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Week 140 - Tuesday - 30 July 2002

HORAYOT: CHAPTER 3: MISHNAH 2

If the anointed priest sinned after passing from office, so, too, the ruler who sinned after passing from greatness - The anointed priest brings a bullock and the ruler is as an ordinary individual.

Kehati

This mishnah deals with the ease of a transgression of the anointed priest and the ruler, when no longer in office.

If the anointed priest sinned after passing from office, he has to offer a bullock, for although he does not perform the service in the Temple, he retains his sanctity, as we learn below (mishnah 4). Therefore, if he sinned, he has still to offer a bullock as an anointed priest. So, too, the ruler who sinned after passing from greatness... is as an ordinary individual - and he offers a sheep or goat, because, in the case of the ruler, the verse says (Lev. 4:22): "If the ruler sin" - whilst he is ruler he offers a he-goat, but, once an ordinary person, he does not offer a he-goat (Gemara).

HORAYOT: CHAPTER 3: MISHNAH 3

If they sinned prior to their appointment, and they were afterwards appointed, they are as ordinary people. R. Shimon says: if it became known to them before their appointment, they are liable, but, if once appointed, they are exempt. And who is the ruler? This is the king, for it is written (Lev. 4:22) "And he commit one of the commandments of the Lord his God" - (that is) a ruler, who has none above him except the Lord his God.

Kehati

This mishnah teaches the law regarding the anointed priest and the ruler, who sinned prior to their appointment.

If they sinned prior to their appointment - before becoming high priest or ruler, and they were afterwards appointed - before bringing their offering, they are as ordinary people - because it is the time of the transgression which is the determining factor, as we explained in mishnah 1, and when they sinned they were ordinary people, R. Shimon says If it became known to them before their appointment - if they became aware of their sin before they were appointed, -they are liable for a sin-offering as ordinary people, but, if once appointed, - if they became aware of their sin after they were appointed, - they are exempt from any offering, for according to R. Shimon, both the sin together with the awareness of it form the determining factor. He therefore, disputes the ruling in mishnah 1 regarding the ruler who sinned and was subsequently removed, for if he became aware of his sin after his removal, he would not have to bring a he-goat, because the transgression and the awareness of it must both be during the period of liability for the offering, i.e. whilst he was ruler.

And who is the ruler? whose offering is different from that of the ordinary person, and who brings a he-goat? This is the king, for it is written "And if the ruler sin and he commit one of the commandments of the Lord his God" - (that is) a ruler, the king who has none above him except the Lord his God. The Gemara quotes a baraita (Hor. 11a): A "ruler"- I might think that this refers to the prince of a tribe like Nachshon ben Aminadav? Therefore, the verse states: from one of the commandments of the Lord his God. Later on it says (in the section regarding the king - Deut, 17:19): "In order that he may learn to fear the Lord his God." As in the later passage, the reference is to one above whom there is none except the Lord his God, so also the ruler in the former passage refers to one, who has none above him except the Lord his God.

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