שמיני, ראשון

ויהי ביום השמיני. לַמִּלּוּאִים; הוּא רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ נִיסָן שֶׁהוּקַם הַמִּשְׁכָּן בּוֹ בַיּוֹם וְנָטַל עֶשֶׂר עֲטָרוֹת הַשְּׁנוּיוֹת בְּסֵדֶר עוֹלָם:

ויהי ביום השמיני AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE EIGHTH DAY of the installation of the priests into their sacred office (cf. Sifra); this was the New Moon of Nisan on which the Tabernacle was finally erected (cf. Rashi on Exodus 40:29) and it (that day) received ten crowns (it was distinguished in ten different ways) which are enumerated in Seder Olam 7 (Sifra, Shemini, Mechilta d'Miluim 2 1; Shabbat 87b).

ולזקני ישראל. לְהַשְׁמִיעָם שֶׁעַל פִּי הַדִּבּוּר אַהֲרֹן נִכְנָס וּמְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּכְהֻנָּה גְדוֹלָה וְלֹא יֹאמְרוּ מֵאֵלָיו נִכְנָס (תנחומא):

ולזקני ישראל AND TO THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL, to inform them that it was by the express command of God that Aaron was entering the Sanctuary and ministering in the high-priesthood, so that they might not say: “He is entering on his own authority, unbidden.”

קח לך עגל. לְהוֹדִיעַ שֶׁכִּפֵּר לוֹ הַקָּבָּ"ה עַל יְדֵי עֵגֶל זֶה עַל מַעֲשֵׂה הָעֵגֶל שֶׁעָשָֹה (שם):

קח לך עגל TAKE THEE A CALF — This animal was selected as a sin offering to announce to him that the Holy One, blessed be He, granted him atonement by means of this calf for the incident of the golden calf which he had made (Midrash Tanchuma, Shmini 4)

כי היום ה' נראה אליכם. לְהַשְׁרוֹת שְׁכִינָתוֹ בְמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיכֶם, לְכָךְ קָרְבָּנוֹת הַלָּלוּ בָּאִין חוֹבָה לְיוֹם זֶה:

כי היום ה' נראה אליכם FOR TODAY THE LORD WILL APPEAR UNTO YOU to make His Shechinah rest upon your handiwork; on this account these sacrifices come (are to be brought) as an obligation for this day (cf. Sifra, Shemini, Mechilta d'Miluim 2 4).

קרב אל המזבח. שֶׁהָיָה אַהֲרֹן בּוֹשׁ וְיָרֵא לָגֶשֶׁת, אָמַר לוֹ מֹשֶׁה, לָמָּה אַתָּה בוֹשׁ? לְכָךְ נִבְחַרְתָּ (ספרא):

קרב אל המזבח [AND MOSES SAID TO AARON] GO TO THE ALTAR, for Aaron was diffident and feared to go there. Moses therefore said to him “Wherefore art thou diffident? For this purpose hast thou been selected!” (cf. Sifra, Shemini, Mechilta d'Miluim 2 8).

את חטאתך. עֵגֶל בֶּן בָּקָר:

את חטאתך THY SIN OFFERING — the young calf (v. 2).

ואת עלתך. הָאָיִל:

ואת עלתך AND THY BURNT OFFERING — the ram (v. 2).

קרבן העם. שְׂעִיר עִזִּים וְעֵגֶל וְכֶבֶשׂ; כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "עֵגֶל" בֶּן שָׁנָה הוּא וּמִכָּאן אַתָּה לָמֵד (שם):

קרבן העם THE OFFERING OF THE PEOPLE — the kid of the goats and the calf and the lamb (v. 3). Wherever the term עגל, “calf” is mentioned without further definition it denotes one in its first year, and it is from this passage that you may derive this rule (cf. Sifra on 4:2; Rosh Hashanah 10a).

ואת הבשר ואת העור וגו'. לֹא מָצִינוּ חַטָּאת חִיצוֹנָה נִשְֹרֶפֶת אֶלָּא זוֹ וְשֶׁל מִלּוּאִים, וְכֻלָּן עַל פִּי הַדִּבּוּר:

'ואת הבשר ואת העור וגו‏‎‎ AND THE FLESH AND THE HIDE [HE BURNT .. OUTSIDE THE CAMP] — We do not find that any “external” sin-offering (one the blood of which was sprinkled on the outer altar) was burnt except this and that of the installation ceremony — and all these, only at the express command of God (cf. Rashi on Exodus 29:14).

וימצאו. לְשׁוֹן הוֹשָׁטָה וְהַזְמָנָה:

וימציאו — This signifies handing over and presenting.

ויחטאהו. עָשָׂהוּ כְּמִשְׁפַּט חַטָּאת:

ויחטאהו means: he treated it according to the regulation regarding the חטאת, “sin-offering”.

כראשון. כָּעֵגֶל שֶׁלּוֹ:

כראשון AS THE FIRST — as his own calf (as is described in v. 8).

ויעשה כמשפט. הַמְפֹרָשׁ בְּעוֹלַת נְדָבָה בְּוַיִּקְרָא:

ויעשה כמשפט AND HE DID IT ACCORDING TO THE MANNER that is set forth in the section ויקרא (ch. 1) in respect to the burnt offering brought as a free-will gift (Beitzah 20a).