Leviticus 4:22

22 "'If a ruler sins by accident and does something the Lord his God has commanded must not be done, he is guilty.

Leviticus 4:22 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 4:22

When a ruler hath sinned
Or "prince", the "nasi", one that is lifted up above others in honour, power, and authority, or that bears the weight of government: the word comes from one which signifies to lift up, or to bear; it may be understood of a governor of a family, or of a tribe, as Aben Ezra observes; and so in the Talmud

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 it is said, it means the prince of a tribe, such as Nachson the son of Amminadab, prince of the tribe of Judah. Maimonides ^F12 says a king is designed, over whom none has power; and so Gersom on the place, who observes, that David the king is called a prince, ( Ezekiel 34:24 ) ( 46:2 )

and done [somewhat] through ignorance [against] any of the
commandments of the Lord his God;
the phrase, "his God", is here added, and is not used neither of the anointed priest, nor of the congregation, nor of one of the common people; only of the prince, to show, that though he is above others, God is above him, and he is accountable to him; he is his God, of whom he is, and by whom he rules; wherefore if he breaks any of his commandments, though ignorantly, he must bring a sacrifice for it:

[concerning things] which should not be done, and is guilty;
of transgressing negative precepts, which are as binding on him as others.

F11 T. Bab. Horayot, fol. 11. 1.
F12 Hilchot Shegagot, c. 15. sect. 6.

Leviticus 4:22 In-Context

20 he will do the same thing with this bull that he did with the first bull of the sin offering. In this way the priest removes the sins of the people so they will belong to the Lord and be forgiven.

21 Then the priest must carry the bull outside the camp and burn it, just as he did with the first bull. This is the sin offering for the whole community.

22 "'If a ruler sins by accident and does something the Lord his God has commanded must not be done, he is guilty.

23 When he learns about his sin, he must bring a male goat that has nothing wrong with it as his offering.

24 The ruler must put his hand on the goat's head and kill it in the place where they kill the whole burnt offering before the Lord; it is a sin offering.