To You and Your Sons and the Seven Days of Investiture

Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 384:5

A certain man said to his wife: my property is to you and to your children. Rav Yosef said: she acquires a half. Rav Yosef said: from where do I derive this? As it was taught, Rabbi says: "and it shall belong to Aaron and to his sons," half to Aaron and half to his sons. And the law follows Rav Yosef in the case of a field of acquisition and a half. It was stated: regarding the offerings of investiture, Rabbi Yochanan and Rabbi Chanina disagreed. One said: everything written about them is indispensable in them. The other said: only what is indispensable for the generations is indispensable in them, but what is not indispensable for the generations is not indispensable in them. What is the practical difference between them? Rav Yosef said: laying on of hands is the difference. Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said: waving is the difference. Rav Pappa said: separation for seven days is the difference. Ravina said: anointing for seven days and consecrating for seven days is the difference. How do we know laying on of hands is not indispensable for the generations? As it was taught: "and he shall lay his hand... and it shall be accepted" (Leviticus 1:4): does laying on of hands atone? Surely there is no atonement except by the blood, as it is said, "for it is the blood that atones by means of the life" (Leviticus 17:11). Then why does Scripture say "and he shall lay... and it shall be accepted"? To teach that if one treated the laying on of hands as a leftover [neglected] commandment, Scripture regards him as though he had not atoned, though he has atoned. Rav Ashi said: "for so I have been commanded" (Leviticus 8:35) indicates indispensability. Rabbi Akiva visited Ginzak. They asked him three questions: are gentiles' vessels forbidden or permitted; does one fast for part of a day; and in what did Moses serve during the seven days of investiture? He did not have the answers. He came and asked in the study hall. They told him: the law is that one fasts for part of a day; gentiles' vessels are permitted after twelve months; and as for what Moses wore during the seven days of investiture, it was a white robe without a hem.

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