The Kohanim must eat the sacrificial meat in the Temple
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This Mitzvah's Summary
The Kohanim are commanded to eat certain portions of the korbanot within the Temple courtyard, completing the process of atonement.
This mitzvah requires that the Kohanim eat designated portions of sacrifices—such as the Chatat, Asham, and certain meal offerings—inside the Temple courtyard. Their consumption is not mere benefit but part of the avodah (service), transforming the act of eating into a sacred duty that finalizes the atonement of the sinner.
The Torah describes this eating as a form of sanctification, linking the Kohanim’s act to the atonement itself. Rambam notes that if the Kohanim fail to eat the meat, the sinner’s kapparah remains incomplete. Sefer HaChinuch explains that this mitzvah elevates mundane human acts—eating and sustaining life—into Divine service, demonstrating how holiness permeates physicality. The Talmud emphasizes that eating korban meat is akin to performing the altar service itself. Rashi clarifies that the eating is exclusively for the Kohanim, reinforcing the separation between sacred and profane. Ramban adds that this mitzvah illustrates how Israel’s priests serve as conduits of sanctity on behalf of the nation.
Commentary & Classical Explanation:
- Rambam (Hilchot Ma’aseh HaKorbanot 10:1): States that the Kohanim’s eating is essential to complete the korban’s atonement.
- Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 407): Explains that the Kohanim elevate eating into service of Hashem, completing the sanctification.
- Talmud (Pesachim 59b): Teaches that the Kohanim’s eating is like the Mizbeach consuming the offering.
- Rashi (Ex. 29:33): Notes that only Kohanim may eat these offerings because they are holy.
- Ramban (Lev. 10:17): Interprets that through eating, the Kohanim bear the iniquity of the people and effect atonement.
Commentaries
Applying this Mitzvah Today
Notes on this Mitzvah's Fundamentals
Holiness – קְדֻשָּׁה
- Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 407) stresses that the Kohanim’s eating sanctifies the offering, turning an ordinary act into holiness. Holiness flows from channeling the physical into Divine service.
Temple – בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ
- Rambam (Ma’aseh HaKorbanot 10:1) rules that eating must occur in the Temple courtyard, affirming the Mikdash as the only site where sacrificial holiness is fully realized.
Mizbeach – מִזְבֵּחַ
- Talmud (Pesachim 59b) equates the Kohanim’s eating to the Mizbeach’s consumption, showing the altar and Kohanim share the role of “consuming” the korban to achieve kapparah.
Sacrifices – קָרְבָּנוֹת
- Rashi (Ex. 29:33) and Ramban (Lev. 10:17) show that this mitzvah is inseparable from korbanot, for without Kohanim’s eating, the sacrifice remains incomplete.
Priests – כֹּהֲנִים
- Ramban (Lev. 10:17) highlights that Kohanim, by eating, “bear the iniquity of the people,” making them spiritual agents of atonement through this mitzvah.
Community – קְהִלָּה
- The Kohanim eat on behalf of Israel, completing kapparah for the sinner and representing the community before Hashem. See Rambam, Ma’aseh HaKorbanot 10:1.
Reverence – יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם
- Talmud (Pesachim 59b) underscores that this act is not for pleasure but for service, teaching awe and restraint in engaging with holy foods.
Bein Adam L’Makom – בֵּין אָדָם לְמָקוֹם
- The Kohanim’s eating ensures man’s failings toward Hashem are rectified, affirming Israel’s covenantal relationship. (Ramban on Lev. 10:17).
Bein Adam L’Chavero – בֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ
- Asham Gezelot shows that eating the korban helps finalize atonement for interpersonal sins once restitution is made, bridging kapparah between man and man. (Lev. 5:20–26).
