וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אַחֲרֵ֣י מ֔וֹת שְׁנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֑ן בְּקָרְבָתָ֥ם לִפְנֵי־יְהוָ֖ה וַיָּמֻֽתוּ׃

The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they approached before the Lord and they died. There are different allusions in the Torah as to the reason why Aaron’s sons died. The explanation suggested here is that Aaron’s sons came too close to God’s Presence without receiving His permission.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה דַּבֵּר֮ אֶל־אַהֲרֹ֣ן אָחִיךָ֒ וְאַל־יָבֹ֤א בְכָל־עֵת֙ אֶל־הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ מִבֵּ֖ית לַפָּרֹ֑כֶת אֶל־פְּנֵ֨י הַכַּפֹּ֜רֶת אֲשֶׁ֤ר עַל־הָאָרֹן֙ וְלֹ֣א יָמ֔וּת כִּ֚י בֶּֽעָנָ֔ן אֵרָאֶ֖ה עַל־הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת׃

The Lord said to Moses: Speak to Aaron, your brother, that he shall not come at all times into the Sanctum that is within, behind, the curtain, before the cover that is upon the ark, and he shall not die, for it is in the cloud that I will always be seen upon the cover, that is, the Divine Presence is found on the cover. This command alludes to the deaths of Aaron’s sons Nadav and Avihu, who died because they had approached the Sanctuary in an unfit manner. Although Aaron was the High Priest, not even he was permitted to enter the inner sanctum whenever he pleased.

בְּזֹ֛את יָבֹ֥א אַהֲרֹ֖ן אֶל־הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ בְּפַ֧ר בֶּן־בָּקָ֛ר לְחַטָּ֖את וְאַ֥יִל לְעֹלָֽה׃

With this shall Aaron, or any High Priest of his descendants, come into the Sanctum: with a young bull as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering. The verse explains that the only permissible way to enter the Holy of Holies is by bringing offerings and following the procedures described in the verses that follow. Even so, it is clear from the continuation of the passage that the High Priest may not enter the Holy of Holies whenever he wants, even to perform this procedure; rather, he can enter only one day a year, on Yom Kippur. Some commentaries, however, hold that Aaron was uniquely permitted to enter the Holy of Holies on any day of the year by following the procedure described here.

כְּתֹֽנֶת־בַּ֨ד קֹ֜דֶשׁ יִלְבָּ֗שׁ וּמִֽכְנְסֵי־בַד֮ יִהְי֣וּ עַל־בְּשָׂרוֹ֒ וּבְאַבְנֵ֥ט בַּד֙ יַחְגֹּ֔ר וּבְמִצְנֶ֥פֶת בַּ֖ד יִצְנֹ֑ף בִּגְדֵי־קֹ֣דֶשׁ הֵ֔ם וְרָחַ֥ץ בַּמַּ֛יִם אֶת־בְּשָׂר֖וֹ וּלְבֵשָֽׁם׃

When entering the Holy of Holies, the High Priest is not to wear his standard vestments, which were fashioned from sky-blue and purple wool and gold threads and contained precious gems. Rather, he shall don a sacred linen tunic, and linen trousers shall be on his flesh, and he shall gird himself with a linen belt, and he shall wear a linen mitre. These four simple garments were worn by common priests as well, and the entire outfit was made from white linen. Most Sages maintain that the only difference between the High Priest’s vestments described in this verse and those of the common priest was in the mitre, which differed from the headdress worn by all other priests. Although they are simple, they are sacred vestments; and therefore he shall bathe his flesh in water, and only then shall he don them.

וּמֵאֵ֗ת עֲדַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל יִקַּ֛ח שְׁנֵֽי־שְׂעִירֵ֥י עִזִּ֖ים לְחַטָּ֑את וְאַ֥יִל אֶחָ֖ד לְעֹלָֽה׃

The High Priest’s entry into the Holy of Holies is not a private matter; he represents all the children of Israel. Consequently, it is not sufficient for him to sacrifice the bull and ram mentioned above, as these are personal offerings. From the congregation of the children of Israel he shall take two identical goats as a sin offering and one ram as a burnt offering. These offerings are brought on behalf of all the children of Israel.

וְהִקְרִ֧יב אַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־פַּ֥ר הַחַטָּ֖את אֲשֶׁר־ל֑וֹ וְכִפֶּ֥ר בַּעֲד֖וֹ וּבְעַ֥ד בֵּיתֽוֹ׃

Aaron shall present the bull of the sin offering that is for him, which he purchased with his own private funds, and place his hands on the bull and recite a confession, and thereby atone for himself and for his household. The term “household” refers either to his private family or to the broader household of Aaron, all priests.

וְלָקַ֖ח אֶת־שְׁנֵ֣י הַשְּׂעִירִ֑ם וְהֶעֱמִ֤יד אֹתָם֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃

After confessing his own transgressions and those of his family, the High Priest performs the rite of atonement on behalf of the nation. He shall take the two goats that were set aside for the people, and he shall set them before the Lord at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.

וְנָתַ֧ן אַהֲרֹ֛ן עַל־שְׁנֵ֥י הַשְּׂעִירִ֖ם גּוֹרָל֑וֹת גּוֹרָ֤ל אֶחָד֙ לַיהוָ֔ה וְגוֹרָ֥ל אֶחָ֖ד לַעֲזָאזֵֽל׃

Aaron shall place lots on the two goats, as the destiny of each of these identical goats will be determined by the lots. One lot shall contain the words for the Lord, or, according to another interpretation, simply, Lord, and on the other lot shall be written the phrase for Azazel.

וְהִקְרִ֤יב אַהֲרֹן֙ אֶת־הַשָּׂעִ֔יר אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָלָ֥ה עָלָ֛יו הַגּוֹרָ֖ל לַיהוָ֑ה וְעָשָׂ֖הוּ חַטָּֽאת׃

Aaron shall present the goat on which fell the lot for the Lord and render it a sin offering by consecrating it for this purpose. Alternatively, the verse means that the lot itself renders the goat a sin offering.

וְהַשָּׂעִ֗יר אֲשֶׁר֩ עָלָ֨ה עָלָ֤יו הַגּוֹרָל֙ לַעֲזָאזֵ֔ל יָֽעֳמַד־חַ֛י לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לְכַפֵּ֣ר עָלָ֑יו לְשַׁלַּ֥ח אֹת֛וֹ לַעֲזָאזֵ֖ל הַמִּדְבָּֽרָה׃

The second goat, on which fell the lot for Azazel, shall be set alive before the Lord, to atone with it by placing his hands upon it and reciting a confession, and afterward, to dispatch it to Azazel to the wilderness.

וְהִקְרִ֨יב אַהֲרֹ֜ן אֶת־פַּ֤ר הַֽחַטָּאת֙ אֲשֶׁר־ל֔וֹ וְכִפֶּ֥ר בַּֽעֲד֖וֹ וּבְעַ֣ד בֵּית֑וֹ וְשָׁחַ֛ט אֶת־פַּ֥ר הַֽחַטָּ֖את אֲשֶׁר־לֽוֹ׃

Once the High Priest has designated the goats on behalf of the nation, he returns to his own sin offering: Aaron shall present the bull of the sin offering that is for him, and he shall atone for himself and for his household by placing his hands on the bull and confessing his own sins and those of all the priests; and he shall slaughter the bull of the sin offering that is for him.

וְלָקַ֣ח מְלֹֽא־הַ֠מַּחְתָּה גַּֽחֲלֵי־אֵ֞שׁ מֵעַ֤ל הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וּמְלֹ֣א חָפְנָ֔יו קְטֹ֥רֶת סַמִּ֖ים דַּקָּ֑ה וְהֵבִ֖יא מִבֵּ֥ית לַפָּרֹֽכֶת׃

After the High Priest has confessed, slaughtered the bull as a sin offering, and received its blood in a vessel, but before he sprinkles its blood in the Holy of Holies, he must leave the sin offering aside. He shall take a fire-pan, a small shovel used for scooping and transporting embers, full of smoldering coals taken from upon the outer altar, from before the Lord, and his hands full of finely ground fragrant incense, as much incense as he can hold in his two hands cupped together, and bring it in a vessel within the curtain, to the Holy of Holies.

וְנָתַ֧ן אֶֽת־הַקְּטֹ֛רֶת עַל־הָאֵ֖שׁ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְכִסָּ֣ה ׀ עֲנַ֣ן הַקְּטֹ֗רֶת אֶת־הַכַּפֹּ֛רֶת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־הָעֵד֖וּת וְלֹ֥א יָמֽוּת׃

He shall place the incense on the fire, on the smoldering coals in the fire-pan, before the Lord, and the cloud of the incense shall obscure the cover that is upon the testimony, and he shall not die. While the incense itself is considered an offering, the cloud it produces also serves as a screen to protect the High Priest from death, as though concealing the revelation of God. Aaron’s sons died upon entering the Holy of Holies, because one may not enter and look upon the inner sanctum as he pleases. Even their father, Aaron the High Priest, was not permitted to be exposed to God’s Presence. Moses, however, according to some opinions, was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies unprotected and speak with God there at any time.

וְלָקַח֙ מִדַּ֣ם הַפָּ֔ר וְהִזָּ֧ה בְאֶצְבָּע֛וֹ עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַכַּפֹּ֖רֶת קֵ֑דְמָה וְלִפְנֵ֣י הַכַּפֹּ֗רֶת יַזֶּ֧ה שֶֽׁבַע־פְּעָמִ֛ים מִן־הַדָּ֖ם בְּאֶצְבָּעֽוֹ׃

After the Holy of Holies is filled with smoke, the High Priest returns to the bull that has been slaughtered as a sin offering (verse 11). He shall take the vessel that contains the blood of the bull he had slaughtered previously, enter the Holy of Holies, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the cover toward the east, toward the eastern side of the cover; and after that, before the cover he shall sprinkle from the blood with his finger seven times. The Sages describe this procedure as sprinkling once upward and seven times downward.

וְשָׁחַ֞ט אֶת־שְׂעִ֤יר הַֽחַטָּאת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לָעָ֔ם וְהֵבִיא֙ אֶת־דָּמ֔וֹ אֶל־מִבֵּ֖ית לַפָּרֹ֑כֶת וְעָשָׂ֣ה אֶת־דָּמ֗וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשָׂה֙ לְדַ֣ם הַפָּ֔ר וְהִזָּ֥ה אֹת֛וֹ עַל־הַכַּפֹּ֖רֶת וְלִפְנֵ֥י הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת׃

After sprinkling the blood of his bull, the High Priest does the same with the offering that is brought on behalf of the nation (see also 9:15). He shall go to the Tabernacle courtyard and slaughter the goat of the sin offering that is for the people, and he shall bring its blood in a vessel within the curtain, to the Holy of Holies, and he shall do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it upon the cover and before the cover.

וְכִפֶּ֣ר עַל־הַקֹּ֗דֶשׁ מִטֻּמְאֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וּמִפִּשְׁעֵיהֶ֖ם לְכָל־חַטֹּאתָ֑ם וְכֵ֤ן יַעֲשֶׂה֙ לְאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד הַשֹּׁכֵ֣ן אִתָּ֔ם בְּת֖וֹךְ טֻמְאֹתָֽם׃

By entering the Holy of Holies and sprinkling the blood of the offerings there, he shall atone for the Sanctum from the impurity of the children of Israel, which marred its sanctity, and from their transgressions, for the general impurity of all their sins ; and so shall he do for the Tent of Meeting that dwells with them in the midst of their impurity, by sprinkling the blood of the offerings again in the same manner.

וְכָל־אָדָ֞ם לֹא־יִהְיֶ֣ה ׀ בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֗ד בְּבֹא֛וֹ לְכַפֵּ֥ר בַּקֹּ֖דֶשׁ עַד־צֵאת֑וֹ וְכִפֶּ֤ר בַּעֲדוֹ֙ וּבְעַ֣ד בֵּית֔וֹ וּבְעַ֖ד כָּל־קְהַ֥ל יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

The Torah adds a general comment: No other man, including priests, who are usually permitted to enter the Tabernacle, shall be in the Tent of Meeting from the time of his entry to atone by performing the rites of the incense and the sprinkling of the blood in the Sanctum until his emergence , and he, the High Priest, shall thereby atone for himself, for his household, and for the entire assembly of Israel.