Musar su Levitico 16:16

They also said that we learn from there that this requirement to confess includes people who have entered the Temple in a state of impurity or who have defiled things that had previously been sanctified in the Temple. The verse quoted from Leviticus applied to specific sins; the verse in our paragraph which is phrased more generally, refers to the need for confession of all other categories of sins. Whence do we know that even sins which carry the death penalty either by human tribunal or by Heavenly decree also need to be confessed? We learn this from the confession of Aaron in Parshat Acharey Mot, Leviticus 16,21: "Aaron confessed all the iniquities of the children of Israel, etc." The Mechilta uses every occurrence of the word "confession," to include even a further category of sin, the non-performance of positive commandments.

The שכינה itself resides exclusively amongst Israel, and this is the reason the Torah says "They shall make a Temple for Me so that I may reside amongst them." The Torah is also on record as: "whom I have taken out of the land of Egypt in order to dwell amongst them" (Exodus 29,46), and the Torah says: "I shall place My residence amongst them" (Leviticus 26,11). This is the residence in which the Ineffable Name of G–d is at home. G–d said to the Jewish people: "Take My residence, the one which I dwell in, for yourselves, and I will never depart from you." Even though on occasion you are bound to become ritually defiled (the antithesis to sanctity) My Presence will not depart from you. This is the meaning of: "who dwells amongst them in the midst of their defilement" (Leviticus 16,16). When G–d gave Israel this gift, and His Presence resided amongst them, Israel became the recipient of all of G–d's bounty. G–d entrusted Israel with the keys to all His treasure-chambers so that they had access to and could receive every conceivable kind of blessing from the שכינה. This is the true meaning of the verse: ונתתי משכני בתוככם והתהלכתי בתוככם והייתי לכם לאלוקים, "I make My residence amongst you….and I walk amongst you and I shall be your G–d" (Leviticus 26, 11-12). This verse almost portrays the שכינה as similar to the pledge held by a creditor, as if G–d were Israel's debtor.

When Israel sinned and as a result the Temple was destroyed, the שכינה went into exile with the Jewish people, seeing that it was a pledge G–d had entrusted to them. This is the mystical dimension of the verse: אלה פקודי המשכן, משכן העדות, "These are the "pledges" of the Tabernacle, the "pledges" of the "Testimony" (Exodus 38,21). This is the basis for the Rabbinic statement in Megillah 29 that Israel is beloved (by G–d) since wherever the people of Israel are exiled, the שכינה is exiled with them. When they were exiled to Egypt the שכינה was with them, as we know from Genesis 46,4, where G–d told Jacob: "I shall go down to Egypt with you." When the Jewish people went into exile in Babylonia the שכינה accompanied them, as we know from Isaiah 43,14: "For your sake I sent to Babylon." When Israel was exiled in Elam the שכינה accompanied them, as we know from Jeremiah 49,38: "I will set My throne in Elam." When the Jewish people went into the Roman exile the שכינה also went with them, as we know from Isaiah 63,1: "Who is this coming from Edom,…..it is I who contend victoriously, powerful to give triumph." When the people of Israel return to their land from exile the שכינה will also accompany them as we know from Deut. 23,35: ושב ה' אלוקיכם את שבותך ורחמך, "G–d will come back with your imprisoned ones and have mercy on you." We would have expected the Torah to say: והשיב, "He will bring back," instead of "He will come back." We also have a verse in Song of Songs 4,8: "With Me from Lebanon O bride, come with Me!" Rabbi Meir explains this as a parable: It is like a king saying to his servant "if you need to seek me out, I shall be with my son." This is the meaning of "who dwells with them in their defilement," which we have quoted earlier. All this although G–d had warned Israel not to defile their encampments or the land they would live on, for it is the land G–d Himself has His abode in.