Midrash su Levitico 9:3

(Lev. 9:1) “And it came to pass on the eighth day….” This text is related to [the verse] (in Eccl. 8:5), “Whoever observes a commandment shall not know anything evil.” Who is this?¹Cf. Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 2:4. Aaron, of whom it is said (in Lev. 8:33, 35), “And you (i.e., you and your sons) shall not go out from the door of the tent of meeting for seven days […]. And you shall remain at the door of the tent of meeting day and night for seven days.” Moses said to them, “Observe mourning for seven days, before it comes to you.” (Lev. 8:35, cont.) “And you shall observe the charge of the Lord.” Moses said to them, “Observe the charge of the Lord, for so did the Holy One, blessed be He, observe seven days of mourning before He brought the flood.” Where is it shown that He mourned [before the flood]? Where it is stated (in Gen. 6:6), “Then the Lord regretted that He had made humanity on the earth, and He was grieving in his heart.” [The expression] “He was grieving” can only mean, He mourned. For so it says concerning David (in II Sam. 19:3), “And the victory [on that day] was turned into mourning for all the people because [on that day they heard it being said,] ‘The king was grieving over his son.’”²Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 2:4; Gen. R. 27:4. So also Ezra said to Israel when they were weeping, each one for his brother and each one for his child (in Neh. 8:10), “Go, eat choice foods and drink sweet drinks…. Do not be grieving, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” It is therefore stated (in Gen. 6:6), “and He was grieving in his heart.” At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, observed the seven days of mourning, before He brought the flood. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 7:10), “And it came to pass after seven days [that the waters of the flood came upon the earth].” And so Moses was saying to Aaron the priest and to his sons, “Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, mourned over His world before He brought the flood, so [you are to] observe the [required] mourning before it touches (i.e., harms) you.” So they observed [the mourning], but they did not know for what reason they were observing it. Why? (Eccl. 8:5:) “Whoever observes a commandment shall not know anything evil.” (Eccl. 8:5, cont.:) “And a wise heart shall know [there is] a time of judgment.” This is Moses, to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, had already said (in Exod. 29:43), “And there I will meet with the Children of Israel, and there shall be sanctification³This translation leaves in doubt who or what is sanctified. A more traditional translation would read, “It (i.e., the door of the Tabernacle) shall be sanctified.” through My glory.” [In other words,] I (the Holy One, blessed be He,) will be sanctified there through My glory. Now Moses ministered during the seven days of priestly ordination, but he was afraid, saying, “Perhaps divine judgment will strike him (i.e., Aaron).” Thus it is stated (ibid.), “and there shall be sanctification through My glory.” Still he did not act, but said to Aaron, “Observe seven days of mourning.” [Aaron] said to him, “Why?” [Moses] said to him, “For so the Holy One, blessed be He, has told me – (in Lev. 8:35) “for so I have been commanded.” When they had observed the seven days of mourning and [when] the eighth day had come, Nadab and Abihu went in to make an offering (rt.: qrb). Divine judgment struck them, and they were destroyed by fire. It is so stated (in Lev. 10:2), “So fire came forth from before the Lord and consumed them, so that they died before the Lord.” Moses came and said to Aaron (in Lev. 10:3), “This is what the Lord spoke, ‘Through those who are near (rt.: qrb) to Me, I will be sanctified.” Where did he speak? In the Sinai Desert. (Exod. 29:43), “And there I will meet with the Children of Israel, and there shall be sanctification through My glory.” And so did Moses say to Aaron, “The time that He said to me, ‘Through those who are near to Me, I will be sanctified,’ I thought that He would strike me or you. But now I know that they are greater than I and than you.” (Lev 9:3:) “And Aaron was silent” – the thing was consolation for him. Ergo (Eccl. 8:5), “Whoever observes a commandment shall not know anything evil.”

3) (Vayikra 9:2): "And he said to Aaron: Take for yourself a bull-calf for a sin-offering": We are hereby taught that Moses said to Aaron: Aaron, my brother, even though the Holy One Blessed be He has consented to forgive your sins (in the episode of the golden calf), you must "place something in Satan's mouth." Send your gift before you before entering the sanctuary lest he condemn you upon your entering the sanctuary. And lest you say: Is it only I who need atonement? Israel, too, needs atonement, viz. (Vayikra 9:3): "And to the children of Israel shall you speak, saying: Take a kid of goats for a sin-offering, and a calf, etc." And why was it Israel's lot to bring more than Aaron? He said to them: You are culpable in the beginning and culpable in the end. In the beginning (at the sale of Yosef) — (Bereshith 37:31): "And they slaughtered a kid of goats, etc."; in the end — (Shemoth 32:8): "They have made for themselves a molten calf." Let a kid of goats come and atone for the "act" of goats, let a calf come and atone for the "act" of the calf.

(Lev. 9:2:) “Then he said unto Aaron, ‘Take a calf [of the herd for a sin offering].’” Why was it not told him [to take] a bull instead of a calf? He said to him, “Because through the calf (of Exod. 32) the priesthood was shaken in your hand, through a calf it is being established in your hand.” And not only that, but lest Israel say there are sins [clinging] to them from the deed of the calf, for that reason He said they should offer a calf [for a sin offering]. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 9:3), “And you shall speak unto the Children of Israel, saying, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering and a calf….’” [These things were said] so that they would know that they had been forgiven for the deed of the calf. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “In this world, they have been forgiven through offerings, but in the world to come I will wipe away their sins without an offering.” It is so stated (in Is. 43:25), “I, even I, will pardon¹²Mohel; cf. the Masoretic Text which reads moheh (“wipe away”). your transgressions for My own sake and will not remember your sins.”

(Lev. 9:2:) THEN HE SAID UNTO AARON; TAKE A BULLOCK < OF THE HERD FOR A SIN OFFERING >. Why was it not told him < to take > a bull instead of a bullock?¹⁴Tanh., Lev. 3:4. He said to him: Because through the bullock (of Exod. 32) the priesthood was shaken in your hand, through a bullock it is being established in your hand. And not only that, but lest Israel say there are sins < clinging > to them from the deed of the bullock, for that reason he said they should offer a bullock < for a sin offering >. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 9:3): AND YOU SHALL SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, SAYING: TAKE A MALE GOAT FOR A SIN OFFERING AND A BULLOCK…. < These things were said > so that they would know that they had been forgiven for the deed of the calf. The Holy One said to them: In this world they have been forgiven through offerings, but in the world to come I will wipe away their sins without an offering. It is so stated (in Is. 43:25): I, EVEN I, WILL PARDON¹⁵mohel; cf. the Masoretic Text which reads moheh (“wipe away.” YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS FOR MY OWN SAKE AND WILL NOT REMEMBER YOUR SINS.

(Lev. 25:25:) WHEN YOUR RELATIVE BECOMES POOR AND SELLS SOME OF HIS PROPERTY, THEN HIS REDEEMER SHALL COME, THE ONE MOST CLOSELY RELATED < TO HIM, AND REDEEM >…. Who is his redeemer?¹⁸Tanh., Lev. 9:3. I am he, as stated (in Jer. 50:33–34): THUS SAYS THE LORD: < THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL > ARE OPPRESSED…. THEIR REDEEMER IS MIGHTY, < HIS NAME IS > THE LORD < OF HOSTS >.

[Another interpretation (of Lev. 25:25:) WHEN YOUR RELATIVE BECOMES POOR.] Seven names are given to the poor.¹⁹Cf. Lev. R. 34:6, which lists eight names. They are the following: crushed (dakh), poor ('ani), lowly (makh), dispossessed (rash), oppressed (TKK),²⁰Cf. Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34; and the parallel in Tanh., Lev. 9:3, both of which read tekhakhim; cf. also Lev. R. 34:6, followed by Yalqut Shim‘oni, Lev. 665, which reads dal (“impoverished”) here. wretched (misken), and pauper (evyon).

6) R. Shimon says: Wherever "egel" (calf) is written in the Torah, (a calf) of the first year (is intended), as it is written (Vayikra 9:3): "and a calf and a lamb of the first year." (Wherever) "ben bakar" (is written), (a calf of) the second year (is intended), as it is written (Vayikra 9:2): "Take for yourself egel ben bakar (a bull-calf) and a ram for a burnt-offering, without blemish." Just as a ram is of the second year, so, a bull-calf. "bullock," unqualified, is of the third year. Four and five year olds are also kasher, but old ones are not brought, out of deference (to the L–rd).

R. Hunya said: It is written: And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised (Lev. 12:3). This indicates that a man should even go into debt in order to make the circumcision a day of rejoicing. Hence it says: And will praise Thee, yet more and more (Ps. 71:14). The rabbis maintained that this verse speaks of Abraham. He said to the Holy One, blessed be He: “You told me: For in Isaac shall seed be called unto thee (Gen. 21:12). You have multiplied Your blessings upon me, and I have borne many sons.” Hence it is said: And Abraham took another wife.

Another interpretation (of Ps. 106:43): MANY TIMES HE DELIVERED THEM. < These words > speak about the children of Adam.²²Tanh., Lev. 9:3. When trouble comes to one < of them >, he immediately repents, and the Holy One delivers him. So it is the first time and the second. < If > he repents, that is preferable; but if not, < the Holy One > brings trouble upon him. Why? Because it is difficult for the Holy One to raise his hand against a human being. So what does he do to him? When he sins, he begins by raising his hand against his assets. From whom have you learned it? From Naomi, her sons, and Elimelech, who was the head of < his > generation. When famine came, what did he do? He left the land of Israel and went to the land of Moab. Now the Holy One was angry with him because he was prince (nasi) of < his > generation. The Holy One said to him: If my children had acted like this, they would have left the land of Israel a wilderness. What is written there (in Ruth 1:3)? THEN NAOMI'S HUSBAND ELIMELECH DIED, but his sons were unable to learn from their father to return to the land of Israel. And what did they do in addition? (According to vs. 4) THEY TOOK MOABITE WIVES FOR THEMSELVES, whom they neither baptized nor proselytized.²³Ruth R. 2:9. (Ibid., cont.:) THE NAME OF THE ONE WAS ORPAH ('RPH) AND THE NAME OF THE SECOND WAS RUTH: ORPAH ('RPH), because she turned her back ('RP) on her mother-in-law; RUTH, because she regarded (R'TH) the words of her mother-in-law. (Ibid., cont.:) AND THEY LIVED THERE ABOUT TEN YEARS. All those ten years (in Moab) the Holy One had been warning them. When he saw that they did not repent, he began to raise his hand against their camels and against their cattle; but they did not return.²⁴Lev. R. 17:4; Ruth R. 2:10; PRK 7:10; PR 17:6. When he saw that they did not repent (literally: return in repentance), immediately (in vs. 5): BOTH OF THEM, MAHLON AND CHILION, ALSO DIED. Thus < you may infer > that it is difficult for the Holy One to raise his hand against a human being. So what does he do to them? He deprives them of their assets, and they sell them.