Musar do Kapłańska 9:4

Nonetheless, there was a partial rehabilitation through the construction of the Tabernacle called מקדש, Sanctuary, which served as an illustration of how the material and spiritual worlds are inter-related, as I have explained on פרשת תרומה and on פרשת ויקהל-פקודי. It was equivalent to a new act of creation, a rejuvenation of the universe as it were. In that rejuvenated universe Aaron took the place of Adam. Of Aaron the Torah writes specifically that he should be brought "close," i.e. that he should personify what Adam had personified prior to the latter's sin. (cf. Exodus 28,1 and the Midrash I have quoted in connection with that verse). In our physical universe Aaron's function as High Priest corresponds to the function of the High Priest in the Celestial Region who offers the souls of the righteous on an altar (Chagigah 12). We have illustrated this by quoting כי היום ה' נראה אליכם (Leviticus 9,4) and showing that the words נראה אליכם nhna comprise the same letters as אהרן , מיכאל. This is an allusion to Aaron's function here on earth being similar to that of the archangel Michael in Heaven. Aaron was to bring about the closest rapprochement possible between man and G–d Instead of offering the souls of the righteous, Aaron could only offer animal sacrifices i.e. from the domesticated beasts such as the cattle and the sheep. This was basically no different from what Adam himself had done after he had sinned, when he sacrificed the ox which is reputed to have had a single horn on its forehead (Shabbat 28). Noach offered animal sacrifices in expiation for a corrupt human society which had been punished. Abraham did likewise in order to obtain forgiveness for the sin of the generation of the Tower of Babel. It is written of him ויבן שם מזבח לה' ויקרא בשם ה', "He built there an altar for the Lord, and proclaimed the name of the Lord" (Genesis 12,8). Not only did Abraham offer animal sacrifices, but he even offered his only beloved son Isaac as a sacrifice.

In other words, the foods consumed by Jews are almost on the same spiritual level as the sacrifices offered on the altar in the Tabernacle. When the Torah urges us in 11,44: והתקדשתם והייתם קדושים, "If you strive to sanctify yourselves you will become holy," the first expression is addressed to our souls, the hidden aspect of our personalities, whereas the last expression addresses our bodies, the visible part of our personalities. This is parallel to the מקדש-משכן relationship. The consecration of the Tabernacle embraced both these aspects at the same time. Concerning consecration of the hidden part, נפש, the Torah (9,4) said: כי היום ה' נראה אליכם, "For on this day the Lord appears to you," whereas concerning the visible part, גוף, the Torah (10,3) said: ועל פני כל העם אכבד, "I shall be honored in the presence of the whole nation." This revelation would take place by means of the Heavenly fire which consumed the sacrifices on the altar.

The Altar alludes to the crown of priesthood. Its mystical dimension directly relates the sacrifices offered by the priests on the altar in our world to the offering of the souls of the righteous by the High Priest Michael on the altar in the Celestial Sanctuary. Those Kabbalists who specialise in exegesis of רשומות use Leviticus 9,4: כי היום נראה אליכם, as an allusion that such sacrifices are offered up on an Altar in Heaven by showing that the letters in the words נראה אליכם are the same as in the two names אהרן and מיכאל.