The rabbis of the Midrash tackled this very question, and their answer might surprise you.
Rabbi Abba bar Kahana and Rabbi Hanan, both citing Rabbi Azarya of Kefar Hittaia, offer a compelling analogy, found in Vayikra Rabbah. Imagine a king with two chefs. The first chef prepares a dish, and the king enjoys it. The second chef also prepares a dish, and the king enjoys that one too. But which dish did the king prefer? It's hard to say, right?
But then, the king gives the second chef a specific instruction: "Make me another dish just like that one." Aha! Now we know. The second chef’s dish was the more pleasing one.
So, how does this relate to sacrifices? Noah offered a sacrifice, and the Torah tells us, "The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma" (Genesis 8:21). Later, the Israelites offered sacrifices, which were also pleasing to God. But which was more pleasing?
The key, say the rabbis, lies in God’s command. God commands Israel, "My pleasing aroma, you shall observe, to sacrifice to Me" (Numbers 28:2). He instructs them to continue offering sacrifices. He didn’t give the same command to Noah. This, according to the Midrash, suggests that Israel's sacrifices were particularly pleasing. As it says in Malachi 3:4, "The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord, as in the days of old and as in previous years."
Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi interprets "as in the days of old" as the days of Noah, and "as in previous years" as the days of Abel, suggesting a lineage of pleasing offerings.
Rabbi Avin adds further layers to this idea with two more analogies. First, he compares it to a king reclining on his divan. The king tastes a dish and enjoys it so much that he begins wiping the bowl clean. Similarly, when we offer "burnt offerings of fattened animals [meḥim]" (Psalms 66:15), it’s "as though He is wiping the bowl clean." A vivid image, right?
Rabbi Avin continues: Imagine a king walking in the wilderness. He stops at the first lodge for food and drink. Then he arrives at a second lodge, eats, drinks, and… stays the night! Why? Because he liked it better there.
This, Rabbi Avin suggests, connects to the repetition of the term "burnt offering" in Leviticus 6:2: "This is the law of the burnt offering: It is the burnt offering…on the altar all night until the morning." The repetition, and the emphasis on burning all night, highlights the completeness and favor associated with this particular offering.
So, what does it all mean? Perhaps it’s not about one sacrifice being "better" than another in some objective sense. Maybe it's about the ongoing relationship, the continuous act of offering and connection. The Israelites' sustained commitment to sacrifice, their willingness to follow God's command, might be what made their offerings especially pleasing. It speaks to the power of sustained devotion, a theme that resonates deeply within Jewish tradition.