"If the priest that is anointed do sin"

294. It is written, "If the priest that is anointed do sin to bring guiltiness on the people" (Vayikra 4:3): THE ANOINTED PRIEST IS THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, and wherefore should He sin? BECAUSE OF the guiltiness of the people; NAMELY, because of the sins of the world that brought it on Him; it is surely because of the guiltiness of the people, not His own. "Do sin" MEANS that He will withhold His goodness and judge everything using Judgment, as written, "I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders" (I Melachim 1:21). Another explanation: "If the priest that is anointed" or the Holy One, blessed be He, as we said, "do sin," THAT IS, withhold from the Congregation of Yisrael and from the world, by not giving them blessings according to their needs. Why should He do so? Assuredly it is because of the "guiltiness of the people," because of the sins of the people. THE TWO EXPLANATIONS ARE CLOSE IN MEANING AND THE SECOND ADDS WHAT THE FIRST LACKS.

295. "If the priest that is anointed do sin:" Rabbi Yitzchak opened the discussion with the verse: "Remember Abraham, Isaac and Yisrael Your servants" (Shemot 32:13). This is a difficult verse. It should have been written, 'Remember Abraham and Isaac and Yisrael.' Why is it written 'Isaac' WITHOUT 'AND?' HE ANSWERS, We have learned that the left is always included within the right and is part of the right, for the right was made to always include the left. It therefore does not divide THE WORDS BY 'AND ISAAC,' AS IT WOULD HAVE DIVIDED BETWEEN ABRAHAM AND ISAAC, so as to include ISAAC, WHO IS LEFT, in Abraham, WHO IS RIGHT. It is therefore WRITTEN, "Abraham, Isaac" in one alliance and then "and Yisrael," A SECOND ALLIANCE. For he holds them both with his wings. Thus, he is complete in every respect.

296. "To whom You did swear by Your own self" (Ibid.). The Holy One, blessed be He, made the patriarchs swear by the supernal patriarchs - CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN. Hence, it is written, "To whom You did swear by Your own self;" "YOUR OWN SELF," NAMELY, by those above, those who dwell in Your own self; NAMELY, HE SWORE BY HIS OWN CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET. "And did say to them, I will multiply your seed...that I have spoken of" (Ibid.). HE COMMENTS, IT SAYS "that I have spoken." It should have said 'that You have spoken,' FOR YOU CANNOT SAY THAT THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, SAID, "THAT I HAVE SPOKEN," SINCE HE JUST SWORE AND SAID THAT TO THEM. SURELY MOSES SAID THIS, BUT HE SHOULD HAVE SAID 'THAT YOU HAVE SPOKEN.' HE ANSWERS, The Holy One, blessed be He, said it to the patriarchs once and again, AND IT IS POSSIBLE THAT HE SAID "THAT I HAVE SPOKEN," WHICH MEANS THAT HE HAS ALREADY SPOKEN TO THEM BEFORE. MOREOVER, "that I have spoken" MEANS that which I desired with my soul. THERE IS NO NEED TO SAY THAT HE ALREADY SPOKE TO THEM, for speaking MEANS desiring. Hence, it says, "Hashem said that He would dwell in the thick darkness" (I Melachim 8:12) and "Whatever your soul desires (lit. 'says'), I will do for you" (I Shmuel 20:4).

297. "And they shall inherit it forever (lit. 'for the world')" (Shemot 32:13). HE ASKS, What is "the world?" HE REPLIES: it is the supernal world, ZEIR ANPIN, to which the land, MALCHUT, is attached and by which it is sustained. If the land is driven INTO EXILE AND IS NOT ATTACHED TO ZEIR ANPIN, what is it due to? The "guiltiness of the people." IT IS THEREFORE WRITTEN, "AND THEY SHALL INHERIT IT FOREVER;" NAMELY, MALCHUT WILL BE UNITED WITH ZEIR ANPIN FOREVER AND WILL NOT GO INTO EXILE. HE THUS EXPLAINED THE VERSE: "IF THE PRIEST THAT IS ANOINTED" (ZEIR ANPIN) "DO SIN," IN WITHHOLDING UNION FROM MALCHUT SO THAT SHE WILL GO INTO EXILE, IT IS BECAUSE OF THE "GUILTINESS OF THE PEOPLE."

298. Rabbi Yitzchak said, "If the priest that is anointed do sin" refers to the priest below, who prepares himself for service IN THE TEMPLE and a sin is found in him, it "brings guiltiness of the people," FOR THE PEOPLE WILL BE BLAMED FOR IT, BECAUSE woe to those who rely ON HIS SERVICE. Similarly, if a sin is found in the cantor, woe to those who count on him. Rabbi Yehuda said, All the more so the priest, to whom all Yisrael above and below look and expect to be blessed by.

299. We have learned that when the priest starts to meditate and bring the supernal offering - NAMELY, BRING ABOUT THE UNISON BETWEEN MALCHUT AND ZEIR ANPIN - everyone is blessed and joyful. The right, CHESED, begins to awaken and the left, JUDGMENT, is included within the right, and everything is attached and connected to each other. All are blessed together. Thus, through the priest, the upper and lower beings are blessed, as we already explained. Hence, IF HE SINS, an offering should be brought for him, so that his sin will be atoned for.

300. Rabbi Yosi said, We learned that through the priest, a man's sin is atoned for when he brings an offering for him. HE ASKS, Now that he himself sinned, who will bring an offering for him and who shall make atonement for him? You may say that he should bring an offering for himself, yet he sinned and he is unworthy that the upper and lower beings be blessed by him, for if the lower beings are not blessed by him, all the more so the upper ones. Rabbi Yehuda said, Yet it is not wholly so, since it is written, "And have made atonement for himself, and for his household" (Vayikra 16:17). Why should he need ANOTHER to make atonement for himself for his sin, IF HE CAN make atonement for himself, as written, "And have made atonement for himself."

301. Rabbi Chiya said, It is known to what place the High Priest is attached, WHICH IS CHOCHMAH, and to what place the other priest is attached, who is called his deputy, CHESED. Another priest therefore brings the offering OF THE HIGH PRIEST, THE ONE WHO IS CALLED AN ANOINTED PRIEST, first and raises him to where he himself is attached, NAMELY TO CHESED OF ZEIR ANPIN. After the priest raises THE OFFERING to that place, CHESED, THE HIGH PRIEST is not stopped from rising it further to his place, CHOCHMAH, in order to atone for his sin. Therefore, another priest brings his offering, and since another brings it, it does not suffice, BECAUSE HE CAN RAISE IT ONLY UP TO CHESED, AND THE ASPECT OF THE HIGH PRIEST IS CHOCHMAH. THEN afterwards THE HIGH PRIEST HIMSELF brings an offering, and the upper ones all join to atone for his sin. It is acceptable to the Holy King. In the same manner, he who prays and errs, let another take his place.