Êxodo 5:3 Cabalá: Zohar & Sha'arei Orah

In just the same way God broke here on earth the power of an “old and foolish king”, namely Pharaoh, who, when Moses said to him, “The God of the Hebrews hath met with us”, replied, “I know not the Lord,” but when the Holy One, desiring that His Name should be glorified on earth as it is in heaven, punished him and his people, he came and acknowledged the Holy One.

This is clearly because sacrifices atone for a person and protect him from harm, as written,¹⁴⁹Exodus 5:3 “We shall bring offerings to HaShem-יהו״ה our God, lest He strike us dead with the plague or the sword.” All kinds of affliction are positioned in the north-Tzafon-צפון, and therefore, HaShem-יהו״ה, blessed is He, commanded that all sacrificial offerings brought in atonement of sin should be slaughtered in the north-Tzafon-צפון. With the help of HaShem-יהו״ה, blessed is He, we shall yet enlighten you about some important principles regarding the reasons for the sacrificial offerings and these matters. Because the title God-Elohi”m-אלהי״ם is the matter judgment-Din positioned in the north-Tzafon-צפון, the sacrificial offerings brought as remedy for sin were slaughtered in the north-Tzafon-צפון. This secret is hinted in the verse,¹⁵⁰Psalms 51:19 “The sacrifices of God-Elohi”m-אלהי״ם are a broken spirit etc.” Understand this well.