The first avodah performed each day in the Beis HaMikdash was trumas hadeshen, and it is discussed in this week's parashah, as it states (6:3) את האש תאכל אשר הדשן את והרים המזבח אצל ושמו המזבח על העולה, "He shall lift out the ashes...from the mizbeach and put them down next to the mizbeach."
A kohen, wearing bigdei kehunah, and using a silver shovel, would scoop up the equivalent of a handful (kometz) of ashes from the mizbeach, and he would place the ashes at the east side of the kevesh (the ramp of the mizbeach). The ashes miraculously were dissolved or swallowed up into the earth.
The Beis Yaakov (Ishbitz, 15) zt'l says that the ashes removed from the mizbeach represent the people who have sinned so much until they were banished from the kedushah. They have sinned and are therefore removed. Nevertheless, we shouldn't think that there is no hope for them. The ashes were placed alongside the mizbeach. This indicates that even those who have become distanced remain with their specialness and potential. We keep them near the mizbeach because there is still hope for them to return.
In fact, all the korbanos tell us that there is hope for the Jewish nation. Hashem's presence in the Mishkan showed the nation that they were forgiven for making the egel (see Rashi, Vayikra 9:23), and similarly, the korbanos were to atone for the Jewish nation so it would be clean from aveiros.
This week's parashah discusses the process of bringing a korban chatas. It states (6:18) תשחט העולה תשחט אשר במקום החטאת תורת זאת החטאת, "This is the law of the chatas; in the place where the olah is slaughtered shall the chatas be slaughtered..." This mitzvah tells us that the chatas should be shechted on the north side of the mizbeach, in the same place where an olah is shechted. Some explain that this is to protect the baalei aveirah from shame. A chatas is brought for an aveirah. If they would bring their chatas to an area that is solely designated for the chatas, everyone would know that they had committed an aveirah. Therefore, the Torah obligates us to bring the chatas and slaughter it in the same location as the olah. All who see him there will think he is bringing an olah, and they won't know that he performed an aveirah.
This is an excellent example of Hashem's compassion. Even when a person sins, Hashem seeks ways to protect him from shame.
The Kli Yakar explains that the mitzvah to shecht the chatas at the place of the olah is to teach us the potential of teshuvah. An olah is the most precious korban (as Chazal tell us). When one does teshuvah and sacrifices a korban chatas, he shechts it at the place of the olah to show that his korban chatas is precious to Hashem as if he brought a korban olah.
Similarly, the Ishbitze (Mei HaShiloach) zt'l explains that a chatas is brought by people who have aveiros, whereas an olah is a korban for tzaddikim because it isn't brought to atone for aveiros. The Torah tells the person who committed an aveirah that he should shecht his chatas with the tzaddikim who bring olahs. This teaches us that when one wants to improve his ways, he reaches the level of the tzaddikim.
The Noam Elimelech
(Tzav) writes that the pasuk החטאת תשחט העולה תשחט אשר במקום hints to us that we should consider the aveirah of a bad thought, or any other seemingly minor aveirah, as though it were a severe aveirah. העולה תשחט אשר במקום, when you bring a korban olah for a bad thought, החטאת תשחט, consider it like you are bringing a chatas. Think that you committed a severe aveirah that requires the great atonement of the korban chatas.
For a korban olah, the blood is placed on the lower half of the mizbeach. The blood of a chatas is placed on the four upper corners of the mizbeach. This tells us that those who do teshuvah reach higher levels than the perfect tzaddikim. As the Zohar (vol.1 129:) states, "In the place where baalei teshuvah stand in gan eden, the greatest tzaddikim can't stand there. They become closer to the King than all the others. [And this is because] they have a very strong desire to connect and to be close to the King."
