וַיְהִי֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁמִינִ֔י קָרָ֣א מֹשֶׁ֔ה לְאַהֲרֹ֖ן וּלְבָנָ֑יו וּלְזִקְנֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

It was on the eighth day of the days of inauguration, that Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. On this day, the inauguration of the Tabernacle was completed. It was this pivotal ceremony, the transition from preparing the Tabernacle to ministering in it, that constituted its inauguration.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן קַח־לְ֠ךָ עֵ֣גֶל בֶּן־בָּקָ֧ר לְחַטָּ֛את וְאַ֥יִל לְעֹלָ֖ה תְּמִימִ֑ם וְהַקְרֵ֖ב לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃

He, Moses, said to Aaron: Take for yourself a young calf as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering, unblemished, and present them before the Lord. This is the first day on which Aaron ministers as a priest.

וְאֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל תְּדַבֵּ֣ר לֵאמֹ֑ר קְח֤וּ שְׂעִיר־עִזִּים֙ לְחַטָּ֔את וְעֵ֨גֶל וָכֶ֧בֶשׂ בְּנֵי־שָׁנָ֛ה תְּמִימִ֖ם לְעֹלָֽה׃

Aaron must also command the people with regard to their offerings: Speak to the children of Israel, saying: Take a goat as a sin offering and a calf and a lamb, one year old, unblemished, as a burnt offering,

וְשׁ֨וֹר וָאַ֜יִל לִשְׁלָמִ֗ים לִזְבֹּ֙חַ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וּמִנְחָ֖ה בְּלוּלָ֣ה בַשָּׁ֑מֶן כִּ֣י הַיּ֔וֹם יְהוָ֖ה נִרְאָ֥ה אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

and a bull and a ram as peace offerings, to slaughter before the Lord, and a meal offering of flour mixed with oil. For today the Lord appears to you in the Tabernacle.

וַיִּקְח֗וּ אֵ֚ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוָּ֣ה מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶל־פְּנֵ֖י אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וַֽיִּקְרְבוּ֙ כָּל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה וַיַּֽעַמְד֖וּ לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃

They took that which Moses commanded before the Tent of Meeting, and the entire congregation approached and stood before the Lord.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֔ה זֶ֧ה הַדָּבָ֛ר אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה תַּעֲשׂ֑וּ וְיֵרָ֥א אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם כְּב֥וֹד יְהוָֽה׃

Moses said: This is the matter that the Lord commanded that you shall do, and the glory of the Lord will appear to you. If you obey my commands precisely, God will reveal Himself to you.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן קְרַ֤ב אֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ וַעֲשֵׂ֞ה אֶת־חַטָּֽאתְךָ֙ וְאֶת־עֹ֣לָתֶ֔ךָ וְכַפֵּ֥ר בַּֽעַדְךָ֖ וּבְעַ֣ד הָעָ֑ם וַעֲשֵׂ֞ה אֶת־קָרְבַּ֤ן הָעָם֙ וְכַפֵּ֣ר בַּֽעֲדָ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָֽה׃

Moses said to Aaron: Approach the altar and perform your sin offering and your burnt offering, and atone for yourself and then atone for the people; perform the offering of the people and atone for them, as the Lord commanded. Until now, Aaron was like any other member of Israel whose offerings were sacrificed on his behalf. Until this point, he was considered an apprentice; now he must perform the sacred service himself.

וַיִּקְרַ֥ב אַהֲרֹ֖ן אֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וַיִּשְׁחַ֛ט אֶת־עֵ֥גֶל הַחַטָּ֖את אֲשֶׁר־לֽוֹ׃

Aaron approached the altar in the courtyard of the Tabernacle, and he slaughtered the calf of the sin offering that was for him, that is, that belonged to him, and that was to atone for him so that he should enter the priesthood in a state of spiritual purity.

וַ֠יַּקְרִבוּ בְּנֵ֨י אַהֲרֹ֣ן אֶת־הַדָּם֮ אֵלָיו֒ וַיִּטְבֹּ֤ל אֶצְבָּעוֹ֙ בַּדָּ֔ם וַיִּתֵּ֖ן עַל־קַרְנ֣וֹת הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וְאֶת־הַדָּ֣ם יָצַ֔ק אֶל־יְס֖וֹד הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃

The sons of Aaron, who were newly inaugurated to the priesthood and were also required to learn the procedures of the service, presented the blood in a vessel to him, their father. Aaron dipped his finger in the blood, and he placed it on the horns of the altar, according to the laws of the sin offering, and he poured the remainder of the blood at the base of the altar.

וְאֶת־הַחֵ֨לֶב וְאֶת־הַכְּלָיֹ֜ת וְאֶת־הַיֹּתֶ֤רֶת מִן־הַכָּבֵד֙ מִן־הַ֣חַטָּ֔את הִקְטִ֖יר הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חָה כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃

The fat, the kidneys, and the diaphragm above the liver of the sin offering he burned on the altar, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

וְאֶת־הַבָּשָׂ֖ר וְאֶת־הָע֑וֹר שָׂרַ֣ף בָּאֵ֔שׁ מִח֖וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃

The flesh and the skin he burned in fire outside the camp. Unlike the flesh of ordinary sin offerings, which was eaten by the priests, the flesh of this sin offering was burned.

וַיִּשְׁחַ֖ט אֶת־הָעֹלָ֑ה וַ֠יַּמְצִאוּ בְּנֵ֨י אַהֲרֹ֤ן אֵלָיו֙ אֶת־הַדָּ֔ם וַיִּזְרְקֵ֥הוּ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ סָבִֽיב׃

After the sin offering, he slaughtered the burnt offering; and Aaron’s sons stretched out their hands and passed the blood to him, and he cast it around the altar by means of a vessel, in accordance with the laws of the burnt offering (see 1:5).

וְאֶת־הָעֹלָ֗ה הִמְצִ֧יאוּ אֵלָ֛יו לִנְתָחֶ֖יהָ וְאֶת־הָרֹ֑אשׁ וַיַּקְטֵ֖ר עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃

They passed the burnt offering to him in its pieces, and the head. For seven days, Aaron’s sons had practiced the various sacrificial rites. They had watched Moses perform them and learned how to properly carry out their priestly duties. Now they cut the offering into its pieces in the proper manner and brought its parts to their father, and he burned them, the pieces and the head, on the altar.

וַיִּרְחַ֥ץ אֶת־הַקֶּ֖רֶב וְאֶת־הַכְּרָעָ֑יִם וַיַּקְטֵ֥ר עַל־הָעֹלָ֖ה הַמִּזְבֵּֽחָה׃

He washed the innards and the legs and burned them on the pieces of the burnt offering that he had placed on the altar.

וַיַּקְרֵ֕ב אֵ֖ת קָרְבַּ֣ן הָעָ֑ם וַיִּקַּ֞ח אֶת־שְׂעִ֤יר הַֽחַטָּאת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לָעָ֔ם וַיִּשְׁחָטֵ֥הוּ וַֽיְחַטְּאֵ֖הוּ כָּרִאשֽׁוֹן׃

After sacrificing his sin offering and burnt offering, he, Aaron , brought the people’s offering near, as the priest must first offer his own atonement before offering that of another. He took the goat of the sin offering that was for the people and slaughtered it and presented it as a sin offering like the first, like Aaron’s first sin offering. That is, its blood was placed with a finger on the corners of the altar, and its sacrificial portions were placed upon the altar for burning. Perhaps the remaining flesh was burned as well, like that of Aaron’s sin offering. Some say that the flesh of the people’s sin offering was eaten.

וַיַּקְרֵ֖ב אֶת־הָעֹלָ֑ה וַֽיַּעֲשֶׂ֖הָ כַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

He brought the burnt offering near, and he performed it in accordance with the procedure stated with regard to the burnt offering (see chap. 1).

וַיַּקְרֵב֮ אֶת־הַמִּנְחָה֒ וַיְמַלֵּ֤א כַפּוֹ֙ מִמֶּ֔נָּה וַיַּקְטֵ֖ר עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ מִלְּבַ֖ד עֹלַ֥ת הַבֹּֽקֶר׃

He brought the meal offering near, and he filled his palm from it, he removed a handful, and burned it on the altar, in addition to the morning burnt offering. The morning burnt offering is part of the daily service; it is not one of the special offerings of the inauguration.

וַיִּשְׁחַ֤ט אֶת־הַשּׁוֹר֙ וְאֶת־הָאַ֔יִל זֶ֥בַח הַשְּׁלָמִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר לָעָ֑ם וַ֠יַּמְצִאוּ בְּנֵ֨י אַהֲרֹ֤ן אֶת־הַדָּם֙ אֵלָ֔יו וַיִּזְרְקֵ֥הוּ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ סָבִֽיב׃

He slaughtered the bull and the ram, the peace offerings that were for the people; and Aaron’s sons passed the blood to him, and he cast it around the altar, in accordance with the laws of the peace offering (3:2).

וְאֶת־הַחֲלָבִ֖ים מִן־הַשּׁ֑וֹר וּמִן־הָאַ֔יִל הָֽאַלְיָ֤ה וְהַֽמְכַסֶּה֙ וְהַכְּלָיֹ֔ת וְיֹתֶ֖רֶת הַכָּבֵֽד׃

They passed him the fats from the bull and from the ram, the fat tail of the ram, and those that cover, the fats of the bull and the ram that cover various parts of the animal, and the kidneys, and the diaphragm above the liver.

וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ אֶת־הַחֲלָבִ֖ים עַל־הֶחָז֑וֹת וַיַּקְטֵ֥ר הַחֲלָבִ֖ים הַמִּזְבֵּֽחָה׃

They placed the fats upon the breasts, and he burned the fats on the altar.

וְאֵ֣ת הֶחָז֗וֹת וְאֵת֙ שׁ֣וֹק הַיָּמִ֔ין הֵנִ֧יף אַהֲרֹ֛ן תְּנוּפָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר צִוָּ֥ה מֹשֶֽׁה׃

Aaron waved the breasts and the right haunch as a wave offering before the Lord, as Moses had commanded.

וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַהֲרֹ֧ן אֶת־ידו [יָדָ֛יו] אֶל־הָעָ֖ם וַֽיְבָרְכֵ֑ם וַיֵּ֗רֶד מֵעֲשֹׂ֧ת הַֽחַטָּ֛את וְהָעֹלָ֖ה וְהַשְּׁלָמִֽים׃

Aaron raised his hands toward the people and blessed them. Although the formula of this blessing does not appear in the verse, it appears later in the Torah as the priestly blessing that is part of the daily service. And he descended from the altar after performing the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings.

וַיָּבֹ֨א מֹשֶׁ֤ה וְאַהֲרֹן֙ אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד וַיֵּ֣צְא֔וּ וַֽיְבָרֲכ֖וּ אֶת־הָעָ֑ם וַיֵּרָ֥א כְבוֹד־יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־כָּל־הָעָֽם׃

Moses and Aaron came into the Tent of Meeting. Until this point, the entire service was performed in the courtyard of the Tabernacle, where the outer altar, upon which all the offerings were sacrificed, was situated. Now Moses and Aaron entered the Sanctuary, the tent covered with tapestries and hides, presumably in order to pray. And they emerged and blessed the people; and then the glory of the Lord appeared to the entire people. This revelation did not occur during the sacrifice of the offerings or even after the priestly blessing. Rather, the pivotal moment followed the blessing of Moses and Aaron.

וַתֵּ֤צֵא אֵשׁ֙ מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וַתֹּ֙אכַל֙ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ אֶת־הָעֹלָ֖ה וְאֶת־הַחֲלָבִ֑ים וַיַּ֤רְא כָּל־הָעָם֙ וַיָּרֹ֔נּוּ וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּ עַל־פְּנֵיהֶֽם׃

Fire emerged from before the Lord and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fats; all the people saw it, the fire consuming the offerings, which was a sign that God accepted their service and their prayers, and sang praise, or shouted, and fell upon their faces due to this revelation. Now the people knew that the Tabernacle was properly constructed and that the presence of God dwelled within it.