TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 1

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1Hashem called to Moshe and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying:

אוַיִּקְרָא אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֵלָיו מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֵאמֹר׃

2Speak to B'nei Yisrael, and say to them: When any of you presents an offering of cattle to Hashem, he shall choose his offering from the herd or from the flock.

da-BAYR el b'-NAY yis-ra-AYL v'-a-mar-TA a-lay-HEM a-DAM kee yak-REEV mi-KEM kor-BAN la-do-NAI min ha-b'-hay-MAH min ha-ba-KAR u-min ha-TZON tak-REE-vu et kor-ban-KHEM

בדַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם אָדָם כִּי־יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם קָרְבָּן לַיהֹוָה מִן־הַבְּהֵמָה מִן־הַבָּקָר וּמִן־הַצֹּאן תַּקְרִיבוּ אֶת־קָרְבַּנְכֶם׃

 1:2   When any of you presents an offering of cattle to Hashem

Sefer Vayikra describes the various offerings that were brought in the Beit Hamikdash in great detail. The Hebrew term for ‘offering,’ korban (קרבן), comes from the word karov (ק-ר-ב), meaning ‘close,’ since the offerings are meant to bring people closer to the Eternal One. For this reason, the common English translation of korban, ‘sacrifice,’ is insufficient, as it does not accurately portray the essence of the word. While the person bringing the offering might be giving something from his personal possessions, he gains much more than he gives. Now that we no longer have korbanot, prayer is the primary vehicle through which we come close to our Father in Heaven.

3If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall make his offering a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, for acceptance in his behalf before Hashem.

גאִם־עֹלָה קָרְבָּנוֹ מִן־הַבָּקָר זָכָר תָּמִים יַקְרִיבֶנּוּ אֶל־פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד יַקְרִיב אֹתוֹ לִרְצֹנוֹ לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה׃

4He shall lay his hand upon the head of the burnt offering, that it may be acceptable in his behalf, in expiation for him.

דוְסָמַךְ יָדוֹ עַל רֹאשׁ הָעֹלָה וְנִרְצָה לוֹ לְכַפֵּר עָלָיו׃

5The bull shall be slaughtered before Hashem; and Aharon's sons, the Kohanim, shall offer the blood, dashing the blood against all sides of the mizbayach which is at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.

הוְשָׁחַט אֶת־בֶּן הַבָּקָר לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה וְהִקְרִיבוּ בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֲנִים אֶת־הַדָּם וְזָרְקוּ אֶת־הַדָּם עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ סָבִיב אֲשֶׁר־פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד׃

6The burnt offering shall be flayed and cut up into sections.

ווְהִפְשִׁיט אֶת־הָעֹלָה וְנִתַּח אֹתָהּ לִנְתָחֶיהָ׃

7The sons of Aharon the Kohen shall put fire on the mizbayach and lay out wood upon the fire;

זוְנָתְנוּ בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן אֵשׁ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְעָרְכוּ עֵצִים עַל־הָאֵשׁ׃

8and Aharon's sons, the Kohanim, shall lay out the sections, with the head and the suet, on the wood that is on the fire upon the mizbayach.

חוְעָרְכוּ בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֲנִים אֵת הַנְּתָחִים אֶת־הָרֹאשׁ וְאֶת־הַפָּדֶר עַל־הָעֵצִים אֲשֶׁר עַל־הָאֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ׃

9Its entrails and legs shall be washed with water, and the Kohen shall turn the whole into smoke on the mizbayach as a burnt offering, an offering by fire of pleasing odor to Hashem.

טוְקִרְבּוֹ וּכְרָעָיו יִרְחַץ בַּמָּיִם וְהִקְטִיר הַכֹּהֵן אֶת־הַכֹּל הַמִּזְבֵּחָה עֹלָה אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ־נִיחוֹחַ לַיהֹוָה׃

10If his offering for a burnt offering is from the flock, of sheep or of goats, he shall make his offering a male without blemish.

יוְאִם־מִן־הַצֹּאן קָרְבָּנוֹ מִן־הַכְּשָׂבִים אוֹ מִן־הָעִזִּים לְעֹלָה זָכָר תָּמִים יַקְרִיבֶנּוּ׃

11It shall be slaughtered before Hashem on the north side of the mizbayach, and Aharon's sons, the Kohanim, shall dash its blood against all sides of the mizbayach.

יאוְשָׁחַט אֹתוֹ עַל יֶרֶךְ הַמִּזְבֵּחַ צָפֹנָה לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה וְזָרְקוּ בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֲנִים אֶת־דָּמוֹ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ סָבִיב׃

12When it has been cut up into sections, the Kohen shall lay them out, with the head and the suet, on the wood that is on the fire upon the mizbayach.

יבוְנִתַּח אֹתוֹ לִנְתָחָיו וְאֶת־רֹאשׁוֹ וְאֶת־פִּדְרוֹ וְעָרַךְ הַכֹּהֵן אֹתָם עַל־הָעֵצִים אֲשֶׁר עַל־הָאֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ׃

13The entrails and the legs shall be washed with water; the Kohen shall offer up and turn the whole into smoke on the mizbayach. It is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, of pleasing odor to Hashem.

יגוְהַקֶּרֶב וְהַכְּרָעַיִם יִרְחַץ בַּמָּיִם וְהִקְרִיב הַכֹּהֵן אֶת־הַכֹּל וְהִקְטִיר הַמִּזְבֵּחָה עֹלָה הוּא אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַיהֹוָה׃

14If his offering to Hashem is a burnt offering of birds, he shall choose his offering from turtledoves or pigeons.

ידוְאִם מִן־הָעוֹף עֹלָה קָרְבָּנוֹ לַיהֹוָה וְהִקְרִיב מִן־הַתֹּרִים אוֹ מִן־בְּנֵי הַיּוֹנָה אֶת־קָרְבָּנוֹ׃

15The Kohen shall bring it to the mizbayach, pinch off its head, and turn it into smoke on the mizbayach; and its blood shall be drained out against the side of the mizbayach.

טווְהִקְרִיבוֹ הַכֹּהֵן אֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וּמָלַק אֶת־רֹאשׁוֹ וְהִקְטִיר הַמִּזְבֵּחָה וְנִמְצָה דָמוֹ עַל קִיר הַמִּזְבֵּחַ׃

16He shall remove its crop with its contents, and cast it into the place of the ashes, at the east side of the mizbayach.

טזוְהֵסִיר אֶת־מֻרְאָתוֹ בְּנֹצָתָהּ וְהִשְׁלִיךְ אֹתָהּ אֵצֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ קֵדְמָה אֶל־מְקוֹם הַדָּשֶׁן׃

17The Kohen shall tear it open by its wings, without severing it, and turn it into smoke on the mizbayach, upon the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, of pleasing odor to Hashem.

יזוְשִׁסַּע אֹתוֹ בִכְנָפָיו לֹא יַבְדִּיל וְהִקְטִיר אֹתוֹ הַכֹּהֵן הַמִּזְבֵּחָה עַל־הָעֵצִים אֲשֶׁר עַל־הָאֵשׁ עֹלָה הוּא אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַיהֹוָה׃