Cytowanie Komentarza do Kapłańska 16:8

This is ‘chukath’ (the statute of) the law. “Since Satan¹Here understood as “the hinderer” or “the disturber” who tries to dissuade people from keeping commandments which they do not fully understand. and the nations of the world ridicule Israel, saying, ‘What is [the meaning of] this commandment [of the Red Heifer]?’ therefore the Torah uses the term chukah (statute) in connection with it, [meaning]: ‘It is a decree from before Me, and you have no permission to question it.’” This is Rashi’s language, taken from the words of our Rabbis.²Tanchuma, Chukath 7; Yoma 67b. See also Vol. II, p. 208, Note 236. Now I have already written in connection with the goat that is sent away [to Azazel³Leviticus 16:8. the reason] why the nations of the world should taunt us about this [commandment] more than [they taunt us about] the rest of the offerings which effect atonement, and some of which bring about purification — such as the offerings of a man [or woman] who suffered a flux,⁴Ibid., 15:13-15; 25-31. or of a woman after childbirth.⁵Ibid., 12:6-8. [The reason is] that since [the procedure of the Red Heifer] is performed outside [the Sanctuary], it appears to the nations that it is slaughtered to the satyrs which are in the open field.⁶See ibid., 17:5-7. But the truth is that [the Red Heifer] is brought to remove the spirit of impurity, and the burning thereof outside [the Sanctuary Court] is like the sweet savor⁷Ibid., 1:9 etc. — In other words, as long as the observance is in accordance with the word of G-d, it does not matter if it is done within the Sanctuary Court or outside thereof, for both were equally commanded by Him. [of the offerings brought within the Sanctuary Court].
The reason for the impurity conveyed by a corpse is [due to man’s sin committed through] the instigation of the serpent,⁸See Vol. I, p. 75: “But in the opinion of our Rabbis, if Adam had not sinned he would have never died, etc.” See also my Hebrew commentary, pp. 267-268. for those who die by “the Divine Kiss” do not [in fact] convey impurity according to the law, this being the [sense of the] saying of the Rabbis:⁹Tosafoth Baba Metzia 114b. See my Hebrew commentary p. 268, for further sources of this statement. “The righteous do not convey impurity [when dead].” It is for this reason that Scripture states, This is ‘chukath’ of the law, meaning: [this is] that which is “hollowed out”¹⁰From the root: chakak — “to engrave, hollow out.” from the [Written] Torah, namely, the Oral Torah.¹¹See Abusaula and other Cabalistic commentators on Ramban. Therefore it is a [female] heifer and must be red, [symbolic] of the attribute of justice.¹¹See Abusaula and other Cabalistic commentators on Ramban. It is given to Eleazar¹²Verse 3. inasmuch as it must be slaughtered before him, even [though it may actually be slaughtered] by a non-priest, because the deputy High Priest [i.e., Eleazar] supervises the performance thereof, so that it should be done in accordance with his intentions, and so that they should not entertain any improper thoughts about it, as do the nations [of the world] and Satan¹Here understood as “the hinderer” or “the disturber” who tries to dissuade people from keeping commandments which they do not fully understand. [as mentioned above].
Now this section [of the Red Heifer] completes the laws of the priests [and as such belongs in the Book of Leviticus]. However, it is written here after [the preceding section dealing with] the gifts to the priests, in order to declare that the purification of Israel must also be effected through the priest [just as atonement for sin is effected through the offerings which are offered on the altar by the priests].
THIS IS THE STATUTE OF THE LAW WHICH THE ETERNAL COMMANDED. The reason for this expression [when it should have said “that I commanded,” since G-d is the Speaker of these words], is similar to the verse, And unto Moses He said: ‘Come up unto the Eternal’¹³Exodus 24:1. See Vol. II, pp. 422-424. [where it should likewise have said: “Come up unto Me”]. Or it may be that this verse must be re-arranged [in order to be interpreted properly], its sense being: “Speak unto the children of Israel: This is the statute of the law which the Eternal hath commanded, saying etc.”¹⁴The order of the expressions [in Hebrew] is as follows: And the Eternal spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron saying: This is the statute of the law which the Eternal hath commanded saying: Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring … With the sense of the verse being as Ramban transposes it, we can understand the use of the phrase which ‘the Eternal’ hath commanded, because this is part of the statement which Moses is to make to the people, when conveying G-d’s command. Hence it cannot say: “which I have commanded.”

במתי מעט, "few in numbers." This is a reference to the relatively weak forces of Satan at that time. Afterwards these forces increased manifold due to the active co-operation of man himself. This is why the Torah continues: ויהי שם לגוי גדול ועצום "and while there it became a powerful nation." This is the mystical dimension of Psalms 25,11: וסלחת לעוני כי רב הוא "and pardon my iniquity though it is great." Rabbi Yitzchak Luria explained that the word רב, "great," refers to the evil urge whose powers are great. The fact that G'd commanded us to perform the rites of the scape-goat on the Day of Atonement is proof that Satan's power must not be discounted. G'd commanded that we present one scape-goat each to Him and to the Azzazel (Leviticus 16,8).

“And they shall no longer sacrifice their sacrifices to goat-demons.” This passage is placed here because there is room for heretics to err and say that sending the goat to the wilderness is for the goat-demons, Heaven forbid. Therefore, He immediately warned them about slaughtering outside [the Temple] and indicated that God actually wanted to prevent them from sacrificing to goat-demons, which they had engaged in previously, as evidenced by the use of the term “no longer.” The matter of the goat [to Azazel] is not a form of worship or sacrifice, but rather the portion of Samael, as Nachmanides explains (Leviticus 16:8), saying: “The Holy One, blessed be He, commanded that we send a goat to the wilderness to the angel who rules over places of desolation, for he is the cause of the stars of sword, blood, wars, wounds, blows, division, destruction, and generally the soul of the planet Mars. His portion among the nations is Esau, who is the nation that inherits the sword and wars. Among animals, his portion is goats, and his portion also includes the demons called mazikin and goat-demons,” and the Rabbi elaborated there in his language. And here I have an opportunity to explain with this what is written regarding sacrifices outside [the Temple]: blood shall be imputed to that man. Rashi explains: “as if he shed human blood,” etc. One may ask, what is the connection between slaughtering outside [the Temple] and shedding human blood? But since one who slaughters outside to goat-demons draws power from Mars, which influences swords and killing, it follows that blood shall be imputed to that man is aptly stated, for he is truly considered as one who sheds blood, since this is the power of his deity. And this is a precious interpretation.

Here, in a case in which the use of a lottery does effect the consecration - as is written, "and Aaron will place, etc." (Leviticus 16:8), is it not logically right, etc.