At the end of the first chapter, we saw the harsh rebuke concerning the offering of blemished sacrifices - blind, lame, and sick. Chapter 2 opens with a direct address to the Kohanim themselves: it is not only those who bring the offerings who are guilty, but primarily those who were supposed to stand at the gate and prevent it. From here, the prophet continues to describe the covenant of the priesthood on both its sides - what the Holy One, blessed be He, gives and what He demands - and how the Kohanim of that generation corrupted this covenant.
וְעַתָּה אֲלֵיכֶם הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת הַכֹּהֲנִים׃ - "And now, to you is this commandment, O Kohanim."
The Radak explains: the Kohanim were the ones who accepted the corrupted offering from the hands of those bringing it. It was your duty to stop them, to instruct them that such a sacrifice is unfitting to offer before Hashem, as the Torah forbade. "This commandment" refers to the duty placed upon you - to warn and prevent the people from bringing blemished sacrifices.
The Malbim adds that this is also a directive for the future: from now on, I command you to supervise this and admonish the people. Take heed from this point forward - to warn them.
אִם־לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ וְאִם־לֹא תָשִׂימוּ עַל־לֵב לָתֵת כָּבוֹד לִשְׁמִי אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי בָכֶם אֶת־הַמְּאֵרָה וְאָרוֹתִי אֶת־בִּרְכוֹתֵיכֶם וְגַם אָרוֹתִיהָ כִּי אֵינְכֶם שָׂמִים עַל־לֵב׃ - "If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My Name, says the Lord of Hosts, I will send the curse among you and I will curse your blessings; indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not take it to heart."
"If you do not listen" - this pertains to the warning that I am cautioning you with. "And if you do not take it to heart" - this pertains to personal contemplation, the illumination of the intellect. You must apply your mind and reflect that it is fitting to honor Hashem properly, and not bring before Him blind, sick, and lame animals. Reason itself dictates giving honor to Hashem, may He be blessed. And if you do not take even this to heart - "I will send the curse among you."
What is this curse? In the previous chapter it was said: "Cursed is the deceiver who has a male in his flock" and yet brings a blemished offering. That same curse is the curse that will be sent against you. And what is "and I will curse your blessings"? You, the Kohanim, bless the people with the priestly blessing after offering the sacrifice, as it is written: "And they shall put My Name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them" - through you, the Holy One, blessed be He, blesses the people. But now, when you banish Heaven's Name from Israel and desecrate His Name, I will turn your blessing into a curse. And not only in the future: "indeed, I have already cursed them" - I have already done so in practice; because you do not take it to heart, I have already turned your blessings into curses.
הִנְנִי גֹעֵר לָכֶם אֶת־הַזֶּרַע וְזֵרִיתִי פֶרֶשׁ עַל־פְּנֵיכֶם פֶּרֶשׁ חַגֵּיכֶם וְנָשָׂא אֶתְכֶם אֵלָיו׃ - "Behold, I will rebuke the seed for your sake, and I will scatter dung upon your faces, the dung of your festival sacrifices, and it shall take you away with it."
Chaggai and Zechariah promised the people that from the moment they began building the Beis HaMikdash and offering sacrifices, blessing would rest upon the seed they sowed: even though you do not see blessing now, when you begin the holy service you will see that the land yields its produce. Now Hashem tells them: since you do not properly keep the charge of the sacrifices and instead bring the lame and sick, "Behold, I will rebuke the seed for your sake" - I will rebuke the seed so that it does not grow for a blessing.
"And I will spread dung upon your faces" - these sacrifices are disqualified, and what remains of them? In and of itself, the sacrifice is disqualified from ascending before Hashem, and what remains of it is the dung, the refuse, and the ashes left behind. This, Hashem says, I will scatter upon your faces. And likewise, the dung of the sacrifices that you offer on the festivals - "the dung of your festival sacrifices." "And it shall carry you away with it" - the Malbim explains that "nasa" (to lift or carry) is an expression of burning, as in "and David and his men burned them [vayisa'em]" and "the column of smoke [hamas'et] began to rise." That is to say: the fire will burn and consume you as well, and you will become like the burning dung and ash.
Here the Malbim makes a fascinating observation. We see that the sacrifices themselves are called chagim: "Nor shall the fat of My festival sacrifice [chagi] remain overnight until morning" (Shemot 23:18), and here, "the dung of your festival sacrifices [chageichem]." The question is what came first: is the sacrifice called a chag because it is offered on the chag, or were the Yamim Tovim called chagim after the sacrifice that is named chag? The straightforward assumption is that the holiday itself is the chag, and the sacrifice is named after it. But the Malbim asserts the opposite: the sacrifices are originally named chag, and from them the name "chag" was adopted for the festivals - since sacrifices are offered on these sacred days, the festivals were also called chagim.
At first glance, this seems surprising, for the common understanding is that "chag" derives from the idea of moving in a circle (like a mechogah, a compass), similar to "shanah" (year), which stems from repeating and returning (lashon lachzor ve-lishnot) - a chag means that the cycle completes a full circle and returns to the same point, like someone who makes a complete circuit and arrives back at the starting point. Yet from the Malbim's words, it implies that it is fundamentally the name of the sacrifice itself. We must therefore understand the root from which the sacrifice is called a "chag," through which the Yamim Tovim on which these offerings are brought came to be called chagim.
There is a famous Zohar in Parashat Yitro (page 88b), familiar to anyone who recites the Zohar before the meal on Shabbat. The Zohar says: "Come and see, on all other appointed times and festivals, a person must rejoice and gladden the poor." "And if he rejoices alone and does not give to the poor, his punishment is severe, for he rejoiced alone and did not give joy to others." And regarding him it is said in Malachi: "And I will spread dung upon your faces, the dung of your festival sacrifices." How dreadfully severe: when a person celebrates alone and fails to include the poor, the Holy One, blessed be He, says that his festival is like dung thrown back in his face - as if to say, it finds no favor before Me.
Yet come and contemplate the stature of Shabbat, how much greater and holier it is. The Zohar continues: if one rejoices on Shabbat and does not bring others to his table, "he is not punished as on the other appointed times and festivals, for it is written: 'the dung of your festival sacrifices' - it says 'your festivals,' and not 'the dung of your Shabbatot.'" Eating on Shabbat is always pleasing before Hashem. Consider also the verse in Yeshayahu, chapter 1: "Your new moons and your appointed seasons My soul hates" - it does not say "your Shabbatot." Shabbat is always pleasing before Him. But regarding the festivals - if we do not act properly, if we do not bring the poor to our tables or give tzedakah to the needy before the holiday as is customary, the Holy One, blessed be He, says: "Your new moons and your appointed seasons My soul hates," "the dung of your festival sacrifices" - as if it is cast back in his face like dung. Truly fearsome.
וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי שִׁלַּחְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם אֵת הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת לִהְיוֹת בְּרִיתִי אֶת־לֵוִי אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת׃ - And you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My covenant might be with Levi, said the Lord of Hosts.
The Malbim explains: know that My sending you this commandment is nothing new, for you have been bound by it ever since. And why do I place this responsibility upon you? Because I have a covenant with the tribe of Levi. It was on this condition that I made the covenant of Kehunah with the Levites - that they keep My charge, as elaborated immediately in the next verse.
בְּרִיתִי הָיְתָה אִתּוֹ הַחַיִּים וְהַשָּׁלוֹם וָאֶתְּנֵם־לוֹ מוֹרָא וַיִּירָאֵנִי וּמִפְּנֵי שְׁמִי נִחַת הוּא׃ - My covenant was with him of life and peace, and I gave them to him that he might fear, and he feared Me and was reverent before My Name.
The Radak explains that "My covenant was with him" refers to the head of the priestly tribe, Aharon, the holy one of Hashem, and also to Pinchas, who was zealous for his God. Regarding Pinchas it says, "Behold, I give him My covenant of peace" - this is the peace; and it says, "And it shall be to him and his seed after him the covenant of an everlasting priesthood" - and he also merited longevity, living for more than three hundred years, and this is "the life."
This is a fascinating point. It is doubtful whether there is anyone else in the Prophets, after the era of Moshe Rabbeinu, explicitly recorded in Scripture as having lived for over three hundred years - not just in the words of Chazal, but in the biblical text itself. The Radak notes: even according to the view that Pinchas is not Eliyahu, one does not need to rely on the statements of Chazal to prove his longevity, for we find him in the episode of the Concubine of Giv'ah (Pilegesh b'Giv'ah), as it says there, "And Pinchas, the son of Elazar, the son of Aharon the priest, stood before it in those days." If one calculates the years up to that time, it amounts to roughly three hundred years. It is an extraordinary wonder: scriptural documentation of a person living more than three hundred years! That is, unless one wishes to suggest that this was a different Pinchas, but that is quite a novel claim, since the verse specifies three generations - "the son of Elazar, the son of Aharon the priest" - clearly implying the original Aharon, the original Elazar, and the original Pinchas. In any case, we see that long life and peace were granted to him.
The Malbim explains that the covenant had two sides. From My side: "life and peace" - I promised him life and peace, as in "Behold, I give him My covenant of peace," and "they shall keep your charge... that they do not die," and "you shall not desecrate the holy things of the Children of Israel, that you do not die." And from his side: "and I gave them to him for fear, and he feared Me" - what was required of Aharon and his descendants was to revere Hashem.
And what is meant by "and was terrified before My name" (*ve-mipnei shemi nichat hu*)? The word *nachat* also denotes dread, as in *ve-hayetah chitat* - an expression of fear. What is the difference between the two? The Malbim explains: First, *yirah* (awe or reverent fear) is greater than *chatat* (dread or terror). Second, *yirah* encompasses *yirat ha-romemut* (awe of the Divine Majesty), whereas *chatat* relates to the dread of destruction or breakage, as in "made without fear" (*livli chat* - without break). One who instills terror (*chitito*) threatens to bring about ruin, destruction, and harm. Thus, *chatat* refers to the fear of punishment. So Hashem says: I grant life and peace, and on your part both aspects are required - "and he feared Me" through awe of Hashem's exalted greatness, and also "he was terrified before My name" through fear of punishment. Both are necessary.
תּוֹרַת אֱמֶת הָיְתָה בְּפִיהוּ וְעַוְלָה לֹא־נִמְצָא בִשְׂפָתָיו בְּשָׁלוֹם וּבְמִישׁוֹר הָלַךְ אִתִּי וְרַבִּים הֵשִׁיב מֵעָוֺן׃ - "The law of truth was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; in peace and uprightness he walked with Me, and he turned many back from iniquity."
Through the fear of Hashem that he establishes in his heart, he observes the words of Hashem - both in what pertains to Torah and in what pertains to practical conduct. Regarding the study of Torah itself: "The law of truth was in his mouth" - the Torah that he learned for himself was a Torah of truth, which the Malbim explains as the wisdom received from Sinai. "And unrighteousness was not found on his lips" - in what he taught and instructed others as well, he ruled in accordance with Halachah; not only what he acquired for himself, but also what he articulated with his lips to teach others was entirely aligned with truth.
Here the Malbim reiterates a fundamental concept frequently discussed in the study of Sefer Mishlei: the difference between "mouth" (*peh*) and "lips" (*sefatayim*). The lip is external, while the mouth signifies interiority. The lip represents what a person expresses outward to teach others; the mouth represents inwardness, matters of *chochmah* (wisdom). And the lip points to matters of *da'at* (knowledge and discernment).
The explanation is this: *chochmah* is something a person cannot arrive at on their own, but only through what is received traditionally from one's teachers. For example, all matters of ethics and morality fall under the category of *chochmah*, since a person cannot determine purely by reason what is moral and what is not. Observe how, to this day, the nations of the world remain divided on whether a given act is moral or not - one concludes that one must not kill animals even for medical healing, while another concludes that one may even inflict suffering on them for that purpose, each with their own "morality." What is true morality? Only what we received from Moshe at Sinai. This is the definition of *chochmah*, and it is alluded to by the "mouth" - truths acquired through tradition and internal absorption, rather than what one independently articulates outward.
By contrast, the lip alludes to what a person derives through their own intellect - matters that human reason can comprehend and grasp, which are affirmed by the senses or through first principles. Five plus five equals ten; this is *da'at*, not *chochmah*. One does not need to receive this from a prophet or from Moshe Rabbeinu; reason dictates it. For elementary, foundational truths, or things demonstrated by the senses, human intellect (*da'at*) suffices to know them with complete clarity. And because they are distinct, clear, and indisputable, they can also be communicated readily to others - which is why they are associated with the lips.
From this emerges a wonderful insight: it is precisely in matters dependent on *da'at*, which a person deduces through intellect and logic, that "unrighteousness" or error can occur - because one's comparisons might be flawed; one draws an analogy between two matters and human reasoning goes slightly awry. Therefore it says, "and unrighteousness was not found on his lips," rather than "unrighteousness was not found in his mouth" - because in the mouth, which represents the *chochmah* received from the prophets and Moshe Rabbeinu, error does not apply at all. We have seen instances where even great figures erred in this regard: Shaul, before going to smite Amalek, reasoned that if the Torah requires an *eglah arufah* (beheaded heifer) over a single slain person, how could he kill men, women, and children? There was a miscalculation here, certainly judged according to his lofty spiritual stature - but it illustrates that matters rooted in received wisdom (*chochmah*) are difficult to transmit solely through human reasoning, as they do not depend on intellectual proofs.
"In peace and uprightness he walked with Me" - this refers to practical conduct in the realm of *bein adam la-Makom* (between man and God): he did not deviate from Hashem's commandments, nor did he stray from the upright path. "And he turned many back from iniquity" - this refers to conduct in the realm of *bein adam la-chavero* (between man and his fellow): by rebuking people and giving them ethical guidance, he turned them away from sin and rectified their ways.
כִּי־שִׂפְתֵי כֹהֵן יִשְׁמְרוּ־דַעַת וְתוֹרָה יְבַקְשׁוּ מִפִּיהוּ כִּי מַלְאַךְ יְהֹוָה־צְבָאוֹת הוּא׃ - “For the lips of a kohen should preserve knowledge, and they should seek Torah from his mouth, for he is a messenger of the Lord of Hosts.”
Corresponding to what he taught the people - both Torah and proper conduct - the prophet states: “For the lips of a kohen should preserve knowledge.” Once again, the lips are emphasized, referring to the teachings he imparted to others. As noted, matters pertaining to da'at (rational knowledge) are easy to teach and convey, because they are logical and readily grasped by human intellect. He taught the people from the insights he investigated through his intellect, which he understood with clear perception - and therefore, “the lips of a kohen should preserve knowledge.”
Conversely, the matters received through tradition, which belong to the realm of divine wisdom (chochmah) and cannot be deduced through rational proofs or logical demonstration - resting solely on the foundation of “this is what we received” - are attributed to the mouth: “and they should seek Torah from his mouth.” He received the Written Torah and the transmitted Oral Torah, and whoever wishes to receive it must seek it directly from his mouth. A teacher cannot simply initiate teaching such matters unprompted, for people might not accept them since they transcend human intellect. Instead, they must come forward and ask: Teach us what you received, and what Torah was handed down to you from Moshe Rabbeinu. “For he is a messenger of the Lord of Hosts” - he is an emissary of Hashem, and his mission is to teach Torah to the people. He must treasure the Torah in his heart, preserve the sacred knowledge entrusted to him, and transmit it to the nation he was appointed to teach.
In Midrash Vayikra Rabbah (Parashah 3), the Sages expounded all of these verses as referring to Aharon: “My covenant was with him of life and peace” - for he was a pursuer of peace among Israel. “And I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared Me” - for he accepted the words of Torah with dread, awe, trembling, and sweat. “What is the meaning of ‘and was afraid before My Name’?” The Sages said: At the moment Moshe poured the anointing oil upon Aharon’s head, Aharon shrank back in terror and fell backward, crying: Woe is me, perhaps I have committed sacrilege (me'ilah) with the sacred anointing oil - for it is holy, and I am being anointed with it! The Holy Spirit answered him: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity... like the dew of Chermon descending upon the mountains of Tzion” - just as dew is not subject to the laws of me'ilah, so too the anointing oil is not subject to me'ilah. “Like precious oil upon the head, running down upon the beard” - this refers to Aharon.
The Midrash continues: “The Torah of truth was in his mouth” - he never declared the pure to be impure, nor the impure to be pure. “And iniquity was not found on his lips” - he never forbade the permitted, nor permitted the forbidden. “He walked with Me in peace and uprightness” - he did not question the ways of the Omnipresent, just as Avraham Avinu did not question Him. When Aharon’s sons died - “and Aharon remained silent” - he did not question Hashem’s justice; just as Avraham, when commanded to bind his son, did not protest: Yesterday You told me, “for through Yitzchak shall your seed be called,” and today You tell me, “offer him there as an elevation offering”? He harbored no doubts. “And turned many away from iniquity” - he returned sinners to the study of Torah, for he loved all creatures and drew them close to the Torah, and of this it is said, “they love You with uprightness.” And finally: “For the lips of a kohen should preserve knowledge, and they should seek Torah from his mouth, for he is a messenger of the Lord of Hosts.”
וְאַתֶּם סַרְתֶּם מִן־הַדֶּרֶךְ הִכְשַׁלְתֶּם רַבִּים בַּתּוֹרָה שִׁחַתֶּם בְּרִית הַלֵּוִי אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת׃ - “But you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble in the Torah; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi, said the Lord of Hosts.”
In contrast to the two virtues ascribed to the tribe of Levi, you did the exact opposite. Regarding your personal conduct - “you have turned aside from the way.” And regarding your relationship with the people, where your role was to guide them along the straight path and instruct them in the laws of the Torah - “you have caused many to stumble in the Torah” through the flawed rulings you taught them. Consequently, “you have corrupted the covenant of Levi”: you desecrated and failed to uphold the covenant Hashem forged with Levi, which was founded upon these two responsibilities.
וְגַם־אֲנִי נָתַתִּי אֶתְכֶם נִבְזִים וּשְׁפָלִים לְכׇל־הָעָם כְּפִי אֲשֶׁר אֵינְכֶם שֹׁמְרִים אֶת־דְּרָכַי וְנֹשְׂאִים פָּנִים בַּתּוֹרָה׃ - “So I, too, have made you despised and base before all the people, to the extent that you do not keep My ways and show partiality in the Torah.”
Radak explains: Just as you treat Me with disrespect, so have I made you despised. Measure for measure (middah keneged middah). How is this expressed? You show favoritism to the people. There are leaders who refuse to rebuke the public; they will never address spiritual shortcomings, speaking only about how all of Klal Yisrael are righteous and wonderful. Yet there are real issues and truths that must be voiced, which such a leader refuses to articulate. Why? Because he does not want anyone to resent him for touching a personal nerve. He seeks to be a beloved, “user-friendly” rabbi who never makes waves.
The Holy One, blessed be He, says: Why do you show them favoritism and refrain from rebuking them? So that they will love you. Therefore, I will make you despised and abased in their eyes. As our Sages said: "A hireling of false witnesses is despised by his hirer" - one who hires a false witness makes that witness feel good, for he pays him and speaks to him courteously, yet in his heart he despises the hirer. Exactly so here.
And this is the reality: all those rabbis who try to dance at every wedding, to find favor in everyone's eyes and speak only pleasantries to all - no one has genuine respect for them. On the other hand, look at whom people truly revered: Rav Ovadia Yosef and Rav Shach, great leaders who had no hesitation in standing up, protesting, and speaking hard truths. Rav Ovadia Yosef - against which group did he not speak out? At times he addressed Chabad, at times Breslov and Uman, at times kollel men and their wives; regarding any group where he saw a need to protest, he arose, protested, and said what needed to be said. One might have thought: who will come to his funeral? Just a few die-hard Shas supporters? Yet it was the largest funeral in the history of the country; there was no community that was not represented. Why? Because when people recognize a man of truth, even if he spoke hard words, they say: True, but he spoke from the depths of his heart, out of real pain. So too with Rav Shach: when he saw a breach in the walls of religion, he stood up and repaired the breaches, and therefore people viewed and revered him as a man of truth. But an "elastic" rabbi - who truly respects him? Everyone realizes you are merely trying to curry favor with them, and therefore they hold no genuine respect for you.
Thus, Radak explains: measure for measure. You wished to be honored in their eyes and to have them respect you, and therefore you refrained from telling them unpleasant truths - and as a result, you desecrated what is holy. Consequently, you will be despised in their eyes, so that you are punished for what you have done.
"And show favoritism in the Torah" - meaning that you show favoritism to the prominent. The Torah stated, "You shall not offer these to Hashem," yet when an important person brings a blemished sacrifice, you show him favoritism: it is uncomfortable to turn him away and cast him down the Temple steps. So you offer a sacrifice that from the outset was unfit to be brought, presenting to Hashem something that Hashem forbade, disqualified, and finds detestable - solely to find favor in the eyes of the one who brought it.
The Malbim adds: In contrast to the way the Levite was once honored in the eyes of the people - "he is an angel of the Lord of Hosts," "they shall seek Torah from his mouth" - with you I have done the exact opposite: making you despised and abased in their eyes. Indeed, you are already despised and abased in their eyes in actual reality, for you no longer occupy your true stature, the stature of the Kohen who guides the people on the straight path and serves Hashem - "you have turned from the way." You show favoritism in the Torah, meaning you flatter the generation and do not rebuke them through the Torah, and this is "you have caused many to stumble in the Torah." And as far as you descended from the stature of the Levite and his holiness, so far have you plummeted down the slope of contempt and abasement.
The prophet turns to the Kohanim and places the responsibility squarely upon them: it was not enough that you failed to prevent blemished sacrifices - you are full partners in the desecration of Hashem's Name. If you will not listen and do not take it to heart, the blessing in your mouth will turn into a curse, seed will be withheld, and the refuse of the disqualified sacrifices will be scattered over your faces. From here, Hashem recalls the covenant of Levi in both of its aspects: on His part - life and peace; and on their part - awe of His grandeur and fear of punishment, the Torah of truth in his mouth, which is the wisdom received from Sinai, clear knowledge on his lips free of iniquity, upright conduct between man and God, and turning many away from iniquity between man and his fellow. The Kohanim of that generation did the exact reverse: they turned from the path themselves and caused many to stumble through their instruction, out of favoritism and the pursuit of favor. And measure for measure - one who desecrates what is holy in order to endear himself to people will ultimately find that the very people he sought to please despise him.