Sefer HaChinuch ספר החינוך

The commandment of the procedure of the sin-offering: That we were commanded that the priests process the sin-offering in the manner that is mentioned in Scripture — whatever sin-offering it should be, of a beast or fowl — as it is stated (Leviticus 6:18), “This is the law of the sin-offering.”

We have already said above (Sefer HaChinukh 95) that about the details of the sacrifices — meaning to say, the order of their sacrifice, in which place, the manner of their bringing and their sprinkling, the place and time of their eating or with some of them, their burning — we cannot strain our thoughts towards the roots of these matters that have no comparison, and we do not have any acquisition of the intellect that is acquired about this. There will be one in a city — a wise mystic — who will merit to know some of the main things of the matter. And it is enough for us once we have [already] written that which came up into our thoughts of the reason — by way of the simple understanding — of the sacrifices more generally. And with this I exempt myself from writing the root — as is my custom with the rest — about the sin-offering and all that is similar to it, since they are included in the specifics of the sacrifice. As the general principle is the offering of the sacrifice and the specifics are the laws of how to sacrifice it.

And behold, Ramban, may his memory be blessed, (on Sefer HaMitzvot, Shorashim 12) does not calculate the law of the sin-offering, the guilt-offering, the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings in the tally of the commandments, based on the fundamental principle that I have said. As the main commandment comes about the obligation of the bringing of the sacrifice. But it is not right to calculate the order of its processing afterwards as a commandment on its own. As perforce Scripture had to teach us the process of each one of them, once we became obligated about them. And this is his language: “Every process of the sacrifices is one commandment and all of the seed of Aharon were commanded in its service, as it is stated (Numbers 18:7), ‘and you shall serve, the service of the gift that I gave your priesthood.’ And its explanation is that they shall serve all of the service of the priesthood, since it is a service and a gift of Mine and a gift to you, that you get reward for it when you take from the table of the Higher realm, may He be blessed.” To here [are his words]. And with all of this, we shall not veer from the path of the tally of Rambam, may his memory be blessed, which (we have taken hold of) [permeates] the commandments. And the thing that is difficult, the difficulty should be attributed to us and not to him — as he is truthfully our source in this endeavor, and from his hand did we merit it. The righteous man should rest in his resting place.

From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Sacrificial Procedure 1:9) that the sin-offerings come from five species: sheep; goats; cattle, whether large or small — and we will explain the matter of their big ones and small ones in the peace-offerings, with God’s help (Sefer HaChinukh 141) — and whether male or female; doves; and young pigeons. And we have already written some of the laws above, with the sin-offerings of the fowl (Sefer HaChinukh 124). And there were some of the sin-offerings that came for the entire community and some that came for the individual. And from them, there were some for the congregation and some for the individual that were all burned on the outer altar, and some of them that were all eaten — except for their entrails, which were burnt on the outer altar. As the whole year, all we burn on the inner [altar] is incense, as we have said above (Sefer HaChinukh 104).

And these are the entrails of an ox or a goat: the fat that is on the innards — and included in it is the fat that is on the maw; the two kidneys with the fat that is on them and the fat that is on the flanks; the protuberances of the livers that are called polegar in the vernacular, and a little of the liver is taken with the protuberances. And the entrails of the species of sheep are these same ones. And in addition to them, with the sheep, we also take the whole fatty tail with the vertebrae of the backbone until the place of the kidneys, as it is stated (Leviticus 3:9), “opposite the kidneys (atseh) shall you remove” — meaning to say, above the place of the kidneys (Sifra, Tzav 14:8). And it referred to that place [with this word that is spelled like the word for counsel] because they, may their memory be blessed, said (Berakhot 61a) that the kidneys give counsel. And also that which they, may their memory be blessed, explained about the process of the sin-offering that is eaten, about its slaughter and its sprinkling, and all the rest of its content; and also regarding the process of the sin-offering that is burnt; and what is their law if any act of destruction is done upon them; and the rest of its details are [all] in Zevachim.

And it is practiced at the time of the [Temple] by the males of the priesthood. And a priest that transgresses and does not do the sin-offering according to its statute, has violated this positive commandment.