וְאִם־נֶ֥פֶשׁ אַחַ֖ת תֶּחֱטָ֣א בִשְׁגָגָ֑ה וְהִקְרִ֛יבָה עֵ֥ז בַּת־שְׁנָתָ֖הּ לְחַטָּֽאת׃

After discussing an unwitting sin of idolatry performed by the congregation as a result of a mistaken ruling by the court, the Torah continues with a case of the same sin committed unwittingly by an individual: If one person will sin unwittingly, he shall present a female goat in its first year as a sin offering. For an ordinary sin offering, one may bring either a female lamb or a female goat. However, for the specific transgression of idolatry one must bring a goat, as is the case for other offerings connected with this sin.

וְכִפֶּ֣ר הַכֹּהֵ֗ן עַל־הַנֶּ֧פֶשׁ הַשֹּׁגֶ֛גֶת בְּחֶטְאָ֥ה בִשְׁגָגָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה לְכַפֵּ֥ר עָלָ֖יו וְנִסְלַ֥ח לֽוֹ׃

The priest shall atone for the unwitting person, when he sins unwittingly, before the Lord, to atone for him; and it shall be forgiven for him.

הָֽאֶזְרָח֙ בִּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְלַגֵּ֖ר הַגָּ֣ר בְּתוֹכָ֑ם תּוֹרָ֤ה אַחַת֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם לָעֹשֶׂ֖ה בִּשְׁגָגָֽה׃

The native of the children of Israel and for the stranger that resides in their midst: There shall be one law for you, for one who acts unwittingly.

וְהַנֶּ֜פֶשׁ אֲשֶֽׁר־תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה ׀ בְּיָ֣ד רָמָ֗ה מִן־הָֽאֶזְרָח֙ וּמִן־הַגֵּ֔ר אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה ה֣וּא מְגַדֵּ֑ף וְנִכְרְתָ֛ה הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַהִ֖וא מִקֶּ֥רֶב עַמָּֽהּ׃

The aforementioned offerings atone for an individual or a community that committed the sin of idolatry due to an error of judgment or as a result of a habitual, unthinking action. In contrast, the person that will act high-handedly, purposely and with malicious intent, whether native or stranger, it is the Lord that he blasphemes, and that person shall be excised from among his people, wherever he is. This punishment is inflicted by God and it is not within the jurisdiction of the court.

כִּ֤י דְבַר־יְהוָה֙ בָּזָ֔ה וְאֶת־מִצְוָת֖וֹ הֵפַ֑ר הִכָּרֵ֧ת ׀ תִּכָּרֵ֛ת הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַהִ֖וא עֲוֺנָ֥ה בָֽהּ׃ (פ)

Because he scorned the word of the Lord by committing the transgression, and he violated His commandment; as a result, that person shall be excised; his iniquity is upon him.

וַיִּהְי֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר וַֽיִּמְצְא֗וּ אִ֛ישׁ מְקֹשֵׁ֥שׁ עֵצִ֖ים בְּי֥וֹם הַשַּׁבָּֽת׃

In connection with the descriptions of high-handed sins like idolatry and blasphemy, the Torah relates an incident that illustrates how the children of Israel responded to a serious public violation of one of the commandments that occurred in their midst during their wanderings in the wilderness: The children of Israel were in the wilderness and they found a man gathering wood on the Sabbath day.

וַיַּקְרִ֣יבוּ אֹת֔וֹ הַמֹּצְאִ֥ים אֹת֖וֹ מְקֹשֵׁ֣שׁ עֵצִ֑ים אֶל־מֹשֶׁה֙ וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן וְאֶ֖ל כָּל־הָעֵדָֽה׃

Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to the entire congregation, and testified that he had desecrated Sabbath in a high-handed manner.

וַיַּנִּ֥יחוּ אֹת֖וֹ בַּמִּשְׁמָ֑ר כִּ֚י לֹ֣א פֹרַ֔שׁ מַה־יֵּעָשֶׂ֖ה לֽוֹ׃ (ס)

They placed him in custody, because it had not been explicated what precisely should be done to him. It was clear that he was liable to receive the death penalty, as the verse states explicitly: “You shall observe the Sabbath, as it is sacred for you; its desecrators shall be put to death.” However, it was necessary to determine the precise manner in which he was to be executed.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה מ֥וֹת יוּמַ֖ת הָאִ֑ישׁ רָג֨וֹם אֹת֤וֹ בָֽאֲבָנִים֙ כָּל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה מִח֖וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃

The Lord said to Moses: The man shall be put to death by stoning; the entire congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.

וַיֹּצִ֨יאוּ אֹת֜וֹ כָּל־הָעֵדָ֗ה אֶל־מִחוּץ֙ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וַיִּרְגְּמ֥וּ אֹת֛וֹ בָּאֲבָנִ֖ים וַיָּמֹ֑ת כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ (פ)

The entire congregation took him outside the camp, and they stoned him with stones, and he died, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם וְעָשׂ֨וּ לָהֶ֥ם צִיצִ֛ת עַל־כַּנְפֵ֥י בִגְדֵיהֶ֖ם לְדֹרֹתָ֑ם וְנָֽתְנ֛וּ עַל־צִיצִ֥ת הַכָּנָ֖ף פְּתִ֥יל תְּכֵֽלֶת׃

Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: They shall make for themselves a fringe consisting of a group of hanging threads on the corners of their garments for their generations, and in addition, they shall put on the fringe of the corner a sky-blue thread.

וְהָיָ֣ה לָכֶם֮ לְצִיצִת֒ וּרְאִיתֶ֣ם אֹת֗וֹ וּזְכַרְתֶּם֙ אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֺ֣ת יְהוָ֔ה וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם וְלֹֽא־תָתֻ֜רוּ אַחֲרֵ֤י לְבַבְכֶם֙ וְאַחֲרֵ֣י עֵֽינֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֥ם זֹנִ֖ים אַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃

It shall be for you a fringe, and you shall see it and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and perform them. The garments with fringes shall serve as a reminder of God’s commandments and you shall not rove after your heart and after your eyes, after which you stray. The combination of a lusting heart and seeing eye is a dangerous one, as it can lead one to violate the Torah’s laws.

לְמַ֣עַן תִּזְכְּר֔וּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֺתָ֑י וִהְיִיתֶ֥ם קְדֹשִׁ֖ים לֵֽאלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃

So that you shall remember and perform all My commandments throughout your daily lives and mundane pursuits, and be holy to your God in all your ways, thoughts, and actions.

אֲנִ֞י יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוֹצֵ֤אתִי אֶתְכֶם֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם לִהְי֥וֹת לָכֶ֖ם לֵאלֹהִ֑ים אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ (פ)

I am the Lord your God, who took you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God. By taking the children of Israel out of Egypt, God consecrated them as His servants. In order to ensure that they preserve this sanctity by observing the commandments, the Israelites are in need of these fixed signs on their garments.