Leviticus Chapter 16

'וידבר ה' אל משה אחרי מות שני בני אהרן וגו‎‎ AND THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES AFTER THE DEATH OF THE TWO SONS OF AARON etc. —What is this statement intended to tell us? (i. e. why is it at all stated when God spoke this to Moses?) Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah illustrated this by a parable: It may be compared to the case of a sick person whom the physician visited. He (the physician) said to him: “Do not eat cold things nor sleep in a damp place!" Another physician came and said to him: “Do not eat cold things, nor sleep in a damp place so that thou mayest not die as Mr. So-and-so died!" Certainly this (the latter) put him on his guard more than the former; that is why Scripture states “after the death of the two sons of Aaron" (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Section 1 3).

יבא‎ ויאמר ה׳ אל משה דבר אל אהרן אחיך ואל AND THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES, SPEAK UNTO AARON THY BROTHER THAT HE COME NOT [AT ALL TIMES INTO THE HOLY PLACE]! THAT HE DIE NOT as his sons have died (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Section 1 4).

ולא ימות THAT HE DIE NOT — for if he comes into the Holy of Holies at any time other than Yom-Kippur he will die (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Section 1 4).

כי בענן אראה means, for I constantly show Myself there with My pillar of cloud, and because the revelation of My Shechinah takes place there he should take care not to make it his habit to come there. This is the literal meaning of the verse. The Halachic explanation is: He shall not come into the Holy of Holies except with (i.e. on the occasion when he is going to raise) a cloud of incense on the Day of Atonement (Yoma 53a).

בזאת WITH THIS [SHALL AARON COME] — The numerical value of this word is 410, being an allusion to the 410 years during which the First Temple existed (cf. Leviticus Rabbah 21 9).

'בזאת יבא אהרן וגו WITH THIS SHALL AARON COME [INTO THE HOLY PLACE] etc. — And this, also, shall not be at any time he pleases, but on the day of Atonement, as it is explicitly stated at the end of this section (vv. 29—34). “In the seventh month on the tenth day of the month [ye shall fast … And the priest … shall make expiation]".

'כתנת בד וגו [HE SHALL PUT ON] THE LINEN INNER GARMENTS etc — — This teaches us that he must not officiate in the “Interior" (in the Holy of Holies) robed in the eight garments which were the insignia of the High Priest (cf. Exodus 28:4ff) in which he performed the service outside (in the היכל and the עזרה) and in which there was gold interwoven, — because the prosecuting counsel cannot become the defending counsel) — but in the four garments (cf. Exodus 28:40), like an ordinary priest, all of these being on this occasion entirely of linen (whereas one of the four worn by the ordinary priests, the belt, was a mixture of wool and linen) (Rosh Hashanah 26a).

קדש ילבש HE SHALL PUT ON [THE LINEN INNER GARMENT] OF HOLINESS (or, OF THE SANCTUARY) - This means that they shall be purchased from the Temple treasury (whilst his personal offering mentioned v. 3 had to be of his own) (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 1 10).

יצנף — Understand this as the Targum does: יחת ברישה which means: he shall place upon his head. Thus, the verb in (Genesis 39:16) ותנח בגדו, is rendered by the Targum ואחתתיה (of the same root as יחת) “and she placed".

ורחץ במים AND HE SHALL LAVE [HIS FLESH] IN WATER — That day he required immersion at each change of his garments! Five times he proceeded alternately from the service in the “Interior" to that performed outside and from the outside service to that in the "Interior", changing from the golden garments into the linen garments or from the linen garments into the golden garments. At each change he required to take an immersion and to wash his hands and his feet twice from the laver (viz., before he took off the garments he was wearing and after he had put on others — in all, 10 times during the day) (Yoma 32a).

את פרי החטאת אשר לו [AND AARON SHALL OFFER] THE BULL OF SIN OFFERING WHICH IS HIS — i. e. that mentioned above (v. 3). It teaches you here, by adding the words אשר לו, that it came (had to be purchased) from his own and not from the money of the community (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Section 2 2; Yoma 3b).

וכפר בעדו ובעד ביתו means, he shall make confession over it of his own sins and of the sins of his house (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Section 2 2; Yoma 36b).

‎‎‎‎‏ השעירים גרלות‎שני ‎על ‎‎ אהרן ‎ונתן AND AARON SHALL CAST LOTS UPON THE TWO GOATS — He places one goat at his right and the other at his left. He then puts both his hands into an urn and takes one lot in his right hand and the other in his left. These he places upon them (the goats; i.e. one upon each of them). The goat upon which there fell that lot bearing the inscription 'לה, "For the Lord" was destined for the Lord, and that upon which there fell that lot bearing the inscription "For Azazel" was afterwards sent forth to the Azazel (Yoma 39a).

עזאזל AZAZEL — (The word is taken to be a compound of עזז "to be strong" and אל "mighty"). It was a precipitous and flinty rock — a towering peak, for it is said (v. 22) "[and the goat shall bear upon it their iniquities into] an גזר) "ארץ גזרה means to cut) — into a craggy land (Yoma 67b).

ועשהו חטאת means, when putting the lot upon it he names it (i.e. designates its purpose), using the words: "to the Lord as a sin offering״ (Yoma 39a).

חי ‎יעמד SHALL BE PRESENTED ALIVE — חי‎ יָעֳמַד is the same as חי ‏‎ ‏ יוּעֲמַד (i. e. יָעֳמַד is a regular Hophal-form) — it shall be made to stand by others (i. e. it shall be placed). The Targum also renders it by: יתקם כד חי, “it shall be made to stand in a live state". — Why is it stated that it shall be presented alive; this is already implied in the word יעמד. it shall be made to stand!? But because it continues “to send it forth unto Azazel" and I would not know whether this “sending forth” means to death or to life (in the latter case it would mean “to let it go”; cf. Leviticus 14:7 where ושלח has this meaning), therefore Scripture states “it shall be presented alive” — its presentation must be made whilst it is alive and the animal remains so up to the time when it is being sent forth; it follows therefore that it shall be sent forth to death (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 2 6).

לכפר עליו THAT HE MAY MAKE AN EXPIATION WITH IT — i. e. that he (the High-Priest) shall confess upon it (upon its head) Israel’s sins, as it is said (v. 21) “And Aaron shall confess upon it [the iniquities of the children of Israel]” (cf. Yoma 40b).

'וכפר בעדו וגו‎ AND HE SHALL MAKE AN EXPIATION FOR HIMSELF etc — — This implies a second confession of sins which he was to make for himself and on behalf of his brother-priests, who may all be termed “his house”, as it said (Psalms 135:19) “Bless the Lord, o house of Aaron, etc." (cf. Shevuot 14a). Hence we learn that the priests become atoned for by means of it (the bullock). The expiation effected by it extended, however, only to those sins committed by causing uncleanness to the Sanctuary or holy things (i.e. by the priests having entered the Sanctuary or eaten of the holy things in such a state), as it is said (v. 16) “And he shall make an expiation for the holy place because of the uncleanness [of the children of Israel] etc.”.

מעל המזבח FROM OFF THE ALTAR — i. e. the outer altar (that was in the fore-court) (Yoma 45b).

מלפני ה׳ FROM BEFORE THE LORD — from that side of the altar which was before the entrance — that is, the west side (cf. Yoma 45b.)

דקה [AND HIS HANDS FULL OF INCENSE OF AROMATICS] FINE — Why is it stated that it shall be fine? Was not all incense fine, for so it is said, (Exodus 30:36) "And thou shall rub some of it very fine” -? But it is intended to teach that it (the incense used on the Day of Atonement) was to be of the very finest powder, for on the Eve of the Day of Atonement it (the ordinary incense) was put again into the mortar in order that it should be again beaten into a finer powder. (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 3 8-9; Keritot 6b; Yoma 45a).

על האש UPON THE FIRE which was in the censer.

ולא ימות THAT IIE DIE NOT — Hence, if he did not offer it according to regulation he was liable to the death penalty (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 3 10; Yoma 53a).

והזה באצבעו AND HE SHALL SPRINKLE IT WITH THE FINGER — One sprinkling only is implied (since the next phrase mentions a definite number),

ולפני הכפרת יזה שבע AND BEFORE THE COVERING SHALL HE SPRINKLE [OF THE BLOOD] SEVEN TIMES — Thus we have one sprinkling upwards and seven downwards (Yoma 53b).

אשר לעם [THE GOAT OF THE SIN-OFFERING] THAT IS FOR THE PEOPLE — Only for that which the bullock effects atonement for the priests (i. e. for ומאת מקדש וקדשיו‎ט) the goat effects atonement for the Israelites. It (the goat spoken of here) is that goat upon which the lot “for the Lord" fell (Yoma 61a; Shevuot 2b).

כאשר עשה לדם הפר AS HE DID WITH THE BLOOD OF THE BULLOCK, viz., sprinkling once upwards and seven times downwards (Yoma 53b).

מטמאת בני ישראל [AND HE SHALL MAKE AN EXPIATION FOR THE HOLY PLACE] BECAUSE OF THE UNCLEANNESS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL — i. e. for those who entered the Sanctuary in a state of uncleanness without having finally become conscious of this fact (Shevuot 7b), for it is said לכל חטאתם, and the word חטאת implies a sin committed unconsciously.

ומפשעיהם AND BECAUSE OF THEIR TRANSGRESSIONS — This implies atonement also for those who entered the Sanctuary presumptuously in a state of uncleanness (Shevuot 7b; cf. also Shevuot 2a and Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 4 1).

וכן יעשה לאהל מועד AND SO SHALL HE DO FOR THE APPOINTED TENT — Just as he sprinkled in the “Interior" (the Holy of Holies) from the blood of both of them (of the bullock and the goat) once upwards and seven times downwards so he sprinkles over against the Partition Vail from outside (i. e. standing in the היכל; cf. Leviticus 4:6) once upwards and seven times downwards (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 4 5; Yoma 56b).

השכן אתם בתוך טמאתם— This implies that although they are unclean nevertheless the Shechinah dwells in their midst (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 4 5; Yoma 57a).

אל המזבח אשר ‎'לפני ה‎‎‎ [AND HE SHALL GO OUT] UNTO THE ALTAR THAT IS BEFORE THE LORD — i. e. unto the golden altar which is before the Lord viz., in the היכל. But why then (if the golden altar is intended) does Scripture state ויצא, “he shall go out" since he did not then leave the area where he officiated before? But because immediately before he made the sprinklings in front of the Partition Vail (cf. Rashi on the preceding verse) and was standing inwards (i.e. westwards) from the altar when sprinkling, whilst for the purpose of sprinkling the blood upon the horns of the altar Scripture forced him to go outwards from the altar (i. e. to its east-side, the side facing the exit) so that he should begin the sprinklings from the north-east corner, therefore it rightly Uses the term ויצא, he shall go out" i. e. move alongside the altar towards the exit (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 4 7-8; Yoma 58b).

וכפר עליו AND HE SHALL MAKE EXPIATION FOR IT — wherein does this expiation consist? ולקח מדם הפר ומדם השעיר that HE TAKETH OF THE BLOOD OF THE BULLOCK AND OF THE BLOOD OF THE GOAT mingled one with the other and sprinkles it (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 4 9; Yoma 57b).

והזה עליו מן הדם AND HE SHALL SPRINKLE UPON IT WITH THE BLOOD — After he has made with his finger the application of the blood upon the horns of the altar he shall make seven sprinklings on its top (עליו signifies "upon it") (cf. Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 4 12).

וטהרו AND THUS HE CLEANSES IT from the defilement that happened to it in the past,

וקדשו AND HALLOWS IT for use in the future (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 4 13)

איש עתי A READY MAN — one who was held in readiness for this purpose from yesterday (Yoma 66a; Sifra, Acharei Mot, Section 4 8).

ובא אהרן אל אהל מועד AND AARON SHALL COME INTO THE APPOINTED TENT — Our Rabbis said (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 6 2; Yoma 32a), that this is not the proper place for this verse (it should be read after v. 25) and they gave a reason for this assertion in Treatise Yoma 32a. They said: The whole section is written in the order in which the rites actually took place with the exception of this "coming" into the appointed tent which was really done after he (the High-Priest) had offered his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people (v. 24) and also after the burning of the fat-parts of the bullock and the goat, which rites were performed outside the Sanctuary (i. e. in the fore-court) he being then attired in the golden garments. This having been done he immersed himself, sanctified himself (i. e. washed his hands and feet), took them (the golden garments) off, and put on the linen garments and only then, ובא אהרן אל אהל מועד DID HE COME INTO THE APPOINTED TENT in order to bring out the spoon and the censer in which he had burnt the incense in the "Innermost" (the Holy of Holies).

ופשט את בגדי הבד AND HE SHALL PUT OFF THE LINEN GARMENTS — after he had brought it (the censer) out. Then he attired himself in his golden garments to offer the continual burnt offering due in the afternoon. Thus the order of the services on the Day of Atonement was as follows: The offering of the morning continual offering — in the golden garments; the service connected with the bullock and the ram the blood of both of which was sprinkled in the Interior, (v. 6—22) and the offering of the incense in the censer (in the Holy of Holies) — in the linen garments. The offering of his (the High-Priest's) ram and that of the people and one part of the additional offerings (the seven lambs mentioned in Numbers 29:8; cf. Yoma 70a) — in the golden garments. The bringing out of the spoon and the censer — in the linen garments. Finally the offering of the remaining additional offerings (the bullock and the ram mentioned in Numbers 29:8, 11) and of the continual burnt offering due in the afternoon and of the daily incense in the היכל. which was burnt on the golden altar — in the golden garments. The sequence of the Scriptural verses according to the rites as actually performed is as follows: "and he shall send the goat forth into the desert" (v. 22), then "and he shall lave his flesh with water …. and come out and burn his burnt offering etc." (v. 24) and the whole section up to "and afterwards he shall come into the camp" (end of v. 28), and only after this (v. 23) "and Aaron shall come etc."

והניחם שם AND HE SHALL PUT THEM THERE — This teaches us that they (the linen garments) must be laid by and that he must not officiate in those four garments again on any subsequent Day of Atonement (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 6 7; Yoma 12b).

'ורחץ את בשרו וגו‎‎ AND HE SHALL LAVE HIS FLESH etc — — Above (v. 4) we have learned from the statement "therefore shall he lave his flesh and so put them on" that whenever he (the High-Priest) changed from the golden garments into the linen ones he had to immerse himself (for on the occasion of that immersion, mentioned v. 4, he took off his golden garments in which he performed the service connected with the continual burnt offering due in the morning and put on the linen garments for the performance of the service peculiar to that Day); here, however, we are told that whenever he changed from the linen garments into the golden ones he had also to immerse himself (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 6 3; Yoma 32).

במקום קדוש [AND HE SHALL LAVE HIS FLESH WITH WATER] IN A HOLY PLACE — i.e. in a place which has the sanctity of the fore-court. It (the immersion) took place (later on when the Temple was built) on the roof of the so-called Parva-compartment. Similarly also all the four immersions that formed a special obligation for the Day alone. The first immersion, however, (that which took place immediately before entering the עזרה to offer the תמיד של שחר) was taken in an unsanctified place (i.e. outside the fore-court) (Yoma 30a).

ולבש את בגדיו AND HE SHALL PUT ON HIS GARMENTS — i. e. the eight garments in which he officiated on every day of the year.

ויצא AND HE SHALL COME OUT from the היכל into the fore-court where was the altar of the burnt offering....

ועשה את עלתו AND HE SHALL MAKE HIS BURNT OFFERING — "the ram for a burnt offering" mentioned above (v. 3) (cf. Yoma 70b).

ואת עלת העם AND THE BURNT OFFERING OF THE PEOPLE — This is identical with "a ram for a burnt offering" mentioned above (v. 5) which begins with the words "And he shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel … [a ram for a burnt offering]".

ואת חלב החטאת AND THE FAT OF THE SIN OFFERING [SHALL HE CAUSE TO ASCEND IN FUMES] — i. e. the fat parts of both the bullock and the goat.

יקטיר המזבחה SHALL HE CAUSE TO ASCEND IN FUMES ON THE ALTAR — i. e. on the outer altar, for if you say that it was burnt on the inner altar you are wrong, for it is written (Exodus 30:9) "Ye shall not bring up strange incense thereon, (i. e. on the inner altar) nor burnt offering, nor oblation".

אשר הובא את דמם WHOSE BLOOD WAS BROUGHT into the Heichal and the Innermost (the Holy of Holies).

'וכפר הכהן אשר ימשח וגו‎ AND THE PRIEST WHOM THEY SHALL ANOINT … SHALL MAKE EXPIATION etc. — This expiation on the Day of Atonement is valid only if it is effected by the High-Priest. Because in the whole of this section reference is made to Aaron alone, Scripture was compelled to state here (towards the end) that any High-Priest succeeding him shall be like himself (i. e. shall possess the same power of effecting atonement on Yom-Kippur) (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 8 4).

ואשר ימלא את ידו AND WHOM THEY SHALL CONSECRATE — Since it is stated "whom they anoint" I might say I have here only the law that he who has been anointed with the oil of anointing is capable of effecting expiation; How do I know that this is also the case with a High- Priest who is distinguished from an ordinary priest only by a larger number of official garments though he may not have been anointed? Because Scripture states "and whom they shall consecrate etc." (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 8 4) — Such (i. e. מרובה בגדים only) were all the High-Priests who held office from Josiah and later, for in his days the flask of anointing oil was concealed (Horayot 12a).

לכהן תחת אביו TO MINISTER AS A PRIEST IN HIS FATHER'S STEAD — The words "in his father's stead” are intended to teach us that if the High-Priest’s son is able to fill his father’s place he has to be given preference to any other man (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 8 5).

'ויעש כאשר צוה וגו AND HE DID AS [THE LORD] COMMANDED [MOSES] etc. — When the next Day of Atonement arrived he (Aaron) did everything as is here set forth in order. And Scripture only states this in order to declare the praise of Aaron — that he did not attire himself with them (the official garments) for his own aggrandisement, but as one who was executing the ordinance of his King (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 8 10).