Derasha 6 — Metzora 14:21

וְאִם־דַּ֣ל ה֗וּא וְאֵ֣ין יָדוֹ֮ מַשֶּׂ֒גֶת֒ וְ֠לָקַ֠ח כֶּ֣בֶשׂ אֶחָ֥ד אָשָׁ֛ם לִתְנוּפָ֖ה לְכַפֵּ֣ר עָלָ֑יו וְעִשָּׂר֨וֹן סֹ֜לֶת אֶחָ֨ד בָּל֥וּל בַּשֶּׁ֛מֶן לְמִנְחָ֖ה וְלֹ֥ג שָֽׁמֶן׃

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Core Text

כֶּבֶשׂ אֶחָד — שָׁאַל רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אֶת רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה, מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר אֶחָד? אָמַר לֵיהּ, זֶה מֵבִיא מֵהַשָּׂגַת יָד וּמְטַמֵּא מִקְדָּשׁ מֵבִיא מֵהַשָּׂגַת יָד, יָכוֹל מַה מְּטַמֵּא מִקְדָּשׁ מֵבִיא שְׁנַיִם תַּחַת אֶחָד, אַף זֶה מֵבִיא שְׁנַיִם תַּחַת אֶחָד, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר אֶחָד.

English: “One lamb” — R’ Akiva asked R’ Nechemiah: Why does the verse say “one”? He replied: This one brings according to his means, and one who defiles the Sanctuary also brings according to his means; one might think that just as the one who defiles the Sanctuary brings two in place of one, so this one brings two in place of one; therefore it says “one.”

What Is Learned

Chazal limit the poor metzora to a single lamb; he does not substitute two birds for the missing animal as is done in other sliding-scale offerings.

Derasha 6 on Metzora 14:21

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