המצווה הל"ה
הציווי שנצטווינו שיהא לנו שמן עשוי באופן מיוחד למשוח בו כל כהן גדול שיתמנה.
כמו שאמר: "והכהן הגדול מאחיו אשר יוצק על-ראשו שמן המשחה" (ויקרא כא, י).
וכן מושחים בו מקצת המלכים, כמו שיתבאר בהלכות מצווה זו.
וכבר נמשח בו המשכן וכל כליו.
אבל אין מושחים בו את הכלים לדורות.
לפי שבפירוש אמרו בספרי,שבמשיחתם של אלו - כלומר כלי המשכן - הקדשו כל הכלים לעתיד לבוא.
אמר יתעלה: "שמן משחת-קדש יהיה זה לי לדורותיכם" (שמות ל, לא).
וכבר נתבארנו דיני מצווה זו בריש כרתות.
המצווה הל"ה
הציווי שנצטווינו שיהא לנו שמן עשוי באופן מיוחד למשוח בו כל כהן גדול שיתמנה.
Mitzvah 35 is the positive commandment that we are required to have a special oil, prepared in a unique way, for the purpose of anointing every Kohen Gadol—the high priest—who is appointed.
This oil is not just any oil, but one that is specifically made and set aside for this holy purpose. The Torah commands us to ensure that such oil exists and is available whenever a new Kohen Gadol is to be inaugurated.
כמו שאמר: "והכהן הגדול מאחיו אשר יוצק על-ראשו שמן המשחה" (ויקרא כא, י).
The source for this mitzvah is the verse, "והכהן הגדול מאחיו אשר יוצק על-ראשו שמן המשחה"—the high priest, greater than his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured. This phrase emphasizes that the Kohen Gadol is distinguished from the other priests by this act of anointing with the special oil.
The Torah singles out the Kohen Gadol as the one who receives this unique anointing, marking his elevated status and role among the kohanim.
וכן מושחים בו מקצת המלכים, כמו שיתבאר בהלכות מצווה זו.
In addition to the Kohen Gadol, this oil is also used to anoint certain kings. Not every king was anointed, but some were, and the details of which kings are anointed with this oil will be explained further in the laws pertaining to this mitzvah.
This shows that the oil has a dual function: it is primarily for the Kohen Gadol, but it also plays a role in the inauguration of some Jewish monarchs.
וכבר נמשח בו המשכן וכל כליו.
Historically, this special anointing oil was also used to anoint the Mishkan—the Tabernacle—and all of its vessels. When the Mishkan was first established, everything associated with it was consecrated through this oil.
This act of anointing sanctified not only the Kohen Gadol and certain kings, but also the physical structure and utensils of the Mishkan at the time of its inauguration.
אבל אין מושחים בו את הכלים לדורות.
However, in later generations, we do not anoint the vessels with this oil. The practice of anointing the keilim—the vessels—was only done at the time of the original Mishkan and not for future vessels.
This means that once the initial vessels were anointed, there was no further requirement to anoint new vessels in subsequent generations.
לפי שבפירוש אמרו בספרי,שבמשיחתם של אלו - כלומר כלי המשכן - הקדשו כל הכלים לעתיד לבוא.
The reason for this is explained in the Sifri: when the original vessels of the Mishkan were anointed, this act sanctified all future vessels as well. In other words, the initial anointing by Moshe Rabbeinu was sufficient to consecrate not only those vessels, but also any that would be made in the future.
Therefore, there is no need to repeat the anointing process for new vessels in later generations, as their sanctity is already established from the original act.
אמר יתעלה: "שמן משחת-קדש יהיה זה לי לדורותיכם" (שמות ל, לא).
This is based on the verse, "שמן משחת-קדש יהיה זה לי לדורותיכם"—this shall be a holy anointing oil for Me for your generations. The Torah explicitly states that the sanctity of the oil and its effects are for all generations, not just for the time of the Mishkan.
This teaches us that the original anointing established a lasting holiness, and the mitzvah of the anointing oil continues to have relevance for all future generations.
וכבר נתבארנו דיני מצווה זו בריש כרתות.
The details of this mitzvah—the laws and regulations regarding the anointing oil—have already been explained at the beginning of Tractate Krisos. This means that if you want to understand all the specifics, such as how the oil is made, who it is used for, and the exact procedures, you should look there for the full discussion.
The Rambam is telling us that while he has outlined the basic commandment here—that we must have a special oil prepared for anointing the Kohen Gadol and, in certain cases, kings—the intricate halachos are not all detailed in this section. Instead, they are found in the opening of Krisos, where the Gemara goes through the practical aspects and the deeper halachic requirements of this mitzvah.