Avodah: How We Serve

We have seen that, in Avot’s second Mishnah, Shimon HaTzaddik presents the world’s three pillars, starting with the pillar of Torah due to its supreme significance.

But Torah is not the only pillar. Avodah is also important. Study alone is not enough for the world and our own existence. This is why man’s presence in Gan Eden included his responsibility to do avodah (Ber. 2:15). In fact, Hashem delayed the completion of all creations until man existed and could perform his avodah (ibid. 2:5).

What type of avodah is the Mishnah referring to?

The meforshim explain that avodah refers to avodat Hashem—most notably korbanot. Korbanot express our appreciation of Hashem’s role in the world (and in our lives) as well as our interest to give to and sacrifice for Him.

Kayin and Hevel were the first people the Torah records as having brought korbanot (ibid. 3:3–4). Later, when Noach brought a korban upon exiting the ark, Hashem responded by promising to continuously sustain the world (ibid. 8:20–22). When we show our appreciation of and commitment to Hashem, He commits Himself to us and our world.

The Jewish people’s relationship with Hashem also began with a korban—the Korban Pesach. Though the Jews were passive during the first nine makot, for Makat Bechorot and Yetziat Mitzrayim to occur, they needed to sacrifice the Korban Pesach. Hashem would not identify them as His bechor without their self-identifying through the sacrifice of the korban. Rav Hutner points out that the Korban Pesach is the only specific mitzvah the Torah describes as “avodah” (Sh. 12:25–27). In other words, Yetziat Mitzrayim hinged upon our performing avodah. The ideal form of this was offering a korban.

Korbanot reflect more than just identity and commitment. They also express our willingness to sacrifice. We demonstrate and reinforce the importance of a relationship by sacrificing for it. Ultimately, we are what we are willing to sacrifice for. This is why the Hebrew word for a sacrifice (korban) shares a root with the Hebrew word for closeness (karov). We are close to what we sacrifice for.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks points out (“Understanding Sacrifice,” Covenant and Conversation, Tzav 5776.): This is true in many aspects of life. A happily married couple is constantly making sacrifices for one another. Parents make huge sacrifices for their children. People drawn to a calling—to heal the sick, or care for the poor, or fight for justice for the weak against the strong—often sacrifice remunerative careers for the sake of their ideals. In ages of patriotism, people make sacrifices for their country. In strong communities, people make sacrifices for one another when someone is in distress or needs help. Sacrifice is the superglue of relationship. It bonds us to one another.

Lose the concept of sacrifice within a society, and sooner or later, marriage falters, parenthood declines, and the society slowly ages and dies. Rabbi Sacks quotes his predecessor, Lord Jakobovits, who had a lovely way of putting this: “The Talmud says that when a man divorces his first wife, ‘the altar sheds tears’ (Git. 90b). What is the connection between the altar and a marriage? Both, he said, are about sacrifices. Marriages fail when the partners are unwilling to make sacrifices for one another.”

Rabbi Sacks adds: Now, however, after several centuries, the idea of love-as-sacrifice has grown thin in many areas of life. We see this specifically in relationships. Throughout the West, fewer people are getting married, they are getting married later, and almost half of marriages end in divorce. Throughout Europe, indigenous populations are in decline. To have a stable population, a country must have an average birth rate of 2.1 children per female. In 2015, the average birth rate throughout the European Union was 1.55. In Spain, it was 1.27. Germany has the lowest birth rate of any country in the world. That is why the population of Europe is today rendered stable only based on unprecedented rates of immigration.

Ten years after Rabbi Sacks wrote these words, Europeans are struggling with the implications of their hesitance to sacrifice.

Of course, today, we are unable to offer korbanot. We offer our tefillot instead. The Gemara teaches that the tefillot prayed during the offering of the Korban Tamid in communities around Eretz Yisrael used to sustain the world (Taan. 27); today, our tefillot play this role.

In certain ways, tefillot are even greater than korbanot. Petitioning Hashem for our needs expresses recognition of our dependence upon Him and our interest in a relationship with Him (Netivot Olam, Netiv Ha’avodah 1:3).

The Rambam (Avot 1:2) extends the pillar of avodah beyond korbanot and tefillah by explaining that the Mishnah uses korbanot as a paradigm for mitzvot in general.

The Rambam’s extension can be explained through Rashi’s understanding of the “rei’ach nichoach” (beautiful smell) generated by korbanot. Rashi (Sh. 29:18) explains that our korbanot “smell beautiful” to Hashem because He receives nachat from our fulfillment of His request to sacrifice them. The significance of korbanot lies in the fact that they are how we fulfill Hashem’s commandment to sacrifice them. We similarly serve Hashem by observing any and all of His mitzvot.

May our appreciation of the significance of our avodat Hashem inspire us to be the best ovdei Hashem we can be! 

Rav Reuven Taragin is the Dean of Overseas Students at Yeshivat Hakotel and the Educational Director of World Mizrachi and the RZA.

His new book, Essentials of Judaism, can be purchased at RabbiReuvenTaragin.com.