- A כהן משיח and נשיא who sinned and left their positions, or sinned before assuming their positions
The third Perek begins: כהן משיח שחטא ואח"כ עבר ממשיחותו – Regarding a כהן משיח who sinned and then left his position of anointment (e.g., he developed a מום), or a נשיא who sinned and then left his position (e.g., he became a מצורע), each still brings his unique korban, since they were in their position when they sinned. If they sinned after leaving their positions, the כהן משיח still brings a פר, but the נשיא brings an ordinary חטאת like a הדיוט. A passuk about the כהן משיח says, והקריב על חטאתו – he shall offer for his sin, מלמד שמביא חטאתו משעבר – this teaches that he brings his chatas even for sinning after he left his position. A passuk about the נשיא says, אשר נשיא יחטא – when a ruler will sin, teaching that he only brings his unique חטאת if he sins while he is a נשיא. The next Mishnah states: חטאו עד שלא נתמנו ואח"כ נתמנו – if they sinned before being appointed כהן משיח or נשיא, and then they were appointed, הרי אלו כהדיוטות – they are considered like commoners and bring ordinary חטאות. Rebbe Shimon says that if they only became aware of their sin after being appointed, they are exempt, since their status changed between the sin and awareness.
- אשרי הדור שהנשיא שלו מביא קרבן על שגגתו
A Baraisa darshens the passuk: אשר נשיא יחטא – when a ruler will sin […he shall bring his offering]. Rebbe Yochanan ben Zakkai says the word "אשר" hints: אשרי הדור שהנשיא שלו מביא קרבן על שגגתו – fortunate is the generation whose ruler brings a korban for his unintentional sin. אם נשיא שלו מביא קרבן – If even its ruler (who is not inclined to humility) brings a korban, צריך אתה לומר מהו הדיוט – is it necessary to say what a commoner will do? ואם על שגגתו מביא קרבן – And if [the נשיא] makes sure to bring a korban for his unintentional [sins], צריך אתה לומר מהו זדונו – is it necessary to say what he will do for his intentional sin? He will certainly make sure to do teshuvah! Although the word "אשר" is not darshened this way elsewhere, the Torah here changed from its expression in the nearby sections, where the word "אם" – if is used, to use the word "אשרי".
- צדיקים ילכו בם ופושעים יכשלו בם
Rabbah bar bar Channah quoted Rebbe Yochanan discussing the passuk: כי ישרים דרכי ה' וצדיקים ילכו בם ופושעים יכשלו בם – “Because Hashem’s paths are straight, the righteous walk in them and the wicked stumble in them.” He said an example of this would be two people eating korban pesach, where one ate for the mitzvah and the other ate gluttonously (after being full). The first personifies “the righteous walking,” and the second, “the wicked stumbling.” Reish Lakish objected that although the gluttonous eater did not perform the mitzvah in the best way, he did do it, and cannot be called “wicked.” Instead, it can refer to two people whose respective wives and sisters were with them, where one had relations with his wife, and the other, with his sister. The Gemara rejects this as well, because the passuk is describing a single path that can be followed righteously or wickedly, and this case is like two paths. Rather, it refers to Lot and his daughters: הן שנתכוונו לשם מצוה וצדיקים ילכו בם – They, who intended for a mitzvah, personify “the righteous walk in them,” הוא שנתכוון לשם עבירה ופושעים יכשלו בם – but [Lot], who intended for sin, personifies “and the wicked stumble in them.” [The Gemara proceeds to prove Lot’s sinful intent.]