If I Were Hungry I Would Not Tell You and the Offering of Fragrance

Pesikta Rabbati 16:1

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"Command the children of Israel: My offering, My bread for My fire-offerings, a pleasing aroma to Me, you shall take care to offer Me in its appointed time" (Numbers 28:2). This is what is written: "If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are Mine" (Psalms 50:12). Rabbi Yudah son of Rabbi Simon said: the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: My children, ten clean animals I gave you. Three I placed in your domain and seven are not in your domain. Did I trouble you to chase over hills and mountains to bring before Me an offering from those not in your domain? I asked you to bring only from what is in your domain, from what is raised at your stall. Rabbi Yitzchak said: it is written "My bread" — but is there eating and drinking before Me? Learn from My ministering angels, of whom it is written, "His ministers are flaming fire" (Psalms 104:4); from where are they sustained? From the radiance of the Divine Presence. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: it is written, "the continual burnt-offering made at Mount Sinai, a pleasing aroma, a fire-offering to the LORD" (Numbers 28:6) — and is there eating and drinking before Me? Learn from Moses, who went on My errand forty days and forty nights and "ate no bread and drank no water" (Exodus 34:28). And if Moses, who is flesh and blood, could do so, then before Me, all the more — "If I were hungry, I would not tell you." One animal I entrusted to you, and you could not stand before it. Which animal? The Behemoth on a thousand mountains (Psalms 50:10). Rabbi Yochanan said: one beast crouches on a thousand mountains, and the thousand mountains grow food and it eats. And from where does it drink? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: whatever the Jordan brings in over six months, it makes into a single gulp, as it says, "He is confident, though the Jordan rushes against his mouth" (Job 40:23). And one king I entrusted to you, and no creature could stand before him — Solomon son of David, whose daily provision was thirty kor of fine flour. "A pleasing aroma to Me" — it was taught: one brings the incense only after the meal; what do the guests enjoy from it but the fragrance? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: My children, from all the offerings you bring before Me, do I take pleasure in anything but the fragrance? As it says, "My pleasing aroma." When Moses heard that the offering was only two lambs a day, he began to praise Israel, saying, "Happy is the people whose lot is thus; happy is the people whose God is the LORD" (Psalms 144:15).

Themes

SacrificeWorshipProvidence

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