The Lion & The Dog. Humility and Ego in the Temple Offerings
The Jewish tradition tells us something profound and fascinating: when a sacrifice was brought with the proper intent, fire from above would descend and consume it in the shape of a lion. Majestic. Elevated. Spiritually-aligned.
While often perceived as barbaric, an ancient perspective on Temple offerings reveals a deeper, more nuanced idea.
Another misconception is that the offerings were somewhat transactional—quid pro quo. Instead, they were reflections, mirrors of the soul.
The Sages tell us something fascinating¹: when a sacrifice was brought with the proper intent, a fire would descend from above in the shape of a lion and consume the offering. Majestic. Elevated. Spiritually-aligned.
But when something was off—ego, distraction, self-importance—the fire took the form of a dog. Restless. Hungry. Earthbound.
The lion symbolizes strength and kingship—alignment with something bigger than ourselves. This is why the lion is the tribe of Judah’s symbol, it is a force that ascends and descends. The lion also represents our humility.
The dog, through comparison, represented less desirable traits. In this sense, a dog represents our base desires. In the Zohar, a dog represents our evil inclination². The ego. Our propensity to take instead of give.
When someone brought an offering to the Temple, you can imagine the moment of suspense as they awaited the signs of the desired outcome. The fire didn’t just simply consume the offering—it revealed to the giver a visual sign that they were on track. Ulterior motives would be exposed.
Today, we lack visual cues. We can go quite far before realizing we've lost our way. Alignment takes effort, diligence, and continual recalibration.
Are we striving for humility³, or are we clinging to honor and recognition? Are we more often giving, or taking? Are we doing the difficult inner work, or feeding the ego?
Though we cannot see it, the fire still takes shape. Lion or dog.
We get to choose.
Free Phone Wallpaper
With this image as your wallpaper, you can remember the ongoing struggle with the ego and humility.
Notes:
¹ Yoma 21b
