Sin Offering

If you hurt someone’s feelings as a result of a mere slip of the tongue, presumably there is nothing to be sorry for. Presumably it “meant nothing.” Unless, of course, unconscious gestures are even more meaningful than conscious ones.

Has the Torah become too enmeshed in the technicalities of the sacrifice itself, allowing the "meaning" of penitence to take a back seat?

There is a brewing political situation, which may or may not develop into a scandal. But it's the cover-up that sinks them every time...

Why must a Jew be taken to task for an innocent mistake? He had no intention of disobeying G‑d’s law—why is his behavior considered sinful and in need of atonement?

Leviticus 6:1 "This is the law of the sin-offering" We are commanded to follow the procedures and rules detailed in the Torah for presenting a sin offering.

Study the daily lesson of Sefer HaMitzvos for day 159 with Rabbi Mendel Kaplan, where he teaches the mitzvah in-depth with added insight and detail.

How does fulfilling one commandment atone for transgressing another?

Leaders make mistakes. That is inevitable. The real issue is how he or she responds to those mistakes.

Exodus 29:33 "And they shall eat those things [the sacrifices] with which atonement was made" When a sin offering or guilt offering is brought, it is a Mitzvah for the priest to eat from those portions that were not offered on the altar. The eating of the...

Exodus 29:33 "But a stranger shall not eat of them because they are holy" Portions of some sacrifices may only be eaten by the priest. These sacrifices are the sin-offering, the guilt-offering, and the communal peace-offering. A non-priest, called "a stra...