By: High School Judaic Studies Teacher and United Orthodox Synagogues Rabbi, Rabbi Sprung
“If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall offer it at the door of the Tent of Meeting, that he may be accepted before Hashem.” (1:3)
This verse is read not only in its plain, narrative sense but also as a source of deeper legal instruction. The Sages comment here:
יקריב אותו, he must bring (his offering).
This teaches, as the Sages write in the Sifra and in the Mishnah in Arakhin, “that they force him (to bring his offering). Is it possible even against his will? This is why it teaches ‘לרצונו’—willingly.”
How is this possible? They force him until he says, "רוצה אני, I want to bring this offering.”
A fascinating notion, to be sure.
But how in the world does it work?
The Rambam addresses this issue in another context, where the halakha teaches that we sometimes compel someone to the point where they say רוצה אני—in the case of religious divorce.
He writes:
“The concept of being compelled against one's will applies only when speaking about a person who is being compelled and forced to do something that the Torah does not obligate him to do—e.g., a person who was beaten until he consented to a sale or to give a present. If, however, a person's evil inclination presses him to neglect [the observance of] a mitzvah or to commit a transgression, and he was beaten until he performed the action he was obligated to perform or dissociated himself from the forbidden action, he is not considered to have been forced against his will. On the contrary, it is he himself who is forcing himself [to become debased].
With regard to this person who refuses to divorce [his wife]—he wants to be part of the Jewish people, and he wants to perform all the mitzvot and eschew all transgressions; it is only his evil inclination that pressures him. Therefore, when he is beaten until his [evil] inclination has been weakened, and he consents [to the divorce], he is considered to have performed the divorce willfully.”
So too, we imagine, here: this person wishes to perform the commandment of bringing their korban. Yet, for one reason or another, they struggle to bring their positive inclinations to fruition.
There is quite a lot to say regarding these fascinating halakhot and their parallels. One point, however, must shine through. As Rav Kook says, to act well, to repent, and to improve ourselves is really just "for a person to return to oneself, to the root of his soul. And then he will immediately return to God."
No matter where we are, at our core, we are so purely good that returning to ourselves means drawing close to God and to all things and actions inspired by Him.