The nation of Israel has a Biblical prohibition against sacrificing outside the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Deuteronomy Chapter 12 outlines this prohibition clearly:

"8 You are not to do as we do here today, everyone as he sees fit, 9 since you have not yet reached the resting place and the inheritance Hashem your God is giving you. 10 But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land Hashem your God is giving you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety. 11 Then to the place Hashem your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name—there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and the offering of your hand, and all the choice vows you vow to Hashem. 12 And there rejoice before Hashem your God, you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites from your towns, who have no allotment or inheritance of their own. 13 Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please. 14 Offer them only at the place Hashem will choose in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you."

The "place" which God Chose to place his name forever is the site of the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite that was purchased by king David, The Temple Mount.

Once the Israelites conquered Jerusalem and built the Temple, all other venues for sacrifice were off limits.

This prohibition, however, only applied to the children of Israel. The righteous of the nations are still free, to this very day, to sacrifice burnt offerings to the God of Israel on their own private altars. Have a look at the following Talmudic discourse:

Talmud Bavli – Zevachim 116b
"The master said, 'Non-Jews are permitted [to offer sacrifice] these days. How do we know this? Because our rabbis taught, (When introducing the prohibition of offering sacrifices outside the Temple, the Torah says), דבר אל בני ישראל (Lev. 17:2). The Children of Israel are enjoined against offering sacrifices outside, but non-Israelites are not enjoined against offering sacrifices outside. Therefore, everyone (non-Jew) may build a Bamah (private altar) and sacrifice on it whatever he wishes."

So we see here that, at least in theory, the Rabbis confirm that the prohibition of sacrificing outside the Temple Mount only applies to the children of Israel.

The Gemara continues,

"R Ya'akov bar Acha said in the name of Rav Assi, 'It is forbidden to assist them or to act as their agent. Rabbah said 'We may instruct them'.

At this point Rabbah tells a story to prove his point:

"This happened with Ifra Hormiz, mother of Shabur Malka (King Shapur II of Persia) who sent an offering to Rava with the request, 'Offer up a sacrifice for the sake of Heaven. Rava said to Rav Safra and Rav Acha bar Huna, 'Go fetch two young men of similar age, find a spot where the sea has thrown up mud. Furthermore, take new wood; light a fire with a new steel striker, and offer the sacrifice in honor of heaven." Abaye asked Rava on whose authority did he permit this action. Rava answered that he ruled in accordance with the view of R. Eleazar b. Shammua who said, 'As the altar must not have been used by a layman for mundane purposes, even the wood also must not have been used by a layman…"

So now we have left the realm of theoretical halacha and we see an actual example of a rabbinically sanctioned sacrifice being brought centuries after the destruction of the Temple.

Halacha L'Maasei (Practical Halacha) on this issue is clearly codified by the Rambam and it is (quite noticeably) based on this Talmudic passage from Zevachim.

Rambam, Hilchot Maasei Hakorbanot, Chapter 19

"And the nochrim (non-Israelites), it is permitted for them to offer Olot - burnt offerings - to G-d anywhere they choose, provided that they offer it on an altar they have built themselves."

The Rambam rules that the altar itself must be artificially constructed. He derives this from Genesis 8:20 "And Noah built an altar".

The Rambam continues, "It is forbidden for a Yisroel to help them (physically). We are, however, permitted to teach them how to offer sacrifice to Hashem, blessed be he."

So there we have it. We can clearly see that sacrifices are permitted for Bnei Noach. We have the guidelines for how to offer such sacrifices, what kind of animals to use and what involvement Jews may have in the process. The question is, should we? I personally believe that the answer is clearly in the affirmative as long as the person performing the service is of sound mind and body, as long as they clearly understand the spiritual implications of what they are doing and they have been properly trained in all the relevant laws.

One might ask (and I have been asked) what benefit is there in such a thing? Don't we have anything better to do? Should something like this really be at the top of our agenda?

To that I would say, sacrifice is part and parcel of our religion. It is as much a part of Judaism as Shabbat, kashrut or taharat mishpacha. The fact that we are unable or (more correctly) unwilling to sacrifice, shouldn't cause us to prevent those who can and wish to do so.

A korban olah has the real and tangible power to bring blessing into the world and atone for sin. Why on earth, would we withhold something like this from them? Unless, of course, we really no longer believe that korbanot have the power to bring brachah and effect kaparah (G-d forbid).

I can tell you today that burnt offerings to the living G-d are (G-d willing), once more about to become a reality in the land of Israel and around the world. I realize and am sensitive to the fact that the idea is controversial and I know it will generate opposition.

But It is my sincere hope and prayer that I and those involved in the initiative are doing what is right in the eyes of Hashem and that he will accept the offerings of the Bnei Noach as a reiach nechoach (a sweet savor), and may he grant Bnei Yisroel the privilege of building his altar in its place, in "the place" bim'hera b'yameinu, amen.

Yoel Keren