So, everybody is writing about korbanot...obviously! Well, I decided that it was pretty much my only option of things to write about, so here I go! We learned the opinion of the Rambam on these lovely Korbanot and why we bring them. He definitely did not seem too thrilled about the idea of bringing Korbanot, like some of the students in our class. He mentioned that Korbanot were a way for the Jews to take some sinful Pagan practices, and turn them into a way of worshipping Hashem. This is obviously not such a great approach to the idea of something so spiritual that is supposed to connect us to Hashem because the Jews should be focusing solely on Hashem, not their old sinful practices! But, anyway, I just found it quite interesting that such a great and spiritual man like the Rambam would refer to korbanot as something that is not such an exciting idea because he himself was such a righteous man. Wouldn't he of all people like the idea of korbanot or at least feel some sort of connection to them?!
dearest Aviva, I think that you asked a wonderful question about the Rambam's explanation of korbanot. It is a tad upsetting that a wise man like the Rambam who we all look up to and admire explains korbanot in a more negative light. I think we can learn from this how foreign the concept of korbanot are - if someone like the Rambam has difficulty explaining why Bnei Yisroel even brought korbanot in the first place, then certainly we who live several generations after the Rambam are even further away from understanding the notion of korbanot. Also I think the Rambam realized this when he offered his explanation. Therefore he tried to create a logical, practical reason for why Bnei Yisroel brought korbanot so that we in this day and age could possibly even come close to understanding korbanot. Perhaps that is why the Rambam's explanation at first seems troubling.
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