Parashat HaShavua 5784: Vayikra

(15) When a person commits a trangression, being unwittingly remiss about any of the LORD's sacred things: One shall bring as a penalty to the LORD a ram without blemish from the flock, convertible into payment in silver by the sanctuary weight, as a guilt offering. (16) That person shall make restitution for the remission regarding the sacred things, adding a fifth part to it and giving it to the priest. The priest shall make expiation with the ram of the guilt offering on behalf of that person, who shall be forgiven.

(25) But they trespassed against the God of their fathers by going astray after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. (26) So the God of Israel roused the spirit of King Pul of Assyria—the spirit of King Tillegath-pilneser of Assyria—and he carried them away, namely, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, to this day.

(2) They have taken their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy seed has become intermingled with the peoples of the land; and it is the officers and prefects who were first in this treachery.

(1) Were first in this treachery for they commenced to deal treacherously by intermarrying with the peoples of the lands.

Rabba bar Rav Huna had a certain forest on the bank of a river. They said to him: Let the Master cut down the trees on the riverbank. Rabba bar Rav Huna said to them: Let those above and below me along the river cut down their trees first, and then I will cut down my trees. How can he do so? But isn’t it written: “Gather yourselves together, and gather [hitkosheshu vakoshu]” (Zephaniah 2:1), and Reish Lakish says concerning this: Adorn [keshot] yourself and afterward adorn others. There it was the forest of the house of Parzak, the Persian general, and Rabba bar Rav Huna therefore said: If the workers of the Persian officer cut down, I will cut down as well, and if they do not cut down, why should I cut down? Since if the pullers can stretch their ropes they can go along this side of the river, and if not, they will be unable to walk. Rabba bar Rav Naḥman was going on a boat and saw a certain forest that was located right on the riverbank. He said to those who were with him: To whom does this forest belong? They said to him: It belongs to Rabba bar Rav Huna. Rabba bar Rav Naḥman said: “And the hand of the princes and the rulers has been first in this treachery” (Ezra 9:2), because a renowned scholar is acting improperly. Rabba bar Rav Naḥman said to them: Cut down, cut down. Rabba bar Rav Huna arrived and found that his forest had been cut down. He pronounced a curse: He who cut down this forest should have his branches cut down. The Sages said: All the remaining years that Rabba bar Rav Huna was alive, the seed of Rabba bar Rav Naḥman did not last.

[From the above,] you can learn that chametz belonging to a Jew which was left in his possession, even though it is buried, is located in another city, or is entrusted to a gentile, causes him to violate [the commandments]: "[leaven] shall not be seen" and "[leaven] shall not be found."Chametz that either was consecrated or belongs to a gentile, and is located within a Jew's property, even if it was with him at home—behold, this is permitted, for [the chametz] is not his. Even if it belonged to a resident alien under the authority of the Jewish people, we need not force him to remove the chametz from his property on Pesach.Nevertheless, it is necessary to construct a partition at least ten handbreadths high in front of chametz belonging to a gentile, lest one come to use it. [With regard to chametz] that has been consecrated, this is unnecessary; everyone shies away from consecrated property, lest they infringe on [the prohibition of] מעילה.