Counter-Missionary > Medrash Vayikra Rabba

Medrash Vayikra Rabba

People might quote the Medrash in Vayikra Rabbah that suggests that in the times of the Messiah, Sacrifices will be annulled. This is the text in the Medrash:

ז רבי פנחס ורבי לוי ורבי יוחנן בשם ר' מנחם דגליא לעתיד לבא כל הקרבנות בטלין וקרבן תודה אינו בטל כל התפלות בטלות ההודאה אינה בטלה הה"ד (ירמיה לג) קול ששון וקול שמחה קול חתן וקול כלה קול אומרים הודו את ה' צבאות וגו' זו הודאה ומביאין תודה בית ה' זה קרבן תודה וכן דוד אומר (תהלים נו) עלי אלהים נדריך אשלם תודות לך תודה אין כתיב כאן אלא תודות ההודאה וקרבן תודה:

Rebbe Pinchas and Rebbe Levi and Rebbe Yochanan said in the name of Rebbe Menachem Daglia about the future to come: All Sacrifices will be nullified, and the sacrifices related to thanksgiving will not be nullified. All Prayers will be nullified and the supplications of thanks will not be nullified, For it is written in Jeremiah 33.11: The sound of joy and the sound of gladness and the sound of the bridegroom and bride, the sound of people saying: Praise to Hashem, the Master of Legions, for Hashem is Good for His mercy is forever, bringing thanksgiving offerings to the Temple of Hashem; for I will return the captivity of the land as at first, said Hashem. And so too King David said: (Psalms 56.13) Upon me, O G-d, are [my] vows to You, I shall render thanks to You, don't read "thanks" but rather "Thanksgiving offerings". Vayikra Rabba 9:7

A certain website, argues that since all sacrificies are annulled this is a reference to Jesus' coming and annulling sacrifices.

It is clear from the above rendering that not all sacrifices are annulled. This is clear, from a number of explicit verses in Ezekiel 46:4-15:

4. And the burnt- offering which the prince offers to the Lord; On the Sabbath shall be six lambs without blemish and a ram without blemish. 5. And as a meal- offering: one ephah for the ram; and for the lambs, a meal-offering as he is able to give, and a hin of oil to an ephah. 6. But on the New Moon; a young bull without blemish, and six lambs and a ram, without blemish are they to be. 7. And an ephah for the bull and an ephah for the ram he shall bring as a meal-offering, but for the lambs as much as he can afford, and of oil a hin to an ephah. 8. And whenever the prince goes in, he shall go in by way of the vestibule of the gate, and by the same way shall he go out. 9. But when the people of the land come before the Lord on the times fixed for meeting, he who enters by way of the north gate to prostrate himself shall go out by way of the south gate, and he that enters by way of the south gate shall go out by way of the north gate; he shall not return by way of the gate whereby he came in, but he shall go out by that which is opposite it. 10. The prince also [then] enters among them when they go in, and when they go out, they [the prince and the people together] go out. 11. And on the Festivals and on the times fixed for meeting, the meal-offering shall consist of an ephah for a bull and an ephah for a ram, but for the lambs a gift which is in accordance with his means, and oil, a hin to an ephah. 12. And when the prince brings a free will-offering, a burnt-offering or a peace- offering as a free will-offering to the Lord, one shall then open for him the gate that faces east, and he shall bring his burnt-offering and his peace-offering as he does on the Sabbath day, and after he has gone out, one shall close the gate. 13. And a lamb of the first year, without blemish shall you bring as a burnt-offering daily to the Lord, every morning shall you bring it. 14. And as a meal-offering you shall bring for it every morning a sixth of an ephah and a third of a hin of oil to stir [with] the fine flour; a meal-offering to the Lord, according to the perpetual ordinance. 15. Thus shall they bring the lamb and the meal-offering and the oil every morning, a continual burnt offering. Judaica Press Translation

The prophet is talking about a future time, (when Israel is returned from captivitiy (Jer 33:11, Eze 39:25)), when the Temple is rebuilt (Ezekiel 37, 40:1-43:27, Specifically: Eze 43:10-11). Remember, when Jesus died, Sacrifices continued until 69 CE. (Cf. Josephus, Jewish sources.)

Clearly the verses under discussion, as well as the Medrash are talking about a future period that has not happened, when sacrifices - at least those that have to do with thanking and praising G-d will continue. The whole purpose of Temple and sacrificial system, is to become close to G-d through sacrifice - through thanking and praising Hashem. A simple analysis shows that the argument that all sacrifices will be nullified is simply wrong, and a misquote of a Medrash. If Christian Missionaries are so careless with other religions' texts, it is small wonder how anyone should rely on their testimony about what they say about their own texts. This a severe misquote and mistranslation, why should anyone consider their sources as valid?