Comentário sobre Levítico 8:15

ויחטא את המזבח AND HE PURIFIED THE ALTAR — He cleansed and purified it from anything “strange” (alien to the sacred purpose for which the altar was intended) that may have happened to it, so that it might enter into a state of holiness (cf. Rashi on Exodus 19:36).

AND HE PURIFIED THE ALTAR. “He cleansed it and purified it from anything ‘strange’ [not holy], so that it might enter into a state of holiness. AND HE SANCTIFIED IT by this rite. TO MAKE ATONEMENT UPON IT — from that time onward for all atonements of sin.” This is the language of Rashi.
If this is so, then Scripture is saying that by these means the altar was hallowed and made fit to effect atonement upon from that time onward. This is similar to that which is said in the Book of Ezekiel, Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and cleanse it; so shall they consecrate it. And when they have accomplished the days, it shall be that upon the eighth day, and forward, the priests shall make your burnt-offerings upon the altar, and your peace-offerings, and I will accept you, saith the Eternal G-d.²⁰⁰Ezekiel 43:26-27. Here He teaches that this consecration is done with blood, but the burning of the fats is no hindrance to the consecration of the altar, for in succeeding generations too it is no hindrance to the atonement [if the fats of the offering were not burnt on the altar].
But in the Tosephta of the section of consecration²⁰¹Torath Kohanim, Tzav Milu’im 15. I have seen [the following text]: “I know not what is this atonement for the altar. [I must say that] from here²⁰²See my Hebrew commentary, p. 40, Note 74 that mikaan (from here) is the preferred text. Our books of the Torath Kohanim have the word minayin (from whence). you learn that this atonement was only necessary because Moses said: ‘When the call was issued to bring freewill donations for the Sanctuary, the people pressured each other, both men and women, and some donated without their complete will; let this be an atonement so that they should not donate to the Sanctuary anything which had been taken by force.’ And so it also says, For I the Eternal love justice, I hate robbery in a burnt-offering.”²⁰³Isaiah 61:8. “Although the burnt-offering is wholly Mine, I hate it yet if it is brought through robbery” (Rashi, Succah 30 a). Rashi has also mentioned this already in the section of V’atah Tetzaveh.²⁰⁴Exodus 29:36.

ויחטא את המזבח, “he enabled the altar to dispense atonement.” According to Rashi this was done by removing its former status as being profane, making it sacred.

Purified it from any strangeness. I.e., [Rashi is answering the question:] Who made the altar impure that it was necessary to purify it? On this he explains: “From any strangeness...”

ויקדשהו AND HE SANCTIFIED IT by this rite.

ויקדשהו, “he sanctified it;” by means of the service performed on it now, for the future also.

With this service. Otherwise, with what did he sanctify it?

לכפר עליו THAT ONE MIGHT MAKE EXPIATION UPON IT from that time onward with all atonement sacrifices (i. e. that all atonement sacrifices might henceforth be offered upon it; the meaning is not that he sanctified it so that he might now offer an atonement offering for it or upon it).

לכפר עליו, “to provide atonement on it.” For all subsequent generations. We learn from here that the fact that the meat of the inaugural offering which had not yet been consumed by the flames on the altar, did not hold up the altar’s ability to confer atonement on the people who had so far presented an offering on this altar. In a תוספתא discussing the subject of מלואים, it is stated that if someone donates anything against his better judgment (not from free volition) this gift may act as advance protection for him so that he will not become guilty of bringing stolen goods to the Temple, something of which G’d is on record as saying שונא גזל בעולה, “He hates it if the burnt offering had been obtained unlawfully.” (Compare Sukkah 30) [I do not know of a “Tossephta miluim, but I found something similar to this in the Sifra.קפ Ed.]

From now... As if it says: He sanctified it so that he could make atonement upon it from now on.