Q&A: "And they shall no longer sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat-demons after whom they stray"
"And they shall no longer sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat-demons after whom they stray"
Question
The Torah states the reason for sacrifices explicitly.
Why is it that when the Rabbi [and not only him] comes to write about the subject, he brings his bread from afar from the Guide for the Perplexed and more, instead of going straight from the verse?
Is there some deficiency in my understanding of the verse?
Answer
That does not necessarily emerge from the verse. First, it is not clear that this is the reason for all sacrifices. Maybe it is only the reason for the sprinkling of the blood and the burning of the fat as a pleasing aroma to God (the requirement of specific intent). Beyond that, it is not clear that this is the reason. Maybe this is only a result of the sacrifices, but not necessarily that their entire purpose was only for this.
Discussion on Answer
Rabbi Michi mentioned this, for example:
מקומה של הרליגיוזיות באמונה הדתית: ב. דתיות ורגש מתפרץ (טור 312)
Arukh HaShulchan, in his commentary on the Torah, claimed that this is the source of the Guide for the Perplexed