Leviticus 4 v 31 - "an aroma"

[Ian]

On you tube I watches someone scoff at Leviticus 4 and in particular verse 31:

...and the priest shall burn it on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.

It was a generalized attack but it did get me wondering. We are told that God was displeased with sacrificies by people whose hearts were otherwise far from Him. In other words, it was not the sacrifice itself that pleased Him but the motive behind it. However verse 31 above does seem to imply that He might, in a seemingly unworthy manner, have gained pleasure from the ritual itself. I`m sure not. But how do we explain this phrasing?

[Ian]

In the absence of replies I rummaged around on the Web but found only this that helped a little:

http://libraryminyan.org/divreitorah/Sc ... ayikra.htm

In particular:

According to Maimonides, "The burning of the offering is called a sweet savour unto the Lord; and so it undoubtedly is, since it serves to remove sinful thoughts from our hearts. The effect of the offering upon the man who sacrificed it is pleasant unto the Lord." Rashi understood "reiach nichoach" as "nachat ruach lif'nai" -- "Of pleasing [fragrance] , satisfaction before Me [God]," for I commanded [that this be done], and My will was carried out." (Sifra per. 6, 8.) Thus, according to these commentators, the terms pertaining to food and smell are intended as a metaphor for the satisfaction God derives from the cleansing of human hearts through our performance of mitzvot.

and

That glimpse is necessarily narrow, fleeting and imperfect because it purports to describe the indescribable. It is an effort to relate in human language, by reference to our five limited senses, the unfathomable experience of the Master of the Universe. But because we are human, these are the only terms to which we can relate. Perhaps such metaphors as "food," nourishment, and a "pleasing" or "satisfying aroma" are the closest we can ever come to a true understanding of God's pleasure in such events as the performance of a mitzvah or the forgiveness for our sins.

That`s the best I could find. It`s a shame though that certain parts of the OT do give food for scoffers of God