שמות, פרק כ״ט, פסוק י״א

The process of sanctifying Aaron and his sons for the priesthood transitions from a stage of preparation to the first physical act of offering sacrifices. The initial act of slaughtering requires deep precision regarding who performs it, their mindset, and the exact location within the sacred space. Moses was instructed to carry out this task, functioning as a priest throughout the seven days of the inauguration. He performed all the sacrificial work himself so that Aaron could observe the order of the service and learn directly from him [אבן עזרא, ביאור יש״ר].

Scholars debate whether Moses was strictly required to perform the slaughtering himself. One view suggests that due to the immense holiness of the occasion, much like the High Priest's service on the Day of Atonement, the offering would have been invalid if performed by an ordinary individual who was not a priest [רלב״ג]. Conversely, another perspective notes that, as a general rule, any Israelite is permitted to slaughter a sacrifice. Because this was a communal offering intended to atone for Aaron and his sons, Moses acted as the representative of the Israelites, who were the owners of the sacrifice. Therefore, he was fully qualified to perform the slaughter, while Aaron and his sons merely rested their hands on the bull since the atonement was for them [העמק דבר]. On a conceptual level, the act of slaughtering the bull symbolizes self-nullification. A person destined for leadership, represented by the bull, must cease living solely for himself and surrender his entire being to God at the entrance of the sanctuary [רש ר הירש].

During this act, the person performing the slaughter must face the Holy of Holies [רלב״ג]. This stance reflects the precise physical arrangement of the Tabernacle's vessels, where the Ark of the Covenant, situated in the middle of the western side, aligned perfectly with both the incense altar and the altar for burnt offerings [אבן עזרא]. Regarding the exact location of the slaughter, the primary approach among commentators is that it did not occur literally at the entrance of the tent, but rather in the courtyard situated before it [רש״י]. Since this bull was a sin offering, it was required to be slaughtered specifically on the northern side of the altar. The altar itself was not at the entrance but stood at a distance within the courtyard, separated from the tent by the washbasin [מזרחי, שפתי חכמים, גור אריה, ביאור יש״ר]. However, a unique opinion suggests that during the seven days of inauguration, the Tabernacle held the legal status of a temporary private altar, a setting where the northern side held no specific significance. Under this view, there was no requirement to slaughter the animal in the north as is standard for a sin offering; instead, the general area of the entrance was sufficient [העמק דבר].