Commento su Levitico 4:22
אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָשִׂ֖יא יֶֽחֱטָ֑א וְעָשָׂ֡ה אַחַ֣ת מִכָּל־מִצְוֺת֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהָ֜יו אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹא־תֵעָשֶׂ֛ינָה בִּשְׁגָגָ֖ה וְאָשֵֽׁם׃
Quando un sovrano pecca e fa per errore una qualsiasi delle cose che l'Eterno, il suo Dio, ha comandato di non fare, ed è colpevole:
Rashi on Leviticus
אשר נשיא יחטא — The word אשר is connected in meaning with אשרי “happy”. Happy is the generation whose prince (king) takes care to bring an atonement sacrifice even for an inadvertent act of his; how much the more certain is it that he will do penance for his wilful sins (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d'Chovah, Section 5 1; Horayot 10b)
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Ramban on Leviticus
ASHER’ A PRINCE SINNETH. “The word asher is [here] derived from the expression ashrei (happy). Happy is the generation whose prince brings an offering for atonement [even] for his error.314Our Rashi adds: “How much the more certain is it that he will do penance for any sin he committed wilfully.” [Torath Kohanim].315Torath Kohanim, Vayikra Chobah 5:1. 23. ‘O’ HIS SIN BE KNOWN TO HIM — ‘if’ his sin be known to him. There are many verses where the word o (or) is used in the sense of im (if), and conversely where im is used in the sense of o. Similarly, ‘o’ it be known that the ox was wont to gore316Exodus 21:36. [means ‘if’ it be known, and the word o which ordinarily means ‘or’ is here used in the sense of ‘im,’ meaning ‘if’].” Thus the language of Rashi.
Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented: “The sense of asher nasi yechta is as if the expression were inverted, making it read: asher yechta nasi (if ‘he who sins is the prince’), and it is connected with [the section] above, And if the whole congregation of Israel shall err.317Verse 13. It is thus as if He had stated here: ‘and if he who sins is the prince [and he knows it of himself], or his sin be made known to him by others.’ Scripture, however, adopts a short form of expression, [omitting to state ‘that he knows the sin himself,’ or that it was made known to him ‘through others’], but the meaning is that either it becomes known to the prince by himself that he sinned, ‘o hoda eilav’ (or it be made known to him) — i.e., that another man who saw him doing it informed him of it. The grammatical form of hoda is then a past causative [like hodi’a — a man ‘informed’ him], this being similar to ‘v’heitzar lecha’318Deuteronomy 28:25. [the meaning of which is as if it said ‘v’heitzir lecha’ in the causative, i.e., and he will besiege thee]. The subject, however, is missing [for it should have said here, or ‘another man’ inform him, and there it should have stated, and ‘the enemy’ will besiege thee], just as ‘asher’ bore her to Levi”319Numbers 26:59. [which should have read ‘asher ishto’ (whose wife) bore her to Levi]. [All these are the words of Ibn Ezra.].
But there is no need for all this, since the uses of the word asher are many. In some cases it indicates time, such as: ‘ka’asher’ (when) Joseph came unto his brethren;320Genesis 37:23. ‘ka’asher’ (when) they had eaten up the corn,321Ibid., 43:2. and the like. Similarly, here too [asher is like ka’asher and indicates time]: ‘when’ a prince sinneth, with the kaf of cognizance [which would make it ka’asher — “when”] missing. So also, The blessing, ‘asher’ ye shall hearken unto the commandments of the Eternal,322Deuteronomy 11:27. means ‘ka’asher’ (when) ye shall hearken. ‘Asher’ ye have seen the Egyptians today, ye shall see them again no more,323Exodus 14:13. means ‘ka’asher’ (when) ye have seen them [today ye shall see them no more]. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread ‘asher’ I commanded thee,324Ibid., 34:18. means ‘ka’asher’ (when) I commanded thee. At times this word [asher] is missing [not a kaf but] a beth. Thus: And also Maacah his mother he [King Asa of Judah] removed from being queen, ‘asher’ she made an abominable image for an Asherah325I Kings 15:13. means ‘ba’asher’ she made an abominable image for an Asherah, which denotes “because,” just like, ‘ba’asher’ (because) thou art his wife.326Genesis 39:9. The expression o hoda eilav [is thus not a causative, as Ibn Ezra would have it, which would make it to mean “or that it was made known to him by another person;” rather, it] refers to the guilt, stating that when a person will do any one of all the things which the Eternal his G-d hath commanded not to be done, and is guilty,327Verse 22 here. and deserving of punishment, or it be known to him and he will achieve atonement by means of an offering. The sense of the verse is thus: “he will either be guilty [and deserving of punishment], or bring an offering and he will be forgiven.” The reason for the expression: the Eternal his G-d, is to state that even though he is the king, and the lord upon whom there is no fear of mortal man, he is yet to fear the Eternal his G-d, for it is He who is the Lord of lords.328Deuteronomy 10:17. Similarly, that he (the king) may learn to fear the Eternal his G-d,329Ibid., 17:19. means that the king is to take to heart [the knowledge] that there is a Supreme One above him, Who is his G-d and in Whose power is his life and kingdom.
Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented: “The sense of asher nasi yechta is as if the expression were inverted, making it read: asher yechta nasi (if ‘he who sins is the prince’), and it is connected with [the section] above, And if the whole congregation of Israel shall err.317Verse 13. It is thus as if He had stated here: ‘and if he who sins is the prince [and he knows it of himself], or his sin be made known to him by others.’ Scripture, however, adopts a short form of expression, [omitting to state ‘that he knows the sin himself,’ or that it was made known to him ‘through others’], but the meaning is that either it becomes known to the prince by himself that he sinned, ‘o hoda eilav’ (or it be made known to him) — i.e., that another man who saw him doing it informed him of it. The grammatical form of hoda is then a past causative [like hodi’a — a man ‘informed’ him], this being similar to ‘v’heitzar lecha’318Deuteronomy 28:25. [the meaning of which is as if it said ‘v’heitzir lecha’ in the causative, i.e., and he will besiege thee]. The subject, however, is missing [for it should have said here, or ‘another man’ inform him, and there it should have stated, and ‘the enemy’ will besiege thee], just as ‘asher’ bore her to Levi”319Numbers 26:59. [which should have read ‘asher ishto’ (whose wife) bore her to Levi]. [All these are the words of Ibn Ezra.].
But there is no need for all this, since the uses of the word asher are many. In some cases it indicates time, such as: ‘ka’asher’ (when) Joseph came unto his brethren;320Genesis 37:23. ‘ka’asher’ (when) they had eaten up the corn,321Ibid., 43:2. and the like. Similarly, here too [asher is like ka’asher and indicates time]: ‘when’ a prince sinneth, with the kaf of cognizance [which would make it ka’asher — “when”] missing. So also, The blessing, ‘asher’ ye shall hearken unto the commandments of the Eternal,322Deuteronomy 11:27. means ‘ka’asher’ (when) ye shall hearken. ‘Asher’ ye have seen the Egyptians today, ye shall see them again no more,323Exodus 14:13. means ‘ka’asher’ (when) ye have seen them [today ye shall see them no more]. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread ‘asher’ I commanded thee,324Ibid., 34:18. means ‘ka’asher’ (when) I commanded thee. At times this word [asher] is missing [not a kaf but] a beth. Thus: And also Maacah his mother he [King Asa of Judah] removed from being queen, ‘asher’ she made an abominable image for an Asherah325I Kings 15:13. means ‘ba’asher’ she made an abominable image for an Asherah, which denotes “because,” just like, ‘ba’asher’ (because) thou art his wife.326Genesis 39:9. The expression o hoda eilav [is thus not a causative, as Ibn Ezra would have it, which would make it to mean “or that it was made known to him by another person;” rather, it] refers to the guilt, stating that when a person will do any one of all the things which the Eternal his G-d hath commanded not to be done, and is guilty,327Verse 22 here. and deserving of punishment, or it be known to him and he will achieve atonement by means of an offering. The sense of the verse is thus: “he will either be guilty [and deserving of punishment], or bring an offering and he will be forgiven.” The reason for the expression: the Eternal his G-d, is to state that even though he is the king, and the lord upon whom there is no fear of mortal man, he is yet to fear the Eternal his G-d, for it is He who is the Lord of lords.328Deuteronomy 10:17. Similarly, that he (the king) may learn to fear the Eternal his G-d,329Ibid., 17:19. means that the king is to take to heart [the knowledge] that there is a Supreme One above him, Who is his G-d and in Whose power is his life and kingdom.
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Or HaChaim on Leviticus
אשר נשיא יחטא, When the prince (or king) commit an error, etc. This includes a situation where the ruler acted on the basis of a decision handed down by a properly constituted court. As long as the court is not guilty of a sin-offering on account of its decision, the ruler has to bring a a male goat as a sin-offering (Maimonides Hilchot Shigegot 15,8).
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