דעֶר אָנְהוֹיב פוּן פָּרָשַׁת הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת אִיז: אָדָם כִּי יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם קָרְבָּן לַה'. עֶס האָט דאָך געֶדאַרְפט שְׁטֵיין אָדָם מִכֶּם כִּי יַקְרִיב גו', זאָגט דעֶר אַלְטעֶר רֶבִּי: אָדָם כִּי יַקְרִיב, בִּכְדֵי אַ מעֶנְטשׁ זאָל וועֶרעֶן נעֶהנְטעֶר צוּ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרֵךְ אִיז מִכֶּם קָרְבָּן לַה', פוּן אַייךְ אַלֵיין דאַרף זַיין דעֶר קָרְבָּן, מַקְרִיב זַיין זַיין אֵייגעֶנעֶ בְּהֵמָה, דעֶם יֵצֶר הָרָע וואָס וועֶרט אָנְגעֶרוּפעֶן נֶפֶשׁ הַבַּהֲמִית.

The words that introduce the passages on the sacrifices [literally mean], “A man who will bring from you a sacrifice to G‑d....”1 Seemingly, the word order should have been, “A man from [among] you who will bring a sacrifice to G‑d....”

[Now, the verb used here for “bringing an offering” is יקריב, which shares a root with the verb meaning “to draw near.”2 ] Accordingly, the Alter Rebbe explains:3 “‘A man who will offer,’ i.e., if a person is to draw near to G‑d, the offering must come ‘from you’ — from one’s very self, from the animal within him; that is, he must sacrifice the Evil Inclination, which is [sometimes] called the animal soul.”4

Delving Deeply

In the maamar entitled Basi LeGani,5 the Rebbe Rayatz elaborates on this concept. When a sacrifice was brought on the altar, it was consumed by two kinds of fire — a G‑dly fire that descended from Above, and an earthly fire that was kindled by man. Similarly, our prayers should be kindled by the G‑dly fire in our souls, by the Divine flame that descends from Above. In addition, we should spark a “mortal fire” within our hearts by contemplating on spiritual concepts in a way that even the animal soul can understand. And when that happens, our animal souls will also draw closer to G‑dliness.