## Sforno on Leviticus Chapter 5

###### Sforno on Leviticus 5:17:1
[Sforno on Leviticus 5:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/5:17:1)

**וְאָשֵׁם וְנָשָׂא עֲוֺנוֹ.** כְּבָר קִבְּלוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (יומא פרק יום הכפורים) שֶׁזֶּה מְדַבֵּר בְּאָשָׁם תָּלוּי, שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ אִם חָטָא וְאִם לָאו. וְעַל זֶה אָמַר וְנָשָׂא עֲוֹנוֹ כְּפִי הָרָאוּי לוֹ, אִם חָטָא בְּשׁוֹגֵג, אוֹ לֹא נָפַל בְּחֵטְא אֲבָל הָיָה עֲוֹנוֹ שֶׁלֹּא נִזְהַר עַד שֶׁנָּפַל בְּסָפֵק, וּכְפִי עֲוֹנוֹ יִשָּׂא הָעֹנֶשׁ.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ואשם ונשא עונו, our sages have a tradition that the Torah here speaks of an asham taluy, a guilt offering offered while the exact nature of the guilt is unclear. The person offering it is not even sure that he is guilty of an offence. Considering this state of affairs the Torah writes ונשא עוונו, he carries (the burden) of his guilt. The guilt is not spelled out precisely as it is not yet known. He may not actually have committed a sin, but this does not mean that he is free from guilt as had he been careful he would never have been in the predicament of not knowing if he had committed the specific sin he is afraid he might have committed.


###### Sforno on Leviticus 5:19:1
[Sforno on Leviticus 5:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/5:19:1)

**אָשָׁם הוּא.** אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלִּפְעָמִים יוּבָא זֶה הַקָּרְבָּן וְהוּא לֹא נִכְשַׁל בְּאוֹתוֹ הַחֵטְא, לֹא יַחְשׁוֹב הַחוֹשֵׁב שֶׁמַּכְנִיס בָּזֶה חוּלִּין לָעֲזָרָה, כִּי אָמְנָם הוּא קָרְבַּן אָשָׁם עַל כָּל פָּנִים, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא נִכְשַׁל בְּאוֹתוֹ הַחֵטְא שֶׁנָּפַל בּוֹ הַסָּפֵק, וְהַטַּעַם הוּא כִּי **אָשׁוֹם אָשַׁם לַה׳**, כְּשֶׁלֹּא נִזְהַר בַּדָּבָר עַד שֶׁנָּפַל בְּסָפֵק.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
אשם הוא; even though sometimes this offering is brought when no offence has in fact been committed, the party bringing such an offering is not guilty of bringing secular meat into the holy precincts, for it is after all a קרבן, an approved offering. Even if the party concerned had not been guilty of the offence he thought he might have been guilty of, 'אשום אשם לה, he is certainly guilty before G’d for being careless enough for the doubt about his specific guilt in this instance to arise.


###### Sforno on Leviticus 5:23:1
[Sforno on Leviticus 5:23:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/5:23:1)

**וְהֵשִׁיב אֶת הַגְּזֵלָה וְאֶת אֲשָׁמוֹ יָבִיא.** שֶׁאֵין הַקָּרְבָּן מְכַפֵּר אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן פִּיֵּס אֶת הַנִּזָּק קֹדֶם הֲבָאַת הַקָּרְבָּן, כְּאָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שם) ״הֵבִיא אֶת אֲשָׁמוֹ עַד שֶׁלֹּא הֵבִיא גְּזֵלוֹ, לֹא יָצָא״.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
והשיב את הגזלה..ואת אשמו יביא, the sacrifice does not achieve atonement until the guilty party has first satisfied the demands on him by the injured party.