"No guts, no glory." You've heard the phrase before. But is it a Jewish concept, or just another worn-out cliche?


This Shabbat, we begin the Book of Vayikra. The main topic, of course, is the korbanot. They come in every size, shape and flavor; and they represent the Jewish ritual that is mentioned - by far - more than any other in the Torah. and yet, I suspect, few, if any of us, really understand what the korbanot were meant to convey, or why HaShem considered them so crucial to Jewish life.


It has become in vogue - and politically correct - to connect korbanot to the root k'r'v, meaning, "to come close." That is, korbanot were a means of doing something that could bring us closer to HaShem, or to a deeper understanding of what G-d wanted us to do with our lives.


Certainly, this is true. The act of vidui - openly confessing one's sins upon the animal before it was slaughtered - had a humbling effect upon the giver. And donating the meat to the Beit HaMikdash heightened our connection to the kohanim, who relied upon us for

The common translation of korban - "sacrifice" - has its own merit and should not be dismissed.

sustenance. And seeing an animal or bird that was alive one moment, and dead the next, carries a sobering message about the brevity of life and the sin of wasting time.


But I also believe that the more common translation of korban - sacrifice - has its own merit and should not be dismissed out of hand.


Jewish life is deeply connected to sacrifice: the willingness and the readiness to put HaShem, the Torah and Israel above our own selfish interests. While Judaism is absolutely good for us in body and soul, there are times when painful choices have to be made. Do we give up a lucrative job to keep Shabbat? Do we resist peer pressure to eat in certain places that are not fully kosher? Do we move to Israel when the Galut seems so much more comfortable? Do we put our sons in harm's way when the Jewish State needs defending? Your answer to these questions will go a long way towards defining your "J.Q." - Jewish Quotient.


The Jews were given two mitzvot to perform before they could be liberated. One was Brit Milah, the other was the Korban Pesach (these are the two "bloods" referred to in the phrase we recite at every Brit Milah, "b'damayich chayi'i"). Both acts required courage, and forced the Jews to stand in opposition to their Egyptian masters. By showing that they rejected Egypt's god and were obedient to their own, the Israelites endangered their lives. But they also demonstrated clearly, particularly to themselves, that they would no longer succumb to oppression, or abdicate their own unique way of life.


In real terms, it is only when you are willing to pay a price that we know you are serious. So, while korbanot may no longer be offered on the Mizbeyach, sacrifice is still very much part and parcel of Yiddishkeit.