Midrash sa Mga Bilang 15:25: Midrash Tanchuma, Midrash Tanchuma Buber & Sifrei Bamidbar

(Lev. 7:11:) “This is the law of the sacrifice for peace offerings.” You find that all of the [other] sacrifices that they would bring, they would bring for sins. In the case of the guilt offerings, they would sacrifice them for sins, as stated (in Ezra 10:19), “And they gave their word (literally, their hand) that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, [they gave] a ram of the flock for their guilt.” Now the sin offering [took place] for the unintentional sin, as stated (in Numb. 15:25), “and their sin offering before the Lord for their unintentional sin.” A burnt offering took place for a thought of the heart. Thus it is stated (in Job 1:5), “and rising early in the morning, he would offer burnt offerings, one for each of them, for Job said, ‘Perhaps my children have sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts.’” But when the thank offering took place, it took place on account of their gratitude. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “This is the dearest to Me of all the offerings.” David said (in Ps. 50:23), “Whoever sacrifices a thank offering honors Me (ykbdnni).” It does not say ykbdni but ykbdnni, [spelled with n] two times, [once] for this world and [once] for the world to come.²⁰Lev. R. 9:2; Rashi on Sanh. 43b. R. Judah said, “Whoever answers amen in this world merits answering amen in the world to come. Where is it shown? (In Ps. 41:14), ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting (literally: from the world and unto the world); amen and amen.’ What is the meaning of ‘amen and amen?’ Amen in this world and amen in the world to come.” Ergo (in Ps. 50:23), “Whoever sacrifices a thank offering honors Me.” R. Aqiva said, “Whoever speaks songs [of praise] in this world merits speaking songs [of praise] in the world to come, as stated (Exodus 15:1), ‘Then Moshe sang (literally, will sing).’ It does not say, ‘Then he sang,’ but rather, ‘Then he will sing.’ Ergo, whoever speaks songs [of praise] in this world merits speaking songs [of praise] in the world to come.” Therefore, it is stated, (in Ps. 50:23), “Whoever sacrifices a thank offering honors Me.” (Lev. 7:11:) “This is the law of the sacrifice for peace offerings.” Peace offerings are great because they make peace between Israel and their Father in heaven. Eleazar Haqappar says, “Peace is great, because even though Israel worships idols but [still] forms one fellowship (havurah), strict justice does not harm them.²¹Numb. R. 11:17; cf. Gen. R. 38:6 It is so stated (in Hos. 4:17), ‘Ephraim is associated (havur) with idols. Let him be.’” R. Levi says, “Peace is great, because there is no conclusion to the priestly blessing other than peace, as stated (in Numb. 6:26), ‘and grant you peace.’” R. Simeon ben Gamaliel said, “Peace is great, because the Holy One, blessed be He, has written things in the Torah that did not happen, which are there only because of peace.²²yPe’ah 1:1 (16a); see Gen. R. 48:18; 100:8; Lev. R. 9:9; Deut. R. 5:5; Yev. 65b. They are the following: When Jacob had died (Gen. 50:15), ‘And Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, and they said, “Perhaps Joseph begrudges us.”’ What did they do?²³Above, Exod. 1:2. They went to Bilhah and said to her, ‘Go in unto Joseph and say to him (in Gen. 50:16), “Before he died, your father gave a command saying, ‘So shall you say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers.”’”’ Now Jacob never commanded any of these things at all; yet they said this thing on their own.” Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel said, “See how much ink was spilled, how many pens²⁴Gk.: kalamoi. were broken, how many skins were prepared, and how many children were whipped in order to learn something which did not happen which is in the Torah. See how great is the power of peace!” And so you find in the case of Sarah, when the ministering angels came to Abraham and said to him (in Gen. 18:14), ‘At the set time I will return unto you, at the time that life is due.’ At that time (according to Gen. 18:12), ‘Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “… and my husband is an old man.”’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham (in vs. 13), ‘[But] why did Sarah laugh, saying, “Is it true that I also shall bear [a child] when I am old?”’²⁵Thus for the sake of peace the Holy One hid from Abraham the fact that Sarah had called him an old man. Now why all this? For the sake of peace.” Also in the world to come, when the Holy One, blessed be He, returns the diaspora to Jerusalem, He shall return them in peace. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 122:6), “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, may those who love you have serenity.” And so it says (in Is. 66:12), “Behold, I will extend peace unto her like a river.”

(Lev. 7:11:) THIS IS THE LAW OF THE SACRIFICE FOR PEACE OFFERINGS…. You find (in Ezra 10:19): AND THEY GAVE THEIR WORD (literally, THEIR HAND) THAT THEY WOULD PUT AWAY THEIR WIVES; AND BEING GUILTY, < THEY GAVE > A RAM FROM {THE} [A] FLOCK FOR THEIR GUILT.³¹Tanh., Lev.2:7. Now the sin offering {was} [took place] for the unintentional sin, as stated (in Numb. 15:25): AND THEIR SIN OFFERING BEFORE THE LORD FOR THEIR UNINTENTIONAL SIN. A burnt offering took place for a thought of the heart. Thus it is stated (in Job 1:5): AND RISING EARLY IN THE MORNING, HE WOULD OFFER BURNT OFFERINGS, ONE FOR EACH OF THEM, FOR JOB SAID: PERHAPS MY CHILDREN HAVE SINNED AND BLASPHEMED GOD IN THEIR HEARTS. But when the thank offering took place, it took place on account of their gratitude. The Holy One said: This is the dearest to me of all the offerings. David said (in Ps. 50:23): WHOEVER SACRIFICES A THANK OFFERING HONORS ME (YKBDNNI). It does not say YKBDNI but YKBDNNI, < spelled with N > two times, < once > for this world and < once > for the world to come.³²Lev. R. 9:2; Rashi on Sanh. 43b.

(Ibid. 25) "And the Cohein shall make atonement for the entire congregation of the children of Israel": Whence is it derived that if one of the tribes did not bring (its offering) atonement is withheld? From "And the Cohein shall make atonement for the entire congregation of the children of Israel." (Ibid.) "and it shall be forgiven them, for it was unwitting": I might understand (that they are forgiven) whether unwitting or witting; it is, therefore, written "for it was unwitting." From (24) "by the eyes of the congregation (i.e., beth-din) it were done in error," I would understand that the ruling of beth-din was in error and not willful; but as to the doing (i.e., the transgression) of the congregation, willful was equated with unwitting; it is, therefore, written "the children of Israel … for it was unwitting." If some were willful, I might think that it were considered (collectively) unwitting; it is, therefore, written "for the entire congregation of the children of Israel … for it was unwitting." (Ibid.) "and they have brought their offering": R. Meir says: If a tribe transgressed according to the (erroneous) ruling of its beth-din, I might think they bring (the offerings); it is, therefore, written "and they (i.e., all of the tribes) have brought their offering." R. Yoshiyah says: If one tribe transgressed according to the (erroneous) ruling of beth-din, whence is it derived that the other tribes bring (the offerings) because of it? From "and they (connoting all of the tribes) have brought their offering, a fire-offering to the L-rd." For R. Yoshiyah says: A tribe that transgressed according to the (erroneous) ruling of beth-din is liable, and the other tribes are exempt. If a tribe transgressed according to the (erroneous) ruling of the great beth-din (i.e., the Sanhedrin), then that tribe brings a bullock, and the other tribes bring because of it. And what do they bring because of it? Twelve bullocks. R. Shimon b. Yochai says: If a tribe transgressed according to the (erroneous) ruling of beth-din, it is exempt. If it transgressed according to the ruling of the great beth-din, they bring two bullocks: one for the tribe and one for the beth-din. When is this so? With other mitzvoth; but with idolatry, they bring two bullocks and two he-goats: one bullock for a burnt-offering and a he-goat for a sin-offering for that tribe, and the same for the beth-din. The majority of the congregation is reckoned as all of the congregation. "and they have brought their offering: a fire-offering to the L-rd": this is the burnt-offering; "and their sin-offering": this is the sin-offering for idolatry; "their error": this is the bullock of "concealment" of the congregation (viz. Vayikra 4:13-14). "their sin-offering … for their error": their sin-offering (i.e., the he-goats [offered] for idolatry) is like their error" the bullock of "concealment" of the congregation, in all of the procedures (of the offering). (Bamidbar, Ibid. 26) "And it shall be forgiven to the entire congregation of the sons of Israel": This tells me only of the men. Whence do I derive (the same for) the women? From "the entire congregation of the children of Israel." "and to the stranger who sojourns in their midst": Because this section is addressed to the Israelites (viz. 15:12), proselytes had to be (specifically) included. (Ibid.) "for to all the people it was in error": to exclude the high-priest, (who offers a she-goat, as an individual (viz. Ibid. 27). For it would follow (otherwise), viz.: Since the congregation bring a bullock for (transgression of) all the mitzvoth, and the high-priest brings a bullock for all the mitzvoth, then if I have learned about the congregation that just as they bring a bullock for all of the mitzvoth, so, they bring it for idolatry, then the high-priest, (too,) just as he brings a bullock for all the mitzvoth should bring a bullock for idolatry. And, furthermore, it follows a fortiori, viz.: If (in the Yom Kippur service) where the congregation does not bring a bullock, the high-priest brings a bullock (viz. Vayikra 16:3), here, (in respect to idolatry) where the congregation brings a bullock, how much more so should the high-priest bring a bullock! It is, therefore, written "for to all the people it was in error" — to exclude the high-priest.