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to offer something to God and having confirmed the promise with an oath, but not having followed through with the deed; he commands first to confess the sin, then to offer either a ewe-lamb, or a she-goat and in this manner to propitiate God. But if he be poor, he commands to offer either two turtledoves, or two young pigeons. But if he could not afford even these, to bring a little fine flour without oil and frankincense. For the oil is indicative of cheerfulness; and the frankincense of a sweet fragrance; but sin is stripped of both. And very fittingly he joined together the touching of an unclean thing and the concealing of the sin of one who has sworn and lied. For indeed the clean one touching unclean things is defiled; and he who has not sworn shares in the sin of the liar by not refuting the lie; And it is worthy to marvel at the goodness of the Lord, that one who has promised to offer something and ratified the promise with an oath, but did not fulfill it in deed, He punishes neither as ungrateful, nor as an oath-breaker, but heals with a small penalty. 160 II What is, "if a soul has a lapse of memory and sins unintentionally against the holy things of the Lord"? It often happened that someone, falling into some preoccupation, did not offer at the proper time the things dedicated to God, such as the firstborn or the firstfruits or the vows. Therefore, the one who has fallen into this transgression he subjects to a greater penalty. For he commands him first to pay the divine debt, having added a fifth to its value; then thus for the transgression to offer for a sacred rite a ram worth fifty shekels, and so to receive forgiveness for the sin. Having legislated these and similar things concerning those who have sinned unintentionally, he also commands those who have sinned intentionally and either having received a deposit and lied or having committed some injustice and having increased the sin with a false oath, first to give back to those who were wronged what they unlawfully took away and to add a fifth to the principal; then thus to offer a ram and to propitiate God. This the blessed Zacchaeus also did; for he first gave back fourfold whatever wrongs he had done; then thus he distributed half of his own possessions to those in poverty. III Why did he command the sacrifice of the priest to be wholly burnt? Teaching the priest to be perfect and not partially, but to dedicate his whole self to the God of all things. IV Why did they also slay the sacrifices for sin in the place of the whole burnt offerings? 161 For the encouragement of those who offer; so that they might know that they are not alienated from the holy things, being healed through repentance. For this reason he also called them holy of holies. V What is, "everyone who touches its flesh shall be sanctified"? It teaches them reverence, and commands them to approach the divine things with fear, and forbids them to stand far from the holy things; but the one daring to draw near, and then receiving a drop of the blood, he commands to attend constantly at the temple, as being no longer his own master. But to attend constantly, not performing priestly rites, but carrying out the other service. For this reason he also commands the garments that received the drops of that blood to be washed; and the vessels, if they should be of bronze, to be carefully scoured; but if of earthenware, to be broken. VI Why after the third day does he not command to eat of the sacrificial victims, and upon the one transgressing the law does he inflict a penalty, saying that that sacrifice is unacceptable? He wishes them not to feast alone, but also to give a share of the meat to the needy. For this reason on the first and the second day he commands them to partake of that meat; and the leftovers to be burned; so that, being impelled by this necessity, they might have the poor as sharers in their feasting. VII Why does he forbid the one who has touched one with a discharge, or a leper, or a corpse, or any other of the so-162 called unclean things, from partaking of the flesh of the sacrifice? Through these small things he heals the great passions. For if natural things defile according to the law, how much more the things of the will, which are properly called transgressions. That these things have this

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Θεῷ τι προσοίσειν καὶ ὅρκῳ τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν βεβαιώσαντα, τὸ δὲ ἔργον μὴ ἐπι θέντα τῷ λόγῳ· πρῶτον ἐξαγορεῦσαι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν κελεύει, ἔπειτα προσ ενεγκεῖν ἢ ἀμνάδα, ἢ χίμαιραν καὶ τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ τὸν Θεὸν ἱλεώσασθαι. εἰ δὲ πένης ᾖ, ἢ δύο τρυγόνας κελεύει προσενεγκεῖν, ἢ δύο νεοττοὺς περισ τερῶν. εἰ δὲ μηδὲ τούτων εὐποροίη, μικρὰν σεμίδαλιν ἐλαίου δίχα καὶ λιβανωτοῦ προσκομίσαι. τὸ γὰρ ἔλαιον ἱλαρότητος δηλωτικόν· ὁ δὲ λιβανωτὸς εὐωδίας· ἀμφοτέρων δὲ ἡ ἁμαρτία γεγύμνωται. μάλα δὲ ἁρ μοδίως τὸ ἅψασθαι ἀκαθάρτου καὶ τὸ κρύψαι τοῦ ὀμωμοκότος καὶ ψευσα μένου τὴν ἁμαρτίαν συνέζευξεν. καὶ γὰρ ὁ καθαρὸς ἁπτόμενος ἀκαθάρτων μολύνεται· καὶ ὁ μὴ ὀμόσας ψευσαμένῳ κοινωνεῖ τῆς ἁμαρτίας μὴ διελέγ χων τὸ ψεῦδος· ἄξιον δὲ θαυμάσαι τοῦ δεσπότου τὴν ἀγαθότητα, ὅτι τὸν ἐπαγγειλάμενόν τι προσενεγκεῖν καὶ ὅρκῳ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν κυρώσαν τα, τῷ ἔργῳ δὲ μὴ πληρώσαντα, οὔτε ὡς ἀχάριστον, οὔτε ὡς ἐπίορκον τιμωρεῖται, ἀλλὰ μικρᾷ θεραπεύει ζημίᾳ. 160 II Τί ἐστι, " ψυχὴ ἐὰν λάθῃ αὐτὴν λήθη καὶ ἁμάρτῃ ἀκουσίως ἀπὸ τῶν ἁγίων Κυρίου "; Συνέβαινε πολλάκις ἀσχολίᾳ τινὰ περιπεσόντα μὴ προσενεγκεῖν εἰς και ρὸν τὰ τῷ Θεῷ ἀφιερωμένα, οἷον τὰ πρωτότοκα ἢ τὰς ἀπαρχὰς ἢ τὰς ἐπαγγελίας. τὸν ταύτῃ τοίνυν περιπεπτωκότα τῇ πλημμελείᾳ μείζονι ὑπο βάλλει ζημίᾳ. κελεύει γὰρ αὐτὸν πρότερον ἐκτίσαι τὸ θεῖον ὄφλημα, τῆς ἀξίας τιμῆς τὸ πέμπτον προστεθεικότα· εἶθ' οὕτως ὑπὲρ τῆς πλημμελείας κριὸν πεντήκοντα σίκλων ἄξιον προσενεγκεῖν εἰς ἱερουργίαν, καὶ οὕτως λαβεῖν τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὴν ἄφεσιν. ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τούτοις ὅμοια περὶ τῶν ἀκουσίως ἡμαρτηκότων νομοθετήσας, κελεύει καὶ τοὺς ἑκόντας ἡμαρτη κότας καὶ ἢ παρακαταθήκην δεξαμένους καὶ ψευσαμένους ἢ ἀδικίᾳ τινὶ χρησαμένους καὶ ὅρκῳ ψευδεῖ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν αὐξήσαντας, πρῶτον ἀπο δοῦναι τοῖς ἠδικημένοις ἃ παρανόμως ἀφείλαντο καὶ προσθεῖναι τῷ κε φαλαίῳ τὸ πέμπτον· εἰθ' οὕτω κριὸν προσενεγκεῖν καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἱλεώσασ θαι. τοῦτο καὶ ὁ μακάριος Ζακχαῖος πεποίηκεν· ἀπέδωκε γὰρ πρότερον ἅπερ ἠδίκησε τετραπλάσια· εἶθ' οὕτως τὰ ἡμίση τῶν οἰκείων τοῖς πε νομένοις διένειμεν. III ∆ιὰ τί τοῦ ἱερέως τὴν θυσίαν ὁλοκαυτοῦσθαι προσέταξεν; Τέλειον εἶναι διδάσκων τὸν ἱερέα καὶ μὴ μερικῶς, ἀλλ' ὅλον ἑαυτὸν ἀνα θεῖναι τῷ τῶν ὅλων Θεῷ. IV ∆ιὰ τί ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τῶν ὁλοκαυτωμάτων καὶ τὰς περὶ ἁμαρτίας θυσίας ἱέρευον; 161 Εἰς ψυχαγωγίαν τῶν προσφερόντων· ἵνα γνῶσιν ὡς οὐκ εἰσὶ τῶν ἁγίων ἀλλότριοι διὰ μετανοίας ἰατρευόμενοι. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἅγια ἁγίων αὐτὰ προσηγόρευσεν. V Τί ἐστι, " πᾶς ὁ ἁπτόμενος τῶν κρεῶν αὐτῆς ἁγιασ θήσεται "; Εὐλάβειαν αὐτοὺς διδάσκει, καὶ μετὰ δέους προσιέναι τοῖς θείοις κελεύει, καὶ πόρρω τῶν ἱερῶν ἑστάναι διαγορεύει· τὸν δὲ πελάζειν τολμῶντα, εἶτα τοῦ αἵματος ῥανίδα δεχόμενον, τῷ ναῷ προσεδρεύειν κελεύει, ὡς οὐκέτι ἑαυτοῦ κύριον ὄντα. προσεδρεύειν δέ, οὐχ ἱερουργοῦντα, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἄλλην λειτουργίαν ἐπιτελοῦντα. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια τὰ τοῦ αἵματος ἐκείνου τὰς ῥανίδας δεχόμενα πλύνεσθαι κελεύει· τὰ δὲ σκεύη, εἰ μὲν χαλ κᾶ εἴη, ἐπιμελῶς ἀποσμήχεσθαι· εἰ δὲ κεράμεα, συντρίβεσθαι. VI ∆ιὰ τί μετὰ τρίτην ἡμέραν οὐ κελεύει τῶν ἱερείων ἐσθίειν, τῷ δὲ παραβαί νοντι τὸν νόμον ἐπιφέρει ζημίαν, ἄθυτον εἶναι λέγων τὴν θυσίαν ἐκείνην; Βούλεται μὴ μόνους αὐτοὺς εὐωχεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἐνδεέσι τῶν κρεῶν μεταδιδόναι. τούτου χάριν τῇ πρώτῃ καὶ τῇ δευτέρᾳ ἡμέρᾳ, τῶν κρεῶν ἐκείνων μεταλαμβάνειν κελεύει· τὰ δὲ περιττεύοντα κατακαίεσθαι· ἵν' ὑπὸ τῆς ἀνάγκης ταύτης ὠθούμενοι, κοινωνοὺς ἔχωσι τοὺς τῆς εὐωχίας πένητας. VII ∆ιὰ τί τὸν γονορρυοῦς ἢ λεπροῦ ἢ θνησιμαίου ἢ ἄλλου τινὸς τῶν καλου 162 μένων ἀκαθάρτων ἁψάμενον, ἀπαγορεύει τῶν τῆς θυσίας μεταλαμβάνειν κρεῶν; ∆ιὰ τῶν σμικρῶν τούτων τὰ μεγάλα θεραπεύει παθήματα. εἰ γὰρ τὰ φυσικὰ μιαίνει κατὰ τὸν νόμον, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὰ γνωμικά, ἃ κυρίως καλεῖται παράνομα. ὅτι δὲ ταῦτα τοῦτον ἔχει