English: “An offering to Hashem” — this teaches that one must dedicate it as hekdesh before offering it.
In Sifra: Naming the animal a korban la-Hashem is not the same as the later acts of shechitah and zerikah. The phrase itself teaches sequence: sanctification (hekdesh) must precede bringing-near (hakravah). Without prior dedication, the animal has not yet entered the domain of the altar.
Type of Learning
Diyuk from the word korban before the act — dedication precedes offering.
What Is Learned
Verbal (or equivalent) dedication as hekdesh must come before the actual bringing of the animal onto the altar service. “Korban la-Hashem” is not only a label; it encodes the order of the process. One does not slaughter a still-chullin animal and hope the Name makes it holy after the fact.