Derasha 3 on Vayikra 4:3

Parashas Vayikra · Aliyah 5 · Passuk 3 · Unit 3 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 10a.

E-Daf.com — Horayos 10a
HebrewBooks / Shas PDF

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Horayos 10a
חָטָא וְאַחַר כָּךְ נִתְמַנָּה — מֵבִיא כְּהֶדְיוֹט.

English: If he sinned and afterward was appointed — he brings [an offering] as a private individual.

In the sugya: Timing of the sin relative to appointment determines which offering is brought; the special bull is not retroactive.

Type of Learning

Pre-appointment sins remain ordinary — a sin committed before elevation to High Priest is atoned by an ordinary individual’s chatas.

What Is Learned

Sins committed before elevation to High Priest are atoned by an ordinary individual’s chatas, not by the bull of the anointed. The special status of the High Priest and the corresponding bull offering begin only with the appointment itself. Any prior inadvertent sin retains the status of a private individual’s chatas and is not upgraded by later elevation.