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If a sin-offering is brought for the purpose of being a ḥattat Naḥshon – i.e. to be like one of the sin-offerings brought by the princes on the occasion of the consecration of the Tabernacle in the desert (see Sefer Bamidbar chapter 7) – it remains a valid sacrifice that serves its original purpose. Rashi explains that since the sacrifice was not brought in order to affect atonement for anyone (the original sin-offerings at the consecration of the Tabernacle were more of a gift than an ordinary sin-offering), we view them as a standard ḥattat that remains valid.
We explore the literary figure of Nachshon and how that operated Midrashically and the fascinating paradox how Nachshon's offering creates a unique typological framework that challenges conventional understandings of sacrificial efficacy, particularly regarding the relationship between death, atonement, and the classificatory boundaries of different korbanot.