Midrash su Levitico 8:20

Moses introduced priestcraft, priesthood, sacrifice, and the law. He introduced priestcraft when he officiated as priest for seven days during the inauguration (of the priesthood); priesthood when He appointed Elazar the son of Aaron to the office of priest in the Temple, as it is said: And the chief over the princes of the Levites was Elazar the son of Aaron the priest (Num. 3:32); sacrifice, for it is said: And Moses made the whole head ram smoke upon the altar; it was a burnt offering (Lev. 8:20); and law, for it is written: And I will give to thee the tablets of stone and the law and the commandments (Exod. 24:12). Balaam instituted gambling, plaiting the hair, sorcery, and unchastity. Hence, Noah was one of four men who introduced four things.

17) (Vayikra 8:18) "And he presented the ram of the burnt-offering, and Aaron and his sons placed their hands on the head of the ram.": From here we derive the requirement of semichah for a burnt-offering. (Vayikra 8:19): "And he slaughtered, and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar roundabout.": From here we derive the requirement of sprinkling for a burnt-offering. (Vayikra 8:20): "And he cut the ram into its pieces": Everything stated explicitly about an individual burnt-offering is stated here, except flaying. And some say there is no cutting into pieces without flaying.

(Lev. 23:40:) AND YOU SHALL TAKE FOR YOURSELVES. After all the wisdom which is ascribed to Solomon (in I Kings 5:10–11 [4:31–32]): [AND SOLOMON'S WISDOM WAS GREATER < THAN THE WISDOM OF ALL THE CHILDREN OF THE EAST >…. ] FOR HE WAS THE WISEST OF ALL PEOPLE; he forsook all these things (i.e., astrology, ornithomancy, and the other elements of eastern wisdom)¹⁰⁵See PRK 4:3; PR 14:9. and sat wondering about these four species.¹⁰⁶Tanh., Lev. 8:20; Lev. R. 30:15. This text is related (to Prov. 30:18): THREE THINGS ARE TOO DIFFICULT FOR ME, [< i.e., > Paschal lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs; AND FOUR I DO NOT UNDERSTAND.] These are the four species which are in the lulav, which {he was unable} [he sought] to understand. Now (in Lev. 23:40) if you say that the BEAUTIFUL TREE FRUIT is an ethrog, all trees bear fruit. (Ibid., cont.:) BRANCHES OF PALM TREES. One needs to take two branches [and offer praise with them], but one only takes the heart of the palm, i.e., the lulav. (Ibid., cont.:) BOUGHS OF DENSE TREES. Who says to you that it is the myrtle, since it is written in another place (i.e., in Neh. 8:15): GO OUT TO THE MOUNTAIN AND BRING LEAFY BRANCHES OF OLIVE TREES, [LEAFY BRANCHES OF OIL-GIVING TREES, LEAFY BRANCHES OF MYRTLE, LEAFY BRANCHES OF PALMS, AND LEAFY BRANCHES OF DENSE TREES]? (Lev. 23:40, cont.:) AND WILLOWS OF THE BROOK; < yet > all the trees grow in the water. (Prov. 30:18:) AND FOUR I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. It also says in another place (i.e., in Prov. 30:29): THREE THINGS HAVE A STATELY STRIDE, AND FOUR HAVE A STATELY WALK. These are the four species which are in the lulav, for each and every person from Israel goes running to buy one of them for himself in order to give praise to the Lord. < Doing so > is acceptable to him and makes atonement to him for all one's sins. A STATELY WALK: The one who sees these same four species, rejoices over them, and they loom large before the Holy One.¹⁰⁷Cf. the parallel in Lev. R. 30:15, which expands the final clause with the following: “And although they seem small in human eyes, they loom large before the Holy One.” (Prov. 30:24:) FOUR THINGS ARE TINY ON EARTH. They are these four species. (Ibid., cont.:) BUT THEY ARE THE WISEST OF THE WISE, [because¹⁰⁸The section marked by Buber’s outer brackets extends to the end of the next paragraph. they deal wisely, when they plead merit {and wisdom} [and love] before the one who spoke, and the world came into being.