The Tanakh Podcast

As Prof Yechezkel Kaufman pointed out, the Temple is a world of silence. There are no prayers or curses or incantations. Just silence. What should we make of this?

Why does chapter 6-7 repeat all the sacrifices a second time?Why does the opening paragraph about the Olah actually discuss the ash and the fire rather than the Olah itself?

In chapter 5 we see two categories of sin-offering:* korban oleh ve-yored* AshamWe will discuss the states of mind that underpin these two sin-offerings.

We all sin! Sin is endemic to human nature: "There is not even a righteous person in the world who fails to sin." said Kohelet.But our chapter directs attention not to the sin of the ordinary Israelite but to the sins of leaders: The High Priest, the judiciary and the political leadership.Are their sins more egregious, or are they merely more prone to sin? Or are they possibly to set an example to us all?

Today we discuss the Shelamim, a joyous sacrifice, eaten with friends, expressing the bond that humans make with God.