Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 4:3/אבן עזרא על ויקרא ד׳:ג׳
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.