Command Aaron and his sons, saying: This is the law of the burnt
offering, such burnt offering shall remain on the fire-place of the altar all
night until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be blazing in it. Leviticus 6:2
Parashat vaYikra, which
precedes our Parasha ends with the verse:
And the Kohen shall make atonement for him before God, and it
shall be forgiven him for anything he has done in incurring guilt therein. Leviticus 5:26
The juxtaposition of this verse with the opening verse of our Parasha
stresses that the Kohen effects atonement for a sinner only as God’s
agent, not through his own personal greatness. The Kohen may not pride
himself on his power to achieve atonement for others, but must be dedicated to
God’s service, with no personal interest.
This concept is conveyed as well in verse 3: “And the Kohen shall put
on his linen robe (middo, which can also mean “his measurement”)…,” from
which our Sages learned that the priestly garments must be made to the
measurements of each individual Kohen. The Kohen may not wear
garments too large or too small for his own measurements, teaching that neither
may he be haughty about his position, nor may he lower himself or fail to
appreciate his position as one who carries the crown of Divine service. It is
when the Kohen strikes the proper balance that he will be able to
fulfill his obligation a spiritual guide to the People.
Ba’al haTurim notes the continuity of
the two verses: “in incurring guilt therein… command Aaron and his sons,” and
comments that this teaches that the Kohanim must be diligent in Torah
and mitzvot.
The Kohen, the spiritual guide of the People, must be diligent
and careful in his personal fulfillment of mitzvot in order to be able
to have a positive influence on the nation. If the Kohen fails in this,
it will indeed “incur guilt” for the entire nation.
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