Dictionary of symbology in Kodshim and Taharot

Question

I'm wondering if anyone has ever put together a book that lists all the different elements that can come up in the realms of Kodshim and Taharot (e.g. bulls, the number seven, water, slaughtering, etc.) along with traditional explanations for what they each may symbolize.

I realize that the idea that these elements are meant to symbolize anything, as opposed to simply being elements of God's Commandments, which we obey without worrying about their meanings, is not a universally-held opinion. However, there are those who do discuss symbolic meanings in these practices, so the book I'm wondering about would be based on their teachings. For example, R' Hirsch's commentary on the Torah makes repeated and consistent reference to many such symbolic elements.

It seems to me that such a book could be very useful when studying these areas in particular. People tend to treat them as rather esoteric, partly because they're mostly not in practice currently, and partly because they deal with essentially spiritual causes and effects that aren't obviously connected to natural phenomena that we're familiar with. With the sort of dictionary that I describe at one's side, one could analyze a complicated procedure, or even a hypothetical complicated procedure in the Talmudic debates, in part by breaking it down into its constituent elements and analyzing what each one is taken to symbolize.

Answer 1

While this isn't exactly what you're looking for, it's close: the Rama's Toras Ha'Olah, which does go through just about every mitzvah/halakha in Seder Kodshim and explains the reasoning for their details in a super-cool-scientific-mystical way. It's not an encyclopedia in that it isn't in alphabetical order, but it is ordered systematically, by topic.

Additionally, there is a book that collected many of the explanations for details of all of the mitzvos, Taryag Mitzvos Behalacha UBeagada, by Rav Chayim Lipkin. Volumes 3-5 are on Kodshim and Taharos, and all together make up around 350 pages on those topics. This too doesn't go through every detail and not in alphabetical order, but it is by order of topic/mitzvah.

Answer 2

I'm wondering if anyone has ever put together a book that lists all the different elements that can come up in the realms of Kodshim and Taharot (e.g. bulls, the number seven, water, slaughtering, etc.)

The closest I have found:

• The introduction of the Rambam to Seder Kodshim, often printed in the "simple, one Seder-per-book" Mishnayot. It's about 2 pages long and provides a summary of each Korban and its laws.

• The introduction of the Tiferth Yisrael to Seder Kodshim which is many pages long and details all the relevant laws of each type of Korban.

along with traditional explanations for what they each may symbolize.

I have not seen a list anywhere. Some commentaries refer to these ideas as the Korban is introduced in Sefer Vayikra.

• The Ibn Ezra. For example in Vayikra 1:2 he explains why the Olah is always male "ובעבור היות העולה קרבה כלה לגבוה היא מהנבחרת "
• The Kli Yakar (ibid) has a few paragraphs explaining why certain animals are appropriate for each type of Korban. he starts off with "טעם לדבר שהעולה באה זכר, והחטאת נקיבה, ושלמים בין זכר בין נקיבה, לפי ...".‏