Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Leviticus 5:5/רמב"ן על ויקרא ה׳:ה׳

אוְהִתְוַדָּה אֲשֶׁר חָטָא עָלֶיהָ וְהֵבִיא אֶת אֲשָׁמוֹ אֵין הַסֵּדֶר כֵּן, אֲבָל הוּא מֵבִיא הַחַטָּאת וְסוֹמֵךְ עָלֶיהָ וּמִתְוַדֶּה, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לְהַלָּן (טז כא) "וְסָמַךְ אַהֲרֹן אֶת שְׁתֵּי יָדָיו עַל רֹאשׁ הַשָּׂעִיר הַחַי וְהִתְוַדָּה עָלָיו אֶת כָּל עֲוֹנֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל". אֲבָל לֹא אָמַר כָּאן "וְסָמַךְ יָדוֹ" בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁפֵּרֵשׁ בְּכָל הַחַטָּאוֹת לְמַעְלָה שֶׁהֵם טְעוּנִים סְמִיכָה, וְכֵן בְּקָרְבְּנוֹת הַנְּדָבָה, וְלֹא פֵּרֵשׁ הַוִּדּוּי לְמַעְלָה בִּשְׁאָר הַחַטָּאוֹת. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט יֵרָאֶה שֶׁאָמַר בְּכָאן "וְהִתְוַדָּה" בַּעֲבוּר כִּי שְׁבוּעַת הָעֵדוּת יָבִיאוּ קָרְבָּן עַל זְדוֹנָהּ, וְכֵן בִּשְׁבוּעַת הַפִּקָּדוֹן הִזְכִּיר (במדבר ה ז) "וְהִתְוַדּוּ אֶת חַטָּאתָם אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ", אֲבָל בְּחַטָּאת הַשְּׁגָגָה לֹא יַזְכִּיר וִדּוּי. אֲבָל עַל דַּעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (ספרי זוטא נשא ה ה) "וְהִתְוַדָּה אֲשֶׁר חָטָא עָלֶיהָ" עַל כָּל הַנִּזְכָּרִים בַּפָּרָשָׁה, אַף טֻמְאַת מִקְדָּשׁ וְקָדָשָׁיו וּשְׁבוּעַת בִּטּוּי שֶׁהֵן בְּשׁוֹגֵג, וּשְׁאָר כָּל חַטָּאוֹת לָמַדְנוּ מִכָּאן. אֲבָל הִזְכִּיר הַוִּדּוּי בְּכָאן מִפְּנֵי שֶׁשְּׁבוּעַת הָעֵדוּת וּשְׁבוּעַת בִּטּוּי אֵין בִּזְדוֹנָן כָּרֵת וְהִצְרִיכָן וִדּוּי, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן לְמַעְלָה בְּחַטָּאוֹת קְבוּעוֹת שֶׁיִּתְוַדֶּה עַל חַיָּבֵי כְּרֵיתוֹת. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ כִּי "וְהִתְוַדָּה אֲשֶׁר חָטָא עָלֶיהָ" כְּלָל לְכָל חַטָּאוֹת שֶׁטְּעוּנִין וִדּוּי, וְהַכָּתוּב בְּפָרָשַׁת נָשֹׂא (ה ו כ) "וְאָשְׁמָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִיא וְהִתְוַדּוּ אֶת חַטָּאתָם אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ", לְהָבִיא כָּל הָאֲשָׁמוֹת, כָּךְ מְפֹרָשׁ בְּסִפְרֵי (נשא ב). וְשָׁם דָּרְשׁוּ, "וְאָשְׁמָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִיא וְהִתְוַדּוּ" - בִּנְיַן אָב לְכָל הַמֵּתִים שֶׁיִּטָּעֲנוּ וִדּוּי:

1AND HE SHALL CONFESS THAT WHEREIN HE HATH SINNED. 6. AND HE SHALL BRING HIS GUILT-OFFERING. This was not the [order of the] procedure.³³⁹ must mean “and he who comes to bring an offering to effect atonement for his guilt … ” Rather, he first brought the sin-offering and laid his hands upon it, and then confessed, similarly to that which is [explicitly] said further on, And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel.³⁴⁰ Here, however, Scripture does not state “and he shall lay his hand,” because He explained previously in the case of all sin-offerings³⁴¹ that they require the laying of hands, and similarly, in the case of freewill offerings.³⁴², Chapter 1, Verse 4; Chapter 3, Verses 2, 8 and 13. See also Note 11 above. But He did not explain [the duty of] confession above in the case of the other sin-offerings, [although it is required in those cases as well].In line with the simple meaning of Scripture it would appear that here He said and he shall confess, because in the case of an “oath of testimony”³³². the offering is to be brought even if the oath was taken wilfully. So also in the case of an “oath of deposit”³⁴³ (Proverbs 21:27). Ramban thus suggests [in line with the plain meaning of Scripture] that since the offerings in these two cases — that of the “oath of testimony” and the “oath of deposit” — are required to be brought even when committed wilfully, therefore the Torah mentions in their cases the subject of confession. But in the case of all other sin-offerings, since they are brought only when the transgression was committed in error, there is no need for confession of sin. However, Ramban will immediately refute this position, for the Rabbis have clearly interpreted that all sin-offerings require confession of sin. He mentioned, then they shall confess their sin which they have done.³⁴⁴ But in the case of the sin-offering brought for transgression in error, He did not mention confession.³⁴⁵ But in the opinion of our Rabbis³⁴⁶ 5:5. the expression, and he shall confess that wherein he hath sinned, refers to everything mentioned in this section, including the defiling of the Sanctuary and the holy food, and an “oath of utterance,”³³⁷ which offerings have to be brought [only] when [the sins are] committed in error, and [in the case of] all other sin-offerings [which are also brought only when the transgression was done in error, the need for confession when bringing them] is derived from here. He mentioned confession, however, [specifically] here because the “oath of testimony” and the “oath of utterance” do not make one liable to excision [if done wilfully, unlike the sin-offering which is brought only for those sins committed in error which, if committed wilfully, incur the punishment of excision], and yet He requires confession in these cases, and [thus it follows] all the more that in the case of the fixed³⁴⁷ sin-offerings mentioned above, he must confess [since his sin, were it to be committed wilfully, would incur] the penalty of excision. Our Rabbis have said³⁴⁸ 2. that the expression here, and he shall confess that wherein he hath sinned is a general principle in the case of all sin-offerings, that they require confession. The verses written in the section of Naso, stating, and that soul shall be guilty. Then they shall confess their sin which they have done,³⁴⁹ is to include all guilt-offerings [in the requirement of confession]. So it is explained in the Sifre.³⁴⁸ 2. There the Rabbis have interpreted: “And that soul shall be guilty. Then they shall confess.³⁴⁹ This establishes the general rule for all those executed [by the court] that they require confession” [to achieve full forgiveness of their sin].