»Acceptable« to »Will«: The Rabbinic Transformation of Ratzon in Sacrifice and Prayer

This paper considers the root ר.צ.ה and particularly the formula ה.י.ה רצון, arguing that רצון within a ritual context comes to mean not »acceptability« or »desirability« but »will« in rabbinic literature. This semantic shift points to a rabbinic voluntaristic theology, where ritual obligations and prayer aim at achieving interaction between the human and divine will. In so doing, these rituals comprise a will economy of sorts, bringing together the supplicant and God, as part of a broader rabbinic vision of interactive sacrifice and ritual.