וטעם ויתחטאו. כי גם הם עשו: [AND THE LEVITES PURIFIED THEMSELVES.] Scripture tells us that they also performed [purification rituals].
ויכפר עליהם. וכבר כפר עליהם ויש אומרים כי בתחלה התחטאו ואחר כן סמכו ידיהם על הפרים ואיננו רחוק ואם כן יהיה פירוש והעמדת את הלוים וכבר העמדתם בתחלה: AND AARON MADE ATONEMENT FOR THEM. And Aaron had already made atonement for them.53Before Aaron offered them as a sacred gift before the Lord. Thus va-yekhapper is a pluperfect that means had made atonement. Others say that the Levites first purified themselves and afterwards laid their hands on the bullocks.54After which Aaron offered them for a wave offering and made atonement for them (Krinsky). This interpretation is not far off the mark.55For it is based on a literal interpretation of va-yekhapper (and made atonement). If this is so, then the meaning of And thou shalt set the Levites (v. 13) is: and you have already set the Levites56The atonement ritual was the final act in the cleansing ritual of the Levites. at the beginning.57That is, before Aaron made atoonement fot them. Thus our verse does not contradict verse 13. In this case, va-yekhapper (had atoned) is not a pluperfect.