Lead Tidbit
THE VAYIKRA CAVEAT
As you may have noticed, since Rosh HaShana we've added a box to the front page with what number day and Shabbat of the year is the current Shabbat, and a quote from either the sedra or its haftara. We usually leave the quote alone, without commenting on it, feeling that it speaks for itself.

This week, the choice of pasuk-phrase gave rise to the Lead Tidbit. The words form the introduction to the extensive topic of Korbanot (sacrifices), and can be seen - together with this week's haftara and many, many other passages in Tanach - as a very important reminder and warning concerning the nature of Korbanot. As the S'forno expresses it: A person, when he offers OF HIMSELF with verbal confession and true contrition... for G-d does not want the offerings of fools who sacrifice animals without themselves feeling the way they should in their own hearts...

It is the ultimate folly and insult to G-d for people to bring Korbanot of any of the various kinds without offering themselves up to Him. Even to think that something like that can be what G-d wants of us is insulting to Him.

To generalize, the performance of mitzvot without heart & soul kavana is hollow, to say the least. Of course, we are required to do mitzvot even without proper intentions, in the hope that we will eventually realize how to do them the right way.

With all of the detail of korbanot in Vayikra, the real challenge is to learn how to offer ourselves to G-d and to come closer to Him.