The Blogs: Sacrifice for Purpose, Not for Pride

As we approach Passover, I find myself reflecting on a difficult part of the Torah — the detailed sections on animal sacrifices in the Book of Vayikra (Leviticus).

If there were one parsha, I would be tempted to pass over — if you’ll excuse the pun — it would be these chapters. I sometimes wonder:

What would Judaism look like without animal sacrifices?
What would our weekly Torah readings feel like without all the blood, fire, and ashes?

At first glance, perhaps it would look more appealing. But history teaches caution. Movements that tried to “edit out” these rituals often drifted far from Judaism’s core — a lesson visible today in the weakening of traditional identity among many communities.

Judaism evolves, but it does not erase. After the destruction of the Temple, we transitioned from sacrifices to prayer, from altars to synagogues—creating a portable, living Judaism. But even as we evolve, we remain rooted in the past. We don’t chop and change based on the flavour of the month. There must be continuity—a covenantal loyalty that binds generations together.

And yet, even in the ashes of ancient sacrifices, there are profound modern lessons to uncover.

The Humbling Lesson of Terumat HaDeshen

One ritual that speaks deeply is Terumat HaDeshen — the removal of the ashes.

Every morning, the Kohen—the honoured priest—would humbly remove the ashes, the “garbage” left from the sacrifices. Judaism teaches that no task is beneath anyone’s dignity, no matter how lowly it may seem. Even the highest spiritual leader begins the day by clearing the remains of yesterday’s service.

Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, the eminent scholar and commentator, noted that a tradition points to a site known as Tel al-Masibin as a possible location where the ashes from the Temple sacrifices were deposited.

Historical evidence suggests that the site where these ashes were deposited may still exist underground, a silent testament to a world where ritual and humility were synonymous.

The Hard Questions About Sacrifice

Sacrifices naturally lead us to wrestle with profound moral and ethical questions. Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo asks provocatively:

Why is the killing of animals for sacrifice permitted while sacrificing human beings is absolutely forbidden?
What makes human life more precious than animal life?

His answer is profound:

Human beings have the capacity for spiritual sacrifice — to give of themselves morally, intellectually, and ethically. If we offered humans as physical sacrifices, we would destroy the very potential that makes us divine — our ability to contribute goodness, compassion, and holiness to the world.

Thus, human life is infinitely valuable because it carries infinite spiritual possibilities.

Sacrifice Today: The Pain of October 7 and the Meaning of True Sacrifice

These reflections feel even sharper after the events of October 7, a trauma that still reverberates through our people.

We speak so casually about “sacrifice,” but today, we see it vividly.

Think about the staggering loss of life in the war between Russia and Ukraine — hundreds of thousands of young men, especially Russian soldiers, sacrificed in the quest for land, power, and pride. Lives are thrown away for a piece of territory. And the world, largely, shrugs.

Now, compare this to the sacrifices we have witnessed here in Israel. On October 7, we faced unspeakable brutality. Since then, many of our young men and women — soldiers, defenders, heroes — have given their lives. But their sacrifice is not for conquest. Not for expansion. Not for pride.

Their sacrifice is for life itself.
For the right to exist.
For the right to protect their families, homes, and Am Yisrael’s future.

As we gather around our Seder tables, we must reflect:

There is a sacrifice for conquest — and there is a sacrifice for sanctity.

One diminishes life; the other affirms its holiness.

This Passover, we must ask ourselves:
What are we willing to sacrifice for?
What higher purpose animates our lives as Jews and as human beings?

Passover is not only a story of liberation.
It is a story of mission — of becoming a people who sanctify life and live for something greater than themselves.

The Tragedy of Forgetting Our Story

I was struck recently by an article by Liat Collins in the Jerusalem Post describing an encounter. She passed a group of Jewish schoolchildren, and the teacher asked if they knew the story of the Akeidat Yitzchak — the Binding of Isaac.

They had no idea. The loss of basic knowledge about our sacred stories is a tragedy.

We send school groups to Yad Vashem—it’s important and necessary—but what about the City of David, where our kings once walked, or Hebron, where our forefathers and foremothers are buried? These ancient burial caves testify to our millennia-long connection to this land. This is not about religious coercion or politics but a basic requirement of Jewish identity.

We must also ensure that our children, the next generation and I dare to say so all Jews and the world in general should know of our deep roots in the land of Israel, our history and the impact of Judaism on civilisation:

Without historical memory, there can be no historical mission.
Without a mission, identity evaporates.
And without identity, we lose the meaning behind our sacrifices.

Bringing It Together: Time Awareness at the Seder

At the Seder table, we enact three dimensions of time awareness, as Rav Soloveitchik so beautifully taught:

Retrospection —
We relive our past, not as a museum piece, but as a living, breathing reality.
From Egypt to October 7, our story lives within us.
Anticipation —
We recognize that our future depends on our courage, choices, and faith.
Redemption is not automatic; it demands a partnership with God and responsibility for the world.
Appreciation —
Even amid pain, we give thanks.
For the miracle of survival, the blessing of family, and the enduring promise of Am Yisrael.

Final Thoughts

As we sit at our Seder tables this year — Perhaps with an extra seat for those who cannot join, perhaps with hearts a little heavier — let us remember:

We are part of an ancient, living story.
We are responsible for carrying it forward.
And even through brokenness, we are blessed — blessed to sing, to hope, and to build.

Am Yisrael Chai.

Chag Kasher V’Sameach.

For further reading – here is a link to my Pesach/Passover blog, where I share why the Exodus story is the founding story of civilisation as we know it today.

Passover – Why the Story Matters More Than Ever

Footnote: A Timely Reflection from Melanie Phillips

I attended the launch of Melanie Phillips' new book, The Builder’s Stone, last week.
In her presentation, she argued that the October 7th attack on Israel presented the West with a stark choice between civilization and barbarism — and that, tragically, much of the West has failed that test.

Yet Melanie Phillips, a renowned British journalist and former columnist for The Guardian, suggested that there remains hope — if the world is willing to listen to an unexpected voice: the Jewish people.
She proposed that the eternal ethics and values embedded in Jewish history and the Bible provide a unique toolkit for cultural resistance, resilience, and survival.

It struck me how closely her thesis echoes the ideas I try to share in my writings:

That the Torah's values are not relics but living guides.
The story of Am Yisrael offers not just memory but also mission.
That Judaism, when properly understood, offers a universal message of justice, dignity, and hope — far beyond the narrow sectarianism that sometimes dominates today's Jewish discourse.

It was especially powerful to hear Melanie Phillips share her own personal journey—how a secular intellectual navigating the maze of liberalism and modernity found her way back to Israel, to Judaism, and to the enduring truths of our tradition, not necessarily from a religious point of view but how Judaism's eternal truths and history can be accessed even from a secular perspective.

For those interested, I highly recommend watching her full presentation.
It offers deep and urgent insights into the moment we are living through.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kelrHEsXh4A