The term "lechem" (bread or food[1]) or "lachmi" (My bread or food - referring to Hashem's bread) is frequently used with respect to korbanos, animal offerings in the mishkan. This anthropomorphic phrase, seemingly attributing a need for nutrition to the Divine Being, certainly requires explanation. Furthermore, a careful examination of the mentioning of lechem regarding the sacrifices reveals that it is not stated as frequently as would be expected. In this week's parsha, for example, "lachmi" appears in connection to the korban tamid, the twice daily offering (28:2), and "lechem" appears regarding the korbanos musafin of Pesach (28:24)[2] but not with respect to any of the other korbanos of the other festivals listed. Why is this term so irregularly mentioned?
Meshech Chachma by Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (on 28:2) provides a brief answer to these questions touching upon a central component of the meaning of korbanos, a topic that in the contemporary era has often baffled thinking people. In his words, "Bread satisfies the heart of man and connects the soul with the body. So too the korbanos bind the dwelling (mishkan) of the Glory of Hashem with His nation, Israel. Therefore, they are called 'bread.'" I would like to expand on this answer with some additional themes many of which are discussed elsewhere by Meshech Chachma himself and other Torah scholars. Bread, or more generally food, keeps a person alive, the lack of any nutrition inevitably leading to loss of life. More fundamentally, on a theological plane, it is physical food that keeps the soul, the life force of the person, inside the body allowing it to continue to imbue vitality to what otherwise would be a non-functioning conglomeration of organic material. When the Torah refers to korbanos as lachmi, "My bread" or "Divine bread", it is labeling sacrifices as an example of activities man performs which brings the Divine Presence into the world. Hashem's Presence is the "soul" of the physical world granting it existence just as the soul in the body keeps it functioning. The Gemara (Berachos 10a) lists many parallels between the soul-body relationship and the G-d-world relationship. Hashem is referred to as "chai ha'olamim", the life of the worlds. Now, Hashem's will to perpetuate the physical world is an absolutely necessary requirement for all of existence to continue. (See Rambam, beginning of Hilchos Yesodei Hatorah). The very name of G-d, Y-K-V-K, means Existence, as well as One who constantly causes existence. But that is not all the Creator wanted for the world - for it to exist; He desired - for reasons unfathomable to man (see Tehillim 8:5-7) - to develop a relationship with mankind. Hashem wished not only to be a Borei (Creator) but also a Mashgiach (Providential Overseer) and even a Dod (beloved in the language of Shir Hashirim). This second aspect of the Divine plan and its degree of implementation depends on human action. When people elevate themselves by serving their Creator and actualizing the Divine image implanted within them, they "bring down" Hashem's Presence enabling a more intense relationship. Malbim explains that this is what is meant by the cryptic statement of our Sages, "האבות הן הן המרכבה"(see Rashi to Bereishis 17:22 from Bereishis Rabba) - "our forefathers are the essence of the Divine chariot." Just as a chariot is the vehicle of transport of people from place to place, so too the righteous actions of our illustrious forebearers "cause" the Divine presence to more intensely reside in and move the world to its ultimate destiny. Korbanos, as examples of Divine service in general - elevating the entire physical world[3] - as well as with their precise, Divinely-endowed calibration and parallelism to the upper worlds (see Nefesh Hachaim, Sh'aar 2), "bring down" Hashem's Presence endowing the physical world more intensely with its "neshama", Hashem's Shechina. Therefore, korbanos are called "lachmi" not in the sense of their giving existence to Hashem chas v'shalom but in their being the substance that maintains the vitality of the world; just as food keeps the soul of the human inside his physical body - its existence not dependent on the body, so too korbanos keeps the Divine presence intensely in the world with all of its ramifications for intense Divine Providence and relationship with mankind, Hashem's existence also not in any way dependent on the korbanos. Since the general world rejected this great mission and relationship by refusing the message of Sinai, the Jewish people were tapped to primarily fulfill this great undertaking as the kohanim of the world.
Food is a daily requirement - even if not eating for one day will not cause cessation of life - and not eating for seven days leads to death as manifested by the halacha that someone who swears he will not eat for seven days is considered as having taken a meaningless oath in vain (shevuas shav). Therefore, explains Meshech Chachma, the Torah uses the lechem term specifically with respect to the daily offering, the tamid and the korbanos of Pesach, a seven day holiday. Even though the concept of korbanos as lechem would apply to all of the korbanos, the Torah chose certain ones to highlight the bread parallel.
The period of the Three Weeks and the Nine Days focus on the longing for Mikdash. In many people's minds, and understandably so, Mikdash is inexorably linked to animal sacrifices, a concept many in the modern world find foreign to their way of thinking. This in turn can impact the ability to relate meaningfully to the avoda of this time period specifically and longing for the Mikdash in general. Understanding the meaning of korbanos as "lachmi" and appreciating what they represent - bringing G-d intensely into our lives hopefully will help increase longing for Mikdash, which in turn Chazal tell us helps bring its rebuilding one step closer. May we merit constant G-d awareness in our lives and merit the greatest manifestation of our relationship with Him - all of Klal Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael with the Mikdash at its center speedily in our days!
[1] See Ibn Ezra on Shemos (16:4).
[2] In parshas Vayikra, the term is only mentioned in conjunction with the korban shelamim, not with respect to other korbanos. (See Meshech Chachma for an explanation.) The phrase is also mentioned in parshas Emor regarding the kohanim eating korbanos.
[3] See also Korbanot - Elevating the Physical World.