Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Leviticus 8:22/רמב"ן על ויקרא ח׳:כ״ב

אוַיַּקְרֵב אֶת הָאַיִל הַשֵּׁנִי אֵיל הַמִּלֻּאִים כְּבָר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי (שמות כח מא) כִּי עִנְיַן הַמִּלּוּאִים שֶׁתִּהְיֶה לָהֶם יָד שְׁלֵמָה לַעֲבֹד אֶת עֲבֹדַת ה', וְיֹאמַר כֵּן בַּמִּזְבֵּחַ עַצְמוֹ וְהָעוֹבְדִים. וְהִנֵּה כָּל הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת הָאֵלּוּ בָּאִים לְמַלֵּא אֶת יָדָם, כְּדִכְתִיב (שם כט א) "וְזֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה לָהֶם לְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתָם לְכַהֵן לִי לְקַח פַּר אֶחָד בֶּן בָּקָר וְאֵילִם שְׁנַיִם תְּמִימִם", אֲבָל נִקְרָא הָאַיִל הַשֵּׁנִי "אֵיל הַמִּלּוּאִים" בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהוּא סוֹף הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת הַלָּלוּ, וּבוֹ תִּמָּלֵא יָדָם וְכִהֲנוּ לְפָנָיו ית', לְפָרֵשׁ כִּי כֻלָּם מְעַכְּבִין בָּעִנְיָן. וְיִתָּכֵן כִּי הַחַטָּאת לְכַפֵּר עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וּלְקַדְּשׁוֹ, כִּי כֵן כְּתִיב (ויקרא ח':ט"ו), וְהָעוֹלָה לְהַרְצָאָה עַל הַכֹּהֲנִים, כְּכַפָּרַת כָּל עוֹלַת נְדָבָה, וְהַשְּׁלָמִים תּוֹדָה לַשֵּׁם שֶׁנָּתַן לָהֶם בְּבֵיתוֹ וּבְחוֹמוֹתָיו יָד וָשֵׁם. וְהִנֵּה הַשְּׁלָמִים לְבַדָּם בָּאִים עַל מִלּוּי הַיָּדַיִם, וּלְכָךְ יִקָּרְאוּ מִלּוּאִים. וְיֹאמַר "מִלּוּאִים" וְלֹא מִלּוּי, בַּעֲבוּר כִּי הַחֲלָבִים וְהַשּׁוֹק גַּם תְּרוּמַת הַלֶּחֶם הַכֹּל קָרֵב:

1AND HE PRESENTED THE OTHER RAM, THE RAM OF ‘HAMILU’IM’ (CONSECRATION). I have already explained²⁰⁸ that the meaning of “consecration” is that the priests should be fully empowered to perform the Divine Service, and that this term is applied to both the altar itself and to those who perform the Service. Thus all these offerings [the bullock of the sin-offering, the ram of the burnt-offering, etc.,] were brought for the purpose of consecrating the priests, as it is written, And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto Me in the priest’s office: take one young bullock and two rams without blemish.²⁰⁹, 29:1. The second ram, however, is here called specifically the ram of consecration, because it was the last of these offerings, and it was after it that their consecration was completed and they ministered before Him, blessed be He, for all these offerings were indispensable in the matter.It is possible that the [purpose of the] sin-offering was to effect atonement for the altar and to sanctify it, for it is so written;²¹⁰ and that the burnt-offering was to expiate for the priests, like the atonement effected by all freewill burnt-offerings,²¹¹ and the second ram which was the peace-offering, was a thanksgiving to G-d for having given them in His house and within His walls a monument and a memorial.²¹² Thus it was only the peace-offering which was brought for the purpose of consecration, and therefore it alone is here called “the ram of milu’im” (consecration). It is called milu’im [in the plural, although the offering for that purpose was, according to this interpretation, only one], because the fats and the thigh as well as the heave-offering of the bread were all burnt.²¹³