Kids Question, Re'eh 2025

Question

What were Bnei Yisroel allowed to do when we first entered Eretz Yisroel, but not after we finished settling it?

Answer 

Korbanos. Or more specifically, voluntary extra korbanos (נדרים ונדבות). Hashem commanded us several times throughout the chumash to only bring korbanos in the Beis Hamikdash. Think about that for a second. Has that always been true?

What about the korbanos the Avos brought? 

Or the korbanos Noach brought after the mabul? What about the korbanos Kayin and Hevel brought?

Originally, Hashem allowed us to bring korbanos anywhere we wanted by building a temporary mizbeach called a "bamah" (במה). We were allowed to build bamos anywhere and offer korbanos to Hashem right there!

When Hashem commanded us to build the Mishkan, he changed all of that.

לא תעשון ככל אשר אנחנו עשים פה היום איש כל הישר בעיניו ... והיה המקום אשר יבחר ד' אלקיכם בו לשכן שמו שם שמה תביאו את כל אשר אנכי מצוה אתכם עולתיכם וזבחיכם

You shall not do the same as we do here today, every man according to what he deems fit... when you come to the place which Hashem your Gd chooses to rest his name, there you will bring everything I command you, your olahs and your sacrifices

Devarim 12:8, 12:11

 Chaza"l teach us that korbanos on a bamah were prohibited from when we built the Mishkan... except when we first entered Eretz Yisroel! Bnei Yisroel spent 14 years conquering the land. During that time, we were allowed to bring voluntary offerings on a bamah. After that the Mishkan settled "in its place" in Shiloh and the prohibition to use a bamah came back.

You might wonder why Hashem limited prohibited bamos. Limiting the ways we bring korbanos ultimately means we bring fewer korbanos. Surely that's the opposite of what he wants! If a korban is a form of serving him, and our goal is to serve him, why would he limit it?

Chazal answer this question with a parable

It's like a king who's son became accustomed to eating treif. The king commands that his son should only eat at his father's table and therefore never have the opportunity to eat something treif.

Vayikra Rabah 22:8

Likewise, Bnei Yisroel had become accustomed to avodah zarah. We had brought many korbanos in Mitzraim to avodah zarah. The service of a korban on a bamah was too similar to the service of avodah zarah. Hashem knew there was a risk in us reverting to our old ways. By limiting the service to the Beis Hamikdash, Hashem protected us from that slip. The kohen would be there to watch us. The change of venue would remind us. The burden would make us choose more carefully when we wanted to bring a korban, and we would be more deliberate in the korban when we actually did it.