"When a ruler has sinned"

Synopsis

Rabbi Yitzchak wonders why it is implied that a ruler will sin while a priest might sin. Rabbi Shimon explains that a ruler will sin through the pride of knowing that all the people are under his charge - the matter of his sinning is not in doubt. This is why the gift of stones to be placed on the Efod and the breastplate over the priest's heart must be brought by the rulers and not by other men. In this way the rulers atone for themselves.

Congregation Guilt Priests Sin

389. אֲשֶׁר נָשִׂיא יֶחֱטָא וְעָשָׂה אַחַת וְגוֹ' בִּשְׁגָגָה וְאָשֵׁם. תָּאנֵי ר' יִצְחָק, מ"ש בְּכָל אֲתַר דִּכְתִּיב בְּהוּ וְאִם, כד"א אִם הַכֹּהֵן הַמָּשִׁיחַ יֶחֱטָא. וְאִם כָּל עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל יִשְׁגּוּ, וְהָכָא אֲשֶׁר נָשִׂיא יֶחֱטָא, וְלָא כְּתִיב וְאִם נָשִׂיא יֶחֱטָא, מַאי קָא מַיְירֵי.

Congregation Precepts Priests Sin

390. HE ANSWERS, Priests are not very sinful, as a priest always guards himself because his Master's burden is on him daily, the burden of the whole of Yisrael and the burden of each of them. It is a great wonder if he sins. It is therefore written, "If" and also "And if the whole Congregation of Yisrael sin through ignorance." It is a wonder if they are all found committing the same sin, for if some sin, others do not. It is therefore written, "And if." But here, "When a ruler has sinned," surely HE HAS SINNED, for his heart is swelled with pride because all the people follow him and are under his charge. Hence, it says, "When a ruler has sinned," namely in transgressing a negative precept and sinning against one of them. It therefore does not say of him 'and if,' because this matter OF HIS SINNING is not in doubt.

390. אֶלָּא, אִלֵּין כַּהֲנַיָא לָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי הָכִי בְּחַטָּאָה, דְּהָא כֹּהֵן נָטִיר גַּרְמֵיהּ תְּדִירָא, בְּגִין דְּמָטוּלָא דְּמָארֵיהּ עָלֵיהּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא, וּמָטוּלָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלְּהוּ, וּמָטוּלָא דְּכָל חַד וְחַד, וְעַ"ד תַּוָּוהָא אִיהוּ כַּד יֶחֱטָא, ובג"כ וְאִם כְּתִיב. וְכֵן וְאִם כָּל עֲדַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל יִשְׁגּוּ, תַּוָּוהָא הוּא דְּכֻלְּהוּ יִשְׁתַּכְחוּ בְּחוֹבָה חַד, דְּאִי אִלֵּין יֶחֶטְאוּן, אִלֵּין לָא יֶחֶטְאוּן, וּבְגִינֵי כַּךְ וְאִם כְּתִיב. אֲבָל הָכָא אֲשֶׁר נָשִׂיא יֶחֱטָא, וַדַּאי, בְּגִין דְּלִבֵּיהּ גַּס בֵּיהּ, וְעַמָּא אַזְלִין אֲבַתְרֵיהּ, וְאִתְמְנוּן תְּחוֹתוֹי. וְעַ"ד אֲשֶׁר נָשִׂיא יֶחֱטָא. כְּגוֹן דְּעָבַר עַל מִצְוֹת לֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה, וְהוּא עָבֵיד חַד מִנַּיְיהוּ, וְעַ"ד לָא כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ וְאִם, דְּהָא מִלּוֹי לָא בְּסִפְקָא הֲווֹ.

Offering Stones

391. Rabbi Yehuda opened the discussion with the verse: "And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the efod, and for the breastplate" (Shemot 35:27). HE ASKS, What is the difference here? Why were these brought by the rulers and not by other men? Indeed it is written, "Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of Hashem" (Ibid. 5) and "and onyx stones, and stones to be set for the efod and for the breastplate" (Ibid. 9). EVERY MAN IS COMMANDED CONCERNING THIS.

391. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח, וְהַנְּשִׂיאִים הֵבִיאוּ אֵת אַבְנֵי הַשֹּׁהַם וְאֵת אַבְנֵי הַמִּלּוּאִים לָאֵפוֹד וְלַחֹשֶׁן. מ"ש דְּמִלִּין אִלֵּין אַקְרִיבוּ נְשִׂיאִים, וְלָא ב"נ אָחֳרָא, וְהָא כְּתִיב כֹּל נְדִיב לִבּוֹ יְבִיאֶהָ אֵת תְּרוּמַת יְיָ,' וּכְתִיב וְאַבְנֵי שֹׁהַם וְאַבְנֵי מִלּוּאִים לָאֵפוֹד וְלַחֹשֶׁן.

Aaron Atonement Priests Stones

392. HE REPLIES, The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'Though this donation is open for everyone, let these stones be brought by the rulers.' What is the reason for this? THE STONES are placed on the priest's heart, so the Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'Let the rulers, whose heart is proud, come and bring these stones that are on the priest's heart, and their heart's pride will be atoned for.' It is also written, "And they shall be on Aaron's heart, when he goes in before Hashem" (Shemot 28:30). This is why the rulers brought the onyx stones, to atone for themselves.

392. אֶלָּא, אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אע"ג דִּבְכֹלָּא תַּלְיָא הַאי נְדָבָה, סְלִיקוּ אִלֵּין אֲבָנִים לַנְּשִׂיאִים. מ"ט, בְּגִין דְּעַל לִבָּא דְּכַהֲנָא אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ. אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא ב"ה, לֵיתוּ נְשִׂיאִים דְּלִבַּיְיהוּ גַּס בְּהוּ, וְיֵיתוּן אִלֵּין אֲבָנִים דְּאִינּוּן מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי עַל לִבָּא דְּכַהֲנָא, וְיִתְכַּפֵּר עָלַיְיהוּ מִגַּסוּת לִבַּיְיהוּ, וּכְתִיב וְהָיוּ עַל לֵב אַהֲרֹן בְּבֹאוֹ לִפְנֵי יְיָ,' וְעַ"ד וְהַנְּשִׂיאִים הֵבִיאוּ אֵת אַבְנֵי הַשֹּׁהַם וְאֵת אַבְנֵי הַמִּלּוּאִים לְכַפְּרָא עָלַיְיהוּ.

Precepts Sin

393. Therefore, it is surely written, "When a ruler has sinned, and done something through ignorance against any one of the commandments of Hashem his Elohim concerning things which should not be done" (Vayikra 4:22). We explained that he did this by transgressing one of the negative precepts. "If his sin, wherein he has sinned, come to his knowledge" (Ibid. 23): It is only because his heart has swelled with pride that he did not care about his sins. Only later was it made known to him, and he did penance.

393. ובג"כ אֲשֶׁר נָשִׂיא יֶחֱטָא וַדַּאי. וְעָשָׂה אַחַת מִכָּל מִצְוֹת יְיָ' אֱלֹהָיו אֲשֶׁר לֹא תֵעָשֶׂנָּה, כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ, דְּעָבַר עַל מִצְוַת לֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה. אוֹ הוֹדַע אֵלָיו חַטָּאתוֹ. דִּבְגִין דְּלִבֵּיהּ גַּס בֵּיהּ, לָא אַשְׁגַּח בַּחֲטָאֵיהּ, וּלְבָתַר אִתְיְידַע לֵיהּ, וְעָבֵד מִנֵּיהּ תְּשׁוּבָה.