Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 4/אבן עזרא על ויקרא ד׳
אנפש כי תחטא. לעשות בשגגה אחת ממצות לא תעשה שיש עליהם כרת או מלקות. ומלת נפש כלל לישראל ולגר כי כן כתוב. ואחר כן פרט והחל מהכהן הגדול והוא הכהן המשיח:
1IF ANY ONE SHALL SIN. By inadvertently transgressing one of the negative commandments, the penalty for which is excision1 1:1. or flogging [for a deliberate act].2 The word nefesh3 (any one) takes in Israelites and strangers,4 for it is so stated.5 is used in reference to a stranger in Ex. 23:9. It is widely used in Scripture to refer to Israelites. See Ex. 12:15. Scripture then goes into detail.6 It begins with the kohen gadol, the anointed kohen.
אלאשמת העם. שהורה שלא כהוגן ואשם העם וכלם שוגגים או פירוש לאשמת העם באשמת כל בני אדם ונזכר כן בעבור שהכהן הוא נושא התורה והוא עצמו נשמר וקדוש לשם:
1TO BRING GUILT ON THE PEOPLE. The kohen gadol taught incorrectly and the people were guilty, all of them having acted inadvertently.7hen gadol. On the other hand, the meaning of leashmat ha-am (to bring guilt on the people) might be, because of the guilt of all of the people.8 is responsible for the people’s sin. He did not sufficiently admonish the people. It9 (to bring guilt on the people). According to this interpretation our verse reads: If the appointed priest shall sin because of the people’s guilt. is mentioned here10 (shall sin). In other words, le-ashmat ha-am (to bring guilt on the people) qualifies yechete (shall sin). because the kohen is the bearer of the Torah and he is very careful and holy unto God.11
בעל חטאתו. בעבור חטאתו וכאשר הוא גדול יקריב הפר שהוא הגדול מכל הקרבים על גבי המזבח:
2FOR HIS SIN. Al chattato (for his sin) means because of his sin.12 (for his sin) literally means on his sin. Hence I.E.’s comment. Since the kohen gadol is great he must offer a bullock, which is the largest animal of all that are offered on the altar.
אוטבל הכהן. הוא המשיח בעצמו. וטעם שבע פעמים תמצאנו בפרשת וירא בלק ובעבור גודל מעלת הכהן הגדול יזה מדם חטאתו על פרכת הקדש ועל קרנות מזבח הקטרת וכל הפר חוץ מהחלבים ישרוף בחוץ כי איננה עולה:
1AND THE PRIEST SHALL DIP. The anointed kohen himself. You will find the reason for seven times in the Torah portion Va-Yar Balak (Num. 22:2-25:9).13 The kohen gadol sprinkles some of the blood of the sin offering in front of the veil of the sanctuary14) separating the holy from the Holy of Holies. and on the incense altar15 because of his exalted status.16 The kohen gadol burns the entire bullock, aside from the various fats,17 outside [of the camp]18 because it is not a burnt offering.19
אעל שפך הדשן. שיהיה נשרף במקום שיש שם דשן המזבח:
1WHERE THE ASHES ARE POURED OUT. It should be burned in the place where the ashes of the altar are found.20
אונודעה החטאת. וכן משפט הכהן הגדול ואם איננו נזכר כי אם לא הודע אליו חטאתו לא יקריב פר החטאת. ויש אומרים כי בכל שנה יקריב כן שמא חטא. והזכיר עם כל עדת ישראל ונודעה החטאת שהכהן יתכן שיודיעם ואין מי שיודיע לכהן רק מעצמו. וחטאת הקהל כחטאת הכהן הגדול בכל משפטיה. והנה הכהן הגדול שקול כנגד כל ישראל:
1WHEN THE SIN WHEREIN THEY HAVE SINNED IS KNOWN. The same law,21. even though it is not mentioned,22. applies to the kohen gadol, for if the sin not be known to the kohen gadol, then he does not bring a sin offering. Others say that the kohen gadol shall bring this sacrifice23 every year because he may have sinned.24. Scripture mentions the sin…is known with regard to the whole congregation of Israel, for it is possible that the kohen will inform them. However, there is no one to inform the kohen; he informs himself.25 realizes by himself that he has sinned. The sin offering of the congregation is the same as that of the kohen gadol in all details. The kohen gadol is thus equivalent to all of Israel.26
אזקני העדה. הם המנהיגים והם יסמכו את ידיהם בעדם ובעד כל ישראל כי לא יתכן שיסמכו כל ישראל:
1AND THE ELDERS OF THE CONGREGATION. The elders are the leaders. They will lay their hands27 on their behalf and on behalf of all of Israel, for it is impossible for all of Israel to place their hands.28
אחטאת הקהל הוא. הפר ואם ישגו ישראל ולא יעשו אחת ממצות עשה יקריב פר לעולה ושעיר לחטאת:
1IT IS THE SIN-OFFERING. The bullock.29 is in the masculine. Hence it refers to the bullock, not to the sin offering. Thus our text is to be understood as follows: The bullock is the sin offering of the assembly. If Israel errs and they do not do one of the positive commandments, then they shall bring a bullock as a burnt offering and a he-goat as a sin offering.30 while Num. 15:22 reads, and not observe all these commandments.
אאשר נשיא יחטא. הפוך וכן הוא אשר יחטא הנשיא והוא דבק באשר למעלה ואם כל עדת ישראל כאילו אמר ואם אשר יחטא הוא נשיא שבט או נשיא בית אב:
1WHEN A RULER SINNETH. The words are inverted.31 (when a ruler sinneth). Our verse should be read as if written, when the sinner is the ruler.32. I.E. interprets thus because he believes that asher (when) is connected to the verb (yechete), not to the noun (nasi). It is connected to that which is written above,33 (and if) but with asher (the one who). that is, And if the whole congregation of Israel… (v. 13). Our verse, as it were, states, and if the one who sins is the ruler of a tribe or the ruler of a father’s house.
אאו הודע אליו. אחז הכתוב דרך קצרה כמו לכהן והטעם שידע הנשיא מעצמו שחטא או הודיעו אדם אחר שראהו. דקדוק הודע אליו פועל עבר כמו והצר לך ויחסר המודיע כמו אשר ילדה אותה ללוי ויאמר רבי משה הכהן כי הוא מהבנין שלא נקרא שם פועלו כי החולם והשורק יתחלפו והוא על משקל ויוסף הורד מצרימה והנשיא יקריב שעיר מטעם זרזיר מתנים או תיש כפירוש הגאון בספר משלי והוא זכר למעלת הנשיא רק לא יובא את דמה לפנים מהקדש והכהנים יאכלו חטאת הנשיא לכפר בעדו כי כן כתוב ולא יאכל הכהן הגדול חטאתו:
1IF HIS SIN…BE KNOWN TO HIM.34 (literally, or if someone made known to him his sin). Scripture employs an abridged style.35 It is similar to the verse dealing with the kohen.36. There too Scripture employs an abridged style. See I.E.’s first comment on verse 10. Its meaning is, if the ruler knows on his own that he has sinned or someone else who has seen him37 makes it known to him.38 The following is the grammatical explanation of hoda elav (be known to him): Hoda (be known) is a verb39. in the perfect.40 (he made known). Compare, ve-hetzar41 is a hifil. It is a variant of hetzir. The same is true of hoda, hodi’a. lekha (and he shall besiege thee) (Deut. 28:52). The one who informs is omitted.42 is omitted. Scripture does not read, o hoda ish elav chattato. Compare, whom she bore43 (Num. 26:59).44 Rabbi Moses the Kohen says that hoda (be known) is a hofal,45 should be rendered, be known. for the cholam and the shuruk interchange.46 for this word is huda. Hence I.E. notes that hoda is a variant of huda. Hoda follows the paradigm of hurad47. (was brought down) in And Joseph was brought down to Egypt (Gen. 39:1). The ruler offers a he-goat as a sacrifice in keeping with The greyhound; the he-goat also (Prov. 30:31).48. The verse speaks of those who walk haughtily. The he-goat walks with its head held high, as does the king. Hence a goat was chosen as the animal to be offered by the ruler (the king) as a sin offering. The latter is in accordance with the interpretation of the Gaon in the Book of Proverbs. The offering consists of a male, in keeping with the status of the ruler. However, its blood is not brought inside of the sanctuary.49 and the congregation. The kohanim, as is stated in Scripture,50 eat of the ruler’s sin offering to atone for the ruler. The kohen gadol does not eat of his sin offering.51
אמעם הארץ. והם כל ישראל והכהנים ההדיוטים וכל הלוים:
1OF THE COMMON PEOPLE. The reference is to all of Israel, the ordinary kohanim and the Levites.
בואשם. פעל עבר כמו כי זקן יצחק:
2AND BE GUILTY. Ashem (guilty) is a verb in the perfect. It is like zaken (was old) in when Isaac was old (Gen. 27:1).
אשעירת עזים נקבה. כי מעלתו נקלה ממעלת הנשיא:
1A GOAT, A FEMALE. For his status is lower than that of the ruler.52
בוטעם ונסלח לו בפרשת שלח לך:
2I will explain the meaning of ve-nislach lo (and he shall be forgiven) (v. 26) in the Torah portion Send Thou (Num. 13:1).53
אואם כבש. ואם הביא ממין הכבש לחטאת יביא נקבה כמו שעירת עזים:
1AND IF HE BRING A LAMB. If he brings a sin offering from the lamb species then he shall bring a female, as in the case of the she-goat.54
אוטעם כאשר יוסר חלב הכשב. להביא האליה כי אין עם השעירה אליה:
1[AS THE FAT OF THE LAMB IS TAKEN AWAY.] Scripture states the aforementioned because it wants to indicate that one is to offer the fat tail,55 for a she-goat has no fat tail.56