This week's parsha, Tazria, is about animal sacrifice, much like the rest of Sefer Vayikra. Take the goat. Cut its neck. Sprinkle the blood. Smoke the meat. Serve it with fries and a nice red wine. DO NOT have ice cream for dessert. And whatever you do, for Reboinoisheloilum's sakes, don't be mezaneh with your father's sister!
And so on. And so on. Week after week.
Not that I'm complaining, chas v'shalom, but if Karbanois were so important to the Aimishteh, why don't we do them today? We're worthy! Look -- we have many children, lots of Yeshivas, kosher gummy bears, and Spongebob Squarepants yarmulkas. We give tzedakah, provided our donation is announced to everyone we know in a newsletter. We keep kosher, most of the time. We follow the Aseres Hadibrois -- the Ten Commandments, or at least eight of them (I ALWAYS covet my neighbor's sheep on Shabbos Koidesh.). We cheat on our taxes. What does Hakkadoshboruchhu have against our generation?
(Reb Elisha Ben Abuya once asked this deep philosophical question. Unfortunately, just as he was about to answer it, he discovered Roman prostitutes. So he's no help.)
When you look at Karbanois, you can definitely see the importance of personal sacrifice to the Reboinoisheloilum, represented by the shedding of blood. On the other hand, you would think that burning the fat, bringing up the smoke and the rest of the ritual was pretty unpleasant, if you know what I mean (not unlike the Bais Medrish with the air conditioning broken during Elul Zman).
So where did Karbanois go?
According to Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi, sacrifice is no longer required in the post Temple era. In our day, Karbanois have been replaced by Tefilla -- prayer. He points to the prayer liturgy which mirrors the Temple's sacrifices, the congregational singing which emulates the musical prelude of the Levyim (the Temple Levites), and the strict culture of mentorship instituted by the Koihanim in the Bais Hamikdash, which has been succeeded by the rampant psychological, physical and sexual abuse institute by many of our community rabbis. Shoyn.
The RAMBAM, commenting on Rabbi Yehuda Hannassi's position, notes that in the post Temple era, the notion of prayer has driven a universalization of Toirah values. One no longer needs to make a pilrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem to communicate with the Aimishteh. Rather, one may speak to Hakkadoshboruch at the local synagogue, converse with the Reboinoisheloilum in one's own home, and plead with the Aimishteh from Yankee stadium when the Yankees are down by three runs in the bottom of the ninth.
The Tzitz Eliezer takes this notion even further. He notes that in our day, prayer has become a common form of worship, even amongst the Goyim, and has united the world in its worship of Hakkadoshboruchhu. Pointing to Evangelical Christians in the United States, the Tzitz notes, "I see Pat Robertson on the 700 Club, and he has no less Kavanah that I do. Plus he has a much nicer suit." Similarly, he notes that Pope John Paul II had a much bigger Yarmulka than most of the buchrim in his Yeshivah, and, in his words, "had a lot more impact on the world than those of us worried about whether or not lettuce and drinking water are traif because of microscopic organisms."
The Shvantz Mordechai, however, argues vehemently with the Tzitz. Regarding the Pope, the Shvantz says, "so what if saved Jewish lives in the Shoah, went to a shul in Rome, established diplomatic relations with Israel, came to Yad Vashem, or was friends with the Chief Rabbi in Rome. His real motive was that he was interested in getting free macaroons the week after Pesach and discounted admission to the mikvah."
However, I am troubled about this basic approach. The very notion of prayer as a substitiute for Korbanois in our day is misguided. Let's face it -- with animals screaming at their throats being cut, the sizzle of the fire consuming the sacrifice, and the deep, aromatic smoke, no one could ever fall asleep in the Bais Hamikdash. But have you ever been to a shul where half the Kehilla was NOT asleep by the second aliya?
Rather, I would humbly like to suggest an alternative approach, based on this week's Parsha, Parshas Tazria. In Tazria we learn that after a woman gives birth, she is considered to be in Nidah for so long, her husband's schvantzel starts to grow cobwebs. And, indeed, the whole concept of Nidah has remained constrant throughout the history of Klal Yisroel -- It has not changed much since the days of Aron Hacoihain, the minuval.
I'll be honest with you: when my Bashert, Feigel Breyna, is in Nidah, I feel like I'm making an ENORMOUS sacrifice. It could be Moitzei Shabbos, the children and the einiklach can be asleep, the movie "9 and 1/2 Weeks" could be on my neighbor's television (of course, I would NEVER bring such a thing into the house), but instead of riding my wife like a Shtender, I have to go upstairs and flog the flanken, if you know what I mean.
So the bottom line is: we still have Karbonois today, They are delivered two weeks out of every month and, like animal sacrifice, involve the spilling of blood. But instead of contributing to the sacrifice with money or with our flock, we give of our own flesh.
Yes, our generation truly is worthy of redemption. So we must prepare for the End of Days. Every month we must be ready for the arrival of the Mashiach. Short of that, we must keep a box of feminine protection lying around, just in case.
