The Talmud on Serving God without the Temple
b. Menaḥot 110a
In every place offerings are presented to My name, [and a pure meal offering; for My name is great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts (Malachi 1:11). Does it] enter your mind [to say that it is permitted to sacrifice offerings] in every place? [Rather,] R. Samuel bar Naḥmani says [that] R. Jonathan says: These are Torah scholars, who engage in Torah [study] in every place. [God says:] I ascribe them [credit] as though they burn and present [offerings] to My name.
[Furthermore, when the verse states:] And a pure meal offering, this [is referring to] one who studies Torah in purity, [i.e., one who first] marries a woman and afterward studies Torah. [Since he is married, he is not disturbed by sinful thoughts.]
A Song of Ascents, Behold, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand in the House of the Lord at night (Psalm 134:1). What [is the meaning of] at night, [given that the Temple service is not performed at night and all the offerings must be sacrificed during the daytime]? R. Yoḥanan says: These are Torah scholars, who engage in Torah [study] at night. The verse ascribes them [credit] as though they engage in the [Temple] service.
[King Solomon said to Hiram of Tyre: Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to Him, and to burn before Him incense of sweet spices, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Shabbatot, and on the New Moons, and on the Festivals of the Lord our God.] This is an ordinance forever for Israel (2 Chronicles 2:3). [Since the Temple was eventually destroyed, what did Solomon mean when he said that it is an ordinance forever?] R. Giddel says [that] Rav says: This [is referring to the] altar [that remains] built [in Heaven even after the earthly Temple was destroyed], and [the angel] Michael, the great minister, stands and sacrifices an offering upon it.
And R. Yoḥanan says [that there is an alternative explanation of the verse]: These are Torah scholars, who engage in [studying] the halakhot of [the Temple] service. The verse ascribes them [credit] as though the Temple was built in their days [and they are serving in it].
Resh Lakish said: What [is the meaning of that] which is written: This is the law [torah] of the burnt offering, of the meal offering, and of the sin offering, and of the guilt offering, [and of the consecration offering, and of the sacrifice of peace offerings (Leviticus 7:37)? This teaches that] anyone who engages in Torah study [is considered] as though he sacrificed a burnt offering, a meal offering, a sin offering, and a guilt offering.
b. Sotah 5b
R. Joshua ben Levi says: Come and see how great the lowly in spirit are before the Holy One, Blessed be He. For when the Temple [was] standing, a person [would] sacrifice a burnt-offering [and] the merit of a burnt-offering would be his; [he would sacrifice] a meal-offering [and] the merit of a meal-offering would be his. But [with regard to] one whose spirit is lowly, the verse ascribes him [credit] as if he had sacrificed all the sacrificial offerings, as it is stated: The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit (Psalm 51:19), [indicating that one who is humble of spirit is regarded as if he offered all the sacrifices of God]. And not only [that], but his prayer is not despised [by God], as it is stated: A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise (ibid.).
Translation adapted from the Noé Edition of the Koren Talmud Bavli.
b. Megillah 31b
[Abraham] said, “O Lord God, how shall I know [that I shall inherit (the land)]?” (Genesis 15:8). Abraham said before the Holy One, “Master of the universe, what if Israel, God forbid, sins before you, and you do to them as you did to the generation of the flood and the generation of the dispersion?”1 [God] said to him, “No, [I will not do that].” [Abraham] said before him, “Master of the universe, How shall I know?” (ibid.). [God] said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer” (Genesis 15:9).2 [Abraham] said before [God], “Master of the universe, this works for the time when the Temple will be standing, but during the time when the Temple will not be standing, what will happen to them?” [God] said to him, “I have already established for them the order of the sacrifices. As long as they read them, I will consider it as if they offered sacrifices before Me, and I will forgive them for all of their sins.”
Translated by Matthew Goldstone.
b. Sukkah 45a–b
R. Abbahu said: What is [the] verse [that alludes to the fact that the branches must lean one cubit over the top of the altar? It is] as it is stated: Encircle [isru] with branches on the Festival until the horns of the altar (Psalm 118:27), [indicating that willow branches should surround the horns of the altar. That is facilitated by standing the branches on the base]. R. Abbahu said [that] R. Eleazar said: [With regard to] anyone who takes a lulav in its binding and a myrtle branch in its dense-leaved [form], the verse ascribes him [credit] as though he built an altar and sacrificed an offering upon it, as it is stated: Bind [isru] with dense-leaved branches on the Festival until the horns of the altar (ibid.), [which alludes to both the binding of the lulav and the myrtle branch, referred to in the Torah as the branch of a dense-leaved tree].
Notes
Words in brackets appear in the original translation.
[The flood in Noah’s time (Genesis 6–8) and the dispersion after the destruction of the tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9). In the Talmud’s interpretation of the verse, Abraham is asking for proof that his descendants will survive and retain the land.—Ed.]
[I.e., if Abraham’s descendants sin, they will offer sacrifices, and God will forgive them.—Ed.]
Credits
From Koren Talmud Bavli, Noé Edition, trans. Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz (Jerusalem: Koren Publishers Jerusalem, 2019). Accessed via the William Davidson digital edition, sefaria.org. Adapted with permission of Koren Publishers Ltd.
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 2: Emerging Judaism.
