Offering oneself in place of korbanos

ממה שאחז"ל לקרוא פ' שקלים עתה אף שאין קרבן.

From what Chazal said, to read Parshas Shekalim now, even though there is no korban —

Chazal instituted reading Parshas Shekalim even in galus when no shekel-offering and no korbanos are brought; the Sefas Emes asks what this reading accomplishes today.

נראה כי הנדיבות מתקבל כמו אז.

It appears that the generosity (nedivus) is accepted just as it was then.

The very same wholehearted generosity is received favorably now as in the time of the Mishkan.

כי כל הקרבנות נתקבלו לרצון רק על ידי כח הנדיבות של ישראל.

For all the korbanos were accepted as a ratzon (favorably) only through the power of the generosity of Bnei Yisrael.

What made the korbanos pleasing to Hashem was never the animal itself but the kochos of Bnei Yisrael's open-hearted giving.

שמזה היו כל הקרבנות.

For from this came all the korbanos.

The generosity was the true source and root of every offering.

וזה הנדיבות יש גם עתה.

And this generosity exists even now.

That inner power of giving is fully available to us today, even without a Mikdash.

ואפשר יותר.

And perhaps even more so.

It may even be that our generosity now, longing for what we lack, surpasses that of those times.

ע"י שמשתוקקין לנדב להשי"ת כבראשונה.

Through the fact that we yearn to give generously to Hashem as in the beginning.

Our very longing to offer to Hashem as Bnei Yisrael once did becomes itself a form of giving.

וכן הי' כל בריאת האדם להשתוקק אליו ית' מתוך החושך.

And so too the entire creation of man was in order to yearn for Him, blessed is He, out of the darkness.

The whole purpose of man's creation is to long for Hashem specifically from within the darkness and concealment of this world.

ונראה שזה הכנה להגאולה לאשר בניסן זמן גאולה.

And it appears that this is a preparation for the geulah, for in Nissan is the time of redemption.

This yearning to give is a hachanah for the geulah, fittingly read just before Nissan, the season of redemption.

התקינו חז"ל לזכור השקלים להשתוקק להשי"ת לנדב אליו בכל לב ונפש.

Chazal instituted to remember the shekalim, to yearn for Hashem, to give generously to Him with all one's heart and soul.

The reading awakens us to long for Hashem and to give ourselves to Him with the fullness of heart and soul.

ועתה כשאדם מוכן להקריב כל נפשו להשי"ת בוודאי יותר נ"ר מהקרבת בהמה שנוגע רק לממון.

And now, when a person is ready to offer up his entire soul to Hashem, surely there is greater nachas ruach (satisfaction to Heaven) than from the offering of an animal, which involves only money.

Offering one's own nefesh brings Hashem more nachas ruach than an animal korban, which costs only one's possessions.

ואין חידוש להיות שייך עתה קרבן גבוה יותר.

And it is no wonder that a higher form of korban should be applicable now.

It should not surprise us that in galus a loftier kind of offering becomes possible.

כו וודאי עתה בגלות אין יכולין להתקרב להשי"ת רק בקרבן עצמו שנחשב יותר מהקרבת בהמה כנ"ל:

For surely now in galus we are unable to draw close to Hashem except through the offering of oneself, which is reckoned as more than the offering of an animal, as above.

In exile, with no Mikdash, the only avenue of closeness is to offer one's very self — and this is counted as greater than any animal korban.

Summary: We read Parshas Shekalim even without a korban because what truly made every offering acceptable was the wholehearted generosity of Bnei Yisrael — and that nedivus is fully alive today, perhaps even more so through our yearning. Man was created to long for Hashem from within the darkness; in galus our only path to closeness is to offer our very selves, which brings Hashem greater nachas ruach than any animal korban, and serves as a preparation for the geulah.