וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

The next commandment will also take effect only after the Israelites enter the land. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ אֲלֵהֶ֑ם בְּבֹֽאֲכֶם֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֛י מֵבִ֥יא אֶתְכֶ֖ם שָֽׁמָּה׃

Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you come to the land that I am bringing you there,

וְהָיָ֕ה בַּאֲכָלְכֶ֖ם מִלֶּ֣חֶם הָאָ֑רֶץ תָּרִ֥ימוּ תְרוּמָ֖ה לַיהוָֽה׃

it shall be, when you eat from the bread of the land, you shall separate from it a gift for the Lord.

רֵאשִׁית֙ עֲרִסֹ֣תֵכֶ֔ם חַלָּ֖ה תָּרִ֣ימוּ תְרוּמָ֑ה כִּתְרוּמַ֣ת גֹּ֔רֶן כֵּ֖ן תָּרִ֥ימוּ אֹתָֽהּ׃

From the first of your kneading basket you shall separate a loaf [ halla ] as a gift. Due to this verse, the portion separated from the dough is known as ḥalla . Like the gift from the threshing floor, the portion known as teruma that is set aside from produce for the priests, so shall you separate it, the ḥalla from the dough.

מֵרֵאשִׁית֙ עֲרִסֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם תִּתְּנ֥וּ לַיהוָ֖ה תְּרוּמָ֑ה לְדֹרֹ֖תֵיכֶֽם׃ (ס)

From the first of your kneading basket you shall give to the Lord a gift for your generations.

וְכִ֣י תִשְׁגּ֔וּ וְלֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֔וּ אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַמִּצְוֺ֖ת הָאֵ֑לֶּה אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶֽׁה׃

If you act unwittingly and do not observe all these commandments that the Lord spoke to Moses,

אֵת֩ כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁ֑ה מִן־הַיּ֞וֹם אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה וָהָ֖לְאָה לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶֽם׃

everything that the Lord commanded to you at the hand of Moses, from the day that the Lord commanded and onward for your generations. According to the tradition of the Sages, the unwitting act described here, which leads to a neglect of all the commandments, refers to the specific, fundamental sin of idolatry. This was the first prohibition Israel received in the Ten Precepts: “I am the Lord your God…. You shall have no other gods before Me.” These verses discuss a situation where one transgresses this prohibition unwittingly, as can happen in complicated cases or situations involving a lack of clarity in one’s thoughts or action. However, in a case where one worshipped idols intentionally, atonement cannot be achieved by means of an offering.

וְהָיָ֗ה אִ֣ם מֵעֵינֵ֣י הָעֵדָה֮ נֶעֶשְׂתָ֣ה לִשְׁגָגָה֒ וְעָשׂ֣וּ כָל־הָעֵדָ֡ה פַּ֣ר בֶּן־בָּקָר֩ אֶחָ֨ד לְעֹלָ֜ה לְרֵ֤יחַ נִיחֹ֙חַ֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה וּמִנְחָת֥וֹ וְנִסְכּ֖וֹ כַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט וּשְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים אֶחָ֖ד לְחַטָּֽת׃

It shall be, if from the eyes of the congregation it was performed unwittingly, as a result of an erroneous ruling by the court, then the entire congregation, meaning the court, which represents the entire congregation of Israel, shall render one young bull as a burnt offering for a pleasing aroma to the Lord, and its meal offering and its libation according to the ordinance, and one goat as a sin offering. This is different from a comparable case of a communal sin as a result of an erroneous ruling with regard to other sins, in which case the congregation brings a bull as a sin offering.

וְכִפֶּ֣ר הַכֹּהֵ֗ן עַֽל־כָּל־עֲדַ֛ת בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וְנִסְלַ֣ח לָהֶ֑ם כִּֽי־שְׁגָגָ֣ה הִ֔וא וְהֵם֩ הֵבִ֨יאוּ אֶת־קָרְבָּנָ֜ם אִשֶּׁ֣ה לַֽיהוָ֗ה וְחַטָּאתָ֛ם לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה עַל־שִׁגְגָתָֽם׃

The priest shall atone for the entire congregation of the children of Israel, and it will be forgiven for them, as it was an unwitting act, and when they became aware of their error they brought their offering, a fire offering to the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord, for their unwitting act.

וְנִסְלַ֗ח לְכָל־עֲדַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְלַגֵּ֖ר הַגָּ֣ר בְּתוֹכָ֑ם כִּ֥י לְכָל־הָעָ֖ם בִּשְׁגָגָֽה׃ (ס)

The entire congregation of the children of Israel shall be forgiven. Even if the sin was not actually performed by every member of the congregation, an erroneous ruling on the part of the upper echelon of the nation’s leadership, which is then acted upon by the general public, is considered a transgression of the entire congregation. Therefore, the offering brought by the court serves to atone for both its own sin and that of the entire nation, and also for the stranger that resides in their midst, since he too is part of the congregation, as it was an unwitting transgression for the entire people.