The Holyland Model of the Temple and the Western Wall.
Is God Truly Everywhere? Sacred Space and the Role of Sacrifices
The deepest desire of worshipers was to have YHWH in their midst.
Published March 10, 2014
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Last Updated September 7, 2026
In addition to its description of the sacrificial regimen, the Parashat Tzav has a strong emphasis on the High Priest in particular. It describes the special grain offering on the occasion of the installation of the High Priest (6: 12-16). It records the initial consecration of the Israelite priesthood and the sanctuary, with special attention to the anointment of the High Priest, Aaron (ch. 8). This, in turn, leads to the beginning of Parashat Shemini (ch. 9), which records the initiation of public worship of the God of Israel, by Aaron and his sons, the priests.
Modern, critical scholarship endorses the hypothesis that the Torah is comprised of several sources that have been compiled and edited into the Torah. Each of these sources is characterized by distinctive language and theology. According to the view adopted here, we can learn more about the meaning of the Torah as a whole by looking carefully at each of the separate sources, rather than focusing solely on the finished product.
In non-P texts, minḥāh is used as a general term for sacrifice, while in P texts it refers specifically to grain offerings.
For more on this, see the conclusion of my article in the Moshe Greenberg festschrift: Baruch A. Levine, “The Next Phase in Jewish Religion: The Land of Israel as Sacred Space,” in Tehillah le-Moshe: Biblical and Judaic Studes in Honor of Moshe Greenberg, eds. Mordechai Cogan, Barry l. Eichler and Jeffrey H. Tigay (Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1997), 245-257 [p. 257] .
