Jeremiah 7:22 makes a startling claim: “I did not speak with your forefathers nor did I command them on the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
Now, this is a bit of a head-scratcher, isn’t it? Vayikra (Leviticus) is overflowing with detailed instructions on sacrifices, offerings, and the complex rituals of Temple service. So how could Jeremiah make such a claim? Wasn’t the whole point of the Exodus—the grand escape from Egypt—so that the Israelites would be free to worship God?
Let’s take a step back and picture this situation:
The Case of the Sneaky Contractor
Jacob, tired of his cramped little apartment, decides to build himself a new home. He hires a contractor, a man with an eye for detail. They agree on the basics: price, schedule, and what the house should look like. All set.
The contractor gets busy. Materials are ordered, everything’s ready to go. But just as he’s about to start the actual building, an idea strikes him.
“Wait a minute,” he thinks, “Do I actually have to build the house? I mean, the manual didn’t say build, it said supply the materials. And look at this! All the materials are here. The tiles, the windows, the wood—check, check, check. Job done!”
So he strolls up to Jacob, points out the organized piles of drywall, tiles, and door handles on the ground, and says, “There you go! I’ve fulfilled my end of the deal. All the materials are here. Feel free to begin assembly at your convenience.”
Jacob, understandably, flips his lid. “Fool! You promised to build a house, not just dump piles of materials on my lawn! I didn’t hire you to be a glorified delivery service!”
“You may have provided everything listed in the manual,” Jacob continues, “but what about our original agreement—when you promised to build a house?”
The Contract from Egypt
Now, let’s bring this back to the Israelites. When they were in Egypt, God didn’t go into the fine print. His command was simple: “When you take the people out of Egypt, you will serve God on this mountain.” That was the contract in its purest form—no details, no specifications, just a promise to serve God.
Then came Sinai. A mountain of detail. God gave Moses the Torah, including a comprehensive guide to Divine service—the offerings, altars, and priestly robes, everything down to the smallest detail. The Israelites went from a general call to a highly detailed blueprint.
But here’s the catch: If you follow all the details—the rituals, the rites—and forget the purpose behind them, you’re like that contractor who delivered all the materials but never actually built the house. You’re checking off boxes, but you're missing the whole point of the original contract: to construct something meaningful, to create a life of holiness and integrity.
This is the heart of Jeremiah's message: The rituals are important, but they are not the goal. God doesn’t want us to get lost in the mechanics of burnt offerings and sacrifices. He wants our hearts. He wants us to serve Him not just in the sanctuary, but in every corner of life—our business dealings, our treatment of workers, our relationships with family and friends. Service to God isn’t confined to the Temple; it’s reflected in how we live our lives.
And that is precisely what Jeremiah told the people: “I did not speak with your forefathers nor did I command them on the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this is what I commanded them: Obey Me, so that I am your God and you are My people.”
(Adapted from Mishlei Yaakov, pp. 189-190)
