Comentário sobre Números 15:25

הביאו את קרבנם אשה לה׳ [AND] THEY HAVE BROUGHT THEIR OFFERING, A FIRE OFFERING UNTO THE LORD — This is that offering mentioned previously in this chapter (v. 24), viz., the bullock for a burnt offering, since it says here, “a fire offering to the Lord” (which is a description of a burnt offering) (Sifrei Bamidbar 111:3).

AND THEY HAVE BROUGHT THEIR OFFERING, AN OFFERING MADE BY FIRE UNTO THE ETERNAL. This refers to the bullock as a burnt-offering mentioned [in the preceding verse]. AND THEIR SIN-OFFERING, which refers to the he-goat for a sin-offering [mentioned there]. Scripture states this on account of the greatness of the sin, involving as it does all the commandments of G-d, and is thereby saying that although the sin was exceedingly grave, since it was in error and they have brought their offerings for it, the burnt-offering and the sin-offering, they are worthy of atonement. And in the Sifre²⁰³Sifre, Shelach 111. the Rabbis interpreted this verse on the basis of its [apparent] redundancy: “Rabbi Yashiyah says: If the whole of one tribe [unwittingly] acted [committed idolatry] on the basis of a [mistaken] decision of the [chief] court of that tribe, and the other tribes did so [too, on their word], whence do we know that they [the other tribes] must also bring [these prescribed offerings] on account of them [i.e., the people of the particular tribe who acted according to the decision of its chief court]? Scripture therefore states, ‘and they’ have brought their offering, an offering made by fire unto the Eternal. Rabbi Yonathan says etc.”²⁰⁴Rabbi Yonathan is of the opinion that if the people erred on the basis of the decision of the chief court of a particular tribe, then only the members of that tribe must bring these offerings, but not the other tribes [as is the opinion of Rabbi Yashiyah]. It is only if a wrong decision was [mistakenly] given by the Great Court of seventy-one judges — the supreme court of all Israel — and one tribe acted upon this decision, that all the other tribes must also participate in these offerings, according to Rabbi Yonathan (Malbim ibid.).
And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], I have already informed you²⁰⁵Exodus 20:3; 25:30. that wherever the Tetragrammaton is mentioned it refers to the attribute of mercy, and the expression ‘liphnei Hashem’ [before the Eternal — as here in the phrase: and their sin-offering ‘before the Eternal’] is like ‘al panai’ (before Me),²⁰⁶Ibid., 20:3. Literally “upon My face.” and this is similar to what the Rabbis of blessed memory have said:²⁰⁷Bereshith Rabbah 51:3. See Vol. I, p. 260. “He and His Celestial Court.” Thus the verse is stating that “they have brought their offering to the Proper Name of G-d [i.e., the Tetragrammaton],²⁰⁸This is indicated by the first part of the verse, and they have brought their offering, ‘isheh Lashem’ (an offering made by fire to the Eternal) where the Hebrew for the Eternal is the Tetragrammaton. Ramban explained at the beginning of his commentary on this verse that their offering refers to the burnt-offering, which was thus offered to the Tetragrammaton, the Divine Name symbolizing G-d’s attribute of mercy; and the second half of the verse speaks of sin-offering brought l’phanai, i.e., to the Name symbolizing the attribute of judgment. Hence [in the concluding words of Ramban] “the sin is atoned for in the attribute of mercy and in the attribute of judgment.” and their sin-offering ‘l’phanai’ (before Me),” and thus the sin is atoned for in the attribute of mercy and in the attribute of judgment. He mentioned this in the case of idolatry [due to the gravity of the sin, because of which they need to be forgiven in both attributes], but in Seder Vayikra where [the sin-offering for violation of] the other commandments is commanded, He mentioned many times ‘liphnei Hashem’ (before the Eternal).²⁰⁹Leviticus 4:4, 6, 7, 15, 17, 24. In all these cases only the Tetragrammaton, symbolizing the attribute of mercy, is used. See Vol. III, pp. 21-25 for fuller discussion of this theme. and the reason for this is clear.

והם הביאו את קרבנם אשה לה', “and they have brought their offering, a fire offering for Hashem.” These words refer to the burnt offering.