Al final de la Parshá Vaikrá1se enumeran las leyes de los sacrificios de Jatat» y de «Asham talui». El sacrificio de «Jatat» es requerido de alguien que transgredió un pecado inconscientemente. «Asham Talui» es ofrendado por un pecado dudoso, cuando la persona está en dudas si pecó (inconscientemente) o no.»El ejemplo que se trae en el Talmud2 para esta trasgresión, es quien tenía frente a sí dos trozos de grasa y comió uno de ellos. Luego se enteró de que uno era casher, apto ritualmente para su consumo, y el otro era cebo prohibido. Pero él no sabe de cuál comió, si del permitido o del prohibido. En este caso debe traer una ofrenda de asham» pendiente.
El Talmud3 fija el valor mínimo de cada uno de los sacrificios: «el jatat», debe valer por lo menos una (moneda llamada) «danka», mientras que el sacrificio del asham debe valer por lo menos dos slaím (¡que son 48 dankas!).
The question arises here: how is it possible that a mere doubt about sin requires an offering forty-eight times more expensive than one for a certain sin? Doesn't logic dictate that a certain transgression is more serious than a doubtful one?
RECOGNIZING SIN
Rabbi Jonah responds that the primary atonement is not achieved through sacrifice, but through repentance, and the purpose of sacrifice is to awaken a person to repentance. When one knows with certainty that they have sinned, they feel remorse, and therefore a less expensive sacrifice is sufficient. But when doubt remains as to whether they have sinned at all, a measure must be taken to move them to repentance, and therefore a more costly sacrifice must be offered to make them feel the gravity of the sin and awaken them to Teshuvah (repentance).
But this explanation is still incomplete. The different sacrifices were also intended to atone for the defects caused in the soul by sin, and the magnitude of the sacrifice must be proportional to the extent of the defect in the soul. If the pending asham (ritual offering) must be several times more expensive than the chatat (offering), it is also clear that the defect caused by a doubt of sin is greater than that of a certain sin. How is it possible that a doubt of sin affects a person more negatively than a certain sin?
THE RIGHTEOUS DO NOT FALL
La explicación se encuentra en la gravedad adicional que hay, en cierto aspecto, en un pecado inconsciente sobre uno premeditado. En lo que respecta a la acción misma del pecado, está claro que la trasgresión concreta es más grave, puesto que refleja el quitarse de encima el «Yugo de Di-s». Pero en lo que hace al nivel interior de la persona, hay cierta gravedad mayor en un pecado inconsciente.
Quien está totalmente inmerso en el mundo de la santidad no peca, tampoco inconscientemente. Sobre el Justo, el Tzadik, está escrito5: «no le pasará al Tzadik maldad alguna», puesto que quien es un Tzadik está totalmente desvinculado de toda posibilidad de pecado, y no ha de transgredir, incluso inconscientemente. La misma posibilidad de que uno caiga sin darse cuenta en un pecado, indica que hay en este hombre una maldad interna.
PROFOUND DEFICIENCY
That is why a man is required to bring a sacrifice of a certain kind, a sacrifice of a certain kind, for an unconscious transgression, to atone for the inner flaw that gave rise to the sin. But since he knows he sinned, he thereby diminishes the flaw and it is easier to rectify it. In contrast, one who is unaware of his sin and deludes himself into thinking his level is good, thereby demonstrates that his wickedness lies deeper, to the point that he himself does not recognize it. Therefore, he must bring a sacrifice of a certain kind—a sacrifice several times more expensive.
From this we can learn to what extent one must be attached to holiness and goodness, to the point of being absolutely certain that even one's inner essence, the unconscious, is totally surrendered to the Most High, to His Torah and His Precepts.
(Likutei Sichot, Volume 3, Page 942)
NOTES: 1.Vayikra 4:1 onwards 2.Kritut 17,b 3.Zbachim 48,a 4.Brachot 1,b Shulchan Aruch HaRav Orach Chaim siman 603 5.Mishlei 12:21