[Ezekiel, 45:16–46:18]
“The entire population” [45:16]. They should make this contribution to the prince that he should bring sacrifices. That is to say, Israel all together must give contributions that sacrifices should be brought to atone for all of Israel and for the prince. However, the prince should only bring sacrifices on holidays and New Moons and on the Sabbaths, to atone for all of Israel.
“Thus says the Lord” [45:18]. Thus says God, on the first of Nisan the priest should take an ox that has no blemish and you should purify the Temple with it.
“The priest shall take” [45:19]. The priest should take some of the blood and put it on the doorposts of the Temple and on the four corners of the ledge of the altar and the doorposts of the door of the lower courtyard.
“You shall do the same on the seventh day of the month” [45:20]. Furthermore, they should take sacrifices on the seventh day of the month of Nisan. This was done because there were Israelites who were happy that they began to bring sacrifices on the first day of the month of Nisan and out of great joy some Israelites went into the interior of the Temple where they were not supposed to go. They were foolish and they were not afraid to enter. Therefore, they should bring sacrifices to atone for these people. On the fourteenth day of Nisan you should bring the Paschal sacrifice and you should eat unleavened bread for seven days.1Radak, Ezekiel, 45:20.
“The prince should provide” [45:22]. The prince should provide an ox for himself and for all of Israel on that day.
“On the seven days of the festival” [45:23]. He should bring burnt offerings to God for seven days, seven oxen and seven rams and one goat for a sin offering.
“And a meal offering of an ephah” [45:24]. He should bring a meal offering, one measure for the ox and one measure for the ram and a pitcher of oil for each measure.
“On the seventh month” [45:25]. When the month of Tishrei will come, the seventh month after Nisan, on the fifteenth day of the month, you shall make booths for seven days and bring sacrifices like on Passover, sin offerings, burnt offerings, meal offerings, and oil.
“Thus said the Lord” [46:1]. Thus said the Holy One: the door of the courtyard, which is the innermost of the Temple, should be closed during the week, but on the Sabbath and New Moon, it should be open.
“The prince shall enter” [46:2]. The prince shall go through the vestibule outside the door and should stand at the door. The priests should bring the sacrifices and he should bow at the threshold and he should go out, but the door should remain open, awaiting whoever will come to bow, should come and bow at the door. The door was opposite the door of the Sanctuary.
“They will bow” [46:3]. The people should bow on the Sabbath and New Moon before God. From here we learn that it is a great mitzvah to bow when one comes into the synagogue. This is compared to bowing in the Temple. Each synagogue is compared to the Temple.
“The burnt offering” [46:4]. The burnt offering that the prince brings on the Sabbath should be six sheep and a ram.
“And the meal offering” [46:6]. He should bring a meal offering, one measure for the ram. For the sheep, he should bring a meal offering that he can afford, and one pitcher of oil for the measure.
“On the day of the New Moon” [46:6]. On the day of the New Moon he should bring an ox, six sheep and one ram, one measure for the ox and one meal offering for the ram. For the sheep, he should make a meal offering according to what he can afford and one pitcher of oil for the measure.
“When the prince enters” [46:8]. The way that the prince entered is how he should leave. He should not make a shortcut to go out, as if it hurt him to be in the Temple and he wanted to leave quickly. Rather, he should leave slowly. From here we learn that one should not run out of the synagogue. One should not say that the synagogue was too difficult for him, and he runs out quickly. However, ordinary Israelites, when they came for the festivals, they should leave by the door opposite the one that they came in. This is so that they should see how beautiful are all the sides of the Temple and the prince should go among them. On the festivals, the meal offering should be one measure for the ox and one measure for the ram; for the sheep, as much as he can afford and one pitcher of oil for each measure.
“When the prince offers” [46:12]. When the prince would make an offering, burnt offering and offering of well being, he should open the eastern door, just like on the Sabbath. He should go out and should close the door behind him.
“A lamb of the first year” [46:13]. They should offer a sheep as a burnt offering every day in the morning and a meal offering, one-sixth part of a measure and a third of a pitcher to mix the choice flour, a meal offering to God forever.
“Thus said the Lord” [46:16]. Thus said God: The prince who wants to give a present to his son during his lifetime this present remains his forever. However, when someone gives something to his slave who served him, the present remains his until the Jubilee year comes. The Jubilee is once every fifty years. After the Jubilee, the slave’s present reverts to the prince. The prince should not take away a field and give it to his children. Every Israelite should retain his own field, his own goods and money. The haftorah says that when the Messiah comes, all this will happen, and the prince will behave, as he should. It is known that the Messiah will come in the month of Nisan.2B. Rosh Hashanah, 11a. Therefore, we read this haftorah near the month of Nisan and sometimes on the New Moon of Nisan.