The offerer laid his hand on the animal’s head; the animal was slaughtered; the priest sprinkled its blood round about upon the altar of burnt offering (Le 3:2, 8, 13);

(1) For sin of the high priest bringing guilt upon the people (Le 4:3): The high priest brought a bull and laid his hand on the bull’s head; the bull was slaughtered; its blood was taken into the Holy Place and sprinkled before the curtain; some of the blood was smeared on the horns of the altar of incense, the rest being poured out at the base of the altar of burnt offering; the fat (as in communion offerings) was burned on the altar of burnt offering (Le 4:4-10); and the carcass (including the skin) was burned in a clean place outside the city, where altar ashes were put. (Le 4:11, 12)

(2) For sin of the entire assembly (some sin made by the assembly, of which the leaders were not aware until later) (Le 4:13): The congregation brought a bull; the older men laid their hands on the bull’s head; one slaughtered it; the remainder of the procedure was the same as for a sin of the high priest. (Le 4:14-21)

A sin of the high priest committed in his official position and capacity as representative of the entire nation before Jehovah brought guilt upon the entire assembly. This might be an error such as a mistake in judgment, in application of the Law, or in dealing with a question of national importance. For this, and for the sin of the entire assembly, the most valuable of sacrifices, namely, a bull, was required.​—Le 4:3, 13-15.

With sin offerings for individuals, the blood was taken no farther than the altar. However, in cases of sin of the high priest and of the entire assembly, the blood was also taken into the Holy Place, the first compartment of the sanctuary, and was sprinkled before the curtain, on the other side of which Jehovah ‘resided,’ as represented by a miraculous light above the ark of the covenant in the Most Holy. (Only in the sin offerings regularly made on Atonement Day was blood taken into the Most Holy, the second compartment; Le 16.) No priest could eat any portion of offerings from which blood was taken into the Holy Place.​—Le 6:30.

(3) Sin of a chieftain: The procedure was similar, except a male goat was used, and blood was not taken into the Holy Place. The blood was put on the horns of the altar of burnt offering; the rest was poured out at its base;