Comentário sobre Levítico 9:3

And unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak. This means that Aaron is to speak to them thus, as it was His wish that Aaron should be the one who commands in the name of G-d, and that he should be the one who would bring the offerings, in order to elevate him in the eyes of the people. The correct interpretation is that the expression and unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, means you [Aaron] and the elders mentioned [in Verse 1], since it was for that purpose that he called them,⁵As Verse 1 states: And it came to pass on the eighth day, that Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel. so that they should speak to the children of Israel, as in the verse, And Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them: Draw out [and take you lambs].⁶Exodus 12:21. Or it may be that [Moses] said to each of the elders, and unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak [the singular word thou thus referring to each one of the elders]. Accordingly, the meaning of the section is as follows: and he [Moses] said to Aaron: Take thee etc., and to [each of] the elders he said, and unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak. For one who speaks to many people usually addresses his command to each person individually, something like that which it is said, And I commanded you at that time, saying etc.: Ye shall pass over armed before your brethren.⁷Deuteronomy 3:18. There are many such cases in the Book of Deuteronomy [where Moses speaks to the whole congregation, when his message is actually addressed to each person individually].
Now Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote that the verse, And Moses said: This is the thing which the Eternal commanded that ye should do,¹Verse 6. means that “Moses had already told them, this is the thing.” If so, it is possible that the meaning of the verses be as follows: Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel, and Moses said: This thing which the Eternal has commanded me ye should do, that the Glory of the Eternal may appear unto you;¹Verse 6. and he said unto Aaron: Take thee a bull-calf etc.; and unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, saying: Take ye a he-goat for a sin-offering etc.⁸Verse 3. — Ibn Ezra thus transposes the contents of Verse 6, and explains that it was said immediately in Verse 1, as an introduction to the specific commands following. Thus [Moses] spoke briefly at first [as in Verse 6] and then explained himself at the end [in Verses 2-4].
But this is not correct. Rather, after Moses had mentioned to them the offerings [which they were required to bring on that day], and they brought that which Moses commanded,⁹Verse 5. he said to them again, This is the thing which the Eternal commanded that ye should do,¹Verse 6. meaning that they should bring the offerings in the order that he would command them, and afterwards the Glory of the Eternal would appear to them. Now since he had said, for today the Eternal appeareth unto you,¹⁰Verse 4. he went back and said that He would appear to them through His Glory.
Now these offerings [which were brought on the eighth day after the completion of the seven-day consecration of the priests], were not mentioned in the section of And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto Me,¹¹Exodus 29:1. for there He only gave the command about the consecration, and their days of consecration were completed with the seven days and their offerings, but now on the eighth day, they themselves brought the offerings [whereas on the seven days of the consecration, the offerings were brought by Moses]. Thus these offerings [brought on the eighth day] were a kind of initiation for the priests, as was the meal-offering of the baken cakes¹²Above, 6:13-15. command for future generations [which were brought] on the day when he is anointed.¹³Ibid., Verse 13. I.e., on the day that the ordinary priests are installed into the priestly service. The High Priest, however, brought this meal-offering every day. Ramban thus suggests that the offerings brought on the eighth day [as explained in this section] were a sort of initiation, comparable to the meal-offering brought in future generations by the ordinary priest once in his lifetime, and by the High Priest every day.
It is possible that it was in order to atone for the incident of the golden calf that He now gave them these added offerings, for at the time when He commanded the section of And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto Me,¹¹Exodus 29:1. the golden calf had not yet been made, as I have explained,¹⁴See Ramban above, 8:1: “By way of the proper interpretation of Scripture etc.” and therefore He did not mention them [these offerings] there. It is thus not as Rashi wrote there,¹¹Exodus 29:1. that the bullock [offered on each of the seven days of consecration] was to atone for the incident of the golden calf, but these bullocks were to purify the altar,¹⁵See Ramban above, 8:15. and for Aaron and his sons in order to hallow them,¹¹Exodus 29:1. and it was this calf [brought] on the eighth day that was to atone for the incident of the golden calf. Thus Aaron’s offerings [on this eight day] were the same as his offerings on the Day of Atonement,¹⁶Further, 16:3: Herewith shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering. [namely, the bull-calf for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering, as mentioned in the verse before us], and the people’s sin-offering [on this eighth day] was the same as their sin-offering on the Day of Atonement, namely, one he-goat for a sin-offering.¹⁷Verse 3 here, and further, 16:5. — On the Day of Atonement there were actually two he-goats for a sin-offering, but only one was brought as an offering in the Sanctuary (see further, 16:8-22). So also have the Rabbis said in the Tosephta of the section of consecration, in the Torath Kohanim,¹⁸Torath Kohanim, at the beginning of Shemini 4. that this calf [brought on the eighth day] was to atone for the incident of the golden calf. Thus they interpreted: “For what reason did Israel bring more offerings [on this day] than Aaron?¹⁹Israel’s sin-offering on that day was a he-goat, while Aaron’s was a calf. As a burnt-offering Israel brought a calf and a ram, while Aaron’s was only a ram. The Torath Kohanim suggests a reason why the people’s offerings had to be more than those of Aaron, and also why their sin-offering was a he-goat, unlike that of Aaron which was a calf. It was on account of what He said to them: ‘You [the people] have in your hands [sin] at the beginning, and you have in your hands [sin] at the end.’ You have sinned at the beginning, as it is written [when the brothers sold Joseph], and they killed a he-goat,²⁰Genesis 37:31. and you have sinned at the end, as it is said, they have made them a molten calf.²¹Exodus 32:8. Therefore let them bring the he-goat [for a sin-offering] to atone for the incident connected with that of the he-goat, and let them bring a calf [as a burnt-offering] to atone for the incident of the golden calf.”
It would appear that because the reason for Aaron’s sin-offering [on this eighth day] was the same as that of his sin-offering on the Day of Atonement, therefore he burnt it [outside the camp]²²Further, Verse 11. Rashi wrote that this was done at the express command of G-d. But Ramban at this point suggests that this procedure was adopted on the basis of a similar law on the Day of Atonement, since the reason for both offerings was identical. as the one of the Day of Atonement is burnt,²³Further, 16:27. even though this sin-offering [of the eighth day] was “an outer sin-offering”²⁴See in Seder Tzav, Note 52. Ramban’s concluding thought here — “for Moses did not explain that he should do so” — is thus to be understood as follows: Since Scripture does not relate that Moses commanded Aaron to burn his sin-offering outside the camp although it was not “an inner sin-offering,” the question arises why did Aaron do so [as stated in Verse 11]? It must be, Ramban suggests, because the reason for Aaron’s sin-offering on this eighth day of the initiation was the same as that of his sin-offering on the Day of Atonement, which being “an inner sin-offering” is rightfully burnt outside the camp, and hence Aaron on this eighth day did similarly. In the text following, Ramban will suggest that Aaron actually received this command from Moses, and the reason why Scripture did not mention it is explained in the text of Ramban. [while that of the Day of Atonement was “an inner sin-offering”], for Moses did not explain that he should do so. But perhaps Aaron was indeed so commanded, and [it is not mentioned because] Scripture did not want to prolong the matter, it being known that Aaron would only do what Moses said, and that Moses would only say what G-d had commanded.

תדבר לאמור, "you shall speak saying;" We need to explore the reason why Moses commanded Aaron to speak in this instance instead of instructing the Israelites himself as was his custom. Perhaps it was because at the time of the golden calf it had been Aaron who invited the people to bring him their gold, Moses now wanted to give him an opportunity to speak to the people and tell them to bring a male goat to be the sin-offering as atonement. This would be in line with the principle הפה שאסר הוא הפה שהתיר, "that the mouth which uttered the prohibition must be the mouth which utters the permission." We have repeatedly quoted our sages as saying that the sin which causes someone's reputation to become sullied can best be repaired when the method of rehabilitation is as closely linked to the circumstances of the sin it rehabilitates as is possible. This is why G'd ordered Aaron to inform the people of this procedure. The words תדבר לאמור mean that inasmuch as on the previous occasion Aaron had uttered words which resulted in the people becoming unrestrained, demeaning themselves, he was now to utter words which would eventually elevate the people and result in atonement for that sin.

ואל בני ישראל תדבר לאמר, “and to the Children of Israel say as follows:” Moses told Aaron to speak to the Israelites directly and command them in the name of the Lord. This was meant to enhance Aaron’s status among the people seeing that it was he who performed all these rites on behalf of the people. If not for this reason it would have been appropriate for Moses to also include the elders in his address to Aaron, seeing that the elders had been mentioned in verse one as having been called to Moses’ presence also. But Moses was anxious for the people to be addressed by Aaron separately, independently of the elders. When the people had been instructed that each Israelite householder was to secure a lamb for the Passover, (Exodus 12,21) Moses had allowed all the elders to convey that directive. [The latter paragraph is phrased in a manner that could suggest that it is a retreat from the author’s first interpretation. Ed.]

קחו שעיר עזים לחטאת....ועגל, “you (plural) are to take a he-goat as sin offering plus a calf, etc;” this was to let them know that the sin of the golden calf had been atoned for, otherwise they would not have been commanded to use a calf as an offering.

You shall speak, saying. Moshe himself did not speak because the people of Israel become close to their Father in Heaven through the Avodah that is performed truthfully by Aharon and his sons. Therefore, Moshe made Aharon accustomed to be the one who would command them.

קחו שעיר עזים, “take a hegoat as a sin offering to atone for your sins, etc;” they had to pray for atonement for what their forefathers had done to Joseph, when they had sent his tunic soaked in the blood they had taken from the hegoat they slaughtered for that purpose. (Genesis 37, 3132) (Sifra) An alternate explanation: They needed to offer a sin offering for idolatry they had been guilty by burning he goats for idols. (in Egypt) (Tanchuma, section 4 on this portion) We find that also on other occasions such animals were burned in idolatrous rites outside the camp. (Torat Kohanim, chovah chapter 6,5.) This is why this hegoat was burned outside the camp, as we are told in verse 11.

Furthermore, seeing that Moses had observed how Aaron had been elevated by G'd to such a high position, Moses told him to communicate soothing messages to the Jewish people. The word לאמור implies a message couched in a very friendly manner. Aaron told the people that G'd would appear to them (verse 4) to indicate that the whole procedure he was instructing them about was for their good, not for his own. This recalls what we wrote in the name of Torat Kohanim at the beginning of פרשת ויקרא, that the fact G'd did not communicate with Moses in the Tabernacle for 38 years was on account of the sin of the spies; when G'd is reported as communicating with Moses out of the Tabernacle this was a compliment to Israel.