Torah Portion: Tzav
“והנותרת ממנה יאכלו אהרן ובניו” (ויקרא ו ט)
It is a positive commandment upon the kohanim to eat the remainder of the meal-offerings — that is, after they separated the portion that was to be burned on the Altar, the kohanim were to to whatever was left of it, as it is written, Aaron and his sons shall eat what is left of it (Vayikra 6:9).
Among the roots of the mitzvah is the idea presented earlier that it is honorable that the offering be eaten by the attendants of Hashem themselves, and not that they would give it to others of lower stature for them to eat.
This commandment applies when the Holy Temple stands, to kohanim.
“לא תאפה חמץ” (ויקרא ו י)
It is a negative commandment to not cook the remainders of the meal-offering — the portion given to the kohanim — and thereby render it chametz, for concerning the meal-offering it is written, It shall not be baked leavened, I have presented it as their share from My fire-offerings (Vayikra 6:10). This can be read as: “Their share” — i.e., the remainder of meal-offerings — “shall not be bake leavened.”
This mitzvah applies when the Holy Temple stands, to both men and women. Even if it was an Israelite [that is, a non-kohen] transgressed this and baked it as chametz-leaven, he violates this prohibition, and all the more so if he was a kohen.
