March 25, 2023; 3 Nissan, 5783
Parsha
The Olah sacrifice is one of the sacrifices in this week’s Parsha that can achieve atonement on the part of the person who brings it. The Olah sacrifice can be brought using a Kosher male domesticated animal. The Midrash explains why it must be brought using a domesticated animal (a Behaima) and not brought using a non-domesticated animal (a Chaya).
The explanation is that a domesticated animal is fed by its master and is therefore given food that the owner wants to give him. A non-domesticated animal, such as a deer, eats from wherever it can obtain its food which can include vegetation that is ownerless, such as in a forest, or vegetation that is owned, such as in someone’s backyard...