Parsha:

Vayikra 

Collections: R' Etshalom Sefer Vayikra

Description

Having engaged in an overview of the "דיבורא דחובה" - the obligatory offerings - we begin a detailed analysis of the first of these קרבנות - the special חטאת of the כהן גדול. We pose several questions, including the prioritizing of this leader's offering, the reason for the special procedures and location of his offering and the odd phrase that introduces the circumstance obligating him to bring it - לאשמת העם. We survey the various approaches taken by classical exegetes and then begin an inquiry into the nature of polysemy in Tanakh - when words have multiple meanings. That discussion will be fleshed out in the next segment of the series.