“Take one young bull” – that is what is written: “Great are the works of the Lord, ready for all that is desired” (Psalms 111:2). When He wishes, He calls it in the feminine, as it is stated: “They shall take for You an unflawed red cow” (Numbers 19:2),5In this verse the feminine term cow is used, indicating that the animal must be female. and when He wishes, He calls it in the masculine, as it is stated: “Take one young bull.”
To atone for them for what is destined to transpire,6These offerings bring atonement for the sin of the golden calf. as it is stated: “He said to Aaron: Take for yourself a young calf as a sin offering” (Leviticus 9:2).7This offering also brought atonement for the sin of the golden calf. Thus, the three offerings for this purpose were all from cattle, but one was a cow, one a bull, and one a calf.
That is why it is stated: “Great are the works of the Lord, ready for all that is desired.”8The verse is understood as praising God for providing a means of atonement for the sin of the golden calf. Another matter: [“Great are the works of the Lord”] (Psalms 111:2), in that the Holy One blessed be He honored Aaron, as He clothed him like the ministering angels, as it is stated: “For he is an angel of the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 2:7).9Not only did God provide atonement for Aaron’s role in the sin of the golden calf, He elevated him and appointed him as priest.
Rabbi Yehuda said: From here they said: Every priest who eats teruma but is not a man of Torah will not be a priest in the future. Rather, he is excluded from three matters, as it is stated: “For you have rejected knowledge. I will reject you [va’emasekha] from serving as priests for Me” (Hosea 4:6). There are three alefs in it,10The word va’emasekha is spelled here as vav alef mem alef samekh alef khaf, whereas ordinarily it would be spelled without the third alef. as he is rejected from the priesthood, from the Temple, and from serving as a Levite.
However, if he is a man of Torah, he is like an angel, as it is stated: “For the lips of the priest will safeguard knowledge, and they will seek Torah from his mouth, for he is an angel of the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 2:7). If not, look what is written: “A land of darkness [efata], like blackness” (Job 10:22) – this is Gehenna, where the wicked fly like birds [kaof]. Alternatively, efata, as the wicked are tired [ayefim] in it.
Who descends there? Rabbi Ḥama said: One who is not accustomed to order his studies in an organized fashion and rejects them, as it is stated: “The shadow of death and disarray” (Job 10:22). “And they will seek Torah from his mouth” (Malachi 2:7) – if he toils in it, he does not suffice with that, but he becomes a disciple of the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “All your children will be disciples of the Lord” (Isaiah 54:13), and likewise, “But your Teacher will no longer be concealed, and your eyes will see your Teacher” (Isaiah 30:20).