Thought for the Week:

Rashi interprets the "soothing aroma" as a metaphor for man's obedience. He explains that the aroma of the sacrifice is pleasing to the LORD because it is a token of His children's obedience. When God "smells" the sacrifice, He delights in the human being who has gone to such effort to draw close to Him.

Commentary:

And the priest shall offer up in smoke all of it on the altar for a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. (Leviticus 1:9)

As the Torah describes the sacrificial service, it says that when the smoke of the offering rises to heaven, it will be a "soothing aroma to the LORD" (Leviticus 1:9). Regardless of how we understand it, the Torah is clear that God takes delight in the sacrifices. He graciously accepts the gifts of His people, and the smoke that rises from the altar fires is as a soothing aroma to Him.

This seems difficult …