Offer For the LORD Alone and For Your Own Acceptance

"A burnt offering, a fire offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD" (Leviticus 1:9). For the sake of six things the sacrifice is offered, said Rav Yehudah: "a burnt offering" — for the sake of a burnt offering, to exclude offering it for the sake of a peace offering; "a fire offering" — for the sake of the fires, to exclude one whose fire went out, which is not by fire; "aroma" — for the sake of aroma, to exclude limbs that one roasted and then brought up, for Rav Yehudah said: limbs that one roasted and then brought up have no aroma in them; "pleasing" — for the sake of giving contentment of spirit; "to the LORD" — for the sake of the One who spoke and the world came to be. Rabbi Shimon ben Azzai said: Come and see what is written in the section of the offerings, where it says neither "El" nor "Elohim" but only "to the LORD," so as to give no opening to a disputant to argue. Of the large ox it says "a fire offering, a pleasing aroma," and of the small bird (Leviticus 1:17) it says "a fire offering, a pleasing aroma," and of the meal offering it says "a fire offering, a pleasing aroma" — to tell you that the one who brings much and the one who brings little are alike, provided he directs his heart to Heaven. And lest you say He needs it for food, Scripture says, "If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are Mine" (Psalms 50:12), and it says, "For Mine is every beast of the forest, the cattle on a thousand hills; I know every bird of the mountains, and the creatures of the field are with Me; were I hungry I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are Mine; do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?" (Psalms 50:10-13). I did not tell you to slaughter so that you should say "I will do His will and He will do mine"; you do not slaughter for My desire, but rather "according to your own acceptance you shall slaughter" (Leviticus 19:5).