Comentario citado sobre Números 15:28

that it be included [Hebrew: sefot] 1) Rabbi Y e hudah HaLevy — may he be for us a light from above! — said that this word has the meaning of “termination” (as in “will you destroy…” [Hebrew: tispeh] [Genesis 18: 23]). The man engaged in blessing himself intends to nullify the words of the righteous — here denoted by the word moist — by means of the words of the “thirsty” (the righteous man is called moist, along the lines of “like a tree planted by the water” [Jeremiah 17: 8], whereas a wicked man is called thirsty, along the lines of “like a juniper bush in the desert” [Jeremiah 17: 6]). Likewise, he thinks that by blessing himself, he can cancel out the malediction. All this would have been a fine explanation — were it not for the fact that moist is an adjective; the verse would have to read “…moisture with thirst”. 2) The grammarian Rabbi Yona ibn Janaḥ explained the verse to mean: Since he sees that the innocent are destroyed the same as the wicked, he decides in his heart to be wicked. This cannot be right, though, on account of the phrase all will be well with me. In my opinion, the word included [Hebrew: sefot] denotes an accretion, as in “that sin be added [Hebrew: sefot]” [Isaiah 30: 1]. The meaning is: “all will be well with me, even though I follow the evil impulses of my heart, because I will survive through the merit of the righteous; they are many, whereas I am just a single sinner”. For this reason, Scripture immediately says, God will not consent to pardon him — that is, he will be instantly destroyed. The image is of something wet adding moisture to something parched. Scripture compares the righteous man to land that is watered (as in, “like a tree planted by streams of water” [Psalms 1: 3]) and the wicked man to land that is parched (as in “like a juniper bush in the desert” [Jeremiah 17: 6]). Evidence for this interpretation is provided by the beginning of the passage: “a root developing into hemlock and worm-wood” [: 17] — which only occurs in a dry area.

‘ACHAPRAH’ (I WILL APPEASE) HIM WITH THE PRESENT. I.e., “I will dissipate his anger.” Similarly: ‘Vechupar’ (and annulled shall be) your covenant with death;⁴¹Isaiah 28:18. Thou shalt not be able ‘kaprah’ (to put it away).⁴²Ibid., 47:11. I am of the opinion that whenever the word kaparah is used in association with iniquity and sin and in association with the word panim (anger), it always signifies erasing and removing. It is an Aramaic expression occurring frequently in the Talmud: “He wished to wipe his hands on that man.”⁴³Gittin 56a. In Biblical Hebrew, also, the bowls in the Sanctuary are called ‘Kipurei’ of gold⁴⁴Ezra 1:10. because the priest wiped his hand on them, that is, on the rims of the bowl. These are the words of our Rabbi Shlomo [Rashi]. And so also did Onkelos translate: “I will calm his anger.” If so, the explanation of the verse will [not] be that Jacob said these words, but that Jacob thought to himself, “I will appease him.” It is Scripture that tells us this [but it is not part of Jacob’s instructions to his messengers], for it would have been improper for the messengers to do so and thereby remind Esau of his antagonism towards Jacob. And so did Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explain it.
But it does not appear to me to be correct that Scripture should find it necessary to tell us Jacob’s thought at this time when it is a well known matter pertaining to all who send presents. Besides, if it were so, Scripture should have mentioned this originally [in connection with the first drove, in Verse 19] , And, behold, he is also behind us, for he thought, “I will appease him with the present,” for now [when commanding the leaders of the second and third droves] he did not add to that instruction [which he gave the leader of the first drove].
However, the correct interpretation is that now Jacob additionally explained to them that they should say in a respectful manner, Behold, he is also behind us, that is to say, “Behold, your servant Jacob is also behind us, and he has sent us before him in order to give a ransom for his life,⁴⁵Exodus 30:12. using this present as a means of seeing your honor’s face, just as servants present their ransom when they are given permission to see the king’s face. And afterward I will see his face, for perhaps he will accept me and honor me by permitting me to be among those who see the king’s face.”⁴⁶Esther 1:14. This was a way of expressing Esau’s exalted status and was due to Jacob’s fear of him. The expression achaprah panav is then being used as it is used in the verse, The wrath of a king is as messengers of death; but a wise man ‘yechaprenah,’⁴⁷Proverbs 16:14. meaning he will give ransom to allay the wrath. And the connotation of “wiping away” attached to forgiveness is not valid in the Sacred Language but rather in the Aramaic tongue. Similarly, ‘kipurei’ of gold⁴⁴Ezra 1:10. is the Babylonian name for bowls, for the word kaparah is never used in association with “sin,” meaning “wipe away,” but instead Scripture says: ‘lechapeir’ (to make atonement) for your souls;⁴⁸Exodus 30:15. ‘lechapeir’ (to make atonement) for him, and he shall be forgiven,⁴⁹Numbers 15:28. i.e., for his soul. And Scripture also says: ‘achaprah’ (I shall make atonement) for your sin.⁵⁰Exodus 32:30. All of these are related to the expression, Then shall they give every man ‘kopher’ for his soul,⁴⁵Exodus 30:12. which means a ransom.

והם הביאו את קרבנם אשה לה' וחטאתם לפני ה', “and they have brought their offering to the Lord, and their sin-offering before the Lord.” Nachmanides writes that the words: “before the Lord,” refer to the celestial court, as these words had not really been necessary. The fact is that sins are expiated both by the attribute of Mercy, i.e. Hashem, as well as by the attribute of Justice. This has been spelled out in greater detail in connection with the sin of idolatry, i.e. that the forgiveness of both attributes is required to wipe out this sin. The word ונסלח appears both in verse 25 as well as in verse 26 although the subject is the same sin. This proves that forgiveness is required both from the attribute of Mercy and the attribute of Justice. The reason that in verse 28 the Torah makes special mention of G’d forgiving the proselyte is that proselytes, who used to be idol-worshipers, are more prone to commit an act which in Jewish law is considered as idol worship, than are natural born Jews. The repeated emphasis that the sin had been an unintentional one, i.e. שגגה, is the Torah’s way of justifying that forgiveness for this cardinal sin is indeed appropriate after the sinner or sinners have brought the appropriate offerings as outlined in our passage.