Parashat Tzav: Offerings of Peace

Daat Zkenim on Leviticus 7:11:1
זבח השלמים, “the sacrifice of the peace-offering;” why is it called thus? It is meant to restore peace between us down here and G–d our Father in heaven. This is also described in these terms in Psalms 50 23, when the psalmist says: זובח תודה יכבדנני, “he who sacrifices a thank offering honours Me."

Sifra 156, as quoted in Nechama Leibowitz, Studies in Vayikra p. 72
Rabbi Yehuda said: Whoever brings Shelamim brings shalom (peace) into the world. Another explanation: it harbors "peace" for all parties; the blood and inward parts-- for the altar, the breast and shoulder--for the preists, the skin and meat-- for the owners.

Rabbi David Hoffman as quoted in Nechama Leibowitz, Studies in Vayikra p.73-74
Shelamim shares its root with shalom, peace or shalem, perfect. This may reflect the contentment of the worshipper who recognizes that this is the result of his cleaving to God, and acknowledges this through the peace-offering. Or it may betoken a search for perfection and delieverance of one suffering from despair and longing for Divine succour to keep him intact. This he expresses through the shelamim whereby he declares that his own peace and well-being are inextricably bound up with cleaving to God.
If we accept the theory of the common root of shelamim and shalom, the connotation would be, as Rashi and others explain, shelamim, an offering that brings peace to the altar, the priests and the offerer. Thus the name would be particularly apt and meaningful, for the shelamim-offering constitutes a meal shared by the altar, the priests and the offerer. This is truly a repast of peace--a peace-offering which reflects the harmony between the offerer, the Lord and His servants.

Rachel Anisfeld, Torah: A Woman's Commentary p.609
Vayikra Rabbah 9:9 suggests that the sacrifice of well-being, the shlamim is last in this list of sacrifices because of the importance of shalom, peace.... The Midrash lists a number of examples where the value of of peace is deemed higher than the value of truth. Many of these situations involve woman and endorse the value of peace in marraige. The most famous biblical example is that of Sarah and Abraham: When Sarah laughs at the possibility of conceiving a child, she says that it is impossible because of her husband's age. However, when God repeats Sarah's words to Abraham, God reports only that she complained of her own age (Genesis 18). This "lie" is understood by the Rabbis as a sign of the greater importance of marital harmony over truth.

There are three types of Sh'lamim offerings:
1) Thanksgiving
2) Vows (If this happens for me, I will bring x animal as a sacrifice...)
3) Free-will offerings
The thanksgiving offering is distinct from the others because it is given with a separate offering of bread, and because it is to be eaten in one day and one night while the other sh'lamim offering are eaten in one day and two nights.

The Torah: A Modern Commentary, Revised, p.698
No doubt other ancient peoples brought sacrifices in a spirit of gratitude. However, a special category of thanksgiving offering appears only in Israel. Great merit was attached to this sacrifice, which seeks neither material nor spiritual benefit. A psalm which denies that God needs sacrifice still asserts, "One who sacrifices a thanks offering honors Me" (Ps. 50:23).

Vayikra Rabbah 9:4
Rabbi Pinchas said: This can be compared to king whose tenants and housemates came to pay tribute. One came to pay tribute, and he asked: Who is this? They told him: He is one of your tenants. He said to them: Take his tribute. Another came to pay tribute, and he said: Who is this? They said to him: A member of your household. Take his tribute. Another came to pay tribute, and he said: Who is this? They said to him: He is neither tenant or member of your household, yet he has come to pay tribute. The king said: Give him a stool and let him sit upon it.
So too, a sin-offering is brought for a sin, a guilt-offering is brought for a sin, but a thanksgiving offering is not brought for a sin, and thus it is written: If it be for a thanksgiving, he will bring near....

Vayikra Rabbah 9:7
Rabbi Pinchas, Rabbi Levi and Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Menachem of the Galilee, "In future times, the observance of the sacrifices will be nullified, with the exception of the Thanksgiving offering which will never be nullified. All of the prayers will be nullified, with the exception of the prayer of gratitude, which will never be nullified.

Talmud, Berachot 54b
There are four who are required to bring a thanksgiving offering: one who traverses the sea, one who crosses a desert, one who was ill and recovered, and one who was imprisoned and was released.

Rashi on Leviticus 7:12:1
If he offer it for a Thanksgiving... If it is for something deserving of thanksgiving, a miracle that happened to him. For example: one who goes down into the sea, or crosses the desert, or who is bound in a jail, or one who is sick and recovers--they must give thanks, as it is written of them (Psalms 107:21-21): Let them praise Adonai for God's steadfast love, God's wondrous deeds for humanity. Let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices, and tell God's deeds in joyful song.

Abravanel on Leviticus 7:11
The purpose of this law of the peace offering is to publicize the miracle. Seeing that he has only one day and one night for consuming his sacrifice, the owner invites his relatives and friends to share his meal and joy. On being asked what motivated this feast, the host will recount the Divine wonders. But if the time for consuming thanksgiving peace-offering were two days and one night, as for other peace-offerings, the owner would not invite anyone....Having an abundance of meat and bread in the house and only one day and one night in which to eat it he will certainly invite many friends to share it, lest they despise him the next morning when they see him burning large quantities of the residue of his offering.

Sotah 40a:11-12
§ The Gemara returns to discuss the response of the congregants to certain parts of the prayer service. While the prayer leader is reciting the blessing of: We give thanks, what do the people say? Rav says that they say: We give thanks to You, Lord our God, for the merit of giving thanks to You. And Shmuel says that one should say: God of all living flesh, for the merit of giving thanks to You. Rabbi Simai says that one should say: Our Creator, Who created everything in the beginning, for the merit of giving thanks to You. The Sages of Neharde’a say in the name of Rabbi Simai that one should say: We offer blessings and praises to Your great name, for You have given us life and sustained us, for giving thanks to You. Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov would finish the blessing as follows: So may You give us life, and show us favor, and collect us, and gather our exiles into Your sacred courtyards, in order to observe Your laws and to fulfill Your will wholeheartedly, for giving thanks to You. Rav Pappa said: These Sages each added a different element to the prayer. Therefore, we should combine them together and recite all of them.

Pirke Avot 4:1
Who is rich? Those who rejoice in their own portion

Making Our Souls Great
To pray is to regain a sense of the mystery that animates all beings,
the divine margin in all attainments.
Prayer is our humble answer to the inconceivable surprise of living.
It is all we can offer in return.
Who is worthy to be present at the constant unfolding of time?
Here we are admist the meditation of the land, the songs of the water,
the humility of the flowers,
flowers wiser than all alphabets -
Suddenly we feel embarrassed,
ashamed of our complaints and clashes in the face of tacit glory.
How strange we are in the world!
Only one response can maintain us:
gratefulness for the gift of our unearned chance to serve, to wonder,
to love life and each other.
It is gratefulness which makes our small souls great.
- Abraham Joshua Heschel