And when it is written אשר נשיא יחטא (When a ruler sins)²¹⁴, the word אשר comes in place of the word אם. And there is a difference between them in that when the word אשר comes with the meaning of אם, it indicates that He wants the matter to be true, as when it is writtenאת הברכה אשר תשמעו..והקללה אם לא תשמעו (the blessing, if you shall listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day; and the curse, if you shall not listen to the commandments of the LORD your God)²¹⁵.

If the word אשר comes when God wants the matter to be true, then why does it come in the verse Leviticus 4:22, which saysאשר נשיא יחטא ועשה אחת מכל מצות יהוה אלהיו אשר לא תעשינה בשגגה ואשם*(When a ruler sins, and does through error any one of all the things which the LORD his God has commanded not to be done, and is guilty)? Does God want a ruler to sin? The answer is no, God does not want a ruler to sin, but if a ruler does sin, God wants him to bring an offering, which he is commanded to bring in the next verse. And this is why the Torah uses the word אשר in this verse²¹⁶.*

footnotes: ²¹⁴ Leviticus 4:22. ²¹⁵ Deuteronomy 11:27-28. ²¹⁶ Malbim, HaTorah v’HaMitzvah Vayikra 257.