1) (Vayikra 16:26) ("And he who sends the he-goat to Azazel shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water, and then he may come to the camp.") "And he who sends": not he who sends the sender (i.e., not those who accompany him). "And he who sends the he-goat to Azazel shall wash his clothes": I might think that his clothes become unclean as soon as he leaves the wall of the azarah (the Temple court). It is, therefore, written "to Azazel (he) shall wash his clothes." If "to Azazel (he shall wash his clothes," I might think that his clothes do not become unclean until he reached Tsok (the mountain from which the goat was precipitated). And he who sends the goat to Azazel shall wash his clothes." How (are these verses to be reconciled)? As soon as he leaves the wall of Jerusalem his clothes become unclean. These are the words of R. Yehudah. 2) R. Yossi says: "to Azazel (he) shall wash his clothes": His clothes do not become tamei until he reaches Tsok. R. Shimon says: He who sends the he-goat to Azazel shall wash his clothes": He thrusts it headlong (down the mountain) and his clothes become tamei. 3) "he shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water": I might think that it is a decree of the King (that he must immerse, just as the high-priest does); it is, therefore, written "and then he may come to the camp." Just as "and then he may come to the camp" there (in respect to the red heifer [Bamidbar 19:7]) (means that he may immerse) to free himself of tumah; here, too, (it means) to free himself of tumah, (but if he wishes to prolong his state of tumah, he need not immerse.) 4) (Vayikra 16:27) "And the bullock of the sin-offering and the he-goat of the sin-offering, whose blood was brought to make atonement in the holy place, he shall take … (Vayikra 16:28) And he who burns them shall wash his clothes, etc." What is the intent of this (repetition of "sin-offering")? I might think that only these render clothes unclean and are to be burned in the Bet Hadeshen. Whence do I derive for inclusion the bullock of the anointed priest, the bullock of congregational forgetfulness (he'elam davar), and the he-goats brought for (unwitting) idolatry? From the repetition of "sin-offering." These are the words of R. Yehudah. Rebbi says: It is to be inferred from the source itself, viz. "whose blood was brought to atone in the holy place." This is an archetype (binyan av). All (offerings) whose blood enter the inner (sanctuary) — the clothes of him who burns them become unclean. "to make atonement in the holy place": If they have made atonement as prescribed, they are burned in the Bet Hadeshen and render clothes unclean; otherwise (i.e., if there were some unfitness in them), they are burned in the Bet Habirah (a place in the Temple Mount) and they do not render clothes unclean. 5) "he shall take outside the camp": Elsewhere, (in respect to the bullock of the congregation and the bullock of the anointed Cohein,) you give them three camps (i.e., they must be burned outside of three camps, viz., the azarah, the Temple Mount, and Jerusalem), and here you give them one camp. If so, what is the intent of "he shall take outside the camp"? To teach that as soon as he leaves one camp he who burns them renders (his) garments unclean. 6) From here they ruled: They would carry them (the bullocks) on staves. When those in front went outside the wall of the azarah, and those in the rear had not yet done so, the first rendered their garments unclean, and the others did not do so until they, too, went outside. 7) "and they shall burn in fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung": "skin, flesh, and dung" is written here, and it is written elsewhere (Vayikra 4:11), re the anointed Cohein). Just as there, (the animal is first cut into pieces, here, too. 8) "And he who burns": not he who lights the fire, and not he who arranges the wood pile. And who is "He who burns"? He who tends (the fire) at the burning (of the bullock). I might think that it renders clothing unclean even after it has been reduced to ashes. It is, therefore, written ("And he who burns) them." They (when they are intact) render clothing unclean; but he who burns them when they have been reduced to ashes does not render (his clothing) unclean. These are the words of R. Yehudah. R. Shimon says: They do not render clothing unclean until the fire has "taken" in the greater part of them. (And he also says:) "them" (i.e., only when they are intact, do they render clothing unclean.) But if the flesh has been cut into pieces, he who burns them does not render his clothing unclean.
Sifra Acharei Mot Section 5
Tap any verse to see what it echoes — and start a chain or echo from it.