"Inner Sin-Offerings" - Par Kohein Mashiach Par Kohein Mashiach - "the bullock of the anointed High Priest" was brought by an anointed Kohein Gadol, who made a reasoned but erroneous Halachic decision on the basis of his Torah learning, and thereby inadvertently transgressed a prohibition, which had he done so intentionally, would have subjected him to the penalty of Kareit. The Kohein Gadol's ruling, though mistaken, had to be an honest mistake; it could not be simple carelessness. The Torah says, "If the anointed Kohein (i.e. the Kohen Gadol, the only Kohein who was anointed) will sin, bringing guilt upon the people for the sin that he committed, he shall offer a young bullock, unblemished, to G-d as a sin-offering… (Vayikra 4:3-12). Rashi points out why the Kohein Gadol's sin was so serious. "…when the Kohein Gadol sins, it is the guilt of (all) the people, because they are dependent upon him to effectuate atonement and pray for them (and by sinning, his "atonement-getting ability") became impaired (and therefore he could not succeed in expiating the sins of Am Yisrael). From the time of Aaron, the first Kohein Gadol, it was essential for the new Kohanim Gedolim to be anointed with the Shemen HaMishcha (the holy anointing oil) upon assuming office (Vayikra 21:10 Its manufacture is described in Sh'mot 30:22-25 and elaborated on in K'ritot 5a.). The Gemara reads, "Even a High Priest who is the son of a High Priest must be anointed. How do we know? It is written, 'And the anointed priest that shall be in his stead from among his sons' (Vayikra 6:15). The Torah should have said, 'And the priest that shall be in his stead from among his sons,' why then the 'anointed'? Consequently, it intends to teach us that even the son of a High Priest succeeds to his father's office only if he is anointed… (Horayot 11b). The Gemara explains how they anointed the Kohanim Gedolim; "…in the shape of a chi. R. Menashya ben Gada clarifies, 'In the shape of a GreekX'… Our rabbis taught, (It is written), 'It is like the precious oil… coming down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard… (T'hilim 133:2). Two drops (of oil) like pearls hung from Aaron's beard. R. Papa said, '…when he spoke, they (miraculously) ascended and lodged at the root of his beard. This made Moshe apprehensive. He said, 'Have I, Heaven forefend, made improper use of the Shemen HaMishcha ("by applying too much"? K'ritot 5b, Rashi). A heavenly voice came forth and called out, 'Like the precious oil… like the dew of (Mt.) Hermon… (ibid:3). As the law of improper use of holy objects (Me'ila) does not apply to the dew of Hermon, so too the law is not applicable to the oil on Aaron's beard. Nevertheless, Aaron was still anxious. He said, 'It is possible that Moshe did not sin, but perhaps I have trespassed.' A heavenly voice came forth and said to him, "Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity' (ibid :1). Just as Moshe is not guilty of Me'ila, you also are not guilty of Me'ila" (Horayot 12a). "At the time when the Holy Ark was hidden away, they also hid the Shemen HaMishcha, the jar of manna, etc." (Horayot 12a). Radak (R. David Kimchi 1160-1235 CE on II Divrei Hayamim 35:3) quotes a no longer extant Midrash. "Our rabbis of blessed memory said, 'that (Yoshiyahu, the last righteous king of Judah [639 BCE - 608BCE], realizing that the destruction of Bayit Rishon was imminent), gave instructions to hide the Aron (and the oil, the vessel with the manna, etc.)… There was a stone in the western side of the Kodesh HaKodashim and the Ark rested on it…. When Solomon built the First Temple, (Ru'ach HaKodesh revealed to him) that one day it would be destroyed. Therefore, in anticipation, he excavated a place to hide the Aron in winding, hidden tunnels deep below the surface of the earth. The stone upon which the ark rested, covered the opening of that tunnel. Yoshiyahu ordered that the Aron be hidden in the place that Sh'lomo had prepared. '(And he said to the Levites that taught all Israel, that were holy unto the Lord) 'Put the Holy Ark in the (House that Solomon King of Israel did build)…' And they hid the Aron, the staff of Aaron, the jar containing the manna and the Shemen HaMishcha." When the Beit HaMikdash is rebuilt speedily in our time, Eliyahu HaNavi will restore them to us. The Mishna refers to this Korban (and Par He'elam Davar Shel Tzibur, the "bullock offered for a matter that was hidden from the congregation") as the "bullocks which are to be burnt". These Korbanot fall into the category of Chata'ot Penimi'ot - "inner sin-offerings" - because unlike other Chata'ot, the Kohanim made the blood application inside the Bayit. The Mishna reads, "The bullock(s)… were slaughtered north of the Mizbei'ach and their blood was received in a Kli Shareit (a Mikdash service vessel) in the north and their blood was required to be sprinkled on the Parochet (between the Heichal and the Kodesh HaKodashim and on the Mizbach HaZahav, the golden (incense) altar" inside the Bayit (Z'vachim 5:2). Rambam elucidates, "…the blood was tossed seven times on the Veil… and (blood) was dabbed on the four "horns" of the Mizbach HaZahav… he starts in the northeast, (proceeds to) the northwest, southwest (and finishes in the) southeast. The anointed Kohein…receives the blood and sprinkles the blood in (the Heichal) but if (he appointed) a common priest (as a surrogate, the Korban) is valid" (Hil. Ma'asei Hakorbanot 5:13-15). The Mishna cautions, "(The lack of) one of these sprinklings impaired (the atonement). The residue of the blood (left in the Kli Shareit) was spilled over the western base of the outer (sacrificial) altar…" A common Kohein removed the Eimurim (inner sacrificial portions) from the animal - salted them and burnt them on the Mizbei'ach. Then they removed the body of the Par from Jerusalem but did not flay the animal. They took the Par to the area where the ashes of the Mizbei'ach were disposed, dismembered it and burnt the pieces. A Zar (non-Kohein) could burn the Par and it may be burnt even at night. Since Shemen HaMishcha was no longer accessible in the days of Bayit Sheini, they could not anoint the new Kohanim Gedolim. Instead, they were inaugurated by simply being invested with the eight garments of the KG. The newly appointed KG donned the "many garments" and removed them every day for a week. Rashi comments, "…Iknow that (the KG) anointed with the Shemen HaMishcha (is eligible to perform the Yom Kippur Avoda). (However) he who (wears) the "larger number of garments", from whence do we derive that he also is eligible)? Scripture states 'And who shall be con- secrated' (Vayikra 16:32) etc. These are the High Priests who arose from (the time) of Yoshiyahu and afterwards, because in his days, they concealed the cruse of anointing oil." After this 7-day investiture, they accepted the legitimacy of the new Kohein Gadol without question and he could perform all the Avodot required by his office. The prerogatives of the KG who was inaugurated by the 'wearing of the many garments' for seven days differed from those of the anointed KG only in that the Kohanim Gedolim of Bayit Sheini, not being anointed, were barred from bringing the Par Kohein Mashiach. While we have no record that this particular Korban was ever offered, it could not be brought - even in theory - in Bayit Sheini. <to be continued> Catriel's book in progress: The Temple of Jerusalem, A Pilgrim’s Perspective; A Guided Tour through the Temple and the Divine Service [The
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