Weekly Torah Study 2025/5785: Parshat Shelach

(1) If a person transgresses any of the mitzvot of the Torah, whether a positive command or a negative command - whether willingly or inadvertently - when he repents, and returns from his sin, he must confess before God, blessed be He, as [Numbers 5:6-7] states: "If a man or a woman commit any of the sins of man... they must confess the sin that they committed." This refers to a verbal confession. This confession is a positive command. How does one confess: He states: "I implore You, God, I sinned, I transgressed, I committed iniquity before You by doing the following. Behold, I regret and am embarrassed for my deeds. I promise never to repeat this act again." These are the essential elements of the confessional prayer. Whoever confesses profusely and elaborates on these matters is worthy of praise. Those who bring sin offerings or guilt offerings must also [confess their sins] when they bring their sacrifices for their inadvertent or willful transgressions. Their sacrifices will not atone for their sins until they repent and make a verbal confession as [Leviticus 5:5] states: "He shall confess the sin he has committed upon it." Similarly, those obligated to be executed or lashed by the court do not attain atonement through their death or lashing unless they repent and confess. Similarly, someone who injures a colleague or damages his property, does not attain atonement, even though he pays him what he owes until he confesses and makes a commitment never to do such a thing again as implied by the phrase [Numbers, loc. cit..], "any of the sins of man."

(22) If you unwittingly fail to observe any one of the commandments that יהוה has declared to Moses— (23) anything that יהוה has enjoined upon you through Moses—from the day that יהוה gave the commandment and on through the ages: (24) If this was done unwittingly, through the inadvertence of the community, the community leaders shall present one bull of the herd as a burnt offering of pleasing odor to יהוה, with its proper meal offering and libation, and one he-goat as a sin offering.

(1) וכי תשגו ולא תעשו AND IF YE HAVE ERRED, AND NOT DONE [ALL THESE COMMANDMENTS WHICH THE LORD HATH SPOKEN UNTO MOSES] — Idolatry (which is the transgression referred to here; cf. Rashi on next passage) is naturally comprehended under the general term “all the commandments” (see Leviticus 4:13) for which the whole community brings a bullock as a sin-offering if it infringes one of them, but, you see, Scripture here excepts it (the sin of idolatry) from the general law about them, to bring it under the law of a bullock as a burnt-offering, and a he-goat for a sin-offering (whilst the rule in Leviticus 4:13 is a bullock for sin-offering, and no he-goat is prescribed) (Sifrei Bamidbar 111:1).

(13) If it is the community leadership of Israel that has erred and the matter escapes the notice of the congregation, so that they do any of the things which by יהוה’s commandments ought not to be done, and they realize guilt—

(1) את כל אשר צוה וגו׳ EVEN ALL THAT [THE LORD] HATH COMMANDED [YOU] etc. — This tells us that he who acknowledges the divinity of an idol is like one who denies the Torah in its entirety and all that the prophets prophesied, because it states, “[and if yo have erred and not done … all that the Lord hath commanded by Moses] from the day that the Lord commanded (Moses), and hence forth [throughout all your generations]” (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 111:1).

(1) ואם מעיני העדה נעשתה בשגגה — This means: If it is by the eyes (the leaders) of the community that this sin has been committed in error, i.e., that they have mistakenly taught of a certain one of the rites associated with the worship of God that it is permissible to worship an idol in that manner, [then it shall be that all the congregation shall offer, etc.] (cf. Horayot 5b).

(26) The whole Israelite community and the stranger residing among them shall be forgiven, for it happened to the entire people through error.

(1) And it shall be forgiven to the entire congregation. One person who worships idols is not comparable to this, for in that case we must investigate if he sinned unintentionally and can receive atonement by bringing an offering, or if he sinned intentionally. The entire nation, on the other hand, follow after their leaders, and it stands to reason that they sinned unintentionally, “for the body follows after the head.”

This is the meaning of the verse’s conclusion: For the entire people sinned unintentionally.

(9) Forgive the entire congregation of the Children of Yisrael and the stranger amongst them; for the entire people sin unintentionally.

(37) יהוה said to Moses as follows: (38) Speak to the Israelite people and instruct them to make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout the ages; let them attach a cord of blue to the fringe at each corner.

(2) תכלת BLUE PURPLE — It is the blue dye of (obtained from) the blood of the Chilazon (a kind of shell-fish).

(3) A THREAD OF BLUE. Upon the fringes. The reason the thread was blue is that blue is a sky-like color.

(36) You shall make a frontlet of pure gold and engrave on it the seal inscription: “Holy to יהוה.” (37) Suspend it on a cord of blue, so that it may remain on the headdress; it shall remain on the front of the headdress.