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Question

Lev 5:6 lays down guidelines for the penitential offering for sins committed with one' knowledge:

And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord for his sin which he hath 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.

Verse 15 lays down the penance for sin committed on account of ignorance:

If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the Lord; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the Lord a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering.

Note the difference in gender of the sacrificial animal in the two groups of sins. What, according to scholars, was the relevance of specifying the gender of the sacrificial animal?

Answer 1

The reasons are not explained, but common sense tells us that female animals are more valuable than males because only the female can bear offspring, while one male can service many females to that end. In addition, females provide milk for human use, while males do not.

Taking the next logical step, a sin committed knowingly deserves are harsher punishment than one committed through ignorance. Therefore, it makes sense that a more valuable animal (a female) be sacrificed in the first case and a less valuable one (a male) in the latter.

Answer 2

Answer: Leviticus 5:1-19

The sin described in the above Lev.5:6 is a (chattat) everyday type less egregious sin., hearing a swear or touching an unclean thing. Notice that if the perpetrator cannot provide a female lamb ( young animal) or kid of a goat, he can substitute down to 2 turtle doves or 2 young pigeons according to verse 7.

The sin described in Lev.5:15 has to do with "holy things of the LORD". Much more serious, even through ignorance. This required (asham) type restitution of debt.

Conclusion: The male ram was a more costly sacrifice for a more egregious or serious sin than the young female sacrifice of a lamb or kid of goat.