Bais HaVaad on the Parsha, Parshas Behar-Bechukosai

Loss of Smell

Excerpted and adapted from a shiur by HaRav Chaim Weg

May 11, 2023

I will put your cities to ruin and I will make your sanctuaries desolate; I will not smell your satisfying aromas.

Vayikra 26:31

According to Rashi, “velo ariach bereiach nichochachem (I will not smell your satisfying aromas)” means the korbanos will cease with the destruction of the Bais Hamikdash. But the Ramban says it means that Hashem’s acceptance of karbanos with favor will end with the churban until Mashiach comes—so there was no reiach nicho’ach from any korbanos brought in the Bayis Sheini. He holds that although reiach nicho’ach is certainly an important part of avodas hakorbanos, not having it does not invalidate a korban, so all the korbanos brought during Bayis Sheini were valid. This adheres to the simple meaning of the Mishnah in Zvachim (46b), which says that although a korban must be shechted for reiach nicho’ach, if one had contrary intentions, the korban remains valid.

The Netziv takes a different approach, that this pasuk invalidates korbanos at a time of galus due to the lack of reiach nicho’ach. The purpose of korbanos is for Klal Yisrael to find favor in Hashem’s eyes, and during galus, reiach nicho’ach is not available, so korbanos are pasul. This would accord with the Brisker Rav’s understanding of the Mishnah, as he explains that the reason a korban shechted for a purpose other than reiach nicho’ach is valid is not because reiach nicho’ach is not me’akeiv the mitzvah, but rather because it is stama lishmah, meaning that reiach nicho’ach is built into the korban, so intending otherwise will not remove it. According to the Netziv, reiach nicho’ach was restored when the second Bais Hamikdash was built.