Kommentar zu Wajikra 16:11

'וכפר בעדו וגו‎ AND HE SHALL MAKE AN EXPIATION FOR HIMSELF etc. — This implies a second confession of sins which he was to make for himself and on behalf of his brother-priests, who may all be termed “his house”, as it said (Psalms 135:19) “Bless the Lord, o house of Aaron, etc." (cf. Shevuot 14a). Hence we learn that the priests become atoned for by means of it (the bullock). The expiation effected by it extended, however, only to those sins committed by causing uncleanness to the Sanctuary or holy things (i.e. by the priests having entered the Sanctuary or eaten of the holy things in such a state), as it is said (v. 16) “And he shall make an expiation for the holy place because of the uncleanness [of the children of Israel] etc.”.

וכפר בעדו, we have already learned by tradition that both the atonements which are mentioned in connection with Aaron personally refer to the confession recited by Aaron, this is why they took place before the actual slaughtering of the sin offering.

And his brother kohanim. You might ask: Why does Aharon not atone for his brother kohanim with the first confession that he confesses on his behalf and on behalf of his household? The answer is: Because it is written, התקוששו וקשו (Tzephanya 2:1). [Although this actually means, “Gather yourselves together, gather yourselves], Reish Lakish said, [read the word התקוששו as התקושטו and say,] קשוט לעצמך ואח"כ קשוט אחרים, “Ornament yourself before ornamenting others.” Therefore, Aharon first confesses only on his behalf and on behalf of his household, and afterwards, during the second confession, he confesses also on behalf of his brothers. And the word “his household” [in this verse] also refers to his brothers as it says, “House of Aharon...” Gur Aryeh asks: Why does Aharon have to atone for himself twice? He answers: [to atone] for a sin that occurred between the first confession and the second confession, as Chazal say, it would be fitting for Israel to offer their sacrifices every hour, except that Scripture had mercy on them. Therefore, here where he anyhow has to confess for his brothers the kohanim, he again confesses his own sins. Also, because the bullock belongs only to him, it is not fitting that he confess over it only on behalf of the [other] kohanim, but rather they are subsidiary to Aharon as [belonging to] “the house of Aharon.” Therefore, in the second confession he once again confesses, “I and my household, the kohanim,” who are subsidiary to Aharon.

ושחט את פר החטאת, “he will slaughter the bull as a sin offering;” whereupon he will take the censer (12) filled with glowing coal, and take some of the blood from that bull (14) so that it will not have time to congeal before he has to sprinkle it. Actually, he has to hand over the blood from that bull to another priest (Talmud Yuma 43) so as to keep it being stirred, while the High Priest is busy with presenting the incense in the Holy of Holies, before commencing with the sprinkling on to the dividing curtain.

Impurity to the Temple. With this, he also wants to prove that when it is written “and on behalf of his household,” it refers to his brothers the kohanim. Because its whole atonement is only for impurity to the Temple and its holy things, therefore all the kohanim need atonement for this.