meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt/Tanakh/Commentary/Rashbam/Torah/Rashbam on Leviticus/English/Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009.txt"}
text: Rashbam on Leviticus
  רשב"ם על ויקרא
  Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009
  
  
  Rashbam on Leviticus
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  And he shall separate the ashes. This was a daily mitzvah for the morning continual offering, whereas the mitzvah of “He shall take out the ashes” (v. 4) was performed irregularly, whenever the altar needed to be cleared of an abundance of ashes.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  Aharon’s sons took. Before the fire came forth from before Hashem each of them had taken his fire-pan to burn the incense on the golden altar inside the sanctuary, and they placed fire on them, something Moshe had not commanded them to do that day, although it was commanded on other days, as it says, “The sons of Aharon the <i>kohein</i> shall place [ignite] a fire on the altar.” This was because Moshe did not want them to bring fire from human sources on the day they were expecting the fire to come down from Heaven. If they would not ignite a fire on this day everyone would know that the fire came down from Heaven, and there would be a sanctification of Heaven’s name, as Eliyahu said (Melachim I 18:25): “And fire place not,” for he wanted to sanctify Heaven’s name when the fire came down from Above.
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  Do not let your hair grow long. Moshe said to Elozor and Isomor: Although you are regular kohanim and you are not commanded with respect to letting your hair grow long or tearing your garments, which are commandments only for the Kohein Godol and not a regular <i>kohein</i>, but today your law is like that of the Kohein Godol in subsequent generations.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  
  
  Verse 14
  
  
  
  Verse 15
  
  
  
  Verse 16
  
  
  
  Verse 17
  
  
  
  Verse 18
  
  
  
  Verse 19
  
  
  
  Verse 20
  
  
  
  Verse 21
  
  
  
  Verse 22
  
  
  
  Verse 23
  
  If he is on the bed. Someone who lies down or sits on an item that the menstruant trampled upon is impure until the evening to make food and drink impure, even though he does not touch them [the seat or bed]. When he touches it, he shall be impure. This means: Or even if he touched a item of riding he will be impure until the evening, but he will not become impure to the extent that he will make clothes impure, because in [the case of an] item of riding [the Torah] makes a distinction between his touching and his carrying, for the act of carrying causes a man’s clothes to be impure, but the act of touching only causes a person to become impure but not his clothes … 
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  For in a cloud. The plain meaning is: For I constantly appear there with My pillar of cloud on the Ark-cover, as it says (Shemos 25:22): “And I will speak with you from atop the Ark-cover.” If the <i>kohein</i> will see it he will die. Therefore, Hashem commanded that when he enters on Yom Kippur he will burn incense there first to darken the Sanctuary with the cloud of incense, and afterwards he will bring the blood of bullock and the goat.
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  To send it to Azazel. The plain meaning is to send it alive to the mountains in the wilderness, as we find regarding the birds of the <i>metzoro</i> (14:7): “And send the live bird into the open field,” to purify the <i>metzoro</i> from his impurity. Here, too, it is sent to the wilderness to purify Israel from their iniquities; it is sent to a place where animals graze.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  Whatever is in the field, you may eat. But you may not eat from what is gathered into the homes, for it is prohibited to harvest.