Leviticus 4: Taking responsibility

YINR 929: Tanach Yomi · Jan 7, 2026 · 3m

Chapter 4 discusses a rarity—leaders taking responsibility for their actions. The Torah lists three possible scenarios where a leader must bring a communal offering.

The first is a priest that makes a mistake. “If it is the anointed priest who incurred guilt, so that blame falls upon the people, he shall offer for the sin of which he is guilty a bull of the herd without blemish as a sin offering to the LORD” (Leviticus 4:3–4).

אִם־הַכֹּהֵן הַמָּשִׁיחַ יֶחֱטָא לְאַשְׁמַת הָעָם וְהִקְרִיב עַל־חַטָּאתוֹ אֲשֶׁר חָטָא פַּר בֶּן־בָּקָר תָּמִים לַה׳ לְחַטָּאת׃ וְהֵבִיא אֶת־הַפָּר אֶל־פֶּתַח אֹהֶל…