ויקרא, פרק ו׳, פסוק ט״ו

The grain offering of the High Priest is not a one-time ritual performed only on the day he assumes office, but rather a permanent, daily obligation. It represents his absolute dedication to the service of God. This requirement is an eternal statute for all generations, extending far beyond the initial instructions given in the desert [תורה תמימה, שטינזלץ]. The obligation continues without interruption even in later historical eras when the sacred anointing oil was hidden away and the High Priest was sanctified for his role merely by donning the designated priestly garments [פרדס יוסף].

The office of the High Priest is inherited by his son, who takes precedence over anyone else provided he is worthy of the position, even if his own father was only an ordinary priest [רש ר הירש, אדרת אליהו, ביאור יש״ר]. However, the transition of leadership requires a distinct anointing. Unlike a king whose son inherits the throne automatically without needing a new ceremony, a High Priest's son must be anointed with oil in his own right to assume the role [אור החיים, תורה תמימה]. This hereditary succession applies exclusively to the standard High Priest. It excludes a priest who is specifically anointed to lead the nation out to war, as that is a specialized role that does not pass down to his children [מלבי״ם, אדרת אליהו].

The primary approach among commentators notes an unusual phrasing regarding the son who takes his father's place, understanding it simply as the priest from among the sons who is anointed to succeed him [רש״י, מזרחי, שפתי חכמים, גור אריה, ביאור יש״ר]. Others, however, see this phrasing as addressing the interim period when a High Priest passes away and no official replacement has yet been appointed. During this gap, the daily offering must still be brought. According to one view, the sons bring the offering using funds from the inheritance their father left behind [אור החיים, תורה תמימה, רלב״ג]. Another perspective argues that the public treasury finances the offering during this transitional time [אור החיים, תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם, אדרת אליהו]. Regardless of who funds it, the offering during this interim is brought whole at one time, rather than being divided into morning and evening halves as the High Priest would do during his lifetime [תורה תמימה, אדרת אליהו, מלבי״ם].

Unlike a standard Israelite grain offering, where only a small handful is burned on the altar and the remainder is eaten by the priests, the High Priest's offering is completely consumed by fire [רש״י, רלב״ג, ביאור יש״ר, מזרחי]. It is strictly forbidden for anyone to eat from it, a rule that also applies to any voluntary grain offering brought by an ordinary priest [רש״י]. Burning it entirely, much like a standard burnt offering [אבן עזרא, הופמן, מזרחי], carries profound symbolic weight. It reflects the reality that the High Priest surrenders his entire material existence and personal well-being to God, reserving absolutely nothing of his elevated status for his own personal benefit [רש ר הירש].