Comentario sobre Levítico 16:14

והזה באצבעו AND HE SHALL SPRINKLE IT WITH THE FINGER — One sprinkling only is implied (since the next phrase mentions a definite number),

על פני הכפרת קדמה ולפני הכפרת יזה שבע פעמים, “in front of the kapporet to the east as well as in front of the kapporet (west?).” There were a total of eight sprinklings of blood on Yom Kippur. Seven were aimed at the lower half of the Holy Ark and one at the upper half. Let me try and explain the symbolism in these sprinklings. The first sprinkling aimed at the Holy Ark was directed at the highest emanations which include the emanation of חכמה and בינה, “wisdom and insight.” The seven subsequent sprinklings aimed at the Holy Ark were to symbolize the remaining seven lower emanations.
We have been taught in Yuma 53 that the High Priest had to count aloud while performing these sprinklings. This was the formula: “one; one and one; one and two; one and three; one and four; one and five; one and six; one and seven.” When the High Priest said: “one,” he meant the upper three emanations which were treated as one group. When he said: “one and one,” he referred to the first sprinkling which was in respect of the three higher emanations plus the first of the sprinklings in respect of the highest of the seven lower emanations. He continued in that vein to the end. The Talmud there (folio 55) states that though there is a disagreement among the scholars concerning the subsequent countings, they are all agreed that the initial counting is obligatory. Concerning the question why the High Priest always had to repeat the reference to the first sprinkling, i.e. repeating the word אחת each time, Rabbi Eleazar says that it was to ensure he would not make a mistake in the procedure. Rabbi Yochanan says that that this was based on our verse where the Torah wrote that seven sprinklings had to take place in front of the kapporet. He considered the word יזה the second time in that verse as redundant, seeing the verse had said earlier והזה, “he shall sprinkle.” As a result of the extra word Rabbi Yochanan considers the count accompanying the sprinkling procedure as obligatory and crucial, meaning that if the High Priest failed to count in this manner the whole procedure would be invalidated. We need to understand why, according to Rabbi Yochanan, the count in this fashion is so essential. According to Rabbi Yochanan even if the High Priest did not make a mistake in the procedure the fact that he did not count in the approved manner makes his service invalid. The Torah attributed so much importance to the sprinkling of this blood on and against the Holy Ark instead of merely on the Altar in the Sanctuary that the counting of the procedure became so important. The very name of the lid of the Ark i.e. כפרת indicates the ability of contributing to atonement which was part of the latent power of the Ark, the Lid and the Cherubs. (Compare Tanchuma Vayakhel 10).

One. Rashi does not mean that word “he shall sprinkle” implies once, because “he shall sprinkle” does not indicate once or more. Rather, he means that “he shall sprinkle with his finger” implies one sprinkling because of a gezeirah shavah. It says [that] “blood” [is sprinkled] below [=downwards] by the he-goat (verse 15) and it says [that] “blood” [is sprinkled] below [=downwards] by the bullock [in our verse]. Just as [the sprinklings] below by the bullock are seven, so too [the sprinklings below] by the he-goat are seven. And just as [the sprinklings] above [=upwards] by the he-goat are once as it is written, “He shall sprinkle it,” and Chazal expound “it” as exclusionary, he should sprinkle it once and no more, so we learn that the blood of the he-goat [sprinkled] above [=upwards] on the Ark-cover is only once, so too the sprinkling of the bullock above is [only] once, because “blood, blood” is a gezeirah shavah. Re’m

ולקח מדם הפר, “he will take some of the blood from the bull;” he takes it from the priest who had kept stirring it.

ולפני הכפרת יזה שבע AND BEFORE THE COVERING SHALL HE SPRINKLE [OF THE BLOOD] SEVEN TIMES — Thus we have one sprinkling upwards and seven downwards (Yoma 53b).

על פני הכפורת קדמה, “onto the top of the lid, eastward;” on the side of the ark facing east.

על, according to our sages the word על means “upwards.” as in the reciting of the counting by the High Priest, recited in our liturgy on the Day of Atonement.

שבע פעמים, “seven times.” This number is reminiscent of the Torah in Leviticus 26,24 speaking of G-d punishing us sevenfold for our sins.