Derasha 2 on Vayikra 4:3

Parashas Vayikra · Aliyah 5 · Passuk 3 · Unit 2 of 10

The Complete Passuk

אִ֣ם הַכֹּהֵ֧ן הַמָּשִׁ֛יחַ יֶחֱטָ֖א לְאַשְׁמַ֣ת הָעָ֑ם וְהִקְרִ֡יב עַ֣ל חַטָּאתוֹ֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר חָטָ֜א פַּ֣ר בֶּן־בָּקָ֥ר תָּמִ֛ים לַיהֹוָ֖ה לְחַטָּֽאת׃

Chabad.org — English translation + Rashi

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Horayos 12a.

E-Daf.com — Horayos 12a
HebrewBooks / Shas PDF

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Horayos 12a
״הַכֹּהֵן״ — לְמַעֵט מֶלֶךְ; ״הַמָּשִׁיחַ״ — לְמַעֵט מְרֻבֶּה בִּבְגָדִים; ״הַכֹּהֵן הַמָּשִׁיחַ" — זֶה כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל שֶׁאֵין מָשִׁיחַ עַל גַּבָּיו.

English: “The kohen” — to exclude a king; “the anointed” — to exclude one elevated by garments alone; “the anointed kohen” — this is a High Priest over whom no anointed [priest] stands.

In the sugya: The verse’s compound title is parsed phrase by phrase to define precisely who brings the bull of 4:3 and who is excluded from that category.

Type of Learning

Definition of kohen ha-mashiach by exclusion — the verse’s wording excludes a king, a deputy elevated only by garments, and any High Priest who has another anointed priest over him.

What Is Learned

Only a properly anointed High Priest who has no superior anointed priest brings the bull of 4:3. The terms “the kohen,” “the anointed,” and the full phrase are each used to exclude: a king is outside the category, a merubeh begadim (elevated solely by the eight garments) is outside, and only the singular High Priest with no anointed superior qualifies. The special chatas bull is therefore limited to that unique office.