QUESTION: The Beraisa states that the verse, "v'Nasa Aharon Es Avon ha'Kodashim" -- "... and Aharon will bear any guilt incurred in the holy offerings" (Shemos 28:38), written with regard to the atonement achieved by the Tzitz, must refer to atonement for Tum'ah (from contact with a corpse). Since offering a Korban in a state of Tum'ah is permitted when most of the public is Tamei, the verse must refer to when most of the public is not Tamei, and yet the Tzitz still achieves atonement for Tum'ah. (See Insights to Pesachim 77:2.)

The Gemara asks that perhaps the verse means that the Tzitz atones for Avodah performed with the Kohen's left hand instead of his right hand. Rav Ashi answers that the verse says, "the sin of the Kodshim," and not, "the sin of the Makdishim" (i.e. the Kohanim who perform the Avodah.

TOSFOS (DH Avon Kodshim) asks that according to the opinion that "Tum'ah Dechuyah b'Tzibur," the atonement of the Tzitz is required for the Kohanim themselves; this is apparent from the Gemara in Yoma (7b, see below). ("Tum'ah Dechuyah b'Tzibur" means that Tum'ah must be avoided whenever possible, and only when there is no other way to offer the Korban may it be offered b'Tum'ah. This is in contrast to "Tum'ah Hutrah b'Tzibur," which means that the Torah's prohibitions of Tum'ah do not apply at all when the Tzibur is Tamei.) Why does the Gemara here say that the Tzitz does not atone for the Tum'ah of the people?

ANSWER: TOSFOS earlier (15a, DH v'Hacha) answers that the Tzitz needs to atone only for the Tum'ah of the meat, not for the Tum'ah of the people. The Tum'ah of the people is already atoned for, even without the Tzitz.

The YAD BINYAMIN has difficulty with the answer of Tosfos. If the Tum'ah of the people does not need the atonement of the Tzitz, then why should the Tum'ah of the meat require the atonement of the Tzitz?

Moreover, the Rebbi Shimon's proof (in Yoma 7b), that the Tzitz does not need to be worn in order for it to atone, seems difficult. Rebbi Shimon maintains that since the Tzitz is not worn by the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur when he enters the Kodesh ha'Kodashim, it must be that the Tzitz atones even when it is not worn. Why does Rebbi Shimon not consider the possibility that just as the Tzitz does not need to atone for the Kohanim, it does not need to atone when the Kohen Gadol cannot wear it? Perhaps when he is able to wear the Tzitz but chooses not to wear it, it does not atone for the Tum'ah of the meat.

Tosfos in Yoma (7b, DH Michlal) asks and answers this second question. He answers that Rebbi Shimon's proof is that even if the Korban becomes Tamei, no replacement Korban needs to be brought. This implies that the fact that the Korban is a public Korban, combined with the fact that the Tzitz always atones, is a reason for why the Korban may be offered l'Chatchilah (and not just in a situation in which the Kohen Gadol is currently unable to wear the Tzitz).

The Yad Binyamin explains that the first question (why one would think that the Tum'ah of the meat needs the atonement of the Tzitz) may be answered as well based on the words of Tosfos. Indeed, the meat does not need the atonement of the Tzitz, b'Di'eved. However, in order to enable the Korban to be brought in a manner which is l'Chatchilah (as Rebbi Shimon requires), the atonement of the Tzitz is necessary. (Y. MONTROSE)

QUESTION: The Gemara discusses the atonement provided by the Tzitz. The Gemara makes it clear that the Tzitz atones for Tamei meat of Kodshim. It quotes a dispute about whether this means that the Tzitz atones for the eating of Tamei meat. RASHI (DH d'Meratzeh) explains that everyone agrees that the atonement of the Tzitz enables the blood and limbs to be offered, despite the fact that they became Tamei. The dispute involves merely whether the Tzitz atones for eating the Tamei meat of the Korban.

What does the Gemara mean? Certainly one may not eat meat of a Korban which is Tamei, since the Torah explicitly prohibits eating such meat.

Rashi earlier (15a, DH ha'Tzitz) explains that the dispute involves the parts of the Korban that normally are eaten by the Kohanim, as opposed to the parts that are burned on the Mizbe'ach (which certainly may be offered when Tamei, due to the Tzitz). According to some (such as Rebbi Yehoshua in Pesachim 77b), the meat must be extant and valid at the time of the sprinkling of the blood in order for the Korban to be valid. May the sprinkling of the blood be performed when the meat is valid only due to the Tzitz? Perhaps the sprinkling of the blood is not valid when the meat becomes Tamei, and that the only thing for which the Tzitz atones is Tum'ah of the blood itself, the Kometz, or the limbs that are supposed to be burned on the Mizbe'ach.

The RAMBAM (Hilchos Bi'as ha'Mikdash 4:7) rules that the Tzitz atones only for the parts of the Korban that are offered, not for parts of the Korban that are eaten. However, in Hilchos Pesulei ha'Mukdashin (1:34), the Rambam rules that if the meat of an individual's Korban became Tamei but the forbidden fat is still extant, the blood may be sprinkled. He continues, "If both the meat and the fat became Tamei, he should not sprinkle the blood, but if he did the atonement is valid, as the Tzitz atones for Tum'ah." The Rambam implies that the Tzitz atones for the meat as well. How is this apparent contradiction in the Rambam to be reconciled?

(a) The KEREN ORAH (26a) answers that the Rambam rules that the Tzitz does not atone for the parts of the Korban that are eaten. In Hilchos Pesulei ha'Mukdashin, the Rambam means merely that the Tzitz atones for the Tum'ah of the forbidden fat, which is not eaten by the Kohanim. Its atonement is due to the Tzitz, and it causes the Korban to be valid.

(b) The CHAZON ISH (Menachos 32:5) understands that the Rambam indeed means that the atonement applies also to the meat. He explains that the Rambam maintains that the Tzitz does atone for the meat, and, nevertheless, the Rabanan enacted a penalty that the blood not be sprinkled in such a case. This is why he rules that the blood should not be sprinkled, but if it is sprinkled the Korban is valid.

In Hilchos Bi'as ha'Mikdash, the Rambam rules merely that the Tzitz does not permit one to eat the Tamei meat of the Korban, and that if one does eat Tamei meat, he transgresses the prohibition against eating Tamei meat of Kodshim. (Y. MONTROSE)