This chapter focused mainly on the various forms of atonement for cases of defiling the Temple or its sacrificial foods. If one was initially aware of all the facts involved, i.e., he was aware that he was ritually impure and was aware of the identity of the Temple or the sanctity of the sacrificial foods involved, and then during a lapse of awareness he committed a violation, and then he regained awareness of what actions he had taken, he is liable to bring a sliding-scale offering as an atonement. In a situation where one was initially aware of the facts of the case but then forgot them, transgressed, and never regained his awareness, he is unable to bring an atonement offering for himself. The Yom Kippur internal sin-offering will atone for his transgression. This atonement provides him only with protection from punishment and only until he becomes aware of his transgression; at that point he is required to bring a sliding-scale offering to fully achieve atonement. If he never had awareness of the fact that he had become ritually impure, and he entered the Temple or partook of its sacrificial foods and then afterward became aware, then the sin-offering that is brought as part of the additional offerings on Yom Kippur will atone for him. For violations of which the perpetrator never had any awareness, the sin-offerings brought as part of the additional offerings on the New Moons atone.

For intentional violations, if they were committed by a priest, the bull brought by the High Priest on Yom Kippur atones, and if they were committed by a non-priest, then the scapegoat atones. In addition, the scapegoat atones for the minor sins of the entire Jewish people, and if a transgressor repented it atones even for his major sins.