Animal sacrifices are only one way of obtaining forgiveness. There are also non-animal offerings and other means of obtaining forgiveness that do not involve any sacrifices. Many people refer to Leviticus 17:11 to show that blood is required for forgiveness. In fact, this passage is not about atonement but is about dietary laws. That passage states that the blood from the sacrifice is used for atonement but it does not say that this is the only means for obtaining atonement. Prayer has now taken the place of the ritual sacrifices. The prayer services are designed to parallel the sacrificial practices at the Holy Temple.

Hosea 14:3 "Take words with you and return to Hashem; say to Him, 'May you forgive all iniquity and accept good [intentions], and let our lips substitute for bulls'. "

I Kings 8:46-50 "When they sin against You - for there is no man who never sins - and you become angry with them, and You deliver them to an enemy, and their captors take them captive to the enemy's land, faraway or nearby, and they take it to heart in the land where they were taken captive and they repent and supplicate to You in the land of their captors, saying, 'We have sinned; we have been iniquitous; we have been wicked,' and they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who had captured them, and prayed to You by way of their land that You gave to their forefathers, and [by way of] the city that You have chosen and [through] the Temple that I built for Your Name - may you hear their prayer and their supplication from Heaven, the foundation of Your abode, and carry out their judgment, and forgive Your people who sinned against You, and all their transgressions that they transgressed against You, and let them inspire mercy before their captors, so that they will treat them mercifully."

Qorbanot is usually translated as sacrifice or offering. However, qorbanot comes from a root word that means "to draw near". This indicates the primary purpose of offerings - that is, to draw us near to G-d. There are three basic concepts underlying qorbanot: the aspect of giving; the element of substitution; and, bringing a person closer to G-d. Certain qorbanot are brought purely for the purpose of communing with G-d. Others are used to cleanse a person of ritual impurity - which may have nothing to do with sin. Many qorbanot are brought for purposes of atonement. The atoning aspect of qorbanot is carefully circumscribed. Qorbanot can only be used for unintentional sins. The person making the offering must sincerely repent his or her actions before making the offering, and makes restitution to any person who was harmed by the violation.

There are different types of qorbanot - each with its own laws and rituals. An olah (burnt offering) is completely burnt on the outer altar; no part of it is eaten by anyone. Because the offering represents complete submission to G-d's will, the entire offering is given to G-d. It expresses a desire to commune with G-d, and expiates sins incidentally in the process. An olah could be made from cattle, sheep, goats, or even birds, depending on the person's means. The zerback sh'lamim (peace offering) expresses thanks or gratitude to G-d for His bounties and mercies. A representative portion of the offering is burnt on the altar, a portion is given to the Kohanim (priests), and the rest is eaten by the person bringing the offering and his family. This category of offerings includes thanksgiving-offerings, free will-offerings, and offerings made after fulfillment of a vow. This class of offerings has nothing to do with sin. In the Messianic Age there will be no more sin so this will be the only class of offering that will be brought to the Holy Temple. A chatat (sin offering) is meant as an atonement for - and a purge of - sin. It is an expression of the person's sorrow and desire to be reconciled with G-d. This type of offering can only be offered for unintentional sins committed through carelessness. Some of this type of offering are individual and some are communal. Communal offerings represent the interdependence of the community, and the fact that we are all responsible for each others' sins. A few special chatatot could not be eaten, but for the most part, the chatat was eaten by the Kohanim. The size of the offering varied according to the nature of the sin and the financial means of the sinner. Asham (guilt offering) is an offering to atone for sins of stealing things from the altar, for when you are not sure whether you have committed a sin or what sin you have committed, or for breach of trust. The asham offerings are eaten by the Kohanim. Minchah (meal offering) represented the devotion of the fruits of man's work to G-d and is something created through man's effort. There are also offerings of undiluted wine, referred to as nesekh. A representative piece of the offering was burnt on the fire of the altar, but the rest was eaten by the Kohanim. The parah adumah (red heifer offering) is a mysterious ritual described in Numbers 19. The purpose of this ritual is to purify people from the defilement caused by contact with the dead. When the Messiah comes, this ritual will be performed in order to purify everyone.

Hebrew Words
Badekin Hebrew Veiling of the bride

Emunah Hebrew Faith

Imeinu Hebrew Our mother

Luchot Hebrew Tablets

Posek (Poskim pl.) Hebrew [lit. decisor] Rabbi whose legal decision are authoritative

"The existence of an oral law that was given to Moses at Mt. Sinai is a fundamental concept in Judaism. However, the lack of a clear reference to an oral law in the biblical text has led some to deny its existence. In response to these deniers, a literature has developed to try to prove the existence of an oral law. "

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An English translation of the Tanach will be put up on the site over the next few months.

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Tevet, 5769 (December, 2008-January, 2009) - Available December 21, 2008

Shevat, 5769 (January-Feburary, 2009) - Available January 25, 2009