The Sacrificial Service

For many, the world of sacrifices lies at the farthest edge of the Torah – a realm of altars and animals that feels remote from the concerns of modern life. Yet the opening chapters of Leviticus remind us that this seemingly distant domain once pulsed with the very heartbeat of Israel’s spiritual life. Prof. Jonathan Grossman examines these chapters with exquisite sensitivity and seeks to uncover the values and inner logic behind each offering – and so presents a new perspective on sacrifices that can make this complex world accessible to the contemporary reader. What kind of religious consciousness is expressed through the voluntary burnt offering, grain offering, and peace offering? How do the obligatory sin and guilt offerings shape responsibility, repair, and return? Following the sequence of the biblical verses, the author situates his analysis within an ongoing dialogue spanning the halakhic midrashim, medieval commentators, and modern scholarship. Through close attention to legal details, literary structure, and word choice, The Sacrificial Service: Gestures of Flesh and Spirit reveals the distinct religious intention embodied each sacrifice, and the particular form of spiritual expression it offers to the one who brings it.