talmud (Kiddushin 30). The Talmud there also quotes G‑d as saying," whereas I have created the evil urge within you, I have also given you a remedy to overcome it, i.e. the Torah".

[Selected with permission from the five-volume English edition of "Ohr HaChaim: the Torah Commentary of Rabbi Chaim Ben Attar" by Eliyahu Munk.]