Laying Hands on the Bull and the Reach of the Law

Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 469:3

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the bull" (Leviticus 4:4) — to include the bull of the Day of Atonement for the laying on of hands. And is this not a matter of logic? If this one [the anointed priest's bull], which does not require two confessions and does not require the "Please" [formula], requires the laying on of hands, then the bull of the Day of Atonement, which requires two confessions and requires the "Please," is it not right that it should require the laying on of hands? No: if you have said this concerning this bull, which comes for the transgression of a known commandment, would you say the same of the bull of the Day of Atonement, which does not come for the transgression of a known commandment? Since it does not come for the transgression of a known commandment, let it not require the laying on of hands. Therefore Scripture teaches, "And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the bull" — to include the bull of the Day of Atonement for the laying on of hands. "And he shall slaughter the bull before the LORD" (Leviticus 4:4) — in the north.

Themes

SacrificePriesthoodOral Torah

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