Jacob Milgrom > Quotes

“In essence, the system of sacrifice provided a metaphor, a method, for the Israelites to reach God, responding to the deep psychological, emotional, and religious needs of the people. Indeed, this is the meaning of the Hebrew word for "sacrifice"; it comes from a verb meaning "to bring near." Thus a sacrifice is that kind of an offering that enables us to approach God.”
― Jacob Milgrom, Leviticus Continental Commentary: A Book of Ritual and Ethics: Continental Commentaries