## Sforno on Leviticus Chapter 10

###### Sforno on Leviticus 10:1:1
[Sforno on Leviticus 10:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/10:1:1)

**וַיִּקְחוּ בְנֵי אַהֲרֹן. אִישׁ מַחְתָּתוֹ.** חָשְׁבוּ שֶׁכְּמוֹ שֶׁאַחַר הַתָּמִיד, אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ תִּשְׁרֶה שְׁכִינָה, כְּאָמְרוֹ ״עֹלַת תָּמִיד לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לִפְנֵי ה׳, אֲשֶׁר אִוָּעֵד לָכֶם שָׁמָּה״ (שמות כט:מב), תָּבֹא הַקְּטֹרֶת, כָּךְ הָיָה רָאוּי לְהַקְטִיר קְטֹרֶת חֲדָשָׁה עַתָּה עַל הִגָּלוּת כְּבוֹד ה׳ אֶל כָּל הָעָם וְעַל יְרִידַת הָאֵשׁ, וְלָכֵן הִקְרִיבוּהוּ.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ויקחו שני בני אהרן איש מחתתו, they thought that just as after the daily communal offering which was accompanied by the manifestation of G’d’s Presence as we know from Exodus 29,42 עולת תמיד לדורותיכם פתח אהל מועד לפני ה' אשר איועד לכם שמה, “the regular communal burnt offerings for your generations in the presence of the Lord, where I will manifest Myself there,” there would come the incense, so it would also be in order on this occasion to present a new incense offering honouring the manifestation of the Lord to the whole people and in honour of the heavenly fire having descended.


###### Sforno on Leviticus 10:1:2
[Sforno on Leviticus 10:1:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/10:1:2)

**לִפְנֵי ה׳.** בַּמִּזְבֵּחַ הַפְּנִימִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ ״וְלֹא תַעֲלוּ עָלָיו קְטֹרֶת זָרָה״ (שמות ל:ט), וְגַם אִם הָיָה רָאוּי לַעֲשׂוֹת כָּךְ אִם הָיוּ מְצֻוִּים בָּזֶה, חָטְאוּ לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ עַתָּה.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
This is why they offered it in the sanctuary, i.e. 'לפני ה, on the golden altar. The Torah had stipulated that no foreign incense [nor other unauthorised offerings. Ed.] was to be offered on that altar (Exodus 30,9). Even assuming that the golden altar would qualify for additional incense offerings when a specific command to do so would be issued, the sons of Aaron sinned by doing this now and not having consulted with their mentors. This is why the Torah stresses


###### Sforno on Leviticus 10:1:3
[Sforno on Leviticus 10:1:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/10:1:3)

**אֲשֶׁר לֹא צִוָּה אוֹתָם.** כְּאָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (עירובין סג:) שֶׁהוֹרוּ הֲלָכָה בִּפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה רַבָּם.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
אשר לא צוה אותם, “which He had not commanded them (to do).”


###### Sforno on Leviticus 10:3:1
[Sforno on Leviticus 10:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/10:3:1)

**וַיִּדֹּם אַהֲרֹן.** שֶׁהִתְנַחֵם בְּקִדּוּשׁ ה׳ שֶׁנִּקְדַּשׁ בְּמוֹתָם.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
וידום אהרן, seeing he consoled himself after having been told that the death of his sons represented a sanctification of the name of the Lord.


###### Sforno on Leviticus 10:5:1
[Sforno on Leviticus 10:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/10:5:1)

**בְּכֻתֳּנֹתָם אֶל מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה.** שֶׁלֹּא חָשְׁשׁוּ לִפְשֹׁטָם אֶת כֻּתֳּנוֹת הַקֹּדֶשׁ, מֵאַחַר שֶׁכְּבָר נִטְמְאוּ.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
בכתנותם אל מחוץ למחנה, they did not bother to remove their holy vestments from them seeing that these had already become ritually impure.


###### Sforno on Leviticus 10:6:1
[Sforno on Leviticus 10:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/10:6:1)

**רָאשֵׁיכֶם אַל תִּפְרָעוּ.** אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָיוּ הַמֵּתִים מֵהַקְּרוֹבִים שֶׁמִּטַּמֵּא לָהֶם כֹּהֵן הֶדְיוֹט, הֶחְמִיר עַל אֵלֶּה מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיוּ מְשׁוּחִין, כְּאָמְרוֹ ״כִּי שֶׁמֶן מִשְׁחַת ה׳ עֲלֵיכֶם״ (ויקרא י:ז).

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ראשיכם אל תפרעו, even though these dead belonged to the category of near relatives for whom even priests observe mourning rites, in this instance the law was applied in its entire severity seeing that these priests had been anointed with the holy oil of anointing. The Torah had spelled this out, writing כי שמם משחת ה' עליכם, “for you (pl) have been anointed with G’d’s holy oil.” (verse 7).


###### Sforno on Leviticus 10:6:2
[Sforno on Leviticus 10:6:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/10:6:2)

**כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל יִבְכּוּ.** שֶׁחָסְרוּ שְׁנֵי צַדִּיקִים וּגְדוֹלִים, וּבְכֵן לֹא יִגָּרַע יְקָרָא דְשַׁכְבֵי.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
כל בית ישראל יבכו, for two outstanding righteous people had been removed from them. They would therefore not be denied the eulogies due to the deceased (Sanhedrin 46)


###### Sforno on Leviticus 10:10:1
[Sforno on Leviticus 10:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/10:10:1)

**וּלְהַבְדִּיל וּלְהוֹרוֹת.** כִּי יַיִן וְתִירוֹשׁ יִקַּח לֵב, כְּאָמְרוֹ (משלי לא:ד-ה) ״אַל לַמְּלָכִים שְׁתוֹ יָיִן, וְלָרוֹזְנִים אֵי שֵׁכָר, פֶּן יִשְׁתֶּה וְיִשְׁכַּח מְחֻקָּק״.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ולהבדיל..ולהורות. We know from Hoseah 4,11 that “wine and new wine destroy the minds of My people.” Issuing decrees, verdicts or religious rulings while intoxicated is therefore not tolerable. Solomon, in Proverbs 31,4-5 is similarly critical of such a practice writing: “wine is not for kings, O Lemuel; not for kings to drink, nor any strong drink for princes, lest they drink and forget what has been ordained.”


###### Sforno on Leviticus 10:15:1
[Sforno on Leviticus 10:15:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/10:15:1)

**יָבִיאוּ לְהָנִיף.** וְהָיָה לְךָ וּלְבָנֶיךָ, שֶׁלֹּא תִזְכּוּ בָּהֶם עַד אַחַר הֲנָפָה, שֶׁאָז תִּזְכּוּ בָּהֶם מִשֻּׁלְחָן גָּבוֹהַּ.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
יביאו להניף...והיה לך ולבניך, you will not be able to claim these until after the waving has been performed. In other words, this is not a “kick back” from G’d’s “Table.”


###### Sforno on Leviticus 10:16:1
[Sforno on Leviticus 10:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/10:16:1)

**וְאֵת שְׂעִיר הַחַטָּאת.** אוֹתוֹ הַשָּׂעִיר שֶׁהָיָה לְחֹק עוֹלָם, וְהוּא שְׂעִיר רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ שֶׁהָיָה קׇדְשֵׁי דוֹרוֹת.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ואת שעיר החטאת, the very he-goat which will be a permanent fixture, i.e. the one to be offered on the new moon, as long as there would be a Temple.


###### Sforno on Leviticus 10:17:1
[Sforno on Leviticus 10:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/10:17:1)

**וְאוֹתָהּ נָתַן לָכֶם לָשֵׂאת אֶת עֲוֺן הָעֵדָה.** אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּתְּנָה לָכֶם, לֹא הָיָה לָכֶם רְשׁוּת לְשָׂרְפָהּ, כִּי לֹא נִתְּנָה לָכֶם אֶלָּא לְאָכְלָהּ לָשֵׂאת אֶת עֲוֹן הָעֵדָה.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ואותה נתן לכם לשאת את עוון העדה, even though it had been given to you, personally, this did not mean that you are free to burn it. It was only given to you to eat, thereby לשאת את עוון העדה, to assume the burden of the guilt (sin) of the congregation.


###### Sforno on Leviticus 10:19:1
[Sforno on Leviticus 10:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/10:19:1)

**הֵן הַיּוֹם הִקְרִיבוּ.** כְּמוֹ ״הֵן יְשַׁלַּח אִישׁ אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ״ (ירמיהו ג:א), ״הֵן יִשָּׂא אִישׁ בְּשַׂר קֹדֶשׁ״ (חגי ב:יב), וְטַעֲמוֹ: אִם הָיָה הָעִנְיָן כֵּן שֶׁהָיוּ אֵלֶּה מַקְרִיבִים חַטָּאתָם שֶׁל חוֹבָה וְאֶת עוֹלָתָם שֶׁל נְדָבָה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינָם קָדְשֵׁי צִבּוּר לְדוֹרוֹת, וְהָיִינוּ אוֹכְלִים הַחַטָּאת הַיּוֹם בִּהְיוֹתֵנוּ אוֹנְנִים.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
הן היום הקריבו, a construction similar to Jeremiah 3,1 הן ישלח איש את אשתו, “if a man divorces his wife, etc.” Or, Chagai 2,12 הן ישא איש בשר קודש, “if a man is carrying sacrificial flesh…and his garment touches bread, will the latter become holy?” Aaron’s reasoning goes as follows: “if the subject matter had merely been that these sons of mine had offered mandatory sin offerings, and burnt offerings which were of a voluntary category, even though they would not constitute mandatory public offerings in the future, and we had consumed the meat of these sacrifices today being in the state of aninut pre-mourning, that we are in,


###### Sforno on Leviticus 10:19:2
[Sforno on Leviticus 10:19:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/10:19:2)

**הַיִּיטַב בְּעֵינֵי ה׳.** שֶׁנֹּאכַל קָדְשֵׁי דוֹרוֹת בַּאֲנִינוּת, הֲלֹא דָּבָר יָדוּעַ הוּא שֶׁאֵין אֲכִילַת אוֹנֵן בְּכַוָּנָה רְאוּיָה לְכַפֵּר, כְּאָמְרוֹ בְּקָדָשִׁים קַלִּים (דברים כו:יד) ״לֹא אָכַלְתִּי בְאֹנִי מִמֶּנּוּ״, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁצִּוִּיתָ שֶׁנֹּאכַל בַּאֲנִינוּת אֶת הַמִּנְחָה שֶׁהִיא קָדְשֵׁי שָׁעָה, לֹא יִתְחַיֵּב זֶה בְּקָדְשֵׁי דוֹרוֹת.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
would this have been pleasing to the Lord?” Is it not an ironclad rule that the eating of sacrificial meat deliberately while in such a “hybrid” ritual state will not advance the atonement sought for? In Deuteronomy 26,14 we learn that it is forbidden to consume such sacrificial meat of offerings of the second degree of sanctity, קדשים קלים. Aaron argues that notwithstanding the fact that he was ordered to consume the remains of the minchah offering which was only a one time offering, such a rule did not apply to sacrifices which are part of the regular Temple service.


###### Sforno on Leviticus 10:20:1
[Sforno on Leviticus 10:20:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/10:20:1)

**וַיִּיטַב בְּעֵינָיו.** שָׂמַח עַל טוּב סִבְרַת אָחִיו וּבָנָיו, שֶׁהֵיטִיבוּ לִרְאוֹת וּלְהוֹרוֹת.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
וייטב בעיניו, Moses enjoyed the reasoning Aaron presented explaining why he had acted as he did and he accepted his interpretation of the law. He complimented both him and his sons.