You may not realize it, but each time you say "thank you," you are making a kind of mini-sacrifice. In this sense, you are not so different from ancient peoples who made animal sacrifices to the gods. What is "thank you" other than a momentary emptying of yourself in acknowledgement of a gift or favor you have received. The Torah's emphasis on animal sacrifices was also a reaction in the ancient world toward human sacrifices. The Torah wanted to say: we don't do this anymore. Rather, we sacrifice in a way which is ennobling and elevating. In our daily lives, we often conflate healthy sacrifices with unhealthy sacrifices. Like the Torah, Kafka's 1912 story The Metamorphosis shows how sacrifice can be both deadening and revitalizing.

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