PARASHAT Vayikra

This week's Torah Gems were prepared by

Anochi Atoncha
PARASHAT Vayikra



"If (asher) a ruler sins, and commits one from among all the commandments of Hashem that may not be done - unintentionally - and becomes guilty." (Vayikra 4:22)



Rashi: "If a ruler sins": The word "asher" here is related to "ashrei = fortunately", as if to say fortunate is the generation whose ruler sets his heart to bring an atonement for his unintentional sin. All the more so that he has regrets over his intentional sins.



Our verse appears in the course of a long list of sins and their corresponding offerings. The majority of these begin with the formula "If (im) so-and-so should sin in such-and-such a manner..." Rashi comes to explain the unique substitution of the word "asher" for "im". Rashi's difficulty, according to Concordantzia Chadasha, is that this is the only place in all of Tanakh where asher could be taken to mean "if."



Rashi, citing Torat Kohanim, prefers a homiletical explanation over a grammatical one. He draws attention to the similarity between the words 'asher' and 'ashrei', implying that the Torah hints here as to one deeper meaning of the verse. Rashi often resorts to midrashic or aggadic explanations when a grammatical difficulty cannot be resolved another way.



Whereas homiletic explanations are always welcome, in our case we may have missed an opportunity to explore another deeper meaning of the verse.



Concordanztia Chadasha suggests that that asher here may also mean "in the event that", or "when." Now the verse begins 'When a ruler sins..."



This changes our understanding of the verse as a whole. The Torah is no longer commanding what sacrifice a ruler must bring if he sins, the Torah is commanding what he must do when he sins, as if it is a foregone conclusion that a ruler will sin.



Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The Torah recognizes that positions of power sets up conditions that cause rulers to sin.



Rashi understands this insight, but he soft-pedals it. Then he adds a further point regarding the relation between rulers and the people. Our verse commands that rulers bring sacrifices for unintentional sins. A ruler who follows such a commandment will surely bring sacrifices for intentional sins. Such a God-fearing ruler will never allow himself to be corrupted by power.