Vayikra 6:1-6 ויקרא ו׳:א׳-ו׳

צו את אהרן. אֵין צַו אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן זֵרוּז מִיָּד וּלְדוֹרוֹת; אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, בְּיוֹתֵר צָרִיךְ הַכָּתוּב לְזָרֵז בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ חֶסְרוֹן כִּיס (ספרא):

צו את אהרן COMMAND AARON — The expression “Command …!” always implies urging on to carry out a command, implying too, that it comes into force at once, and is binding upon future generations (cf. Rashi on this passage in Kiddushin 29a). R. Simeon said: Especially must Scripture urge on the fulfilment of the commands in a case where monetary loss is involved (Sifra, Tzav, Chapter 1 1; Kiddushin 29a).

זאת תורת העלה וגו'. הֲרֵי הָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה בָּא לְלַמֵּד עַל הֶקְטֵר חֲלָבִים וְאֵבָרִים שֶׁיְּהֵא כָּשֵׁר כָּל הַלַּיְלָה, וּלְלַמֵּד עַל הַפְּסוּלִין אֵי זֶה אִם עָלָה יֵרֵד, וְאֵי זֶה אִם עָלָה לֹא יֵרֵד, שֶׁכָּל תּוֹרָה לְרַבּוֹת הוּא בָּא, לוֹמַר — תּוֹרָה אַחַת לְכָל הָעוֹלִים, וַאֲפִלוּ פְּסוּלִין, שֶׁאִם עָלוּ לֹא יֵרְדוּ (שם):

‎ 'וגו‎‎ ‎זאת תורת העולה THIS IS THE LAW OF THE BURNT OFFERING: [SUCH BURNT OFFERING SHALL REMAIN ON THE FIRE-PLACE UPON THE ALTAR ALL NIGHT] — This paragraph (vv.1—2) is intended to teach, with reference to the burning of the fat-portions and limbs of sacrifices that it is permissible during the whole night (Megillah 21a); and to teach regarding disqualified sacrifices, which of them, if already brought up on the altar, must be taken down, and which, if brought up, need not be taken down. The latter case may happen, because the term, תורה wherever it occurs in Scripture as an introduction to a group of laws (cf. Leviticus 6:7, 18; 7:1,11 etc.) is intended as an all-inclusive term (to include all of the class mentioned); here it is intended to tell us: One law applies to all animals that may be brought up on the altar, even certain disqualified ones — that if these have once been brought up on the altar they shall not be taken down again (Sifra, Tzav, Chapter 1 7; Zevachim 27b).

הוא העלה. לְמַעֵט אֶת הָרוֹבֵעַ וְאֶת הַנִּרְבָּע וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן, שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה פְּסוּלָן בַּקֹּדֶשׁ, שֶׁנִּפְסְלוּ קֹדֶם שֶׁבָּאוּ לָעֲזָרָה (שם ח):

הוא העולה — is intended to exclude from the general law of עולה male and female cattle with which sexual sin had been committed and the like (i. e. that even if they were put on the altar they must be taken down again), because their disqualification did not occur in the Holy Place, since they were dis-qualified before they came into the forecourt (Sifra, Tzav, Chapter 1 8).

מדו בד. הִיא הַכֻּתֹּנֶת, וּמָה תַּ"ל מִדּוֹ? שֶׁתְּהֵא כְּמִדָּתוֹ (שם):

מדו בד HIS LINEN ROBE — this is what is elsewhere termed the כתונת, the undercoat; and why then is it here called מדו? To intimate that it (the כתונת) must be made to his measure (מדו from מדד to “measure”) (Sifra, Tzav, Chapter 2 1; Yoma 23b).

על בשרו. שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא דָּבָר חוֹצֵץ בֵּינְתַיִם (זבחים י"ט):

על בשרו [AND LINEN DRAWERS HE SHALL PUT] UPON HIS FLESH — This implies that nothing should interpose between them (cf. Sifra, Tzav, Chapter 2 3; Zevachim 19a).

והרים את הדשן. הָיָה חוֹתֶה מְלֹא מַחְתָּה מִן הַמְאֻכָּלוֹת הַפְּנִימִיּוֹת וְנוֹתְנָן בְּמִזְרָחוֹ שֶׁל כֶּבֶשׁ (תמיד כ"ח):

והרים את הדשן AND HE SHALL TAKE UP THE ASHES — He raked a full pan of ashes from the innermost consumed mass of ashes and deposited them at the east side of the כבש (the inclined plane leading up to the altar) (Sifra, Tzav, Chapter 1 4 Yoma 20a; cf. Jerusalem Talmud Yoma 2:1).

הדשן אשר תאכל האש את העלה. וַעֲשָׂאַתָּה דֶּשֶׁן, מֵאוֹתוֹ דֶּשֶׁן יָרִים תְּרוּמָה ושמו אצל המזבח:

העולה‎ את ‎‏ אשר תאכל האש‎הדשן ‎ [HE SHALL TAKE OUT] THOSE ASHES INTO WHICH THE FIRE HATH CONSUMED THE BURNT OFFERING — and thus has made it into ashes; from those ashes he shall take out a תרומה, a portion, ושמו אצל המזבח AND PUT IT BESIDE THE ALTAR.

[על המזבח. מָצָא אֵבָרִים שֶׁעֲדַיִן לֹא נִתְאַכְּלוּ, מַחֲזִירָן עַל מִזְבֵּחַ לְאַחַר שֶׁחָתָה גֶּחָלִים אֵילָךְ וָאֵילָךְ וְנָטַל מִן הַפְּנִימִיּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אֶת הָעֹלָה עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ]:

[על המזבח [THE BURNT OFFERING] ON THE ALTAR — This implies that if he (the priest) finds any limbs of the burnt offering that were not yet consumed he shall put them back on the altar after having raked the coals hither and thither and having taken from the innermost ashes, because it states, העולה על המזבח ‎את ‎which implies: the burnt offering (i.e.so long as it can be called an עולה and not דשן) must be ‎on the altar] (Sifra, Tzav, Chapter 1 5; Yoma 45b; cf. Rashi there s. v. ‎אשר תאכל ‎ את העולה‎).

ופשט את בגדיו. אֵין זוֹ חוֹבָה אֶלָּא דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ, שֶׁלֹּא יְלַכְלֵךְ בְּהוֹצָאַת הַדֶּשֶׁן בְּגָדִים שֶׁהוּא מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בָּהֶן תָּמִיד — בְּגָדִים שֶׁבִּשֵּׁל בָּהֶן קְדֵרָה לְרַבּוֹ, אַל יִמְזֹג בָּהֶן כּוֹס לְרַבּוֹ, לְכָךְ וְלָבַשׁ בְּגָדִים אֲחֵרִים פְּחוּתִין מֵהֶם (ספרא):

‎ ופשט את בגדיו ‎ AND HE SHALL PUT OFF HIS GARMENTS — This is not compulsory (cf., however, Nachmanides) but it is a matter of decency so that he should not, through removing the ashes, soil the garments in which he has regularly to minister at the altar; in the clothes he wore when he boiled the pot for his master (a menial task) he should not pour out a glass of wine for him (an honourable office). On this account it states: And he shall put on other garments — inferior to those in which he ministers at the altar (Yoma 23b; Shabbat 114a).

והוציא את הדשן. הַצָּבוּר בַּתַּפּוּחַ, כְּשֶׁהוּא הַרְבֵּה וְאֵין מָקוֹם לַמַּעֲרָכָה, מוֹצִיאוֹ מִשָּׁם; וְאֵין זֶה חוֹבָה לְכָל יוֹם, אֲבָל הַתְּרוּמָה חוֹבָה בְּכָל יוֹם (תמיד כ"ח):

והוציא את הדשן AND HE SHALL BRING OUT THE ASHES that were heaped upon the ash-heap (not the ashes mentioned in v. 3). When it accumulated and there was no more room on the wood-pile (מערכה) he carried it out; this was not compulsory every day, whilst the תרומת הדשן (the taking out of the pan of ashes commanded in v. 3) was a daily duty (Yoma 20a).

והאש על המזבח תוקד בו. רִבָּה כָּאן יְקִידוֹת הַרְבֵּה — על מוקדה, ואש המזבח תוקד בו, והאש על המזבח תוקד בו, אש תמיד תוקד על המזבח, כֻּלָּן נִדְרְשׁוּ בְּמַסֶּכֶת יוֹמָא (דף מ"ה), שֶׁנֶּחְלְקוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ בְּמִנְיַן הַמַּעֲרָכוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ שָׁם:

והאש על המזבח תוקד בו AND THE FIRE ON THE ALTAR SHALL BE BLAZING IN IT — Scripture uses here (in this section) many expressions from the root יקד “to ignite”: (Leviticus 6:2) “on the fire-place (מוקדה); (Leviticus 6:2) “and the fire upon the altar shall be blazing (תוקד) on it”; (Leviticus 6:5) “and the fire upon the altar shall be blazing (תוקד) on it”; (Leviticus 6:6) “a continual fire shall be blazing (תוקד) upon the altar” — all these passages have been expounded in Treatise Yoma 45b where our Rabbis state their different opinions as to the number of מערכות (wood-piles — fire-places) that were there (on the altar).

וערך עליה העלה. עוֹלַת תָּמִיד הִיא תִּקְדֹּם (מנחות מ"ט):

וערך עליה העלה AND HE SHALL SET THE BURNT OFFERING IN ORDER UPON IT — The morning continual burnt offering had to come first (Menachot 49a; cf. also Sifra, Tzav, Chapter 2 10 and Rashi on Leviticus 3:5).

חלבי השלמים. אִם יָבִיאוּ שָׁם שְׁלָמִים, וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ לָמְדוּ מִכָּאן "עָלֶיהָ" — עַל עוֹלַת הַבֹּקֶר הַשְׁלֵם כָּל הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת כֻּלָּם, מִכָּאן שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא דָּבָר מְאֻחָר לְתָמִיד שֶׁל בֵּין הָעַרְבָּיִם (ספרא):

‎‎‏ השלמים‎חלבי [AND HE SHALL CAUSE TO ASCEND IN FUMES THERÈON] THE FAT OF THE PEACE OFFERINGS — if people are bringing peace offerings there that day (this is no command that peace offerings must be placed on the altar after the daily burnt offering; if, however, any are being sacrificed on a particular day, it must be done at this point of the day’s work). — Our Rabbis, however, derived from here the following Halacha, taking the word השלמים in the sense of השלם “to complete”, “to finish”: עליה upon it — upon the continual burnt offering of the morning — complete the offering of all sacrifices; it follows therefore that no thing should be offered later than the continual burnt offering brought in the afternoon (Yoma 33a; Pesachim 58).

אש תמיד. אֵשׁ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ תָּמִיד, הִיא שֶׁמַּדְלִיקִין בָּהּ אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּה לְהַעֲלֹת נֵר תָּמִיד (שמות כ"ז), אַף הִיא מֵעַל מִזְבֵּחַ הַחִיצוֹן תּוּקַד (יומא מ"ה):

אש תמיד — The redundant word תמיד (because it could have written לא תכבה המזבח ‎אש תוקד על‎ ; for this, too, would imply that it must be continually burning since it states that it must never go out) intimates: The fire about the use of which the expression תמיד is used, viz., that by which the lamps of the Candelabrum were kindled, with reference to which it is said, (Exodus 27:20) “to light the lamps continually (תמיד), this, too) should be ignited from the fire on the outer altar Yoma 45b).

לא תכבה. הַמְכַבֶּה אֵשׁ עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ עוֹבֵר בִּשְׁנֵי לָאוִין:

‎‎תכבה‏ ‎לא‎ IT SHALL NEVER GO OUT — One who extinguishes the fire on the altar transgresses two negative commands (this and that contained in v. 5).