Комментарий о цитате к Бамидбар 3:10

לעמת העצה יסירנה, “which shall be removed close to the backbone.” The word עצה in our verse is a combination of the words עץ and עצה, “wood” and “counsel.” The word עץ is appropriate as it is hard as wood; the word “counsel” is appropriate as it is located near the kidneys the source of man’s “counsel.” The tail is to be removed starting at a point above the kidneys. This is the meaning of (verse 10) על הכליות יסירנה, “he is to remove it above the kidneys.”

וגם בעליו יומת, “and also its owner shall die.” The word יומת here does not refer to execution of the owner by a human tribunal. Our sages, (Sanhedrin 15) in interpreting the word conclude that a man is executed for murder of a human being not for the killing committed by his ox. The penalty referred to in our verse is known as מיתה בידי שמים, “death at the hand of heaven,” i.e. premature death of the owner in question. The expression used for the death penalty of the guilty owner is the same as in Numbers 18,7 “and the stranger (non-priest) who enters holy precincts will die.” Sanhedrin 83 makes clear that what is meant is death at the hands of G’d.

Upon an unauthorized person. That is, anyone not descended from Aharon. Rav Sadyah Gaon cites oral tradition according to which kings of the House of David could also be anointed with it, but not others. This explains how Tzadok, the kohein gadol, was able to anoint King Shelomo with oil taken from the Tent of Meeting as described in Melachim I:1:39.