[א] "ושחט את שעיר החטאת אשר לעם" – שלא יהיו אחיו הכהנים מתכפרים בו. ובמה הם מתכפרים? בפרו של אחיהם. יכול לא יתכפרו בפרו של אחיהם, שהרי הוא אומר "אשר לו"? מעתה אין להם כפרה! וכשהוא אומר "על הכהנים ועל כל עם הקהל יכפר" הוי אומר יש להם כפרה. ובמה הם מתכפרים? מוטב שיתכפרו בפרו של אחיהם שכן מצינו שחלק מכללו – שהרי הוא וביתו מתכפרים בו, ואל יתכפרו בשל ציבור שלא מצינו שחלק מכלל ציבור. ואם נפשך לומר – "והקריב אהרן את פר החטאת אשר לו וכפר בעדו ובעד ביתו" – ביתו של אהרן הם.
1) (Vayikra 16:15) ("And he shall slaughter the he-goat of the sin-offering which is the people's, and he shall bring its blood inside the curtain; and he shall do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and he shall sprinkle it upon the ark cover and before the ark cover."): "And he shall slaughter the he-goat of the sin-offering which is the people's": His fellow Cohanim are not to receive atonement through it. And through what is this atonement effected? Through the bullock of their brothers. I might think that their atonement is not effected through that of their brothers, it being written (Vayikra 16:6) ("the bullock) which is his" (Aaron's), which implies that they do not have atonement through it. But (Vayikra 16:33) "And for the Cohanim and for the entire people of the congregation he shall make atonement" indicates that they do have atonement. Through what, then, is this atonement effected? It is better that they have atonement through the bullock of their brother Cohanim — For we find that part of the criterion ("which is his" [i.e., Aaron's] Vayikra 16:6) was separated (from the literal "his"), finding as we do that (both) he and his family receive atonement through it — than that they receive atonement through the bullock of the congregation, where we find no such separation from the criterion. And, if you will, it may be derived thus (Vayikra 16:6) "And Aaron shall present the bullock of the sin-offering which is his, and he shall make atonement for himself and for his household," and they (the Cohanim) are (part of) the household of Aaron, as it is written (Tehillim 235:19): "House of Aaron (i.e., the Cohanim) — Bless the L–rd!"
[א] "ושחט את שעיר החטאת אשר לעם" – שלא יהיו אחיו הכהנים מתכפרים בו. ובמה הם מתכפרים? בפרו של אחיהם. יכול לא יתכפרו בפרו של אחיהם, שהרי הוא אומר "אשר לו"? מעתה אין להם כפרה! וכשהוא אומר "על הכהנים ועל כל עם הקהל יכפר" הוי אומר יש להם כפרה. ובמה הם מתכפרים? מוטב שיתכפרו בפרו של אחיהם שכן מצינו שחלק מכללו – שהרי הוא וביתו מתכפרים בו, ואל יתכפרו בשל ציבור שלא מצינו שחלק מכלל ציבור. ואם נפשך לומר – "והקריב אהרן את פר החטאת אשר לו וכפר בעדו ובעד ביתו" – ביתו של אהרן הם.
1) (Vayikra 16:15) ("And he shall slaughter the he-goat of the sin-offering which is the people's, and he shall bring its blood inside the curtain; and he shall do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and he shall sprinkle it upon the ark cover and before the ark cover."): "And he shall slaughter the he-goat of the sin-offering which is the people's": His fellow Cohanim are not to receive atonement through it. And through what is this atonement effected? Through the bullock of their brothers. I might think that their atonement is not effected through that of their brothers, it being written (Vayikra 16:6) ("the bullock) which is his" (Aaron's), which implies that they do not have atonement through it. But (Vayikra 16:33) "And for the Cohanim and for the entire people of the congregation he shall make atonement" indicates that they do have atonement. Through what, then, is this atonement effected? It is better that they have atonement through the bullock of their brother Cohanim — For we find that part of the criterion ("which is his" [i.e., Aaron's] Vayikra 16:6) was separated (from the literal "his"), finding as we do that (both) he and his family receive atonement through it — than that they receive atonement through the bullock of the congregation, where we find no such separation from the criterion. And, if you will, it may be derived thus (Vayikra 16:6) "And Aaron shall present the bullock of the sin-offering which is his, and he shall make atonement for himself and for his household," and they (the Cohanim) are (part of) the household of Aaron, as it is written (Tehillim 235:19): "House of Aaron (i.e., the Cohanim) — Bless the L–rd!"