R. Isaac cited the verse: “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel thy servants” (Ex. 32, 13). ‘Why’, he asked, ‘is it not written, “and Isaac”? The reason is, as we have learnt, that everywhere the “left” is embraced in the “right”, and the right has been strengthened so that it can embrace the left, and therefore the word Isaac is not separated from Abraham. But the text goes on, “and Israel”, because Jacob clasped both of them and was perfect in all.
The verse proceeds: “To whom thou swarest by thy own self.” God swore to the patriarchs by the Fathers1The highest grades. above, by those who abide “in thee”. “Which I said”; that is, “I willed”, as in the verse: “The Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness” (I Kings 8, 12).
“And they shall inherit it for ever” (lit. for a world): this is the supernal world to which this earth is attached and from which it is nourished, and if this earth is put away, why is it? Because of the iniquity of the people.’
IF THE ANOINTED PRIEST SIN. R. Isaac said: This is the priest on earth who has been appointed for divine service. If a sin is found in him, then verily it brings guilt on the whole people, and woe to them who are relying upon him! Similarly, if sin is found in the reader of a congregation, woe to those who are relying upon him!’ R. Judah said: ‘All the more so the priest, at whose hand all Israel and upper and lower beings are waiting to be blessed.
For, as we have learnt, when the priest began to recite the formulas and to bring the offering, all were blessed and joyful. The Right began to waken, the Left was merged in the Right; all were linked together and united, so that through the priest heaven and earth were blessed. Hence he had to bring an offering for himself, that his sin might be atoned for.
Said R. Jose: ‘We have learnt that through the priest a man’s sin is atoned for when he brings the offering. But if the priest himself sins, who can bring an offering and atone for him, seeing that he is become corrupt and is not fit to be a source of blessing?’ Said R. Judah: ‘But is it not written, “And he shall make atonement for himself and for his house” (Lev. 16, 6)?’
Said R. Hiya: ‘We know that the high priest was attached to a certain Place, and the deputy high priest and the ordinary priest to another. Therefore another priest had to bring his offering first that he might ascend to the Place to which he was by right attached, and there atone for his sin. If this is not enough, then the high priest brings his own offering, and then the angels all assemble to atone for his sin and the Holy King assents.’
(ויקרא ד׳:ג׳) אִם הַכֹּהֵן הַמָּשִׁיחַ יֶחטָא. רִבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח, (שמות ל״ב:י״ג) זְכוֹר לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבָדֶיךָ, הַאי קְרָא קַשְׁיָא, הָכִי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְמִכְתַּב, זְכוֹר לְאַבְרָהָם וּלְיִצְחָק וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל, מַאי לְיִצְחָק. אֶלָּא הָכִי תָּנֵינָן, בְּכָל אֲתַר שְׂמָאלָא אִתְכְּלִיל בִּימִינָא, וּבִכְלָלָא דִּימִינָא הוּא. דְּהַאי יְמִינָא, אִתְתַּקְּנַת לְעָלְמִין, לְאַכְלְלָא בֵּיהּ שְׂמָאלָא. וְעַל דָּא לָא פָּלִיג, בְּגִין לְאַכְלְלָא לֵיהּ בֵּיהּ בְּאַבְרָהָם. וּבְגִין כָּךְ לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק (דייקא) כְּלָלָא חַד. (אבל) וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּהָא בְּתַרְוויְיהוּ אָחִיד לוֹן בְּגַדְפּוֹי (ס"א בכתפוי), וְהוּא שְׁלִים בְּכֹלָּא.
R. Isaac cited the verse: “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel thy servants” (Ex. 32, 13). ‘Why’, he asked, ‘is it not written, “and Isaac”? The reason is, as we have learnt, that everywhere the “left” is embraced in the “right”, and the right has been strengthened so that it can embrace the left, and therefore the word Isaac is not separated from Abraham. But the text goes on, “and Israel”, because Jacob clasped both of them and was perfect in all.
אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לָהֶם בָּךְ. אוֹמָאָה אוֹמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לַאֲבָהָן, בַּאֲבָהָן דִּלְעֵילָּא הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לָהֶם בָּךְ, בְּאִינּוּן דִּלְעֵילָּא בְּאִינּוּן דְּשָׁרָאן בָּךְ. וַתְּדַבֵּר אֲלֵיהֶם אַרְבֶּה אֶת זַרְעֲכֶם וְגוֹ'. אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתִּי, אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתָּ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמַר כַּךְ לַאֲבָהָן, זִמְנָא וּתְרֵין זִמְנִין. אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתִּי: דְּצָבִיתִי בִּרְעוּ נַפְשִׁי, דְּהָא אֲמִירָה רְעוּתָא הוּא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (מלכים א ח׳:י״ב) אֲדֹנָי אָמַר לִשְׁכּוֹן בָּעֲרָפֶל. וְעוֹד מַה תֹּאמַר נַפְשְׁךָ וְאֶעֱשֶׂה לָךְ.
The verse proceeds: “To whom thou swarest by thy own self.” God swore to the patriarchs by the Fathers1The highest grades. above, by those who abide “in thee”. “Which I said”; that is, “I willed”, as in the verse: “The Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness” (I Kings 8, 12).
וְנָחֲלוּ לְעוֹלָם, מַאי לְעוֹלָם. עוֹלָם דִּלְעֵילָּא, דַּאֲחִידָא בֵּיהּ הַהִיא אֶרֶץ, וְאִתְּזָנַת מֵהַהוּא עוֹלָם, וְאִי הַאי אֶרֶץ אִתְּרָכַת, בְּמַאי הוּא. לְאַשְׁמַת הָעָם הוּא דַּהֲוִי.
“And they shall inherit it for ever” (lit. for a world): this is the supernal world to which this earth is attached and from which it is nourished, and if this earth is put away, why is it? Because of the iniquity of the people.’
רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, אִם הַכֹּהֵן הַמָּשִׁיחַ יֶחֱטָא, דָּא כֹּהֵן דִּלְתַתָּא, דְּאִתְתְּקַן לַעֲבוֹדָה וְאִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ חַטָּאָה, לְאַשְׁמַת הָעָם הוּא דַּהֲוִי וַדַּאי. וַוי לְאִינּוּן דְּסַמִיכִין עָלֵיהּ, כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, שְׁלִיחָא דְּצִּבּוּרָא דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ חַטָּאָה, (בגין דעמא לא אשתכחו זכאין קמיה קודשא בריך הוא) וַוי לְאִינּוּן דְּסַמְכִין עָלֵיהּ. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, וְכָּל שֶׁכֵּן כַּהֲנָא, דְּכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְעִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין כֻּלְּהוּ אֲחִידָן (נ"א מחכאן) וּמְצַפָּאן לְאִתְבָּרְכָא עַל יְדוֹי.
IF THE ANOINTED PRIEST SIN. R. Isaac said: This is the priest on earth who has been appointed for divine service. If a sin is found in him, then verily it brings guilt on the whole people, and woe to them who are relying upon him! Similarly, if sin is found in the reader of a congregation, woe to those who are relying upon him!’ R. Judah said: ‘All the more so the priest, at whose hand all Israel and upper and lower beings are waiting to be blessed.
דְּהָא תָּנֵינָן, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּכַהֲנָא שָׁארֵי לְכַוְּונָא מִלִּין, וּלְקָרְבָא קָרְבְּנָא עִלָּאָה, כֹּלָּא אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ בְּבִרְכָתָא וּבְחֶדְוָותָא. יְמִינָא, שָׁארֵי לְאִתְּעָרָא. שְׂמָאלָא אִתְכְּלִיל בִּימִינָא, וְכֹלָּא אִתְאֲחִיד וְאִתְקְשַׁר דָּא בְּדָא, וְאִתְבָּרְכוּן כֻּלְּהוּ כַּחֲדָא. אִשְׁתְּכַח, דְּעַל יְדָא דְּכַהֲנָא, מִתְבָּרְכָאן עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי, וְהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ. וּבְגִין כַּךְ בָּעֵי לְקָרְבָא קָרְבְּנָא עָלֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּיִתְכַּפֵּר חוֹבֵיהּ.
For, as we have learnt, when the priest began to recite the formulas and to bring the offering, all were blessed and joyful. The Right began to waken, the Left was merged in the Right; all were linked together and united, so that through the priest heaven and earth were blessed. Hence he had to bring an offering for himself, that his sin might be atoned for.
אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, הָא תָּנֵינָן, דְּעַל יְדָא דְּכַהֲנָא אִתְכַּפָּר חוֹבָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ, כַּד קָרִיב קָרְבְּנָא. הַשְׁתָּא דְּאִיהוּ חָטֵי, מַאן מַקְרִיב עָלֵיהּ, וּמַאן יְכַפֵּר עָלֵיהּ. אִי תֵּימָא דְּאִיהוּ מַקְרִיב עַל נַפְשֵׁיהּ, הָא אִיהוּ אִתְקַלְקָל, וְלָאו אִיהוּ כְּדַאי דְּיִתְבָּרְכוּן עָלֵיהּ עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי. תַּתָּאֵי לָא יִתְבָּרְכוּן עַל יְדֵיהּ, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן עִלָּאֵי. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, וְלָא. וְהָא כְּתִיב (ויקרא ט״ז:ו׳) וְכִפֶּר בַּעֲדוֹ וּבְעַד בֵּיתוֹ, אֲמַאי בַּעְיָא לְכַפְּרָא עָלֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ חָב יְכַפֵּר עַל גַּרְמֵיהּ, דִּכְתִּיב וְכִפֶּר בַּעֲדוֹ.
Said R. Jose: ‘We have learnt that through the priest a man’s sin is atoned for when he brings the offering. But if the priest himself sins, who can bring an offering and atone for him, seeing that he is become corrupt and is not fit to be a source of blessing?’ Said R. Judah: ‘But is it not written, “And he shall make atonement for himself and for his house” (Lev. 16, 6)?’
אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא, הָא יְדִיעַ בְּאָן אֲתַר אִתְקְשַׁר כַּהֲנָא רַבָּא. וּבְאָן אֲתַר אִתְקְשַׁר כַּהֲנָא אָחֳרָא, וְהַהוּא דְּאִקְרֵי סְגָן יְדִיעָא. בְּגִין כַּךְ, כֹּהֵן אָחֳרָא קָא מַקְרִיב קָרְבָּנֵיהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וְסָלִיק לֵיהּ עַד הַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִתְקְשָׁר בֵּיהּ. בָּתַר דְּכַהֲנָא סָלִיק לְהַהוּא אֲתַר, לָא מְעַכְּבִין לֵיהּ לְסַלְּקָא לְאַתְרֵיהּ, וּלְאִתְכַּפְּרָא חוֹבֵיהּ. וְעַל דָּא, אָחֳרָא קָא מַקְרִיב עָלֵיהּ קָרְבָּנֵיהּ. כֵּיוָן דְּאָחֳרָא הוּא מַקְרִיב, וְלָא מִסְתַּפְּקִין כָּל כַּךְ עַל יְדֵיהּ, לְבָתַר אִיהוּ מַקְרִיב, וְאִינּוּן עִלָּאִין, כֻּלְּהוּ מִתְחַבְּרָן לְכַפְּרָא חוֹבֵיהּ. וּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא אִסְתְּכַּם עַל יְדַיְיהוּ. כְּגַוונָא דָּא, הַמִתְפַּלֵל וטָעָה יַעֲמוֹד אַחֵר תַּחְתָּיו.
Said R. Hiya: ‘We know that the high priest was attached to a certain Place, and the deputy high priest and the ordinary priest to another. Therefore another priest had to bring his offering first that he might ascend to the Place to which he was by right attached, and there atone for his sin. If this is not enough, then the high priest brings his own offering, and then the angels all assemble to atone for his sin and the Holy King assents.’