IT IS THAT WHICH GOETH UP. The burnt offering is called an olah¹ means goes up. Hence I.E.’s interpretation. because it is entirely consumed (olah) on the altar.², see I.E. on Lev 1:4. According to Meijler this interpretation complements the one on Lev. 1:4. That is, the olah goes up on the altar to atone for that which enters (goes up on) one’s mind. Scripture here hints that the olah should not be offered at night but rather that it shall be on its firewood until the morning.³ shall remain on the firewood all night, not that it should be brought upon the firewood at night. The heh of mokedah (its firewood)⁴ is a variant of moked (fire). Hence I.E.’s interpretation. It should be noted that I.E. renders mokedah “fire” (firewood), not its fire (or firewood), for there is no mappik in the heh. is superfluous. On the other hand, moked and mokedah may be two nouns.⁵

footnotes: ¹ The word olah ² For another interpretation of the term olah ³ For Scripture states that the olah ⁴ Mokedah ⁵ Both meaning firewood.

AND THE FIRE OF THE ALTAR SHALL BE KEPT BURNING THEREBY.⁶ (on it). According to I.E. our clause should be rendered: And the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it (the altar). Hence his interpretation. Not outside.

footnotes: ⁶ Hebrew, bo

HIS LINEN GARMENT. The word middo means a garment.⁷ of middo is not a pronominal suffix. It is rather superfluous. See the word beno (son of) (Num. 24:3). The wise men⁸ said that it is a garment in keeping with his size.⁹ 23:2. The word middah means a measure. According to the rabbis middo means his measure. Also see Rashi: “This is what is elsewhere termed the ketonet; and why then is it here called middo? To intimate that it (the ketonet) must be made to his measure.”

footnotes: ⁷ Not his garment. In other words, the vav ⁸ The sages of the Talmud. ⁹ See Yoma

UPON HIS FLESH. Flesh alludes to the genitals. Similarly an issue out of his flesh (Lev. 15:2).

WHERETO THE FIRE HATH CONSUMED. Which remains from what the fire consumes.

BESIDE THE ALTAR. Outside of the eastern side.¹⁰

footnotes: ¹⁰ Near the eastern side of the altar. See Lev. 1:16.

AND THE FIRE UPON THE ALTAR SHALL BE KEPT BURNING THEREBY. Scripture repeats itself¹¹ repeats what was stated in verse 2. in order to add it shall not go out during the day.¹²

footnotes: ¹¹ And the fire upon the altar shall be kept burning thereby ¹² Repetition indicates continuity.

The meaning of ba-boker ba-boker is, every morning.¹³ The kohen shall first offer the burnt offering and then the organs¹⁴ of the peace offering.¹⁵, and afterwards goes on to say, and shall make smoke thereon the fat of the peace-offerings.

footnotes: ¹³ Again, the repetition indicates continuity. ¹⁴ The organs which Scripture states are to be offered. See Lev. 3:3,4. ¹⁵ For our verse states, and he shall lay the burnt-offering in order upon it

FIRE SHALL BE KEPT BURNING UPON THE ALTAR CONTINUALLY. This verse¹⁶. was written in order to add the word continually.

footnotes: ¹⁶ Which once again states, fire shall be kept burning upon the altar

SHALL OFFER IT. Hakrev (shall offer) is an infinitive.¹⁷ might be taken to be an imperative. The meaning of hakrev otah bene aharon is, the sons of Aaron shall offer it. This means that one of the sons of Aaron shall offer it. Scripture therefore reads, And he shall take up there-from (v. 8).¹⁸. This section¹⁹ adds to that which is written in the portion Va-Yikra.²⁰

footnotes: ¹⁷ Hakrev ¹⁸ Since the reference is to one of the sons of Aaron, Scripture employs the singular in verse 8, And he shall take up there-from ¹⁹ Verses 7-11, which deal with the laws of the meal offering. ²⁰ Lev. 2:1-16.

IT SHALL BE EATEN WITHOUT LEAVEN IN A HOLY PLACE. Note, Scripture adds two commandments.²¹ Every male (v. 11)²² is a third.²³

footnotes: ²¹ Our verse contains two precepts not found in Lev. 2:1-16. The two commandments are: It must be eaten as unleavened bread; and it shall be eaten in a holy place, in the courtyard of the tent of meeting. ²² Only males may eat of the burnt offering. ²³ Commandment added here.

[IT SHALL NOT BE BAKED WITH LEAVEN.]²⁴. I.E. renders this as it shall not be baked as leavened bread. This is the principal rule regarding the Passover matzot.²⁵ eaten on Passover must be unleavened. So too the matzot made out of the meal offering.

footnotes: ²⁴ Hebrew, lo te’afeh chametz ²⁵ The matzot

AS THE SIN-OFFERING, AND AS THE GUILT-OFFERING.²⁶ So too the meal offering.²⁷

footnotes: ²⁶ Are holy. ²⁷ So too is the meal offering holy.

WHATSOEVER TOUCHETH THEM SHALL BE HOLY. Whatever touches the meal offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering shall be holy unto God.²⁸

footnotes: ²⁸ The term “them” refers to the meal offering, the sin offering and the guilt offering. Any food which comes into contact with the aforementioned shall be considered as they are.

THIS IS THE OFFERING OF AARON. Or one of his sons who takes his place.

IN THE DAY WHEN…ANOINTED. When the anointing oil is poured upon his head. Some say that the bet of be-yom (in the day) is in place of a mem.²⁹ (in the day) should be interpreted as from the day. Its meaning is, from the day that he is anointed he has to regularly bring his meal offering.³⁰

footnotes: ²⁹ In other words, be-yom ³⁰ This is the opinion of the rabbis. See Rashi.

WHEN IT IS SOAKED. Murbekhet (when it is soaked) has no brother.³¹ Some say it means soft.³² being a variant of murkhekhet. Others say that murbekhet means quickly. The tav³³ serves as a second person masculine imperfect prefix. of tevi’ennah (thou shalt bring it) is directed at Aaron.³⁴ Similarly the tav of takriv (thou shalt offer).³⁵ is directed to Aaron. I believe that this is also true of the tav of tufine (in broken pieces).³⁶ It means to fix.³⁷ means you shall bake. See Rashi. It has no neighbor.³⁸ The ancients³⁹ on this verse. said that tufine is a combination of the two words, te’afeh and na (it shall be baked raw).⁴⁰ Rabbi Jonah the grammarian⁴¹ says that tufine follows the paradigm of dukhifat (hoopoe) (Lev. 11:19).⁴² comes from the root tav, peh, nun. See Sefer Ha-Rikmah, Vol. 1, p. 137, ed. by M. Wilinsky, Jerusalem, 1964. This is a distorted form.⁴³) are vocalized with a cholem. See Sefer Ha-Rikmah, Ibid.

footnotes: ³¹ The word is not found again in Scripture. ³² Murbekhet ³³ The tav ³⁴ Mentioned in the previous verse. ³⁵ Takriv ³⁶ It is an imperfect prefix directed at Aaron. ³⁷ That is, bake. According to I.E. tufine ³⁸ The word is not found again in Scripture. ³⁹ See Sifra ⁴⁰ It shall not be fully baked. ⁴¹ Rabbi Jonah ibn Janach. ⁴² According to Rabbi Jonah tufine ⁴³ Not all the words in this form (po’il

WHOLLY. The word kalil means wholly. It shall be wholly sacrificed unto God.

IT SHALL NOT BE EATEN. As all the meal offerings are, for how can a kohen eat his meal or sin offering.⁴⁴ The place of the slaughter of all the sin offerings was in the north.⁴⁵

footnotes: ⁴⁴ It is illogical. ⁴⁵ See Lev. 1:11.

IT IS MOST HOLY. It is like one of the other holy things.⁴⁶ (it is most holy) does not mean it is most holy but is to be interpreted as if written, kodesh ke-ha-kodashim (holy like the holy; that is, it is one of the holy things).

footnotes: ⁴⁶ According to I.E. kodesh kodashim

THE PRIEST THAT OFFERETH IT FOR SIN. Ha-kohen ha-mechatte (the priest that offereth it for sin) means the kohen who sprinkles the blood. Ha-kohen ha-mechatte is another way of saying the kohen that removes the sin of the sinner.⁴⁷ literally means “removes sins.” Many of the commentaries say that ha-mechatte means who washes or cleans. The word techatteni (purge me) in Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean (Ps. 51:9) is similar.

footnotes: ⁴⁷ The word mechatte

WHATSOEVER SHALL TOUCH. Whatsoever shall touch the flesh of the sin offering will be holy unto God, and the kohen shall eat it. The portion of the kohen who sprinkles the blood of the sin offering is therefore⁴⁸ who sprinkles the blood removes the sin from the sinner…the portion of the kohen who sprinkles the blood is therefore equal to the portion of all the other kohanim. (Filwarg). like⁴⁹ the portion of all his brothers.⁵⁰. According to I.E. the kohen who sprinkles the blood of the sin offering receives half of its flesh. The remainder is shared by the other kohanim (Filwarg).

footnotes: ⁴⁸ For the sprinkling “removes” the sin from the sinner. This comment relates to the previous verse. It is to be understood as follows: The kohen ⁴⁹ Is equal to. ⁵⁰ The other kohanim

IS SPRINKLED. Rabbi Mosheh Ha-Kohen says that yizzeh (is sprinkled)⁵¹. is similar to the word yitteh⁵². (shall…bend) (Job 15:29).⁵³ in the imperfect and is similarly vocalized. It is a kal. When the yod⁵⁴ prefixed to the word in the imperfect. is vocalized with a pattach it is a hifil.⁵⁵ or yatteh. The swallowed letter⁵⁶. is a nun.⁵⁷ of the root nun, zayin, heh is swallowed by the dagesh. Hence the word yizzeh. We similarly find the word va-yiz (and…was sprinkled) in and some of her blood was sprinkled (II Kings 9:33) vocalized with a chirik, and vayaz with a pattach.⁵⁸ and the hifil in shortened forms. Va-yiz in place of va-yizzeh and va-yaz in place of va-yazzeh. However, the word natah (turned) is vocalized with a tzereh in the kal.⁵⁹ imperfect. Compare, yet (stretched) in va-yet moshe et yado (and Moses stretched forth his hand) (Ex. 10:22). We similarly find ve-yez nitzcham (and their lifeblood is dashed) (Is. 63:3).⁶⁰ can be vocalized with a chirik or a tzereh in the kal imperfect. He explained it very well.⁶¹. 38. The reading in the Mikra’ot Gedolot is very difficult to explain and is apparently corrupt (see Filwarg, Weiser, Meijler, Krinsky). It reads, “However, the word natah (turned) in natah mareh el ha-kir is vocalized with a chirik. We find it vocalized with a tzereh in the kal. Compare, ve-yez in ve-yez nitzcham (and their lifeblood is dashed) (Is. 63:3), wherein ve-yez is in the kal. He [Rabbi Mosheh HaKohan] explained it very well.” There is no verse that reads, natah marehah el ha-kir. The above can only be explained by emending the text. For a proposed emendation, see Meijler.

footnotes: ⁵¹ From the root nun, zayin, heh ⁵² From the root nun, tet, heh ⁵³ It drops the nun ⁵⁴ The yod ⁵⁵ Literally, from the heavy [conjugation] yazzeh ⁵⁶ The letter swallowed by the dagesh ⁵⁷ The first root letter. In other words, the nun ⁵⁸ The word appears both in the kal ⁵⁹ In the kal ⁶⁰ I.E.’s point is that the root nun, zayin, heh ⁶¹ We have followed the reading Vat. Ebr

The Lord commanded that the place where some of the blood of the sin offering fell on the garment be washed because the sin offering is holy. [IN A HOLY PLACE.] The reference is to the courtyard of the tent of meeting, for there is a difference between holy and clean.⁶²

footnotes: ⁶² A clean place is a place that is ritually clean. Thus if Scripture had read “in a clean place,” it could have referred to any place that is ritually clean. It would not necessarily have meant the courtyard of the tent of meeting.

THAT WHEREON IT WAS SPRINKLED.⁶³, literally (that is sprinkled upon it). The word “place” or the word “or” is missing.⁶⁴) there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment, that (asher) it is sprinkled upon it, you shall wash in a holy place. The aforementioned is repetitious and ambiguous. I.E. suggests two possible interpretations. One, our verse is to be interpreted: And when (asher) there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment, or if one (asher) sprinkles upon it (the flesh of the sin offering), you shall wash it in a holy place. Two: And when (asher) there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment, the place where (makom asher) something is sprinkled upon it (the garment), you shall wash in a holy place. It means: Or if someone shall sprinkle upon it, that is, upon the flesh, then the kohen shall wash the flesh and then eat it. On the other hand, its meaning might be, the place where the blood is sprinkled shall be washed. In this case the word beged (garment) is both masculine and feminine.⁶⁵ (garment) is usually masculine. The word aleha (it) is feminine. Thus if “it” refers to beged (garment) then beged is also a feminine noun. The word yado (his hand) in even as his hand can afford (Lev. 14:31)⁶⁶ is similar.⁶⁷ is treated as both masculine and feminine. It is treated as feminine in Lev. 13:21, for the noun governing it (tasig) is in the feminine. However, it is treated as masculine in Ex. 17:12, where Scripture employs a masculine adjective to describe the hands of Moses. The tav⁶⁸ of tekhabbes is a second person imperfect prefix. of tekhabbes (thou shalt wash) is directed to the kohen.⁶⁹ in thou shalt wash is directed to the kohen.

footnotes: ⁶³ Hebrew, asher yizzeh alehah ⁶⁴ So Krinsky. The verse literally reads: And when (asher ⁶⁵ The word beged ⁶⁶ Translated according to I.E. ⁶⁷ The word yad ⁶⁸ The tav ⁶⁹ In other words, the term thou

WHEREIN IT IS SODDEN. Bushalah (sodden), morak (scoured), and shuttaf (rinsed) are all pu’als. Morak is vocalized with a cholam⁷⁰, as is the case in the pu’al. because of the resh which, except in a few places,⁷¹ records seven instances in Scripture when a dagesh is placed in the resh (Krinsky). does not receive a dagesh.⁷² is placed in the middle root letter in the pu’al. However, the resh does not receive a dagesh. Hence the vowel changes from a kubbutz to a cholam. Morak follows the paradigm of zorak (dashed)⁷³. in was not dashed against him (Num. 19:13). Morak is related to the word mirku (furbish) in Furbish the spears (Jer. 46:4), for the mem of morak is a root letter.

footnotes: ⁷⁰ Rather than with a kubbutz ⁷¹ The massorah ⁷² A dagesh ⁷³ A pu’al

[IT IS MOST HOLY.] Scripture states it is most holy with regard to every male⁷⁴ because only the perfect may eat from a sin offering whose organs are offered and is brought for atonement for sins.⁷⁵ with regard to all male kohanim in order to teach us that only the “perfect” may eat from the sin offering because it is most holy. Males are more perfect⁷⁶ than females.⁷⁷ Even a small child is called a male.⁷⁸ A male who is thirteen years old [is considered an adult] as our fathers have transmitted.

footnotes: ⁷⁴ Scripture states that the sin offering is most holy in verse 18. The question thus arises, Why repeat it again in our verse? ⁷⁵ Scripture repeats it is most holy ⁷⁶ I.E. believed that males are superior to females. ⁷⁷ No female may eat from the sin offering. ⁷⁸ In other words, a male under the age of 13 may eat of the flesh of a burnt offering.

AND NO SIN-OFFERING, WHEREOF ANY OF THE BLOOD IS BROUGHT INTO…THE HOLY PLACE. Note, the place of the “veil”⁷⁹) separating the “holy” from the “most holy.” See Ex. 26:33. is called holy,⁸⁰ for the courtyard,⁸¹ even though it is holy, is not holy in comparison to the tent of meeting.⁸² Observe, the inside of the curtain is called holy in comparison to the tent of meeting. Compare, Herewith shall Aaron come into the holy place (Lev. 16:3).⁸³ The sin offering spoken of in our verse is the sin offering of the kohen gadol or of the congregation.⁸⁴ or of the congregation is brought into the tent of meeting. See Lev. 4:3-5; 13-16.

footnotes: ⁷⁹ The curtain (parokhet ⁸⁰ The room containing the menorah, the table, and the altar of incense is called the holy. ⁸¹ The courtyard of the tent of meeting. ⁸² The room containing the menorah, the table, and the altar of incense is called the holy in comparison with the courtyard of the tent of meeting. It is not called holy in regard to the room containing the ark of the covenant. ⁸³ The room containing the ark of the covenant. ⁸⁴ For blood of a sin offering of a kohen gadol