The Torah portion of Pinchas speaks at length1 about two kinds of offerings:

a) the korban tamid , or regular daily burnt offering, brought both morning and afternoon; and

b) the additional offerings brought on Shabbos, Rosh Chodesh and Festivals.

With regard to the korban tamid, the Torah states2 that it is to be brought “in its appointed time.” Rashi explains that “every day is the ‘appointed time’ ” for this offering.

Rashi ’s comment is perplexing. Is he adding anything to what the verse itself goes on to say — that the korban tamid was a regular daily offering?

Rashi is seeking to address the following question: When an offering is brought infrequently, the statement that it be brought at its “appointed time” is understandable; it should be brought at the proper time, neither a day earlier nor a day later. But how does this term apply to an offering brought on a daily basis?

It would seem that the korban tamid differed from all other offerings, in that bringing it on a daily basis caused it to have no “appointed time”; after all, it was brought constantly.

Rashi therefore advises us that this is not so; every day is the exclusively appointed time for offering the korban tamid designated for that day. This makes the korban tamid similar to other offerings, so that if the day passes without the offering of that day being brought, it cannot be brought on another day.3

In terms of man’s spiritual service, Rashi is informing us of the following:

The Divine Presence that dwelled in the Sanctuary and consequently within the entire world came as a result of the sacrificial offerings.4 Understandably, each category of offering resulted in a distinct revelation of the Presence.

As mentioned earlier, there are two general categories of offerings, the korban tamid and the additional offerings. These two kinds of offering are associated with two common ways of revealing holiness in the world:

The additional offerings brought on Shabbos, Rosh Chodesh and Festivals accomplish an indwelling of holiness that transforms time; a revealed sanctity resides within these days that makes the days themselves “holy days.”

However, since this sanctity is limited to a specific point in time, it is itself limited.

With the korban tamid the opposite is true: This offering is constant , i.e., without limitations. As a consequence, the sanctity that accompanies it is boundless as well, and not subject to change.

We may be led to think that since this level of holiness is boundless it remains elusive — higher than time and thus with no effect on time. We are therefore informed that “every day is the appointed time for the korban tamid ,” i.e., this sanctity too filters down into the realm of time.

In terms of our divine service, the lesson is as follows. When one serves constantly, in the style of the korban tamid , then one can be assured that his spiritual service will not deteriorate. Whatever the time, be it a regular day, Shabbos or Yom Kippur, such a person will always feels that he exists solely to fulfill G‑d’s will.

Serving in this manner ensures that each day becomes a special day, filled with the appropriate level of holiness. This will hasten the arrival of Moshiach, when each day will become “a song for the Shabbos day5 “ — “a day of eternal Shabbos and tranquillity.”6

Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXVIII, pp. 182-190.