צו, שביעי

צוה ה' לעשת. כָּל שִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים; וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָרְשׁוּ, לעשת — זֶה מַעֲשֵׂה פָרָה, לכפר — זֶה מַעֲשֵׂה יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, וּלְלַמֵּד שֶׁכֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל טָעוּן פְּרִישָׁה קֹדֶם יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים שִׁבְעַת יָמִים, וְכֵן הַכֹּהֵן הַשּׂוֹרֵף אֶת הַפָּרָה (ספרא):

צוה ה' לעשת [AS HE HATH DONE THIS DAY, SO] THE LORD HATH COMMANDED TO DO all the seven days). But our Rabbis explained as follows: לעשת, “so hath the Lord commanded to do” — this refers to the “Red Heifer” (Numbers ch. XIX.); and לכפר, “to perform a cleansing ceremony” — this refers to Yom-Kippur. And thus these words, they say, are intended to intimate that the High Priest requires separating from his family during seven days before Yom-Kippur, and similarly the priest who burns the Red Heifer (Sifra, Tzav, Mechilta d'Miluim 1 37; Yoma 2a; Yoma 3b).

ולא תמותו. הָא אִם לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ כֵן הֲרֵי אַתֶּם חַיָּבִים מִיתָה:

ולא תמותו [THEREFORE SHALL YE ABIDE AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE APPOINTED TENT DAY AND NIGHT. SEVEN DAYS] … THAT YE DIE NOT — Consequently if you will not do thus, you become liable to the death penalty.

ויעש אהרן ובניו. לְהַגִּיד שִׁבְחָן, שֶׁלֹא הִטּוּ יָמִין וּשְֹמֹאל:

ויעש אהרן ובניו SO AARON AND HIS SONS DID [ALL THE THINGS] — This is stated to tell their praise — that they did not turn to the right nor to the left (cf. Sifra, Tzav, Mechilta d'Miluim 1 38).