פרשת צו תש"ה - קורבנות

And this is the law of the meal-offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the LORD, in front of the altar.

It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it as their portion of My offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as the sin-offering, and as the guilt-offering.

לא תאפה חמץ חלקם IT SHALL NOT BE BAKEN AS ANYTHING LEAVENED FOR THEIR PORTION — The remains of the meal-offering which become the portion of the priests, are also forbidden to be baked in the form of leavened (Menachot 55a).

וזאת תורת המנחה AND THIS IS THE LAW OF THE MEAL OFFERING — one law for all meal-offerings (cf. Rashi on v. 2) — making requisite for them “oil” and “frankincense” which are prescribed in the previous section (Leviticus 2:1). This had to be intimated in some way here because I might think that there I have the law that meal offerings require oil and frankincense only if they belong to an ordinary Israelite since it is that alone of which a fistful (קומץ) had to be taken, (for the command to take the קומץ is preceded by the words ויצק עליה שמן ונתן עליה לבונה cf. Leviticus 2:1 and 2)! Whence can I know that the same applies to the meal-offering of priests which was entirely burnt (and of which therefore no קומץ was taken; cf. Rashi on v. 15)? Because Scripture states, תורת — “this is the general law of the meal-offering” (Sifra, Tzav, Section 2 3).

זה קרבן אהרון ובניו THIS IS THE OFFERING OF AARON AND HIS SONS — The ordinary priests, too, offer a tenth part of an ephah of flour on the day they are installed into the priestly service; the High Priest, however, offers one every day, as it is said, “a continual meal-offering, [half of it in the morning, and half thereof in the evening] etc. And the priest amongst his sons that is anointed in his stead (i. e. every high priest) [shall offer it]; it is a statute for ever” (Sifra, Tzav, Section 3 1-4; Menachot 51b).

זה קרבן אהרן ובניו. According to the plain meaning of the verse the persons meant are Aaron and his successors, other High Priests subsequent to him. Our sages (Menachot 51) interpret the verse to refer to all ordinary priests as well. In other words, any newly inducted priest is required to bring a gift offering as his first service in the Temple.

המשיח תחתיו מבניו is the same as המשיח מבניו תחתיו THE PRIEST THAT IS ANOINTED FROM AMONGST HIS SONS IN HIS STEAD.

ילבשם הכהן THE PRIEST SHALL PUT THEM ON — i. e. he who, from among his sons, will rise up in his stead in the high-priesthood at the time when they will appoint him to be High Priest.

[הכהן תחתיו מבניו — From here (from this phraseology) we have a proof that the word הכהן is everywhere a participle — meaning “he who is actually acting as the officiant”; therefore the tonic accent תביר on the word הכהן connects it with the word following it.].

תפיני means, many times baken: after it has been scalded he bakes it in the oven and then again fries it in a pan (cf. Menachot 50b).