Achrei Mot, Aliyah 1 אחרי מות, ראשון

וידבר ה' אל משה אחרי מות שני בני אהרן וגו'. מַה תַּ"ל? הָיָה רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה מוֹשְׁלוֹ מָשָׁל לְחוֹלֶה שֶׁנִּכְנָס אֶצְלוֹ רוֹפֵא, אָמַר לוֹ אַל תֹּאכַל צוֹנֵן וְאַל תִּשְׁכַּב בְּטַחַב; בָּא אַחֵר וְאָמַר לוֹ אַל תֹּאכַל צוֹנֵן וְאַל תִּשְׁכַּב בְּטַחַב שֶׁלֹּא תָמוּת כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁמֵּת פְּלוֹנִי, זֶה זֵרְזוֹ יוֹתֵר מִן הָרִאשׁוֹן, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר אַחֲרֵי מוֹת שְׁנֵי בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן:

'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).

ויאמר ה' אל משה דבר אל אהרן אחיך ואל יבא. שֶׁלֹּא יָמוּת כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁמֵּתוּ בָנָיו:

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. שֶׁאִם בָּא הוּא מֵת (ספרא):

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. כִּי תָמִיד אֲנִי נִרְאֶה שָׁם עִם עַמּוּד עֲנָנִי, וּלְפִי שֶׁגִּלּוּי שְׁכִינָתִי שָׁם, יִזָּהֵר שֶׁלֹּא יַרְגִּיל לָבֹא, זֶהוּ פְשׁוּטוֹ; וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ: לֹא יָבֹא כִּי אִם בַּעֲנַן הַקְּטֹרֶת בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים (יומא נ"ג):

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. גִּימַטְרִיָּא שֶׁלּוֹ אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת וְעֶשֶׂר, רֶמֶז לְבַיִת רִאשׁוֹן (ויקרא רבה כ"א):

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 וגומר. וְאַף זוֹ לֹא בְכָל עֵת, כִּי אִם בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּפֹרָשׁ בְּסוֹף הַפָּרָשָׁה "בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ" (שם):

'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'. מַגִּיד שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְשַׁמֵּשׁ לִפְנִים בִּשְׁמוֹנָה בְגָדִים שֶׁהוּא מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בָּהֶן בַּחוּץ, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם זָהָב, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין קָטֵגוֹר נַעֲשֶׂה סָנֵגוֹר, אֶלָּא בְּאַרְבָּעָה כְּכֹהֵן הֶדְיוֹט — וְכֻלָּן שֶׁל בּוּץ (ראש השנה כ"ו):

'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. שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מִשֶּׁל הֶקְדֵּשׁ (ספרא):

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. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, יָחֵת בְּרֵישֵׁיהּ — יַנִּיחַ בְּרֹאשׁוֹ, כְּמוֹ וַתַּנַּח בִּגְדוֹ (בראשית ל"ט) — וַאֲחִתְּתֵהּ:

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. אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם טָעוּן טְבִילָה בְּכָל חֲלִיפוֹתָיו; וְחָמֵשׁ פְּעָמִים הָיָה מַחֲלִיף מֵעֲבוֹדַת פְּנִים לַעֲבוֹדַת חוּץ, וּמִחוּץ לִפְנִים, וּמְשַׁנֶּה מִבִּגְדֵי זָהָב לְבִגְדֵי לָבָן וּמִבִּגְדֵי לָבָן לְבִגְדֵי זָהָב, וּבְכָל חֲלִיפָה טָעוּן טְבִילָה וּשְׁנֵי קִדּוּשֵׁי יָדַיִם וְרַגְלַיִם מִן הַכִּיּוֹר (יומא ל"א):

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 פר החטאת אשר לו. הָאָמוּר לְמַעְלָה, וְלִמֶּדְךָ כָּאן שֶׁמִּשֶּׁלּוֹ הוּא בָא וְלֹא מִשֶּׁל צִבּוּר (שם ג'):

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. מִתְוַדֶּה עָלָיו עֲוֹנוֹתָיו וַעֲוֹנוֹת בֵּיתוֹ (שם ל"ו):

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).

ונתן אהרן על שני השעירם גרלות. מַעֲמִיד אֶחָד לְיָמִין וְאֶחָד לִשְׂמֹאל, וְנוֹתֵן שְׁתֵּי יָדָיו בַּקַּלְפִּי, וְנוֹטֵל גּוֹרָל בְּיָמִין וַחֲבֵרוֹ בִּשְׂמֹאל וְנוֹתֵן עֲלֵיהֶם, אֶת שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ "לַשֵּׁם" הוּא לַשֵּׁם, וְאֶת שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ "לַעֲזָאזֵל" מִשְׁתַּלֵּחַ לַעֲזָאזֵל (יומא ל"ט):

‎‎‎‎‏ 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. הוּא הַר עַז וְקָשֶׁה, צוּק גָּבוֹהַּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אֶרֶץ גְזֵרָה — חֲתוּכָה:

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. כְּשֶׁמַּנִיחַ הַגּוֹרָל עָלָיו קוֹרֵא לוֹ שֵׁם וְאוֹמֵר "לַה' חַטָּאת":

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).

יעמד חי. כְּמוֹ יֻעֲמַד חַי — עַל יְדֵי אֲחֵרִים, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ יִתָּקַם כַּד חַי; מַה תַּ"ל? לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לְשַׁלֵּחַ אֹתוֹ לַעֲזָאזֵל וְאֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ שִׁלּוּחוֹ אִם לְמִיתָה אִם לְחַיִּים, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר יָעֳמַד חַי, עֲמִידָתוֹ חַי עַד שֶׁיִּשְׁתַּלֵּחַ, מִכָּאן שֶׁשִּׁלּוּחוֹ לְמִיתָה (ספרא):

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. שֶׁיִּתְוַדֶּה עָלָיו, כְּדִכְתִיב "וְהִתְוַדָּה עָלָיו" וְגוֹ':

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'. וִדּוּי שֵׁנִי, עָלָיו וְעַל אֶחָיו הַכֹּהֲנִים, שֶׁהֵם כֻּלָּם קְרוּיִים בֵּיתוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "בֵּית אַהֲרֹן בָּרֲכוּ אֶת ה'" וְגוֹ' (תהילים קל"ה), מִכָּאן שֶׁהַכֹּהֲנִים מִתְכַּפְּרִין בּוֹ, וְכָל כַּפָּרָתָן אֵינָהּ אֶלָּא עַל טֻמְאַת מִקְדָּשׁ וְקָדָשָׁיו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (פסוק ט"ז), "וְכִפֶּר עַל הַקֹּדֶשׁ מִטֻּמְאֹת" וְגוֹ' (ספרא; שבועות ז'):

'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. הַחִיצוֹן:

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

מלפני ה'. מִצַּד שֶׁלִּפְנֵי הַפֶּתַח, וְהוּא צַד מַעֲרָבִי:

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. מַה תַּ"ל דַּקָּה? וַהֲלֹא כָל הַקְּטֹרֶת דַּקָּה הִיא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְשָׁחַקְתָּ מִמֶּנָּה הָדֵק (שמות ל"ו), אֶלָּא שֶׁתְּהֵא דַּקָּה מִן הַדַּקָּה, שֶׁבְּעֶרֶב יֹהַ"כִּ הָיָה מַחֲזִירָהּ לַמַּכְתֶּשֶׁת (כריתות ו'):

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. שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ הַמַּחְתָּה:

על האש UPON THE FIRE which was in the censer.

ולא ימות. הָא אִם לֹא עֲשָֹאָהּ כְּתִקְנָהּ חַיָּב מִיתָה (ספרא):

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. הַזָּאָה אַחַת בְּמַשְׁמָע:

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. הֲרֵי אַחַת לְמַעְלָה וְשֶׁבַע לְמַטָּה (שם):

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. מַה שֶּׁהַפָּר מְכַפֵּר עַל הַכֹּהֲנִים מְכַפֵּר הַשָּׂעִיר עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְהוּא הַשָּׂעִיר שֶׁעָלָה עָלָיו הַגּוֹרָל לַשֵּׁם (שבועות ב'):

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. אַחַת לְמַעְלָה וְשֶׁבַע לְמַטָּה:

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. עַל הַנִּכְנָסִין לַמִּקְדָּשׁ בְּטֻמְאָה וְלֹא נוֹדַע לָהֶם בַּסּוֹף, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לכל חטאתם, וְחַטָּאת הִיא שׁוֹגֵג.

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. אַף הַנִּכְנָסִין מֵזִיד בְּטֻמְאָה (שם ז'):

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. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהִזָּה מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם בִּפְנִים אַחַת לְמַעְלָה וְשֶׁבַע לְמַטָּה, כָּךְ מַזֶּה עַל הַפָּרֹכֶת מִבַּחוּץ מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם אַחַת לְמַעְלָה וְשֶׁבַע לְמַטָּה (ספרא; יומא נ"ו):

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. אַעַ"פִּי שֶׁהֵם טְמֵאִים שְׁכִינָה בֵינֵיהֶם (שם):

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).