Derasha 4 on Vayikra 4:15

Parashas Vayikra · Aliyah 5 · Passuk 15 · Unit 4 of 4

The Complete Passuk

וְסָמְכ֣וּ זִקְנֵֽי־הָעֵדָ֞ה אֶת־יְדֵיהֶם֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ הַפָּ֔ר לִפְנֵ֖י יְהֹוָ֑ה וְשָׁחַ֥ט אֶת־הַפָּ֖ר לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃

Chabad.org — English translation + Rashi

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Menachos 92a.

E-Daf.com — Menachos 92a
HebrewBooks / Shas PDF

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Menachos 92a

״עַל רֹאשׁ הַפָּר״ — מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״הַפָּר״? לְלַמֵּד: פַּר טָעוּן סְמִיכָה וְאֵין שְׂעִירֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה טְעוּנִים סְמִיכָה.

English: “On the head of the bull” — why say “the bull”? To teach: a bull requires semichah, and the goats of idolatry do not require semichah.

In the sugya: The explicit mention of “the bull” is used to limit the semichah requirement of this section and to exclude the communal goats offered for idolatry.

Type of Learning

Miyut of se’irei avodah zarah from semichah — communal idolatry-goats are excluded from the semichah requirement of this bull.

What Is Learned

The verse’s specification of “the bull” teaches that semichah is required for the par he’elam davar but is not required for the se’irei avodah zarah. The miyut keeps the two communal offerings distinct in their procedural details even though both arise from national-level error.

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