TAKE AARON. “This section [concerning the seven days of consecration of the priests] was said seven days before the [final] erection of the Tabernacle [which took place on the first day of Nisan],¹⁶⁷ for there is no strict chronological order in the narrative of the Torah.”¹⁶⁸ the final erection, we must perforce say that there is no strict chronological order in the narrative of the Torah. In other words, chronologically the proper place of this section here in the Book of Leviticus is before Exodus, Chapter 40! Ramban will strongly dissent to this interpretation of Rashi. Thus the language of Rashi. But why should we invert the words of the living G-d! Moreover, in the section of On the first day of the first month,¹⁶⁹ He commanded concerning the erection of the whole Tabernacle, the clothing of Aaron and his sons and the anointing of all of them, and there He narrated Moses’ deeds in the matter of the erection of the Tabernacle,¹⁷⁰, Verse 17-33. but did not mention anything concerning Aaron and his sons till here. And how could it be that He separated one subject into two sections, [as follows from Rashi], placing the later one [i.e., the final erection of the Tabernacle which took place on the first of Nisan, as recorded in the Book of Exodus], before the earlier one [i.e., the seven days of consecration that began on the twenty-third of Adar which He placed here in the Book of Leviticus]! Rather, the correct interpretation is that we say that Moses was commanded about the erection of the Tabernacle on the twenty-third day of Adar, and he erected it [on that day]. As soon as the Tabernacle stood in its position G-d, blessed be He, Who sitteth upon the cherubim¹⁷¹ called Moses and commanded him about the actions involved in the bringing of the offerings — all those sections from the beginning of the Book of Vayikra until here. [This was because] He wanted to teach him the actions and statutes of all the offerings before he offered up any of them, since among the initiation-offerings were the sin-offering, burnt-offering and peace-offering, and they could only know all their laws from these sections with which He preceded [to command him]. Afterwards He said to him, Take Aaron and his sons with him etc., to urge him on when the time came for performing what He had told him at first — And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto Me etc.,¹⁷² adding here, And assemble thou all the congregation at the door of the Tent of Meeting,¹⁷³ so that it should be done in the presence of all of them, that they should know that G-d, blessed be He, chose Aaron and his sons [to minister unto Him]. By way of the proper interpretation of Scripture, Moses was commanded about the building of the Tabernacle prior to the incident of the golden calf [as is the order of these chapters in the Book of Exodus],¹⁷⁴ (Chapters 25-27), and the story of the golden calf is in Seder Ki Thisa (Chapter 32). — This is unlike Rashi’s statement (ibid., 31:18) that the incident of the golden calf happened a considerable time before the command regarding the work of the Tabernacle. Hence Ramban preceded this discussion with the expression, “by way of the proper interpretation …” in order to indicate that his view is different than that stated elsewhere in Rashi’s commentary. and when the Holy One, blessed be He, became reconciled to him and promised him that He would cause His Divine Glory to dwell among them, Moses understood of his own accord that the command concerning the Tabernacle remained valid as before, and he then commanded Israel regarding it, as I have explained in the section of Vayakheil.¹⁷⁵, 35:1. After they had completed the work, he was then told the section of On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting,¹⁷⁶, 40:2. and he was then told, And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the Tent of Meeting etc.¹⁷⁷, Verse 12. Thus Moses knew that Aaron and his sons also remained in their esteemed and beloved position before G-d. Here He urged them again on the first day of the consecration, at the time of performing the command [And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons etc.]¹⁷⁷, Verse 12. Thus all the sections of the Torah are in chronological order, except that He placed before its sequence the verse, And the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting,¹⁷⁸, Verse 34. which in the opinion of our Rabbis¹⁷⁹. was on the eighth day of the initiation, in order to arrange in order the whole matter of the erection of the Tabernacle, it being the customary way of Scripture in all places to finish a subject that it has started to explain.¹⁸⁰

footnotes: ¹⁶⁷ During each of the seven days of consecration Moses set the Tabernacle up and then dismantled it. But on the eighth day [which was the first of Nisan] the final erection took place, and it was no longer dismantled until they journeyed from Mount Sinai. ¹⁶⁸ Since the final erection of the Tabernacle is already mentioned at the end of the Book of Exodus (40:17), and the section before us, according to Rashi, was said seven days before ¹⁶⁹ Exodus 40:2. ¹⁷⁰ Ibid. ¹⁷¹ I Samuel 4:4. ¹⁷² Exodus 29:1. ¹⁷³ Verse 3 here. ¹⁷⁴ The commandment concerning the building of the Tabernacle is in Seder Terumah ¹⁷⁵ Ibid. ¹⁷⁶ Ibid. ¹⁷⁷ Ibid. ¹⁷⁷ Ibid. ¹⁷⁸ Ibid. ¹⁷⁹ Torath Kohanim, at the beginning of Seder Shemini ¹⁸⁰ See Vol. I, p. 431, for a similar instance.

AND HE WASHED THEM WITH WATER. It appears likely to me that Scripture tells that he [Moses] washed all of them, but nonetheless it was not done to all of them together. Rather, he washed Aaron and clothed him with his garments and anointed him, and afterwards he washed his sons and anointed them.

AND HE PUT UPON HIM THE TUNIC AND HE GIRDED HIM WITH THE BELT. This was the order in which Moses did it. But in the section containing the command, He said, and thou shalt put upon Aaron the tunic, and the robe of the ephod¹⁸¹ [and mentioned the belt only later on in the section, and not right after the tunic, as here], because there He wanted to mention the belt for Aaron and his sons in one command, saying, And thou shalt gird them with belts, Aaron and his sons.¹⁸², Verse 9. Thus the command for the belt, referring as it did to both Aaron as High Priest and his sons as common priests, is mentioned there once in connection with both, in order to save repeating it; but here where the actual fulfillment of the command is narrated, Scripture mentions all the garments that Aaron was clothed in together, separate from those of his sons. Thus Moses clothed Aaron with the tunic and the belt, and afterwards with the robe and the ephod, in the order mentioned there.¹⁸³, Verse 5. Here [when performing the command] he girded him with the skilfully-woven band of the ephod¹⁸⁴ before he placed the breastplate upon him,¹⁸⁵ [while in the section containing the command the breastplate is mentioned before the skilfully-woven band of the ephod], for Moses knew that the usual way of dressing is that immediately after putting on a garment, one girds it with the belt made for it. Therefore, he girded him with the belt immediately after the tunic, and with the skilfully-woven band [of the ephod] immediately after the ephod, it being improper that the putting on of the ephod should be done with intermissions. But there [in the section containing the command] it is said, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the skilfully-woven band of the ephod,¹⁸³, Verse 5. because He dealt briefly there with the subject of the breastplate, and did not say that it be placed on the ephod, nor that he should put in it the Urim and the Thummim,¹⁸⁶ since He had already commanded all this in explaining the work of the ephod and the breastplate.

footnotes: ¹⁸¹ Exodus 29:5. ¹⁸² Ibid. ¹⁸³ Ibid. ¹⁸⁴ In Verse 7 before us. ¹⁸⁵ Verse 8. ¹⁸³ Ibid. ¹⁸⁶ Exodus 28:30. See Ramban there.

AND MOSES TOOK THE ANOINTING OIL, AND ANOINTED THE TABERNACLE … 12. AND HE POURED OF THE ANOINTING OIL UPON AARON’S HEAD. This too¹⁸⁷ Moses did in the proper order, for so he was commanded [in the section on the making] of the oil of anointment: And thou shalt anoint therewith the Tent of Meeting etc., and thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons.¹⁸⁸ Therefore Moses did not want to anoint the Tabernacle until he had clothed Aaron, and then he anointed them together, so that the one who is to perform the Divine Service should be ready, as it were, to come at once into the Sanctuary to minister. It sufficed to do so in the case of Aaron, for he was the holy one of the Eternal,¹⁸⁹ although in the command regarding the erecting of the Tabernacle it is written, and thou shalt anoint the Tabernacle, and all that is therein,¹⁹⁰ and afterwards, and thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shalt wash them with water. And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments,¹⁹¹, Verse 12-13. for there He arranged all that was done to Aaron and his sons in one verse.¹⁹²

footnotes: ¹⁸⁷ See Ramban on Verse 7. ¹⁸⁸ Exodus 30:26 and 30. ¹⁸⁹ Psalms 106:16. — Hence Aaron was dressed first with the priestly garments after the Tabernacle had been erected and not yet anointed, so that the two could be anointed together. This was not the case with Aaron’s sons, who were dressed and anointed after the Tabernacle and Aaron had been anointed. ¹⁹⁰ Exodus 40:9. ¹⁹¹ Ibid. ¹⁹² But in reality the anointing of the Tabernacle took place after Aaron had been dressed by Moses in his priestly garments, as is stated here [for the reason mentioned in the text].

AND HE SPRINKLED THEREOF [i.e., of the anointing oil] UPON THE ALTAR. Rashi commented: “I do not know where Moses was commanded about these sprinklings.” It is possible that that which He said of the altar, and thou shalt sanctify the altar, and the altar shall be most holy,¹⁹³, Verse 10. means that he should add this sanctification to the altar through the sprinklings [of the anointing oil], and it could not be done merely by anointing the altar, for the expression and the altar shall be most holy, means that he should give it an additional sanctity above that of the other anointed things in the Tabernacle and all its vessels. Moses thus sanctified the altar in the same way that he was commanded to do to the ministering priests, concerning whom He said, and thou shalt sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments,¹⁹⁴, 29:21. since the altar, which is the vessel for the offerings, is not of a lesser degree of holiness than the garments of the ministering priests, and it is an inference from minor to major [that if the garments had to be sprinkled with the anointing oil, surely the altar, being more holy, had to be sprinkled]! And so also is it said with reference to the Day of Atonement, And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it [the altar] with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleannesses of the children of Israel.¹⁹⁵ Thus [we see that] all sanctifications of the altar were done by sprinklings, and it follows all the more so that [when the altar was consecrated] at the very beginning that it had to be sanctified by sprinkling from uncleanness and “strangeness” [i.e., from that which is not holy]. Scripture did not mention here [in Verse 13] the anointing of Aaron’s sons, for it is self-evident that Moses did to them as he did to their father, in accordance with that which he was commanded, And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father,¹⁹⁶ and He included it here in saying with reference to the sons that everything was done as the Eternal commanded Moses.¹⁹⁷ It appears to me that the anointing of Aaron’s sons was not done by means of pouring the oil on their heads, for that is said only of Aaron, Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his [Aaron’s] head, and anoint him,¹⁹⁸ but the anointing of the sons is not mentioned there at all, as it was not done by means of pouring the oil as in Aaron’s case. It is [also] possible that there was no anointing of the sons, except for the sprinklings which Moses sprinkled on Aaron’s sons and their garments from the oil of anointment. Thus you see in the section of And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them¹⁹⁹, Verse 1. that He commanded to anoint the father [i.e., Aaron], as it says, Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head,¹⁹⁸ but did not command to anoint the sons at all, either by pouring of the oil, or by anointing. However, in the section of the erection of the Tabernacle He says, And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father,¹⁹⁶ because He did not mention the sprinklings there at all, [hence He mentioned “anointing,” whilst referring really to sprinkling]. Similarly, in the section of the oil of anointment [the verse mentions anointing of Aaron and his sons¹⁸⁸ because it does not mention the sprinklings at all]. But both sprinkling and anointing are nowhere mentioned with reference to the sons of Aaron in one place. Therefore I say that he only did one of the two to them, namely, the sprinklings.

footnotes: ¹⁹³ Ibid. ¹⁹⁴ Ibid. ¹⁹⁵ Further, 16:19. ¹⁹⁶ Exodus 40:15. ¹⁹⁷ Verse 13. ¹⁹⁸ Exodus 29:7. ¹⁹⁹ Ibid. ¹⁹⁸ Exodus 29:7. ¹⁹⁶ Exodus 40:15. ¹⁸⁸ Exodus 30:26 and 30.

AND HE PURIFIED THE ALTAR. “He cleansed it and purified it from anything ‘strange’ [not holy], so that it might enter into a state of holiness. AND HE SANCTIFIED IT by this rite. TO MAKE ATONEMENT UPON IT — from that time onward for all atonements of sin.” This is the language of Rashi. If this is so, then Scripture is saying that by these means the altar was hallowed and made fit to effect atonement upon from that time onward. This is similar to that which is said in the Book of Ezekiel, Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and cleanse it; so shall they consecrate it. And when they have accomplished the days, it shall be that upon the eighth day, and forward, the priests shall make your burnt-offerings upon the altar, and your peace-offerings, and I will accept you, saith the Eternal G-d.²⁰⁰ Here He teaches that this consecration is done with blood, but the burning of the fats is no hindrance to the consecration of the altar, for in succeeding generations too it is no hindrance to the atonement [if the fats of the offering were not burnt on the altar]. But in the Tosephta of the section of consecration²⁰¹ 15. I have seen [the following text]: “I know not what is this atonement for the altar. [I must say that] from here²⁰² (from here) is the preferred text. Our books of the Torath Kohanim have the word minayin (from whence). you learn that this atonement was only necessary because Moses said: ‘When the call was issued to bring freewill donations for the Sanctuary, the people pressured each other, both men and women, and some donated without their complete will; let this be an atonement so that they should not donate to the Sanctuary anything which had been taken by force.’ And so it also says, For I the Eternal love justice, I hate robbery in a burnt-offering.”²⁰³ Rashi has also mentioned this already in the section of V’atah Tetzaveh.²⁰⁴

footnotes: ²⁰⁰ Ezekiel 43:26-27. ²⁰¹ Torath Kohanim, Tzav Milu’im ²⁰² See my Hebrew commentary, p. 40, Note 74 that mikaan ²⁰³ Isaiah 61:8. “Although the burnt-offering is wholly Mine, I hate it yet if it is brought through robbery” (Rashi, Succah 30 a). ²⁰⁴ Exodus 29:36.

AND THE BULLOCK, ‘V’ETH ORO'(AND ITS SKIN), AND ITS FLESH, AND ITS DUNG, HE BURNT WITH FIRE. Included in the term “the bullock” are those parts which were burnt that are not included in “the flesh,” namely the bones, sinews, horns, and hoofs, besides its skin, its flesh, and its dung. Or perhaps the vav [in the word v’eth — v’eth oro (‘and’ its skin)] is one of those redundant letters [thus making the sense of the verse: “and the bullock — its skin, and its flesh, etc.”], it being similar to the verse, And the heifer shall be burnt in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall be burnt.²⁰⁵

footnotes: ²⁰⁵ Numbers 19:5.

AND THE RAM WAS CUT INTO PIECES. This cutting into pieces was done only after flaying, but Scripture shortened its account here by omitting the flaying, since He had already commanded about it in the section of the burnt-offering.²⁰⁶ He states [here in this verse], and Moses caused the head, and the pieces to burn [on the altar], which means “at the time of burning it,” namely, after he washed the inwards and the legs in water [mentioned in the following verse]. It is with reference to this that He states, and Moses burnt the whole ram upon the altar,²⁰⁷ for after the washing he burnt everything at the same time. Scripture, however, separated them [stating here in Verse 20 that he burnt the head and the pieces, etc., and afterwards in Verse 21 that he washed the inwards and the legs], so as to teach us that the pieces do not need washing.

footnotes: ²⁰⁶ Above, 1:6. ²⁰⁷ Verse 21.

AND HE PRESENTED THE OTHER RAM, THE RAM OF ‘HAMILU’IM’ (CONSECRATION). I have already explained²⁰⁸ that the meaning of “consecration” is that the priests should be fully empowered to perform the Divine Service, and that this term is applied to both the altar itself and to those who perform the Service. Thus all these offerings [the bullock of the sin-offering, the ram of the burnt-offering, etc.,] were brought for the purpose of consecrating the priests, as it is written, And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto Me in the priest’s office: take one young bullock and two rams without blemish.²⁰⁹, 29:1. The second ram, however, is here called specifically the ram of consecration, because it was the last of these offerings, and it was after it that their consecration was completed and they ministered before Him, blessed be He, for all these offerings were indispensable in the matter. It is possible that the [purpose of the] sin-offering was to effect atonement for the altar and to sanctify it, for it is so written;²¹⁰ and that the burnt-offering was to expiate for the priests, like the atonement effected by all freewill burnt-offerings,²¹¹ and the second ram which was the peace-offering, was a thanksgiving to G-d for having given them in His house and within His walls a monument and a memorial.²¹² Thus it was only the peace-offering which was brought for the purpose of consecration, and therefore it alone is here called “the ram of milu’im” (consecration). It is called milu’im [in the plural, although the offering for that purpose was, according to this interpretation, only one], because the fats and the thigh as well as the heave-offering of the bread were all burnt.²¹³

footnotes: ²⁰⁸ Exodus 28:41. ²⁰⁹ Ibid. ²¹⁰ See Ramban above, Verse 15. ²¹¹ See Ramban above, 1:4. ²¹² See Isaiah 56:5. ²¹³ Verses 25-28.

AND MOSES TOOK OF THE ANOINTING OIL, AND OF THE BLOOD WHICH WAS UPON THE ALTAR [AND SPRINKLED IT UPON AARON etc.]. I do not know whether he mixed [the oil with the blood] for these sprinklings, something like that which it says, and he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar.²¹⁴ Nor has it become clear to me why Moses performed these sprinklings after the burning of the ram of consecration, for in the section containing the command about the consecration Services He mentioned first the sprinklings,²¹⁵ and only afterwards He said, And thou shalt take of the ram the fat, and the fat tail.²¹⁶, Verse 22. Perhaps since He said there [in the same verse where He mentioned these sprinklings], and he [Aaron] and his garments shall be hallowed, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him,²¹⁵ Moses deduced that these sprinklings were the last things to be done to them, through which they would become completely holy, for in connection with anointing the priests He did not mention the term “hallowed,” nor in connection with the placing of the blood upon their thumbs.²¹⁷, Verse 20. [Therefore, since it is only stated in connection with the sprinklings of the oil and the blood that the priests are to become hallowed, Moses deduced that this was to be done after the burning of the ram of consecration.] And when it says here [immediately following Moses’ pouring the anointing oil upon Aaron’s head], and he anointed him, to sanctify him,²¹⁸ it was not a complete sanctification until Moses had done the sprinklings, even as it says [in the verse before us, after he had done the sprinklings], and he sanctified Aaron, and his garments, and his sons. Thus he completed the sanctification of the father and sons together by means of these sprinklings. The Rabbis have also said so in the Torath Kohanim:²¹⁹ 34. “And he sanctified Aaron. From here you learn that the sanctification of Aaron and his sons was completed only with the sprinkling of the blood.”

footnotes: ²¹⁴ Further, 16:18. The accepted opinion in the Talmud (Yoma 57 b) is that he mixed the two together. ²¹⁵ Exodus 29:21. ²¹⁶ Ibid. ²¹⁵ Exodus 29:21. ²¹⁷ Ibid. ²¹⁸ Verse 12. ²¹⁹ Torath Kohanim, Tzav Milu’im

AND THAT WHICH REMAINETH ‘BABASAR UBALACHEM.’ The letter beth in these two words [which means literally: “‘in’ the meat and ‘in’ the bread”] serves here as a mem the meaning thus being: “and that which remains ‘of’ the meat and ‘of’ the bread. ”²²⁰ Similarly: ‘bayom ha’shemini’ (‘on’ the eighth day), and forward²²¹ [means miyom ha’shemini — “from” the eighth day on]; and they oppressed and crushed the children of Israel ‘bashanah hahi (‘in’ that year) eighteen years²²² [means mishanah hahi — from’ that year]. Scripture does not state: and that which remained “till the morning,” for they had already learned the law of the offerings and knew that these peace-offerings were to be regarded like the stricter offerings which are eaten for a day and a night,²²³ [since they were accompanied by breads like a thanks-offering]. Or it may be that Scripture speaks briefly here because it is explained in the section containing the command of these offerings, And if aught of the flesh of the consecration, or of the bread, remain unto the morning, [then thou shalt burn the remainder].²²⁴

footnotes: ²²⁰ See Ramban above, 7:36. ²²¹ Ezekiel 43:27. ²²² Judges 10:8. ²²³ This is unlike the ordinary peace-offering, which may be eaten for two days and the intervening night. See Note 55 above. ²²⁴ Exodus 29:34.

AND AT THE DOOR OF THE TENT OF MEETING SHALL YE ABIDE DAY AND NIGHT SEVEN DAYS, AND KEEP THE CHARGE OF THE ETERNAL, THAT YE DIE NOT. In the opinion of the Beraitha of Torath Kohanim,²²⁵ 42. See also Ramban further, 10:6, where he quotes again this Beraitha more fully. the meaning of this verse is that they shall not go out from the door of the Tent of Meeting²²⁶ day and night at the time of the service, that is to say, until they finish all the work incumbent upon them at that time. This is a commandment which applies for all generations, that a priest may not leave the Sanctuary while he is ministering the Service,²²⁷ and he is liable to death [by the hand of Heaven, for the transgression thereof]. It is with reference to this that He said about the High Priest, Neither shall he go out of the Sanctuary, nor profane [the Sanctuary of G-d].²²⁸ The Rabbis have said about this:²²⁵ 42. See also Ramban further, 10:6, where he quotes again this Beraitha more fully. “When is he not permitted to go out of the Sanctuary [and must stay there in order] not to profane it? One must say that this applies only when he is ministering.” And they have further interpreted:²²⁵ 42. See also Ramban further, 10:6, where he quotes again this Beraitha more fully. “[And ye shall not go out from the door of the Tent of Meeting,] lest ye die.²²⁹ From the negative you infer the positive [that if they do go out whilst ministering, they are liable to death by the hand of Heaven]. I would only know that Aaron and his sons, who were anointed with the oil of anointment, are liable to death [by the hand of Heaven] if they leave the Sanctuary while they are ministering. How do I know that the prohibition applies also to all priests at all times? Scripture therefore says, for the anointing oil of the Eternal is upon you.”²²⁹ The meaning of that is as follows: since He did not say: “for you are anointed with the anointing oil of the Eternal,” but instead He said “upon you,” it is like the verse, and their anointing shall be to them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.²³⁰

footnotes: ²²⁵ Torath Kohanim, Shemini Milu’im ²²⁶ Verse 33. ²²⁷ See “The Commandments,” Vol. II, pp. 157-160. ²²⁸ Further, 21:12. ²²⁵ Torath Kohanim, Shemini Milu’im ²²⁵ Torath Kohanim, Shemini Milu’im ²²⁹ Further, 10:7. ²²⁹ Further, 10:7. ²³⁰ Exodus 40:15.

AND AARON AND HIS SONS DID ALL THE THINGS WHICH THE ETERNAL COMMANDED BY THE HAND OF MOSES. Everywhere in this section it says ‘as’ the Eternal commanded Moses,²³¹ but here, since Aaron’s sons added to the command [by bringing strange fire which He had not commanded them],²³² He does not say it in this way, since they did not do as the Eternal commanded Moses. Rather, the verse states that they did all the things ‘which’ the Eternal commanded, and they further added to them “the strange fire” of which He said that He had not commanded them.²³² Shemini

footnotes: ²³¹ Above, Verses 13, 17, 21, 29. The Hebrew text here reads: “as the Eternal commanded ‘by the hand of’ Moses.” But this expression I did not find in the Five Books of Moses, but in the Book of Joshua (14:2, etc.). And Ramban’s aim is clearly to distinguish everything that Moses did, which was exactly “as” G-d had commanded him, from that which the sons of Aaron did, as explained in the text. Hence it would seem to be correct that the reading in the text should be “as the Eternal commanded Moses.” It is so also in the Tur who quotes the language of Ramban. ²³² Further, 10:1. ²³² Further, 10:1.