Samaritan Torah, פַּרְשַׁת וַיִּקְרָא

Leviticus is heavy on sacrificial ritual:

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Which is the altar that the blood is sprinkled on? You might have thought it is the large one which sacrificial animals are burned on. Not so in the Samaritan text, however:

Leviticus 4:18	ויקרא ד יח
And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of aromatic incense which is before the Lord, that is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.	וּמִן־הַדָּם יִתֵּן הַכֹּהֵן עַל־קַרְנֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ קְטֹרֶת הַסַּמִים אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי ה׳ אֲשֶׁר בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְאֵת כָּל־הַדָּם יִשְׁפֹּךְ אֶל־יְסוֹד מִזְבַּח הָעֹלָה אֲשֶׁר־פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד׃

I have no idea why they made this change.

When one is guilty of certain things, here is what to do about it (Lev. 5:6):

He shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord for his sin which he has sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin.

וְהֵבִיא אֶת־אֲשָׁמוֹ לַה׳ עַל חַטָּאתוֹ אֲשֶׁר חָטָא נְקֵבָה מִן־הַצֹּאן כִּשְׂבָּה אוֹ-שְׂעִירַת עִזִּים לְחַטָּאת וְכִפֶּר עָלָיו הַכֹּהֵן מֵחַטָּאתוֹ׃

But are you actually forgiven by God? The Samaritan text makes this clear:

He shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord for his sin which he has sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning the sin which he has sinned, and he shall be forgiven.

וְהֵבִיא אֶת־אֲשָׁמוֹ לַה׳ עַל חַטָּאתוֹ אֲשֶׁר חָטָא נְקֵבָה מִן־הַצֹּאן כִּשְׂבָּה אוֹ-שְׂעִירַת עִזִּים לְחַטָּאת וְכִפֶּר עָלָיו הַכֹּהֵן עַל חַטָּאתוֹ אֲשֶׁר חָטָא וְנִסְלַח לוֹ׃

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