Midrash sobre Levítico 1:6

1) (Vayikra 1:6): "And he shall flay the burnt-offering, and he shall cut it into its pieces": I might think that he flays it limb by limb and he cuts it (i.e., each limb, after it has been flayed); it is, therefore, written "the burnt-offering." He flays the whole animal and then cuts it.

2) I might think that only a gift burnt-offering requires flaying. Whence do I derive the same for a prescribed burnt-offering? It follows, viz.: It is written that a gift burnt-offering is brought, and it is written that a prescribed burnt-offering is brought. Just as a gift burnt-offering requires flaying, so, a prescribed burnt-offering.

2) I might think that he takes it out whole and burns it whole; it is, therefore, written: "its head and its legs." Just as head and legs mentioned elsewhere (in respect to a burnt-offering) have been severed (see Vayikra 1:6), so, here, they must be severed (before they are burned). — But (why not say): Just as head and legs there have been flayed, so, here, too, they must be flayed! It is, therefore, written (to negate this): "and its innards and its dung" (Just as the dung is in its innards, so, the flesh must be "in its innards, i.e., attached to the skin, unflayed.)

3) I might think that only a burnt-offering from the cattle requires flaying. Whence do I derive the same for a burnt-offering from the flock? It follows, viz.: It is written that a burnt-offering is brought from the cattle, and it is written that a burnt-offering is brought from the flock. Just as the first requires flaying, so, the second.

4) This tells me only that (the burnt-offering) of men (requires flaying). Whence do I derive the same for that of women? This tells me only of the burnt-offering of a Jew. Whence do I derive the same for that of bondsmen? — until even that of gentiles is included? From "the burnt-offerings" — Whatever is a burnt-offering requires flaying. Why did you see fit to include them (the burnt-offerings of all the above) for flaying and cutting and to exclude them from semichah? After Scripture includes, it excludes. Why do I include them for flaying and cutting and exclude them from semichah? For flaying and cutting are kasher with all persons. And I exclude them from semichah, for semichah is performed only by the owner.

5) R. Chiyya says: Go and see what Scripture excludes above (by [Vayikra 1:2] "a man, if he offers, etc.") — what is offered? (i.e., the animal), or the offerers? The offerers (e.g., a woman is excluded from semichah). Likewise, I exclude them (gentiles) from semichah, because I am excluding the offerers. I do not exclude them (the animals of gentiles) from flaying and cutting, because then I would be excluding the burnt-offering itself from an act (affecting its body).

5) The sin-offering and the guilt-offering and the communal peace-offerings are given as gifts to the Cohanim. If they wish to flay them, they flay them. If they wish to eat them together with their skins, they do so. But in the instance of the burnt-offerings, because it is written (Vayikra 1:6): "And he shall flay the burnt-offerings," Scripture is constrained to state: "The hide of the burnt-offering which he offered up … to him shall it be." "to him shall it be": to exclude one who has immersed in the daytime (and is not clean until the evening), one who lacks atonement (until he brings a sacrifice), and a mourner (before the burial of his kin). For I might think they should not share in the flesh, which is for eating, but they could share in the hides, which are not for eating. I must, therefore, be apprised: "The hide of the burnt-offering which he offered up is the Cohein's (i.e., It reverts to the Cohein who was fit to offer it up); to him shall it be": excluding one who immersed in the daytime, one who lacks atonement, and a mourner.

6) This tells me (that flaying is required) only of a (burnt-offering) that was slaughtered lishmah (i.e., with the intent that it be a burnt-offering). Whence do I derive the same for one that was slaughtered lo lishmah (i.e., with a different intent)? From "the burnt-offering." Whatever is a burnt-offering requires flaying.

7) "and he shall cut it into its pieces": I might think that he cuts its pieces into pieces; it is, therefore, written "it" — it into its pieces, and not its pieces into pieces. I might think that even an animal that is pasul requires flaying and cutting; it is, therefore, written "it" — an animal that is kasher, and not one that is pasul. And one that is pasul, which was placed on the altar, is sacrificed as it is (without flaying and cutting).

(Lev. 4:1–2:) AND THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING: <SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, SAYING: WHEN A SOUL SINS <BY MISTAKE >…. Let our master instruct us:²⁹Tanh., Lev. 1:6. Is it right for one to enter the Temple mount with his staff or his money girdle?³⁰Lat.: funda (“moneybag”). Thus have our masters taught (in Ber. 9:5): ONE MAY NOT ENTER THE TEMPLE MOUNT WITH HIS STAFF, HIS MONEY GIRDLE, OR WITH DUST ON HIS FEET,³¹Eccl. R. 4:17:1; cf. Mark 11:16; Josephus, Contra Apionem, 8:106; see Ber. 62a. lest he treat it with disrespect, even in its destruction. The Holy One said (in Lev. 26:2): YOU SHALL KEEP MY SABBATHS AND REVERENCE MY SANCTUARY: I AM THE LORD. And what was the reason for comparing keeping the Sabbath with the Sanctuary? Thus did R. Hiyya the Great teach: Just as keeping the Sabbath is forever so is reverence for the Sanctuary forever. Now Solomon cried out (in Eccl. 3:16): TO THE PLACE OF JUSTICE, THITHER <CAME> WICKEDNESS. Solomon was observing how the wicked subverted <justice>³²The bracketed word is found in the traditional Tanh., Lev. 1:6. in the Sanctuary. Solomon said: The place where the Sanhedrin³³Gk.: Synedrion. sat to judge criminal law, [civil law,] decisions on scourgings, and decisions on clean and unclean, there they defiled it.³⁴Cf. Lev. R. 4:1; Eccl. R. 3:16:1. See what is written (in Jer. 39:3): THEN ALL THE OFFICERS OF THE KING OF BABYLON CAME AND SAT IN THE MIDDLE GATE: NEGRAL-SAREZER, SAMGAR-NEBO, SARSECHIM THE RAB-SARIS, <NERGAL-SAREZER THERAB-MAG>…. (Lam. 5:18:) BECAUSE OF MOUNT ZION, WHICH LIES DESOLATE, THE JACKALS WALK OVER IT. The Holy One said to him: You name those entering, but you do not name those leaving. (Eccl. 3:16:) TO THE PLACE OF JUSTICE, THITHER <CAME> WICKEDNESS. (Lam. 2:20:) SHOULD PRIEST AND PROPHET BE SLAIN IN THE SANCTUARY OF THE LORD? Here is the blood of Zechariah shed on the stones,³⁵Cf. Matthew 23:35 // Luke 11:51. as stated (in Ezek. 24:7): FOR HER BLOOD WAS IN HER MIDST; SHE SET IT UPON BARE ROCK.

(Lev. 4:2:) WHEN A SOUL SINS <BY MISTAKE>. This text is related (to Prov. 19:2): ALSO, A SOUL WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE IS NOT GOOD; [AND ONE WHO HASTENS WITH THE FEET IS A SINNER]. When someone sins, even by mistake, it is not a good sign³⁶Gk.: semeion. for him.³⁷Tanh., Lev. 1:6; Lev. R. 4:3; Eccl. R. 12:14:1. How so? There were two stores before him, one belonging to a star worshiper and one belonging to Israel. He entered the one belonging to the star worshiper. He entered deliberately. He is called a sinner, as stated (in Prov. 19:2): AND ONE WHO HASTENS WITH THE FEET IS A SINNER.³⁸The parallel accounts explain more fully that one who entered the wrong store by mistake was merely NOT GOOD, but entering it deliberately made one a SINNER.

Rav Isaac bar Samuel bar Martha said: There were two ways before him, one long and one short. The short one was full of pebbles, but the long one did not have a pebble in it. He left the long one and went by the short one on the Sabbath. Concerning him it was stated (in Prov. 19:2): AND ONE WHO HASTENS WITH THE FEET IS A SINNER. Our masters have taught (in Avot. 4:2): ONE GOOD LEADS TO ANOTHER, AND ONE TRANSGRESSION LEADS TO ANOTHER. A person should not worry about a sin which he commits by mistake, but rather that an opening has been made for him to sin, whether by mistake or deliberately. Moreover, one should not rejoice over a good deed which comes to him (for fulfillment), but rather that many good deeds are going to come to him.³⁹Cf. Avot. 4:2: THE RECOMPENSE FOR A GOOD DEED IS A GOOD DEED. Therefore, if one has sinned by mistake, this is not a good sign. How much the more so if he sins deliberately! About him it has been stated (in Prov. 19:2): AND ONE WHO HASTENS WITH THE FEET IS A SINNER. So also (in Prov. 6:16–19): SIX THINGS THE LORD HATES…: HAUGHTY EYES, A LYING TONGUE,… FEET QUICK TO RUN TO EVIL, <….> This refers to Ahab ben Kolaiah and Zedekiah ben Maaseiah (the false prophets of Jer. 29:21–23), who sinned in Jerusalem.⁴⁰Sanh. 93a; PRK 24:15. And that was not enough for them, but after they had gone into exile in Babylon, they added to their sin. And what had they done in Jerusalem? They were false prophets. Moreover, they did not forsake their trade in Babylon. Now they would pimp for each other. Ahab would go to visit <one of> the great ones in the kingdom and would say to him: I am so-and-so, a prophet. The Holy One has sent me to say something to your wife. Then he would say to him: Here she is before you. Go on in. When he was alone with her, he would say to her: The Holy One wants to raise up prophets from you. Simply go, have intercourse with Zedekiah, and give birth to prophets from him. So he would come and have intercourse with her. Then Zedekiah would similarly pimp for Ahab. And this was their trade for several years. Come and see how wicked they were. They gave themselves a reputation in Babylon for being great prophets. When some woman became pregnant and saw one of them, she would say to him, O Prophet, what is in my womb? A male or a female? He would say: A male. Then he would go to her neighbors and say: So-and-so will bear a female. If she bore a male, she would say: So-and-so, the prophet, told me. If it was a female, the neighbors would say: Thus did so-and-so, the prophet, tell us; but he did not want to worry you. Now they acted in this way until they came to Shemirah, the wife of Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah said to her. Thus says the Lord: Inform Ahab….⁴¹For the missing part of the story, see Tanh., Lev. 1:6; Sanh. 93a; PRK 24:15. What caused these wicked men to be burned? It was because they ran with their feet after transgressions. It is therefore stated (in Prov. 19:2): AND ONE WHO HASTENS WITH THE FEET IS A SINNER. Nevertheless (ibid.) ALSO, A SOUL WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE IS NOT GOOD. Therefore, the Holy One said to Moses: Say unto Israel (in Lev. 4:2) WHEN A SOUL SINS BY MISTAKE.

(Lev. 4:2:) WHEN A SOUL SINS BY MISTAKE. Is it the soul that sins? The Scripture verse (Eccl. 3:16) says: TO THE PLACE OF JUSTICE (tsedeq), THITHER <CAME> WICKEDNESS. THE PLACE is <the source of> the soul, which has been given out of righteousness (tsedeq), <i.e.> out of a place where there is no iniquity or sin.⁴²Tanh., Lev. 1:6; Exod. R. 4:1. <When> it does sins, the Scripture verse (Lev. 4:2) cries out in surprise: WHEN A SOUL SINS BY MISTAKE?! (Eccl. 3:16:) TO THE PLACE OF JUSTICE (tsedeq), THITHER <CAME> WICKEDNESS. To what is the matter comparable? To two children of Adam who sinned against the king. One was a country bumpkin, and one a person from the palace.⁴³Lat.: palatium; Gk.: palation. <When> he saw that both of them had committed a single offense, he released the country bumpkin but rendered a <guilty> verdict⁴⁴Gk.: apophasis. against the person from the palace. His palace people said to him: Both of them committed a single offense; <yet> you released the country bumpkin <and> gave a verdict against the person from the palace. He said to them: I released the country bumpkin because he did not know the laws⁴⁵Gk. nomos. of the kingdom, but the person from the palace is with me every day and knows what the laws of the kingdom are. Now for the one close to me who sinned, [what verdict] will be pronounced against him? So also the body is a country bumpkin. (Gen. 2:7:) THE LORD FORMED THE HUMAN [OUT OF DUST FROM THE GROUND]. But the soul is a palace person from above. (Ibid., cont.:) AND BLEW INTO HIS NOSTRILS THE BREATH OF LIFE. Yet both of them sinned. Why? Because it impossible for the body to exist without the soul.⁴⁶Cf. Lev. R. 4:5. Thus, if there is no soul, there is no body, and if there is no body, there is no soul. So both of them sinned. (Ezek. 18:20:) THE SOUL THAT SINS SHALL DIE. Therefore the scripture verse (Lev. 4:2) cries out in surprise: WHEN A SOUL SINS BY MISTAKE <AGAINST ANY OF THE LORD'S COMMANDMENTS >! What is the significance of BY MISTAKE (rt.: ShGG) AGAINST ANY OF THE LORD'S COMMANDMENTS? <It is> to teach you that, when anyone sins BY MISTAKE, [it is as if] one transgresses against THE LORD'S COMMANDMENTS. And so it says (in Numb. 15:22): AND WHEN YOU SIN UNINTENTIONALLY (rt.: ShGG) AND DO NOT FULFILL ALL THESE COMMANDMENTS….⁴⁷The next verses explain how atonement is made. [So also David has said (in Ps. 19:13–14 [12–13]): WHO CAN DISCERN MISTAKES? CLEANSE ME FROM HIDDEN FAULTS]. ALSO RESTRAIN YOUR SERVANT FROM WILLFUL SINS…, AND I SHALL BE CLEAN OF GREAT TRANSGRESSION, <i.e.> from the great sin which I have committed. But if you do so act (Ps. 19:15 [14]:), LET THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH <AND THE MEDITATIONS OF MY HEART> BE ACCEPTABLE <BEFORE YOU>. From here you learn that everyone who sins, even by mistake, is called a sinner. Our masters have said: A mistake in study is accounted as willful sin. It is therefore written (in Lev. 4:2:) WHEN A SOUL SINS. <It is> because it is from above that "a person (adam)" is not written here.

In the world to come the Holy One will bring in the soul and say to it: Why have you transgressed against the commandments? Then it will say: The body transgressed against the commandments. From the day that I left it, have I ever sinned? <Then> he will go back and say to the body: For what reason did you transgress the commandments? It will say to him: The soul sinned. Since the soul left me, have I ever sinned? What will the Holy One do? He will bring them both in and judge them as one. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had an orchard in which were grapes, figs, pomegranates, and early-ripening figs.⁴⁸Tanh., Lev. 1:6; Sanh. 91ab; Lev. R. 4:5; Mekhilta deRabbi Simeon b. Johay, edited by J.N. Epstein and E.Z. Melamed (Jerusalem: Mekize Nirdamim, 1955), pp. 76–77 (on Exod. 15:1); Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Shirata 2; The Apocryphon of Ezekiel, cited in Epiphanius, Panarion (Haereses), 64:70 (Origen), K. Holl edition in GCS31(1922), pp. 236–243 (not in the Migne edition), translated by J.R. Mueller and S.E. Robinson in The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. I, edited by J.H. Charlesworth (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1983), p. 492; see Tertullian, De resurrectione carnis, 15–17. The king said (to himself): If I post someone there who can see and walk, he will eat the early-ripening figs for himself. He <therefore> posted two guards, one lame and one blind. They stayed and watched the orchard. They smelled the early-ripening figs. The lame one said to the blind one: I see lovely early-ripening figs in the orchard. Come and give me a ride, so we can get them and eat them. The lame one rode upon the back of the blind one, so that he got them, and they ate them. One day the king came. He wanted the early-ripening figs, but he did not find any. He said to the blind one: Did you eat them? He said to him: Do I have any eyes? He said to the lame one: Have you eaten them? He said: Do I have any feet? He < therefore > mounted the lame person on the blind person's back and judged them as one. So the Holy One will take a spirit and toss it into a body, as stated (in Ps. 50:4): HE SUMMONED THE HEAVENS ABOVE, i.e., the soul; (ibid., cont.:) AND THE EARTH TO JUDGE HIS PEOPLE, i.e., the body. So David foresaw how the Holy One would judge his creatures. He began to seek mercy for his soul. He said: Master of the World, when you judge your creatures, do not judge me like them. [(Ps. 143:2): AND DO NOT ENTER INTO JUDGMENT WITH YOUR SERVANT, FOR NO ONE LIVING SHALL BE JUSTIFIED BEFORE YOU.] Rather act justly with me, as stated (in Ps. 17:15): AS FOR ME, I WILL BEHOLD YOUR FACE IN JUSTICE. The Holy One said: In this world because the evil drive rules in them.⁴⁹The parallel text in Tanh., Lev. 1:6, reads: “in you.” You have sinned, but in the world to come I will root it out from you, as stated (in Ezek. 36:26): I WILL REMOVE THE HEART OF STONE FROM YOUR FLESH AND GIVE YOU A HEART OF FLESH….

(Exod. 32:1:) WHEN THE PEOPLE SAW THAT MOSES WAS LATE <IN COMING DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN >. What is the meaning of WAS LATE (boshesh)?³⁹Shab. 89a; Gen. R. 18:6; Exod. R. 41:7; cf. PR 11:12. <That> six (shesh) hours had passed (bo) without Moses having come down, for Moses had made an agreement with them and said to them: After forty days I will bring you the Law. As soon as six hours had passed and he had not come down, immediately (ibid., cont.): THE PEOPLE GATHERED TOGETHER AGAINST AARON. Our masters have said: Satan came, confounded the world,⁴⁰See also Tanh., Exod. 9:19. and showed them something like Moses suspended from the earth, i.e., in the air⁴¹Avir; cf. Gk.: aer. beneath it.⁴²Cf. the parallel in Exod. R. 41:7, which reads, “suspended between heaven and earth.” Then they pointed a finger at him and said (ibid., cont.): <ARISE AND MAKE A GOD FOR US WHO WILL GO BEFORE US, > FOR THIS IS THE MAN, MOSES.⁴³The biblical context would suggest the following translation: FOR REGARDING THIS MAN MOSES <WHO BROUGHT US UP FROM THE LAND OF EGYPT, WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAS BECOME OF HIM >. At that time Hur said to them: O stiff-necked < people >, do you not remember what he did for you?⁴⁴Lev. R. 10:3. According to Exod. 24:14, Moses left Aaron and Hur in charge while he was up on the mountain. They arose and killed him.⁴⁵Below, Exod. 10:4; Exod. R. 41:7; 42:1; 48:3; Numb. R. 9:45. Then they gathered together against Aaron, as stated (ibid.): THE PEOPLE GATHERED TOGETHER AGAINST AARON….⁴⁶Sanh. 7a; Exod. R. 51:8. They said to him: If you make a god for us, well and good; but if not, we will do to you just as we did to Hur. (Exod. 32:5:) WHEN AARON SAW THIS, <i.e., when> he saw what they had done to Hur, (ibid., cont.) HE BUILT (YBN) AN ALTAR (MZBH), <i.e.> he understood (HBYN) from the slaughtered (MZBWH) one.⁴⁷So also Lev. R. 10:3; cf. Gen. R. 34:9, which gives the same interpretation of BUILT, in Gen. 8:20. They wanted to build <the altar> along with him. He said to them, leave me alone, and I will make it by myself, for no one is to build it along with me. Now Aaron had a plan. <He was> saying <to himself>: While I am building it, Moses will come down.⁴⁸So also Exod. R. 37:2. Immediately (in Exod. 32:6): SO THEY ROSE EARLY THE NEXT DAY, < OFFERED BURNT OFFERINGS, AND BROUGHT PEACE OFFERINGS>; [AND THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK.] In every place that you find sitting, there you find degradation.⁴⁹Exod. R. 41:7; similarly Sanh. 106a; Gen. R. 38:7; Tanh., Gen. 9:1; Sifre, Numb. 131; PRE 47. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 37:25): THEN THEY SAT DOWN TO EAT BREAD. What degradation happened there? <It was there> that they sold Joseph. It is also written (in Numb. 25:1): WHILE ISRAEL WAS STAYING (literally: SITTING) AT SHITTIM. And what was the degradation there? (Ibid., cont.:) THE PEOPLE BEGAN TO GO WHORING <WITH THE DAUGHTERS OF MOAB>. And here too (in Exod. 32:6): THEN THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN, <i.e., in> the sitting of idolatry. The Holy One said to Moses; They have risen to revel in idolatry, while you are sitting <up here>. (Exod. 32:7:) GO AND GET DOWN. At that time Moses was going to go down, but he saw the angels of destruction and was afraid to go down. Thus it is stated (in Deut. 9:19): FOR I WAS AFRAID OF ANGER AND RAGE. What did he do? He went and grasped the throne, as stated (in Job 26:9): HE (Moses) GRASPS THE FACE OF A THRONE; [HE (the Holy One) SPREAD HIS CLOUD UPON HIM]. So the Holy One protected him and spread some of the radiance of his Divine Presence over him. Come and see how many troubles they caused. Yesterday Moses had shoved them (the angels of destruction) aside,⁵⁰According to Shab. 88b-89a and Exod. R. 28:1, because the angels wanted the Torah for themselves, they tried to prevent Moses from receiving it. and now he was afraid of them. (Deut. 9:19:) FOR I WAS AFRAID OF [ANGER AND RAGE]. The five angels of destruction were Af (Anger), Qetsef (Wrath), Meshabber (Smasher), Mashhit (Destroyer), and Hemah (Rage); ⁵¹Cf. Tanh., Exod. 9:20. Moses mentioned three patriarchs, and three <angels> went away.⁵²See also Exod. R. 44:1. But ANGER AND RAGE remained behind. Moses said to the Holy One: Sovereign of the World: You stand up to one and I to one, as stated (in Ps. 7:7 [6]): RISE UP, O LORD, IN YOUR Af (ANGER).⁵³A more traditional translation would be: RISE UP, O LORD IN YOUR ANGER. The Holy One said to him (in Exod. 32:7): GO AND GET DOWN; you have a descent (i.e., degradation). He said to him: Why? HE SAID TO HIM: BECAUSE YOUR PEOPLE <WHOM YOU HAVE BROUGHT UP FROM THE LAND OF EGYPT > HAVE ACTED BASELY. Moses said to him: Now are they my people and not your people! (Exod. 32:12:) TURN BACK FROM YOUR WRATHFUL ANGER. R. Simeon ben Johay said: Moses did not move from praying until the Holy One was reconciled to them. The Holy One said: In this world you sinned against me because the evil drive was ordering you; but in the world to come I am rooting it out of you, as stated (in Ezek. 36:26): I WILL REMOVE THE HEART OF STONE FROM YOUR FLESH AND GIVE YOU A HEART OF FLESH.⁵⁴Below, Tanh. (Buber), Lev. 1:12; above, Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 1:40; Tanh., Exod. 9:19; Tanh., Lev. 1:6.