And Hashem said to Aaron: "You and your sons and your fathers' house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
verse value 6309 — יְהֹוָה֙ = 26 (Hashem)
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 75 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "you" (אַתָּ֗ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·ancestral·house·of" (וּבֵית־אָבִ֙יךָ֙, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 707: shall·bear, shall·bear. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·ancestral·house·of" (וּבֵית־אָבִ֙יךָ֙), "your·priesthood" (כְּהֻנַּתְכֶֽם). The root אתה appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·your·sons" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "and·he·said" (root אמר, 246x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·sanctuary', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 6 words.
Onkelos
Hashem said to Aaron: You, your sons, and your father's household with you shall bear the iniquity of the Sanctuary; and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
Rashi
ויאמר ה' אל אהרן AND GOD SAID UNTO AARON — i.e. He said it to Moses that he in turn should speak to Aaron to admonish him regarding the precautions to be taken for the benefit of the Israelites in order that they might not enter the Sanctuary (cf. Rashi on Leviticus 1:1 s. v. אליו and Note thereon). אתה ובניך ובית אביך THOU, AND THY SONS, AND THY FATHERS HOUSE [… SHALL BEAR THE INIQUITY] — “And thy father’s house” refers to the sons of Kohath the father of Amram (whose charge it was to carry and to watch over the most holy vessels; cf. chapter Numbers IV.). תשאו את עון המקדש [THOU, AND THY SONS, …] SHALL BEAR THE INIQUITY OF THE SANCTUARY — upon you I impose the punishment for any strangers who may inadvertently sin in respect to the sacred objects (המקדש) which are entrusted to you, — which are the tent, the Ark, the table and the holy vessels; you have to sit down (i.e. wait there and be in readiness) and give warning to any stranger who may be about to touch the holy articles. ואתה ובניך AND THOU AND THY SONS, the priests, תשאו את עון כהנתכם SHALL BEAR THE INIQUITY OF THY PRIESTHOOD — for it is not a charge given to the Levites; you must therefore warn the Levites who might do so inadvertently not to come near to you whilst you perform your service.
Ibn Ezra
"The iniquity of the sanctuary" — that is, what lies within the Veil; the meaning is: if you do not guard it, the iniquity falls upon you. And the meaning of "your father's house" is that they are the bearers of the sanctuary. "The iniquity of your priesthood" — if you do not guard the priesthood, the iniquity falls upon you.
Sforno
ואתה ובניך ובית אביך אתך תשאו את עון הקודש, you are responsible to prevent unauthorised people, i.e. ritually impure ones and non-priests from entering sanctified domains near the Tabernacle. This is a collective responsibility of all the priests. If unauthorized people nonetheless enter such domains due to inadequate surveillance you will be responsible for such a sin having occurred.
Or HaChaim
אתה ובניך ובית אביך, "you and your sons, and your father's family." I believe the words ובית אביך refer to Moses, who was also a descendant of Aaron's father, to warn him to observe all the strictures i.e. to prevent unauthorised people from entering the Temple (Tabernacle) precincts. If the word was meant to apply to the Kehatites, in what way were these different from all the other Israelites when it came to entering the Tabernacle? Furthermore, the next verse addresses itself specifically to the Levites which proves that the Torah did not address the Levites in the previous verse. The reason the Torah had to warn Moses was because we learned in Zevachim 102 that the priesthood was never taken away from Moses [after he had performed the sacrificial rites during the first seven days of the Tabernacle's inauguration. Ed.]. Even according to the view that Moses' appointment as a priest was limited to these seven days, I do not believe that he had been forbidden to enter the areas reserved for the priests. Our sages in the Sifri write as follows: "The words בית אביך refer to the Levites; this means that the Levites were instructed by the priests." I believe that this is an halachic exegesis, מדרש הלכה, an attempt to anchor the rules that have been handed down from Sinai in the text somehow. אתך, "with you." In view of the fact that the Torah already mentioned Aaron by name, why did the Torah have to write the word אתך? Perhaps the Torah wanted to indicate that Moses and Aaron had a joint responsibility in this regard at all times. We should not think that Moses and Aaron as well as his sons rotated the times of their responsibility in this regard. The word אתך defines that each party concerned bore round the clock reponsibility in ensuring that the sanctity of the Tabernacle be preserved at all times.
Chizkuni
ויאמר ה' אל אהרן “The Lord said to Aaron, etc.;” Rashi comments that we must understand this line as meaning that G-d spoke to Moses, to tell what follows to Aaron. To the question of what forced Rashi to ignore the text as written, i.e. that G-d addressed Aaron directly, we must understand what transpired as follows: The Torah, i.e. G-d, wishes the people to know that they were wrong in thinking that anyone daring to come into the vicinity of the Tabernacle would either be killed by G-d, or by a human tribunal, seeing that G-d had already said concerning Aaron: “you and your sons and your fathers, (all the priests) shall bear the iniquity of the Sanctuary;” in other words, it was the task of the priests to ensure that the boundaries would not be crossed by people who had no authority to enter the Sanctuary. G-d had said the following to Moses to convey to Aaron: “you and your sons, etc,”In other words, what Rashi was saying here is that G-d had already told Moses to tell Aaron what follows;He had done so in the portion of Bamidbar chapter 1, verse 51, etc. These instructions have been repeated here in verse 7, because a new element has been added, i.e. אתה ובניך ובית אביך, “you, your sons, and the house of your father;”Seeing that this paragraph has been written close to the people’s, especially Korach’s, complaints about the priests and the institution of hereditary priesthood, it has been positioned as a sort of introduction to the people’s gifts to the priests, seeing that these people were not landowners and depended for their livelihood on the willingness of the people to carry out all these instructions. Our author adds as his own commentary concerning Rashi’s words, that seeing that we have learned from the Sifri on 18,8 where the author quotes our verse, i.e. G-d, as speaking directly to Aaron, and in verse 8 of our chapter where we have the Torah writing again that G-d spoke to Aaron, and it certainly sounds very direct, that he had already stated on a previous occasion that every time we have the Torah writing: “G-d spoke to Aaron,” this refers to something that had first been told to Moses and he had been instructed to relay it to Aaron. In this instance also, the substance of the message was to be ultimately relayed to the Jewish people to avoid tragedy through misunderstanding. [Leviticus 10,8 also has G-d speaking (apparently) directly to Aaron, as well a verse 20 in our chapter. Ed.]
Rabbeinu Bahya
תשאו את עון כהונתכם, “you shall bear any guilt connected with your priesthood.” The meaning of the verse is: “if you do not carefully guard the priesthood any guilt arising from negligence will be borne by you. The reason the Torah adds: “you and your sons with you in front of the Tent of Testimony” (verse 2), is that both you and your sons are always perceived as being in My (G’d’s) presence all the time. Sifri Korach 116 explains that the priests are responsible for what occurs inside the Sanctuary whereas the Levites are responsible for what occurs around it outside in the sacred precincts. Each group was expected to mount guards at night, etc.
Rashbam
'ויאמר ה' אל אהרן: אתה ובניך וגו, however no non-priest must approach (verse 4) if he does deliberately he will be executed as spelled out in verse 6. The nature of the penalty was sufficient to enforce this rule henceforth
And your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, bring near with you, that they may be joined to you, and minister to you, you and your sons with you being before the tent of the testimony.
verse value 4397 — אֹ֥הֶל = 36 (double-Chai)
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 68 letters. Notable word values: "Tent·of" (אֹ֥הֶל) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "and·also" (וְגַ֣ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·minister·to·you" (וִישָֽׁרְת֑וּךָ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 421: with·you, with·you. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "your·kinsmen" (אֶת־אַחֶ֩יךָ֩), "your·father" (אָבִ֙יךָ֙), "and·they·shall·be·attached" (וְיִלָּו֥וּ). 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·your·sons" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "to·you" (root על, 128x in Numbers); "before" (root פנים, 119x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·minister·to·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 6 words.
Onkelos
Also bring near to you your brothers, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, and they shall be joined to you and serve you — you and your sons with you — before the Tabernacle of the Testimony.
Rashi
וגם את אחיך AND ALSO THY BRETHREN — i.e. the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari. וילוו means THAT THEY MAY JOIN THEMSELVES UNTO THEE to warn also the strangers (the ordinary Israelites) not to come near to them. וישרתוך AND THEY SHALL MINISTER UNTO THEE by guarding the Temple gates and by appointing from among them (cf. Arakhin 11b) keepers of the Temple treasury and superintendents over these (Sifrei Bamidbar 116:1).
Ibn Ezra
"The tribe of your father" — that is Levi. The Sages interpreted it according to its plain sense, and in my view what I have explained is as if it said: the staff of Levi, which is the tribe of your father. "They shall be joined" (וְיִלָּווּ) — like וְנִסְפְּחוּ ("and they shall attach themselves"), and similarly, "my husband will be joined to me" (יִלָּוֶה אִישִׁי) — indeed the Levites are joined (נִלְוִים) in their very name. "But you and your sons with you" — you shall dwell before the Tent of Meeting alone, and not the Levites.
Sforno
וישרתוך, seeing their service is meant exclusively to assist the priests in their tasks. ואתה ובניך אתך לפני אהל מועד, whereas you and your sons will guard the Holy of Holies which forms the tent housing the Holy Ark containing the Tablets.
Chizkuni
הקרב אתך, “bring near with you, etc.;” the point here is to warn the Levites charged with singing in a choir while the priests presented the offerings, that they do so on the special platform provided for them to stand on at those times. [This platform was outside the Tabernacle. Ed.] (Sifri) וילוו עליך, “so that they may be joined to you.” The Torah writes this to remind the priests that they are not to coopt any ordinary Israelites to the Levites. ואתה ובניך אתך לפני אהל מועד, “and you and your sons with you in front of the Tent of Testimony.” The priests were to stand inside, the Levites outside.
And they shall keep your charge, and the charge of all the Tent; only they shall not come nigh to the holy furniture and to the altar, that they die not, neither they, nor you.
verse value 4663
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 65 letters. The shortest word is "but" (אַךְ֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "or·with·the·altar" (וְאֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 91: all·the·Tent, to·the·furnishings·of. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "your·duties" (מִֽשְׁמַרְתְּךָ֔), "all·the·Tent" (כׇּל־הָאֹ֑הֶל), "or·with·the·altar" (וְאֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙). The root משמרת appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 129x in Numbers); "lest·they·die" (root מות, 87x in Numbers); "all·the·Tent" (root אהל, 70x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'all·the·Tent', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 9 words. Full calculation: וְשָֽׁמְרוּ֙ [and·they·shall·discharge] (552) + מִֽשְׁמַרְתְּךָ֔ [your·duties] (1000) + וּמִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת [and·duties·of] (986) + כׇּל־הָאֹ֑הֶל [all·the·Tent] (91) + אַךְ֩ [but] (21) + אֶל־כְּלֵ֨י [to·the·furnishings·of] (91) + הַקֹּ֤דֶשׁ [the·Shrine] (409) + וְאֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ [or·with·the·altar] (99) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + יִקְרָ֔בוּ [they·shall·approach] (318) + וְלֹֽא־יָמֻ֥תוּ [lest·they·die] (493) + גַם־הֵ֖ם [both·they] (88) + גַּם־אַתֶּֽם [and·you] (484) = 4663.
Onkelos
They shall keep your watch and the watch of the entire Tabernacle; however, to the sacred vessels and to the altar they shall not draw near, lest both they and you die.
Ibn Ezra
"Both they and you" — this is the way of Scripture, as in the verse, "Rule over us, both you and your son" — the meaning being that this one is like that one.
Sforno
ושמרו משמרתך ומשמרת האהל, the Levites are to guard the Holy of Holies (structure) which in itself is your domain; they are also to guard all the other sacred locations outside the Holy of Holies. אך אל כלי הקודש, the ones housed within the Tabernacle, comprising the Table, the Lampstand and the golden altar, they must not approach, whereas the copper altar although it is outside the walls of the Tabernacle they must not approach either.
Or HaChaim
גם הם גם אתם, "neither they nor you." According to the plain meaning the words גם הם mean "just as the Israelites who approach;" the words גם אתם mean "when you act on their account" just as in the previous verse the words about אתה ובניך. Our sages in Erchin 11 quote the following Baraitha: גם הם גם אתם; you with what is theirs and they with what is yours in respect to the death penalty; they with what is theirs without death penalty but subject only to the penalty due for violating an ordinary negative commandment." [Priests who perform the songs allocated to the Levites are guilty of the death penalty (at the hands of heaven) just as the Levites are guilty of the death penalty if they perform the sacrificial service which is the exclusive domain of the priests. Levites who are assigned to watching the doors and sing or play musisc instead, or vice versa, are not subject to the death penalty. Ed.] Abbaye disagrees and says that even if a Levite who is assigned a certain task normally performed by the Levites performs the task allocated to another Levite instead he is also subject to death at the hands of Heaven. Rashi explains that Abbaye does not accept the wording of the Baraitha which said הם בשלהם אינה במיתה. He quoted another Tannaitic scholar who holds his view. Maimonides who deals with this problem in chapter 3 of his Hilchot kley Hamikdash, writes as follows: "if a Levite assisted in the performance of a task which was not assigned to him [but to another Levite, Ed.] he is guilty of death as the Torah wrote ולא ימותו, "in order that they not die (our verse)." However, if a priest performs a task which is really one to be performed by a Levite he has transgressed an ordinary negative commandment but is not guilty of the death penalty." Thus far Maimonides. There are difficulties with everything Maimonides wrote in this regard. There is not a single opinion in the Talmud which supports his view that a Levite who merely assisted another Levite in the carrying out his specific task is guilty of death. In fact, all opinions agree that the prohibition of a Levite assisting another Levite in the task allotted to the latter, is only a rabbinic injunction. How could one possibly be guilty of death for violating such an injunction? Even if we accept the Talmud's concensus that the prohibition in question, namely the switching of tasks between Levites, is Biblical but does not carry the penalty of death at the hands of heaven, it follows that if a Levite actually sings although not appointed he is not guilty of death. How could Maimonides arrive at the ruling that the second Levite who merely assisted the first, albeit unbidden, should be guilty of death? Even if we were to posit that Maimonides accepted the view of Abbaye that the Levite who sang in place of the Levite who was appointed to sing is guilty of death, we still have two problems. 1) Abbaye said nothing about a Levite who only assisted the first Levite in the former's task; the Tal...
Rabbeinu Bahya
ולא ימותו גם הם גם אתם, “so that not both you and they will die.” This is the source for the halachah that the functions of the Levites are not interchangeable, that a priest may not perform functions designated for the Levite, nor the Levite functions reserved for the priest (Erchin 11, Maimonides Hilchot Kley Hamikdash 3,10). Not only this, but even priests who have been assigned certain tasks must not exchange their duties with priests who have been assigned different priestly assignments, nor must Levites exchange duties within the framework of what is their exclusive domain. If a Levite was assigned the duty to play an instrument or participate in the songs the Levites sing, he must not instead engage in washing the hands of the priests, for instance! This is why the Torah writes (Numbers 4,49) איש איש על עבודתו, “each man to his designated task.” This is the way these words have been defined in Sifri 116. The words: “but to the holy vessels and to the Altar they shall not approach,” are a warning, whereas the words following “so that they will not die,” are the Torah’s way of spelling out the penalty for non-observance of the warning. The words גם הם, “they also,” are the source for the inadmissibility of exchanging duties either by mutual consent or willful pre-empting the duties assigned to a colleague. It occurred once that Rabbi Joshua ben Chanayah wished to assist a colleague in closing the doors and he was stopped from doing so by Rabban Yochanan who told him that seeing he was one of the singers he had not business to concern himself with the duties of those who were in charge of the gates (Erchin 11).
And they shall be joined to you, and keep the charge of the tent of meeting, whatsoever the service of the Tent may be; but a common man shall not draw nigh to you.
verse value 3571 — אֹ֣הֶל = 36 (double-Chai)
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 53 letters. Notable word values: "Tent·of" (אֹ֣הֶל) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "Tent·of" (אֹ֣הֶל, 3 letters) and the longest is "duties·of" (אֶת־מִשְׁמֶ֙רֶת֙, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·they·shall·be·attached" (וְנִלְו֣וּ), "but·outsider" (וְזָ֖ר). The root שמר appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·you" (root על, 128x in Numbers); "for·all" (root כל, 98x in Numbers); "upon·you" (root אל, 85x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·Tent', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְנִלְו֣וּ [and·they·shall·be·attached] (98) + עָלֶ֔יךָ [to·you] (130) + וְשָֽׁמְר֗וּ [and·discharge] (552) + אֶת־מִשְׁמֶ֙רֶת֙ [duties·of] (1381) + אֹ֣הֶל [Tent·of] (36) + מוֹעֵ֔ד [Meeting] (120) + לְכֹ֖ל [for·all] (80) + עֲבֹדַ֣ת [service·of] (476) + הָאֹ֑הֶל [the·Tent] (41) + וְזָ֖ר [but·outsider] (213) + לֹא־יִקְרַ֥ב [shall·not·approach] (343) + אֲלֵיכֶֽם [upon·you] (101) = 3571.
Onkelos
They shall be joined to you and keep the watch of the Tent of Meeting, for all the service of the Tabernacle; but an outsider shall not draw near to you.
Rashi
וזר לא יקרב אליכם AND A LAYMAN SHALL NOT APPROACH UNTO YOU — It is you whom I admonish concerning this.
Ibn Ezra
The meaning of "they shall be joined to you" is that you will not need to depend on a stranger, meaning an Israelite.
Sforno
ושמרו את משמרת אהל מועד, within the curtained off area of the courtyard.
Chizkuni
וזר לא יקרב אליכם, “and a stranger (non Levite or priest) shall not approach you.” We have heard the warning, but where is the penalty for violation spelled out? Look at verse 7, where the Torah spells it out, i.e. והזר הקרב יומת, “and if a stranger approaches (crosses the boundary) he is subject to execution.”
Rabbeinu Bahya
ושמרו את משמרת אהל מועד, “and they are to safeguard the duties pertaining to the Tent of Meeting.” The purpose of this שמירה, supervision, is to enhance the reputation of the Tabernacle as it is a well known fact that any building surrounded by guards of honour is considered as of greater importance by people seeing the guards than even a palace not surrounded by guards.
And you shall keep the charge of the holy things, and the charge of the altar, that there be wrath no more upon the children of Israel.
verse value 5345
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 53 letters. The shortest word is "again" (ע֛וֹד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·duties·of" (וְאֵ֖ת מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת, 8 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·you·shall·discharge" (וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֗ם). The root שמר appears 3 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·sons·of" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "Israel" (root ישראל, 183x in Numbers); "that·may·not·be" (root היה, 180x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·altar', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֗ם [and·you·shall·discharge] (986) + אֵ֚ת מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת [duties·of] (1381) + הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ [the·Shrine] (409) + וְאֵ֖ת מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת [and·duties·of] (1387) + הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ [the·altar] (62) + וְלֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֥ה [that·may·not·be] (67) + ע֛וֹד [again] (80) + קֶ֖צֶף [wrath] (270) + עַל־בְּנֵ֥י [upon·sons·of] (162) + יִשְׂרָאֵֽל [Israel] (541) = 5345.
Onkelos
You shall keep the watch of the Sanctuary and the watch of the altar, so that there shall no longer be wrath upon the children of Israel.
Rashi
ולא יהיה עוד קצף THAT THERE BE NO ANGER ANY MORE as there has been already, as it is said, (Numbers 17:11) “For there is anger gone [forth from the Lord]” (Sifrei Bamidbar 116:1).
Chizkuni
ולא יהיה עוד קצף, “so that there will no longer be a wrath;” the word עוד, “again, or in future,” is peculiar as the wrath is already in existence. We have this on the authority of Numbers 17,11: “כי יצא הקצף,” for the wrath has come forth!” [The word עוד therefore must mean: “it will not continue.” Ed.]
And I, behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the children of Israel; for you they are given as a gift to Hashem, to do the service of the tent of meeting.
verse value 4645 — אֹ֥הֶל = 36 (double-Chai)
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 70 letters. Notable word values: "Tent·of" (אֹ֥הֶל) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "hereby" (הִנֵּ֤ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "your·brethren" (אֶת־אֲחֵיכֶ֣ם, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "your·brethren" (אֶת־אֲחֵיכֶ֣ם). 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "sons·of" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "Israel" (root ישראל, 183x in Numbers). First appearance of the root מתנה ("gift") in Numbers. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 8 words.
Onkelos
And I — behold, I have drawn near your brothers the Levites from among the children of Israel; to you, a gift given before Hashem, to perform the service of the Tent of Meeting.
Rashi
לכם מתנה נתתים TO YOU THEY ARE GIVEN AS A GIFT — I might think that they are given unto you for your private work! It, however, states, “[to you they are given as a gift] for the Lord” — meaning, as explained above (v. 2), — to keep the charge of Temple treasuries and superintendents (Sifrei Bamidbar 116:2).
Sforno
'לכם מתנה נתוני לה, they are bidden on your behalf to carry out all these duties in connection with the Tabernacle.
Chizkuni
לכם מתנה נתונים לה, “for you the Levites, they are given as a gift for the Lord.” They are not “given” to you priests as personal servants, but to the Lord, and at the disposal of the priests in their capacity as His representative on earth. The priests may not use the Levites to perform personal chores for them.
And you and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood in everything that pertains to the altar, and to that within the veil; and you shall serve; I give you the priesthood as a service of gift; and the common man that draws nigh shall be put to death."
verse value 8230
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 84 letters. The shortest word is "with·you" (אִ֠תְּךָ֠, 3 letters) and the longest is "your·priestly·duties" (אֶת־כְּהֻנַּתְכֶ֜ם, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 936: your·priestly·duties, your·priesthood. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "in·everything·pertaining·to" (לְכׇל־דְּבַ֧ר), "and·to·what·is·behind" (וּלְמִבֵּ֥ית), "the·curtain" (לַפָּרֹ֖כֶת). The root כהנה appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·your·sons" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "in·everything·pertaining·to" (root דבר, 149x in Numbers); "I·give" (root נתן, 119x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·you·shall·serve', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 7 words.
Onkelos
You and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood with respect to every matter of the altar and what is within the curtain, and you shall perform service that is a gift. I give you your priesthood, and any outsider who draws near shall be put to death.
Rashi
עבדת מתנה [I HAVE GIVEN YOUR PRIESTHOOD UNTO YOU] AS A SERVICE OF GIFT — This means as a gift have I given it to you, [and the stranger that comes near shall die].
Ramban
I GIVE YOU THE PRIESTHOOD AS A SERVICE OF GIFT. “[This means that] it shall be to you as a gift.” This is Rashi’s language, and his intention thereby is to state that it is given to you as a complete gift, [to such an extent] that [as the verse continues], a non-priest who draws near [to do the service] will be liable to be put to death [by the hand of Heaven]. The correct interpretation appears to me to be that He is saying: “and you shall perform the service of the priesthood, but it is not to be regarded by you as a burdensome task, like that imposed upon the servants of kings, but I have given you the service of a great gift through it, for glory and for splendor from Me.” This is similar to the interpretation of the Rabbis: “L’moshchah — as a distinction, [so that gifts given to the priests from the offerings are to be eaten by them] in the way that kings eat.”
Ibn Ezra
"A service of gift" — and a stranger among the priests, even a Levite, is excluded. The burnt-offering of Samuel — who was a Levite — is no objection, for it was a temporary ruling, like the act of Gideon.
Sforno
תשמרו את כהונתכם. To ensure that a non-priest, such as King Uzziah, does not enter the domain reserved exclusively for the priests. ועבדתם, priestly functions are to be carried out only by you the priests; the very fact that this assignment is in the nature of a gift for you, עבודת מתנה, makes it likely that outsiders are jealous and want a share of this. This is why you have to be especially on guard (to prevent interlopers from being punished by death.)
Chizkuni
ולמבית לפרכת, “and to that which is beyond the dividing curtain.” We learn from here that there was an area behind the dividing curtain which served as a place where the priests could be examined as to their status as priests. (Sifri) עבודת מתנה, “a service performed voluntarily, as a “gift;” just as lots were also drawn as to which priests would be privileged to perform which part of the Temple service so accumulated gifts to the priests from the common people were distributed by lot. No one could arrogate to himself to determine his personal preference. והזר הקרב, “and a non priest or Levite who dared to approach into the sacred domain, etc.” The Torah speaks of such a stranger presuming to perform service within the Temple. Such a stranger would also be punished, even if he had been ritually pure. Even a Levite, if he had presumed to perform Temple service would be subject to the death penalty. If you were to ask that we know that Samuel the Levite is reported to have offered sacrifice on the altar (Samuel I 7,9), this was due to an emergency, just as Gideon offered a sacrifice (Judges 6.26).
Rabbeinu Bahya
עבודת מתנה אתן את כהונתכם, “I make your priesthood a service of dedication.” The performance of the sacrificial duties which I (G’d) impose on the priests are not to be viewed as menial tasks but as a major service and a gift from Me to you. Apart from the fact that you derive your livelihood from the performance of these duties you are to consider it as an honor and glory bestowed upon you. The reason that the Torah repeats here once more that “the stranger who approaches (unauthorized) shall die,” is because this time it is not addressed to members of other tribes but to priests who for one reason or another have become disqualified. Even Levites are subject to this warning. If we find that the prophet Samuel (a Levite, not a priest) offered a burnt-offering (Samuel I 7,9) this was an exception dictated by special circumstances. It was similar to Gideon (a member of the tribe of Menashe) who is also reported as offering a sacrifice (Judges 6,25-27). Moreover, seeing that this paragraph deals with the situation in the desert and the period when the Tabernacle had recently been erected and the firstborn had been replaced by the Levites, there is ample reason to repeat the warning once more. (Rabbi Chavell points out that the sacrifice offered by Samuel on a private altar after the destruction of he Tabernacle in Shiloh was perfectly permissible for any Israelite and that there is nothing strange about what Samuel did there although he was the first one to do so. Compare Avodah Zarah 24. According to the Talmud Temurah 28 the night on which Gideon offered a sacrifice was historically important as no fewer than eight prohibitions were waived on that night).
Tur HaArokh
עבודת מתנה אתן את כהונתכם, “your priesthood as a service that is a gift.” Rashi says that the meaning is that Aaron and his descendants being priests was a gift to them from Hashem. Nachmanides feels that the meaning is that the priests should not view their priestly duties as being burdensome, but they should welcome it as one welcomes a gift, which is what it is. It is an honour for you, not a burden.
Rashbam
עבודת מתנה; this relieved the ordinary Israelites from the duty to perform service, as the “gift” to do so had not been granted to them. Added to the threat of death if an Israelite would nonetheless venture to perform such service, none of them would dare do so in the future.
And Hashem spoke to Aaron: "And I, behold, I have given you the charge of My heave-offerings; even of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel I have given them to you as a mark of distinction, and to your sons, as a due for ever.
verse value 6841 — יְהֹוָה֮ = 26 (Hashem)
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 81 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֮) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·you" (לְךָ֔, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·Israelites" (בְנֵֽי־יִ֠שְׂרָאֵ֠ל, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 50: to·you, to·you. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "My·gifts" (תְּרוּמֹתָ֑י), "as·a·perquisite" (לְמׇשְׁחָ֛ה). The root נתן appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·Israelites" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "and·spoke" (root דבר, 149x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'My·gifts', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 7 words.
Onkelos
Hashem spoke to Aaron: And I — behold, I have given you the watch of My consecrated portions, of all the sacred things of the children of Israel; I have given them to you as a distinction, and to your sons, as an eternal ordinance.
Rashi
ואני הנה נתתי לך AND I, BEHOLD, I HAVE ALSO GIVEN THEE [THE CHARGE OF MINE HEAVE OFFERING] with pleasure. This is suggested by the word “Behold”, for this is an expression used when something is done with pleasure, just as in, (Exodus 4:14) “Behold, he goeth forth to meet thee and when he will see thee he will rejoice in his heart!” A parable! This may be compared to a king who presented a field to his friend, but he did not write or seal a deed of gift nor did he record it in the court. When a man came and laid claim to the field, the king said to him, “It seems that anyone who wishes to do so may come and claim against you; behold, I will write and seal a deed of gift to you, and record it in the court! So here, too, because Korah came and made a claim against Aaron to the Priesthood, Scripture (God) came and gave him the twenty-four “gifts” of the priesthood as an everlasting covenant of salt (i.e. an enduring covenant). For this reason is this section recording the gifts of the priests placed here after that which narrates Korah’s rebellion (Sifrei Bamidbar 117:1). משמרת תרומתי [I HAVE GIVEN UNTO YOU] THE KEEPING OF MY HEAVE OFFERINGS — This means that you have to keep them in a state of purity (to guard them against uncleanness). למשחה means as a distinction (cf. Onkelos; Sifrei Bamidbar 117:2; Zevachim 91a).
Ibn Ezra
"As an anointing" (לְמָשְׁחָה) — I have already explained this.
Sforno
ואני הנה נתתי לך, as for Me, in compensation for the careful security measures which you will take to preserve the sacred nature of these locations, I will grant you as exclusive gifts the potions listed forthwith.
Or HaChaim
ואני הנני נתתי לד את משמרת תרומותי, "And I, behold I have placed you in charge of My heave-offerings." The reason for the word ואני, which appears superfluous, is that G'd adds another duty to the duty of the priests to guard the sanctity of the Sanctuary on pain of death; G'd states that He had already given the priests an advance payment so to speak, namely the task to preserve the sanctity of the heave-offerings (which are theirs) and the sanctity of everything holy the Israelites designate as such.
Chizkuni
ואני הנה נתתי לך, “and as far as I am concerned, behold I have given to you, etc.;” after the institution of the hereditary priesthood had now been established by consensus, the Torah proceeds to list the gifts from the farmers that the priests and the Levites are entitled to, as well as to parts of the people’s offerings in the Temple, seeing that they have no other means of earning a livelihood, not owning any ancestral land. [No priest or Levite is permitted to demand anything personally from an individual farmer. Each farmer is at liberty to “pay” these dues to a Levite or priest of his choosing. Ed. לכל קדשי בני ישראל, “parts of any offerings by the Jewish people tendered to G-d.” לך נתתים, “unto you I have given them” (these “gifts.”) They are yours by right. ולבניך אחריך, “and to your children after you.” These gifts to the priests and Levites are ancestral, just as the soil distributed by Joshua to the other tribes were hereditary
Rabbeinu Bahya
וידבר ה' אל אהרן ואני הנה נתתי לך את משמרת תרומותי, “The Lord said to Aaron: “here I have entrusted to you the minding of My gifts, etc.” At this juncture G’d reconfirms Aaron’s status as High Priest after his position had previously been challenged. You may understand why the Torah found it necessary to do this by means of a parable. A king had given a present of a field to a close friend of his without bothering to draw up a deed confirming the gift. After a while, people seeing the king’s friend treat the field as his challenged him. The king told the friend who was somewhat upset: “let whoever wants to challenge My gift challenge it.” However, I will provide you with a deed proving that you have title to the field and I will put my royal seal on it. Here we have written proof of the 24 different kinds of gifts the king (G’d) bestowed on the priests, most of which came from the pockets of the Israelites (compare Sifri 119). Chulin 133 confirms this stating: “there are 24 different kinds of gifts called מתנות כהונה, ‘gifts that the priests are entitled to.’” They are equivalent to what is called a ברית מלח, a “covenant based on salt.” Just as salt is of an enduring quality so anyone who observes this covenant is highly regarded, whereas anyone who breaches any part of this covenant (withholds any of these items from the priests) is considered as if he had violated all parts of this covenant. The reason for this is that the covenant is spelled out both in general terms, i.e. לכל קדשי בני ישראל לך נתתים, “of all the sacred donations of the Israelites I give them to you,” and is subsequently listed in detail once more. These twenty-four gifts are divided into three distinct categories. Ten of them apply to sacrificial offerings presented in the Temple and to be consumed only within the sacred precincts of the Temple Mount. Ten more apply to other parts of the Holy Land, i.e. they are to given to the priests anywhere within the Holy Land. The last four are gifts to be given to the priests within the (whole) confines of the city of Jerusalem. The ten gifts to be consumed within the confines of the sacred grounds of the Temple are: meat from sin-offerings of four-legged animals; meat from a sin-offering consisting of a bird; meat from the guilt-offering for a sin definitely performed, meat from a similar guilt offering when the sinner is not certain he has become guilty of that sin; parts of the meat of public peace-offerings, the log of oil to be offered by a person cured from the skin disease tzoraat; the two show-breads offered in the Temple each Sabbath; the breads offered on Shavuot each year (new wheat harvest); remainders of all “gift-offerings” consisting of flour and oil. The part of the Omer (annual new barley offering) not consigned to the Altar. The four gifts given to the priests for use within the confines of the city of Jerusalem are: the firstborn male animal fit for the altar; the respective first fruit (of the seven kinds of produce the land of Israel is famous for). The remains of the ram brought by the Nazarene at the end his term, and lastly, the hides of the various animals which are offered on the altar. The ten gifts which are applicable and usable by the priest throughout the Land of Israel are: a gift by the farmer before he separates the tithe from his grain harvest. Terumat-Maasser, a corres-ponding gift to the priest by the Levite of the tithe he has received from the Israelite. Challah, the first part of the dough (discussed in Numbers chapter 15,17-21); the wool of the first shearing of the sheep. The stomach, forearm and cheekbones of the average animal offered as a freely donated offering by the ordinary Israelite. The five shekel the father needs to give to the priest to redeem his son if he is the firstborn of his wife by natural birth. The lamb or money in lieu of the lamb traded in order to redeem the fistborn of a farmer’s donkey. Certain lands which belonged to proselytes who died intestate. Fields donated to the Temple Treasury and not subject to the Jubilee legislation. Property stolen from a proselyte who died without heirs before the stolen property could be returned by the thief.
Rashbam
לך נתתיה למשחה, they are given to you as symbols of your status just as kings are anointed with oil to publicise their status and their right to rule.
Daat Zkenim
ואני הנה נתתי לך, (G–d speaking to Aaron) “as far as I am concerned, lo, I have given to you charge of My heave offerings;” in this paragraph all of the 24 different kinds of gifts reserved for the priests are collectively described as תרומה, “heave offering.”
This shall be yours of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every offering of theirs, even every meal-offering of theirs, and every sin-offering of theirs, and every guilt-offering of theirs, which they may render to Me, shall be most holy for you and for your sons.
verse value 5369
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 84 letters. Verse gematria: 5369 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "yours" (לְךָ֛, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·every·sin·offering·of·theirs" (וּלְכׇל־חַטָּאתָ֗ם, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 50: yours, to·you. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "from·the·fire" (מִן־הָאֵ֑שׁ), "all·their·offering" (כׇּל־קׇ֠רְבָּנָ֠ם), "every·grain·offering·of·theirs" (לְֽכׇל־מִנְחָתָ֞ם). The root לך appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·your·sons" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "that" (root אשר, 223x in Numbers); "this·shall·be" (root היה, 180x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·the·fire', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 12 words.
Onkelos
This shall be yours from the most holy things: the remainder from the fire — all their offerings, all their meal-offerings, all their sin-offerings, and all their guilt-offerings that they render before Me; most holy they are, belonging to you and to your sons.
Rashi
מן האש FROM THE FIRE — i.e., after the burning of the portions given over the fire. (The words are taken to mean: from the time when the fire has operated). כל קרבנם EVERY OFFERING OF THEIRS — for instance the sacrifices of communal feast offerings. מנחתם חטאתם ואשמם EVERY MEAL OFFERING OF THEIRS, AND EVERY SIN OFFERING OF THEIRS, AND EVERY GUILT OFFERING OF THEIRS — all these offerings should be understood in their usual meanings. אשר ישיבו לי WHICH THEY SHALL RENDER (more lit., which they shall return) UNTO ME — This refers to property wrongfully taken from a proselyte (which, when he has no legal heir, reverts to the priests; cf. Rashi on v. 8) (Sifrei Bamidbar 117:2; Zevachim 44b).
Ibn Ezra
"Most holy" — for there are lesser-sacred offerings. "From the fire" — everything that they consecrate from it, for אִשֶּׁה ("fire-offering") is like אֵשׁ ("fire"), with the heh added. "For all their meal-offerings" — after the token portion (azkarah) has been separated from it, and the sacrificial portions (אֵמוּרִים) of the sin-offering and guilt-offering. "Which they return to Me" — the meaning is that one has committed a trespass (מָעַל). Thus the meal-offering, the sin-offering, and the guilt-offering are most holy — in contrast to the peace-offerings.
Sforno
מן האש, for all of it was meant for burning on the altar, the priests having no share in it until after the parts which have to be burned up have been burned up. The reason is that the priests’ share is not really theirs, i.e. the sacrificial animal or parts of it does not belong to them, but it belongs to G’d and whatever they may eat, they eat as “guests at G’d’s table,” not in their own right, in Talmudic parlance משלחן גבוה הם אוכלים.
Chizkuni
מן האש, “separated from the fire” that is, those parts of the offering which are eaten by the priests are separated from the parts which remain on the altar where they are burnt. זה יהיה לך מקדש הקדשים, “this is what is yours (priests) of the most holy things;” the Torah proceeds to spell out which parts of the respective animal sacrifices are for the consumption of the priest (and his household). After each category of animal sacrifice and meal offering and its purpose are listed, there follow what is to be saved for the priest or priests. The only category of animal offering of which no part is permitted to be eaten is the burnt offering, olah, and sin offerings presented on the golden altar as distinct from the copper altar. After listing all the sacrifices from which the priests receive a portion, there remain only two sacrifices which are consumed entirely by the priests – these are the two-loaf meal offering that is brought on Shavuot and the weekly 12-loaves shew bread which are brought every Shabbat and remain in the Sanctuary until the following Shabbat when they are eaten by the priests.
Tur HaArokh
Our author, when comparing the position of such words as לך יהיה, or יהיה לך, or a list of what is under discussion before adding that at least parts belong to the priest, explains that these are not stylistic nuances but they have a deeper meaning. Basically, he concludes that whenever parts of the gifts mentioned have first been presented on the Altar, the remains belong to the priest without restriction. He also explains why there appears to be an exception to this rule in connection with the פטר רחם, in 18,15, the reason being that this legislation was written in conjunction with the sanctity of the firstborn males of animals which are permitted to be offered on the Altar.
Rashbam
מן האש, after the fat parts of the offerings had been burned up, that which the fire had left over. אשר ישיבו לי, the guilt offering, אשם, mentioned in te paragraph commencing with Numbers 5,5 property that used to belong to a proselyte who had died without leaving heirs.
Daat Zkenim
מן האש כל קרבנם, “reserved from the fire; each of their offerings.” These offerings also include baked goods, i.e. the minchah offerings. ולכל חטאתם, “and all of their various kinds of sin offerings.” ולכל אשמתם, “and all of their various kinds of guilt offerings.” אשר ישיבו לי, “which they return to Me;” i.e. which are symbols of their having returned to Me in repentance. This is a specific reference for repentance for having stolen from a convert, who has died in the interval, and to whom no restitution can be made by the thief. By giving the value to the priest, it is considered as having been returned to G–d, Who is the original owner of everything.
In a most holy place you shall eat of it; every male may eat of it; it shall be holy to you.
verse value 2601
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 37 letters. Verse gematria: 2601 = 51². The shortest word is "it" (אֹת֔וֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·sacred·donations" (הַקֳּדָשִׁ֖ים, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "you·shall·partake·of·it" (תֹּאכְלֶ֑נּוּ). The root קדש appears 3 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "shall·be·to·you" (root היה, 180x in Numbers); "as·most·sacred" (root קדש, 70x in Numbers); "you·shall·partake·of·it" (root אכל, 27x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·shall·partake·of·it', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: בְּקֹ֥דֶשׁ [as·most·sacred] (406) + הַקֳּדָשִׁ֖ים [the·sacred·donations] (459) + תֹּאכְלֶ֑נּוּ [you·shall·partake·of·it] (507) + כׇּל־זָכָר֙ [every·male] (277) + יֹאכַ֣ל [may·eat] (61) + אֹת֔וֹ [it] (407) + קֹ֖דֶשׁ [consecrated] (404) + יִֽהְיֶה־לָּֽךְ [shall·be·to·you] (80) = 2601.
Onkelos
In the most holy place you shall eat it; every male may eat it — it shall be holy to you.
Rashi
בקדש הקדשים תאכלנו וגו׳ IN THE MOST HOLY PLACE THOU SHALT EAT IT etc. — This teaches with reference to the sacrifices holy in the highest degree that they must be eaten only in the fore-court and only by male priests (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 117:2).
Ramban
B’KODESH HAKODASHIM’ (IN THE MOST HOLY PLACE) SHALT THOU EAT IT. “This teaches us that the most holy offerings may only be eaten in the Sanctuary Court, and only by male priests.” But I have not understood this, because the Kodesh Hakodashim (Holy of Holies) is not the right place for eating the offerings; for Scripture states, in a holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the Tent of Meeting, whereas the Kodesh Hakodashim is the place where the ark is, within the Veil, as it is written, and the Veil shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy. It is furthermore written, and thou shalt put the ark-cover upon the ark of the covenant in the most holy place, and there can be no eating and drinking there, since no one may enter it except for the High Priest on the Day of Atonement!Now I have seen the following text in the Sifre: “Rabbi Yehudah the son of B’theira says: Whence do we know that if the Sanctuary Court is surrounded by gentiles [besieging it], the holy offerings may be eaten even in the Sanctuary proper? From the verse, In the most holy place thou shalt eat it.” Thus Rabbi Yehudah the son of B’theirah noted [the implication of] this verse, and explained it as applying to a time of emergency, and [therefore] he mentioned it in trepidation, by saying: “may be eaten in the Sanctuary,” when he ought to have said: “may be eaten even in ‘the innermost part’” [of the Sanctuary, i.e., the Holy of Holies], if the enemy besieged the Sanctuary. According to the plain meaning of Scripture, we must explain the verse ‘b’kodesh hakodashim’ thou shalt eat it as meaning: “you shall eat it in a manner befitting the sanctity of the most holy offerings.” For at first He had said, they are most holy for thee and for thy sons, meaning that you should not treat them as you treat the lesser holy offerings, but should regard them as most holy. He then continued and explained: in a most holy [manner] thou shalt eat it, meaning that your eating thereof should be in a manner befitting the strictest degree of sanctity. And since He had already explained [in the Book of Leviticus] with reference to the meal-offering and the sin-offering what are the stricter rules concerning eating them, over and above those applying to the lesser holy offerings, in respect of place and of time, He did not have to treat this subject here at length, but only said that they must all be eaten as most holy offerings, meaning that the eating thereof must be with the stricter degree of holiness, not that of the lesser holy offerings. The [examples of] usage of the letter beth [as in the word b’kodesh] are many, for the prepositional beth, in addition to denoting place and time, can also signify manner [thus meaning here: “in a most holy manner thou shalt eat it”]. Similarly, ‘b’itzavon’ shalt thou eat it [means: “in a manner of toil shalt thou eat it”].
Ibn Ezra
"In the most holy place you shall eat it" — even in the most holy place, that is, the Tent of Meeting, which is called "most holy" relative to the courtyard of the Tabernacle.
Sforno
This is also why בקדש הקדשים תאכלו, you are to eat it within the consecrated grounds of the courtyard of the Tabernacle.
Chizkuni
בקדש הקדשים תאכלנו, “in a most holy place you shall consume them;” the place meant (normally) is the courtyard of the Temple. The wording here allows for these portions to be eaten by the priests even inside the Sanctuary when the Temple was under siege by infidels. The wording refers to the state of the priests while eating same, compare discussion in Sifri. It is “most holy,” compared to other sacred sites of lower rank of holiness.
Rabbeinu Bahya
בקדש הקדשים תאכלו, “you shall eat it in the most holy.” Seeing that the Inner Sanctuary, known generally as קדש הקדשים, is not an area in which one may consume any part of the offerings since even the High Priest may only enter there on Yom Kippur when eating is altogether forbidden, the meaning of this word must be something different. The term does not apply to a location but to a state of ritual purity, i.e. the highest state of ritual purity the priest can attain. He is not allowed to eat the parts of the sacrificial meat described in the previous verse unless he is in that state of purity. Alternatively, the term here is relative, i.e. compared to the outer courtyard of the Tabernacle, the area of the Sanctuary including the עזרה, is considered “the holy of holies” (compare Ibn Ezra).
Tur HaArokh
בקודש הקדשים תאכלנו, “In the most holy shall you eat it.” According to Rashi this means that only male priests may consume the edible portions of the most holy of offerings. This must be done within the courtyard of the Tabernacle. Nachmanides questions this, as the term קודש הקדשים is not familiar to us as a place where sacrificial meat may be consumed, and our verse speaks of the eating of such meat. The term is familiar to us as the most sacred part of the Tabernacle, the secluded room beyond the dividing curtain where the Holy Ark with its lid and the cherubs was kept. There was never any eating or drinking that occurred in that section. According to Nachmanides the meaning of the words בקודש הקדשים תאכלנו, is that the male priests eating of the parts of the offerings described may only do so when they have first sanctified themselves to the highest degree possible. In the previous verse the Torah had written קודש קדשים לך הוא ולבניך, “it shall be as most holy to you and to your sons.” This was already an implied warning not to enjoy the portions mentioned in the same way as קדשים קלים, sacrificial meat of a lower degree of holiness, such as peace-offerings, thanksgiving offerings, etc. The Torah now repeats this warning as applicable as it had interrupted its list by mentioning such offerings as מנחה, meal-offerings, which do not have such a high degree of holiness.
And this is yours: the heave-offering of their gift, even all the wave-offerings of the children of Israel; I have given them to you, and to your sons and to your daughters with you, as a due for ever; every one that is clean in your house may eat of it.
verse value 6726
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 78 letters. The shortest word is "to·you" (לְךָ֣, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·the·elevation·offerings·of" (לְכׇל־תְּנוּפֹת֮, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·this·is·yours" (וְזֶה־לְּךָ֞), "their·contributions" (מַתָּנָ֗ם), "all·the·elevation·offerings·of" (לְכׇל־תְּנוּפֹת֮). The root בן appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·sons·of" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "Israel" (root ישראל, 183x in Numbers); "I·give·them" (root נתן, 119x in Numbers). First appearance of the root בת ("and·to·your·daughters") in Numbers. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'as·a·due·for·all·time', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 4 words.
Onkelos
And this is yours: the separation of their gifts, of all the wave-offerings of the children of Israel — I have given them to you, and to your sons and your daughters with you, as an eternal ordinance; everyone who is pure in your household may eat it.
Rashi
תרומת מתנם [AND THIS IS THINE:] THE HEAVE OFFERING OF THEIR GIFTS (i.e. of offerings given of their free will) — that which is set apart from the thanksgiving offering (cf. Leviticus 7:34), and from the festival offerings and from the ram of the Nazarite (Numbers 6:17). לכל תנופת [AND THIS IS THINE: THE HEAVE OFFERING OF THEIR GIFT] AS REGARDS ALL THAT FORMS A WAVE OFFERING [OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] — That the above named offerings are intended is evident, for, you see, it is these that require waving (Sifrei Bamidbar 117:2). כל טהור EVERY ONE THAT IS CLEAN [IN THY HOUSE SHALL EAT IT] — but not those who are unclean. Another explanation is: The expression “every one [in the house] that is clean” is intended to include his (the priest’s) wife (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 117:2).
Ibn Ezra
"Their gift" (מַתָּנָם) — with the tav missing, like הוֹלֵךְ (variant: עוֹבֵר) "one who goes in the street at the corner" (פִּנָּה), which is from פִּנָּתָהּ; or these are simply two different grammatical patterns.
Sforno
תרומת מתנם, what the owners of the animals in question give to the priests from the קדשים קלים, the offerings with a relatively lower level of sanctity, i.e. offerings in which the owners themselves have a share.
Chizkuni
תרומת מתנם, “the heave offering of their gift.” The word מתנם has a letter ת missing, and should have been מתנתם. We have parallel phenomena in Job 11,9, ארכה מארץ מדה, instead of ארוכה מארץ מדה, “its measure is longer than the earth;” A similar phenomenon is found in Zecharyah 4,2, וגלה על ראשה, which should have been וגולה על ראשה, “with a bowl above it.” Our author lists a couple more such examples.
Daat Zkenim
תרומת מתנם, “the heave offering of their gift;” this is a reference to the parts of the thanksgiving offerings designated for the priests and the parts of the peace offerings of sheep and bullocks, i.e. chest, foreleg, stomach and jaw.
All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the corn, the first part of them which they give to Hashem, I have given them to you.
verse value 4394
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 49 letters. Verse gematria: 4394 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "all" (כֹּ֚ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "that·they·present" (אֲשֶׁר־יִתְּנ֥וּ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 50: all, to·you. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "the·new·oil" (יִצְהָ֔ר), "and·all·the·best·of" (וְכׇל־חֵ֖לֶב), "wine" (תִּיר֣וֹשׁ). The root חלב appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "that·they·present" (root נתן, 119x in Numbers); "all" (root כל, 98x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·grain', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: כֹּ֚ל [all] (50) + חֵ֣לֶב [the·best·of] (40) + יִצְהָ֔ר [the·new·oil] (305) + וְכׇל־חֵ֖לֶב [and·all·the·best·of] (96) + תִּיר֣וֹשׁ [wine] (916) + וְדָגָ֑ן [and·grain] (63) + רֵאשִׁיתָ֛ם [the·choice·parts] (951) + אֲשֶׁר־יִתְּנ֥וּ [that·they·present] (967) + לַֽיהֹוָ֖ה [to·Hashem] (56) + לְךָ֥ [to·you] (50) + נְתַתִּֽים [I·give·them] (900) = 4394.
Onkelos
All the finest oil and all the finest wine and grain — the first of them that they give before Hashem — I have given to you.
Rashi
ראשיתם THE FIRST FRUITS OF THEM [WHICH THEY SHALL GIVE UNTO THE LORD; THEM I HAVE GIVEN THEE] — This refers to the “T’rumah Gedolah” (the priest’s portion of the produce which is the first portion to be set aside from the produce; cf. Deuteronomy 18:4).
Ibn Ezra
"The fat of the oil" (חֵלֶב יִצְהָר) — the choicest and best, which is the pressed oil; for יִצְהָר is related to the concept of צָהוֹר ("bright, clear"), its root being צָהַר, and it is the fat of olive oil.
The first-ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to Hashem, shall be yours; every one that is clean in your house may eat of it.
verse value 2609
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 51 letters. The shortest word is "yours" (לְךָ֣, 2 letters) and the longest is "that·they·bring" (אֲשֶׁר־יָבִ֥יאוּ, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "everything·that" (כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֧ר), "that·they·bring" (אֲשֶׁר־יָבִ֥יאוּ). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "shall·be" (root היה, 180x in Numbers); "in·their·land" (root ארץ, 119x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'shall·be', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: בִּכּוּרֵ֞י [the·first·fruits·of] (238) + כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֧ר [everything·that] (551) + בְּאַרְצָ֛ם [in·their·land] (333) + אֲשֶׁר־יָבִ֥יאוּ [that·they·bring] (530) + לַיהֹוָ֖ה [to·Hashem] (56) + לְךָ֣ [yours] (50) + יִהְיֶ֑ה [shall·be] (30) + כׇּל־טָה֥וֹר [everyone·who·is·pure] (270) + בְּבֵיתְךָ֖ [of·your·household] (434) + יֹאכְלֶֽנּוּ [may·eat·them] (117) = 2609.
Onkelos
The first-fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring before Hashem, shall be yours; everyone who is pure in your household may eat it.
Ibn Ezra
"First-fruits of all that is in their land" — the first-fruits of all produce of the soil. The meaning of "every clean person in your house may eat it" is to caution regarding these choice portions: every clean person in your house may eat them — as with the breast of the wave-offering and the thigh of the heave-offering. And what an Israelite consecrates by cherem, he [the Israelite] may not eat, for it belongs to Hashem — but you [Aaron] may eat it.
Verse structure: 4 words, 17 letters. The shortest word is "yours" (לְךָ֥, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·Israel" (בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "everything·devoted" (כׇּל־חֵ֥רֶם). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·Israel" (root ישראל, 183x in Numbers); "shall·be" (root היה, 180x in Numbers); "yours" (root לך, 22x in Numbers). First appearance of the root חרם ("everything·devoted") in Numbers. Full calculation: כׇּל־חֵ֥רֶם [everything·devoted] (298) + בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל [in·Israel] (543) + לְךָ֥ [yours] (50) + יִהְיֶֽה [shall·be] (30) = 921.
Onkelos
Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours.
Rabbeinu Bahya
כל חרם בישראל לך יהיה, “Every segregated property (proscribed) to the Israelites shall be yours.” When an Israelite vows a property of his as out of bounds to himself it becomes out of bounds both to himself as well as to the other Israelites and becomes the property of the priests of the roster who perform service in the Temple at that time. Elsewhere, in Leviticus 27,21, this legislation is couched in the words: כשדה החרם לכהן תהיה אחזתו, “as land proscribed; it becomes the priest’s holding.” In the event that the donor had intended his property to be used to make repairs to the Temple, for instance, then it is used for that purpose instead of being given to the priests to become their personal property. Our sages (Midrash Tehillim 1) derive this rule from a propaganda tale used by Korach to incite the people: A certain woman owned a female sheep and when the time came to shear its wool, the local priest asked her to give him the wool. When the same sheep birthed her first young male lamb the priest took it. When she saw all this she slaughtered the animal. When the priest found out he came to claim his portion of the meat. When frustrated at this state of affairs the woman decided to rather declare the whole animal as חרם, hoping thereby to deprive the priest, she found to her dismay that the priest now claimed the entire animal.
Daat Zkenim
כל חרם, “everything that has been proscribed (for ordinary Israelites) as detailed forthwith;”
Every thing that opens the womb, of all flesh which they offer to Hashem, both of man and beast, shall be yours; howbeit the first-born of man you shall surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts you shall redeem.
verse value 4760
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 84 letters. The shortest word is "but" (אַ֣ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·the·firstling·of·the·animal" (וְאֵ֛ת בְּכֽוֹר־הַבְּהֵמָ֥ה, 12 letters). Words sharing gematria 489: you·shall·redeem, you·shall·redeem. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "every·first·issue·of" (כׇּל־פֶּ֣טֶר), "redeem" (פָּדֹ֣ה), "the·first-born·of" (אֵ֚ת בְּכ֣וֹר). The root פדה appears 3 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "shall·be·yours" (root היה, 180x in Numbers); "that·is·offered" (root קרב, 66x in Numbers). First appearance of the root פדה ("redeem") in Numbers. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'shall·be·yours', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 8 words.
Onkelos
Every firstborn of the womb of all flesh that they bring before Hashem, whether of man or of beast, shall be yours; however, you shall surely redeem the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of an unclean beast you shall redeem.
Ibn Ezra
"You shall surely redeem" (אַךְ פָּדֹה תִפְדֶּה) — the meaning is: you shall take his redemption price. Similarly, "the firstborn of an unclean animal you shall redeem."
Chizkuni
כל פטר רחם לכל בשר, “Everything that opens the womb of all flesh;” this line has appeared in the Torah on three separate occasions. The reason is that the Torah considers the redemption of the firstborn as a most important ritual, so much so that even the firstborn of a ritually impure animal, the donkey, needs to be redeemed. אשר יקריבו לה, “which the offer unto the Lord;” this line was added in order to exclude the need for redeeming the firstborn males of free roaming beasts. Seeing that free roaming beasts are not fit as sacrifices, there would be no point in having to redeem the first born male of them.
Daat Zkenim
כל פטר רחם, “the first issue of every womb;” this is a reference to the firstborn male child which needs to be redeemed for five shekalim. ואת בכור בהמה הטמאה “as well as the firstborn of the ritually unclean domestic beasts;” the only animal that fits this description among the ritually unclean beasts is the donkey/ass.
Targum Yonatan
Whatever openeth the womb, of all flesh among animals which they offer before the Lord, as the regulation concerning men, so the regulation concerning cattle, it is to be thine: only thou art to redeem the firstborn of man by the five shekels, and the firstlings of the unclean animal thou shalt redeem with lambs.
And their redemption-money—from a month old you shall redeem them—shall be, according to your valuation, five shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary—the same is twenty gerahs.
verse value 4386
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 52 letters. Verse gematria: 4386 is divisible by 86, the value of Elohim. The shortest word is "money" (כֶּ֛סֶף, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·his·redemption·price" (וּפְדוּיָו֙, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·his·redemption·price" (וּפְדוּיָו֙), "at·your·valuation" (בְּעֶ֨רְכְּךָ֔). The root פדה appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "five" (root חמש, 99x in Numbers); "the·sanctuary" (root קדש, 70x in Numbers); "which·is" (root הוא, 70x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·sanctuary', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: וּפְדוּיָו֙ [and·his·redemption·price] (112) + מִבֶּן־חֹ֣דֶשׁ [from·the·age·of·one·month] (404) + תִּפְדֶּ֔ה [you·shall·redeem] (489) + בְּעֶ֨רְכְּךָ֔ [at·your·valuation] (312) + כֶּ֛סֶף [money] (160) + חֲמֵ֥שֶׁת [five] (748) + שְׁקָלִ֖ים [shekels] (480) + בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל [by·the·weight·of] (432) + הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ [the·sanctuary] (409) + עֶשְׂרִ֥ים [twenty] (620) + גֵּרָ֖ה [gerahs] (208) + הֽוּא [which·is] (12) = 4386.
Onkelos
Its redemption: from the age of one month you shall redeem it at its assessed value — five shekels of silver by the shekel of the Sanctuary, which is twenty maot.
Ibn Ezra
"And those redeemed of them" (וּפְדוּיָו) — refers back to the firstborn of man alone.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ופדויו מבן חודש ומעלה, “those that have to be redeemed must be at least one month old.” The subject of the word ופדויו is the male human firstborn.
But the firstling of an ox, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy: you shall dash their blood against the altar, and shall make their fat smoke for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savor to Hashem.
verse value 5839
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 81 letters. The shortest word is "but" (אַ֣ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·firstling·of·cattle" (בְּֽכוֹר־שׁ֡וֹר, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 235: or·firstling·of, or·firstling·of. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "the·firstling·of·cattle" (בְּֽכוֹר־שׁ֡וֹר), "sheep" (כֶּ֜שֶׂב), "their·blood" (אֶת־דָּמָ֞ם). The root בכור appears 3 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "not" (root לא, 129x in Numbers); "consecrated" (root קדש, 70x in Numbers). First appearance of the root דם ("their·blood") in Numbers. First appearance of the root זרק ("you·shall·dash") in Numbers. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·are', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 9 words.
Onkelos
But the firstborn of an ox, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat, you shall not redeem — they are holy. Their blood you shall dash against the altar, and their fat you shall cause to go up in smoke as an offering to be accepted with favor before Hashem.
Ibn Ezra
"You shall not redeem, for they are holy" — you shall not take a redemption price for them. Many have explained that "redeem" here means to redeem on behalf of the Israelite; and the opposite of this is "every firstborn" — which it says you shall eat. The indicator for the priest is: whatever he is obligated to eat.
Chizkuni
קדש הם. “They are holy;” but you will claim the animal itself, whose fat parts are required on the altar, something unique.
Daat Zkenim
בכור שור, בכור כשב או בכור עז, “the firstborn of the oxen, sheep or goats;” these are the firstborn of the ritually pure beasts.”
And the flesh of them shall be yours, as the wave-breast and as the right thigh, it shall be yours.
verse value 1841
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 37 letters. The shortest word is "yours" (לְךָ֥, 2 letters) and the longest is "it·shall·be·yours" (יִהְיֶה־לָּ֑ךְ, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "but·their·meat" (וּבְשָׂרָ֖ם), "like·the·breast" (כַּחֲזֵ֧ה), "and·like·the·thigh" (וּכְשׁ֥וֹק). The root היה appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "it·shall·be·yours" (root היה, 180x in Numbers); "yours" (root לך, 22x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'it·shall·be·yours', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 6 words. Full calculation: וּבְשָׂרָ֖ם [but·their·meat] (548) + יִהְיֶה־לָּ֑ךְ [it·shall·be·yours] (80) + כַּחֲזֵ֧ה [like·the·breast] (40) + הַתְּנוּפָ֛ה [of·the·wave·offering] (546) + וּכְשׁ֥וֹק [and·like·the·thigh] (432) + הַיָּמִ֖ין [right] (115) + לְךָ֥ [yours] (50) + יִהְיֶֽה [it·shall·be] (30) = 1841.
Onkelos
Their flesh shall be yours, like the breast of the wave-offering and like the right thigh — it shall be yours.
Rashi
כחזה התנופה וכשוק הימין [AND THE FLESH OF THEM (of the firstborn animals) SHALL BE TO YOU] AS THE WAVE BREAST AND THE RIGHT SHOULDER of the festival offerings which may be eaten by the priests, their wives and their sons and men-servants during a period of two days and one (the intervening) night, reckoning from the day of slaughtering; so, too, the flesh of the firstborn animal sacrifice may be eaten during two days and one night (Sifrei Bamidbar 118; Zevachim 57a). לך יהיה IT SHALL BE THINE — Rabbi Akiba came and taught: By repeating the words לך יהיה Scripture adds another “status” (more lit., state of being; i.e., it intends the status implied in the first לך יהיה to be extended), in order that you should not say that it shall be to them even as the breast and shoulder of the thanksgiving offering, which may only be eaten during one day and the following night (Sifrei Bamidbar 118; Zevachim 57a).
Chizkuni
ובשרם יהיה לך, “however, their flesh is yours.” This even includes a blemished firstborn, which is donated to the priest, something we do not find elsewhere in the Torah. (Sifri)
All the heave-offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to Hashem, I have given you, and your sons and your daughters with you, as a due for ever; it is an everlasting covenant of salt before Hashem to you and to your seed with you."
verse value 7080 — יְהֹוָ֔ה = 26 (Hashem)
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 96 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "all" (כֹּ֣ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·Israelites" (בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 421: with·you, with·you. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "salt" (מֶ֨לַח), "and·for·your·offspring" (וּֽלְזַרְעֲךָ֥). The root בן appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·Israelites" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "for·Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "that" (root אשר, 223x in Numbers). First appearance of the root מלח ("salt") in Numbers. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'as·a·due·for·all·time', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 9 words.
Onkelos
All the separations of the sacred things that the children of Israel separate before Hashem I have given to you, and to your sons and your daughters with you, as an eternal ordinance — it is a covenant of salt forever before Hashem, for you and your sons with you.
Rashi
כל תרומת הקדשים ALL THE HEAVE OFFERINGS OF THE HOLY THINGS [… HAVE I GIVEN THEE] — Out of a feeling of affection for the contents of this section, Scripture comprehends it at first in a general statement (v. 11: וזה לכם תרומת וגו׳), and comprehends it also in a general statement at the end (in this verse) and enumerates the details in between (vv. 12—18) (Sifrei Bamidbar 118). ברית מלח עולם [IT IS] A COVENANT OF SALT FOR EVER — This means that He made a covenant with Aaron by means of something which is wholesome and lasting and keeps other things wholesome (Sifrei Bamidbar 118). ברית מלח A COVENANT OF SALT — Another explanation is that ברית מלח is equivalent to כברית מלח, and the meaning is: like the covenant that was made with salt that it will never decay.
Ibn Ezra
"A covenant of salt" — a covenant that is cut, from the same root as "a land of fruit turned to saltiness"; and a place of salt is like something cut off, in that nothing grows there at all — as it says, "brimstone and salt."
Sforno
כל תרומת הקדשים, such as that which is given to the priests of the thanksgiving breads, as well as the two loaves of newly harvested wheat presented on the Shavuot festival.כל תרומת הקדשים, such as that which is given to the priests of the thanksgiving breads, as well as the two loaves of newly harvested wheat presented on the Shavuot festival.
Chizkuni
ברית מלח עולם הוא, “it is an everlasting covenant of salt.” The word הוא has the vowel chirik, seeing that the noun ברית is a feminine noun. We find something similar in connection with David in Chronicles II 13,5: כי המלוכה לדוד ולזרעו ברית מלח, “for David’s kingship over Israel is forever, to him and his sons by a covenant of salt.”
Rabbeinu Bahya
ברית מלח עולם היא לפני ה’, “It is an eternal salt-like covenant before Hashem.” According to the plain meaning of the text the meaning is that the covenant is “cut off,” absolute, final, just like salt is cut off from the mine in which is it detached from the mother lode. The word means that something is final, irreversible. We find the word used in this sense in Jeremiah 17,6 ארץ מלחה ולא תשב, “a land so full of salt that it will never be habitable again.” A kabbalistic approach: the words “it is an eternal covenant” mean that the covenant described as a “salt-like covenant” is an eternal covenant. Just as salt preserves the meat indefinitely, so this type of covenant endures indefinitely. The major ingredient of salt is water. Due to the power of the sun which shone upon it it turns into salt. In other words, salt represents a fusion of the elements fire and water. Similarly, the covenant is a combination of the attributes Mercy and Justice. This is the mystical dimension of Genesis 36,39 בת מי זהב, (compare author’s comment on page 544 our translation on the meaning of the word בת). The whole verse explains to us that this covenant is the “salt of the universe.” it ensures that the universe endures, or, G’d forbid, will be destroyed if the covenant is breached. We have proof of this from Deut. 29,22 where the earth around Sodom and Gomorah which had undergone a rain of sulfur and salt some 500 years earlier is described as still unfit to produce vegetation. At first glance, describing salt as a destructive agent and using it as an example of an enduring covenant, i.e. something positive, appears contradictory. However, this is not so. The two statements are merely two halves of the same coin. You should realize that in these two paragraphs which have been written consecutively the gifts which have been allocated to both the priests and the Levites have been spelled out. In both paragraphs G’d addressed only Aaron using both the term וידבר and the term ויאמר (verses 8 and 20 respectively). The details of the 24 gifts that the priests are entitled to were told Aaron under the heading of וידבר, whereas the gifts the Israelites were to give to the Levites were introduced with the words ויאמר ה’ אל אהרן. You are already aware that the attribute which applies to the priests is primarily the attribute which characterizes the written Torah, whereas the attribute which applies to the Levites is predominantly that which is characterized by the oral Torah (our author elaborated on this in Exodus 13,1 in the kabbalistic part of his commentary). ... In connection with the Levites you encounter the wording 'על פי ה’, an expression you do not encounter in connection with covenantal instructions issued to the Israelites (non-Levites). Our sages in Gittin 60 have said that “G’d only concluded a covenant with the Jewish people for the sake of the oral Torah.” When you open the “eyes” of your heart and look carefully you will observe that the heritage allocated to the priests is associated with G’d’s attribute אני, i.e. אני חלקך ונחלתך, “I am your share and your heritage among the Children of Israel” in verse 20 of our chapter. In this instance the word אני undoubtedly describes the attribute of Mercy. Other examples of where the wordאני clearly describes G’d in His capacity as the attribute of Mercy are found in Exodus 6,5: וגם אני שמעתי את נאקת בני ישראל, “and I have also heard the groaning of the Children of Israel, etc.” The share of the Levites is the tithe which in itself is an allusion to the עשירית, the tenth emanation. This is why the Torah phrases this as ולבני לוי הנה נתתי כל מעשר בישראל לנחלה, “and as to the members of the tribe of Levi: “here I have given every tithe in Israel as a heritage, etc.” You will find that Yaakov treated his son Levi as the tenth amongst his sons (compare what the author wrote on page 418 our translation in connection with Genesis 27,19). Yaakov took the vow to tithe everything G’d would give him so seriously that he even tithed his children. When a shepherd wants to tithe every tenth of his flock as prescribed by the Torah, he first leads all the sheep into the fold and then counts them individually, one by one. The last one in then becomes the first one out. Similarly, when Yaakov, a shepherd set out to tithe one of his children he first brought them into the fold commencing with his eldest Reuven and concluding with his youngest Binyamin. When he counted them subsequently, commencing this time with Binyamin, Levi was the tenth and therefore became sanctified. We find this idea in Pirke d'Rabbi Eliezer chapter 37 where the author writes specifically that Yaakov tithed in reverse order, i.e. in the order we just described. According to that statement he commenced with Binyamin while he latter was still in the womb of his mother. The Midrash goes on to describe the archangel Michael presenting Levi before G’d and saying: Lord Almighty this one is Your lot, the share of Your tithes. G’d stretched out His hand and blessed Levi saying that all the sons of Levi should become holy forthwith and perform service to the Lord on earth similar to what the ministering angels do in the celestial regions. The archangel Michael continued saying: “do not the king’s servants receive their livelihood from the king as compensation for their services?” Therefore G’d allocated the tithes of the Children of Israel to the Levites. This is the meaning of Deut. 18,1: “the fire-offerings of Hashem and His inheritance shall they eat” (the latter part applies to the Levites). Thus far Pirke d'Rabbi Eliezer. While it is true that every Levite has been sanctified, the priest has been accorded an even greater level of holiness. The Levite himself publicizes the additional sanctity of the priest seeing he has to tithe the tithe he has received from the Israelite and give it to the priest. This is the meaning of Numbers 8,19: “and from among the Israelites I formally assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons, to perform the service for the Israelite in the Tent of Meeting, etc.” If you will look closely at our verse (18,19) you will note that the Torah applies the feminine pronoun היא to the tasks performed by the priests, i.e. the ברית מלח, whereas in connection with the Levites (verse 23) the Torah employs the pronoun הוא, i.e. the masculine pronoun. What this proves is that the attributes are not totally separate from one another and that each attribute contains elements from the other. When something is defined as “feminine,” this does not mean that it is exclusively feminine, but that the feminine ingredients in that attribute dominate; the same applies to instances when we encounter the masculine attribute, i.e. the masculine aspect is the dominant one. We already explained repeatedly that the same concept applies to attributes such as “Justice” and “Mercy” respectively. In the instance quoted the word היא means that although we said previously that the dominating attribute associated with the priests is the attribute of Mercy, the Torah wants us to realize that this attribute is not exclusive; neither is the attribute of Justice which we described as predominant in connection with the Levites exclusive; hence the masculine pronoun הוא is here (23) associated with the Levites. [A construction such as found in verses 23, i.e. ועבד הלוי הוא את עבודת אהל מועד, is most unusual as the word הוא appears totally superfluous in the sentence. Ed.] We find similar examples of apparently inverted associations with the “wrong” attribute in connection with both Yaakov and David. The most famous example is Micah 7,20 תתן אמת ליעקב, as we would never have expected the harsh attribute אמת to be applied to Yaakov. Similarly, when David (Psalms 23,1) describes the attribute “Elohim” i.e. the attribute of Justice as being the one which looks after him as a protective shepherd, this seems at first glance similarly innocuous. The lesson from that wording is that the attribute of Justice contains elements of the attribute of Mercy. David uses the subject of פרנסה, livelihood, to demonstrate that both of these attributes are involved on their respective levels in ensuring man’s livelihood.
Tur HaArokh
ברית מלח עולם, “ a salt-like eternal covenant.” Ibn Ezra interprets this expression ברית as closely related to the root כרת, destroying something absolutely; as salt destroying the earth. The covenant between G’d and the priests, is as absolute as changes made by the addition of salt to earth that prevents it sprouting vegetation. Compare what גפרית ומלח did to the fertile valley of the Jordan when it turned it into the Dead Sea.
Rashbam
ברית מלח, I believe that the Torah uses the term “salt” to symbolise something which endures indefinitely. It occurs in this sense in Chronicles II 13,5 promising David and his descendants an enduring dynasty by mentioning the covenant of salt as the symbol of this. However, in Leviticus 2,13 the words לא תשבית מלח ברית ה' אלוקיך, the reference to salt is meant literally. ברית מלח, a covenant meant to endure permanently, throughout the ages.
Cross-references: Leviticus 2:13; II Chronicles 13:5
And Hashem said to Aaron: "You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.
verse value 3909 — יְהֹוָ֜ה = 26 (Hashem)
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 68 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֜ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·Aaron" (אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 61: shall·not·be, I. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "you·shall·inherit" (תִנְחָ֔ל), "and·portion" (וְחֵ֕לֶק), "shall·not·be" (לֹא־יִהְיֶ֥ה). The root חלק appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·Israelites" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "and·said" (root אמר, 246x in Numbers). First appearance of the root חלק ("and·portion") in Numbers. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·their·midst', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 6 words.
Onkelos
Hashem said to Aaron: In their land you shall not take possession, and no portion shall be yours among them; the gifts that I have given you — they are your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.
Rashi
וחלק לא יהיה לך בתוכם [THOU SHALT NOT INHERIT THEIR LAND,] NEITHER SHALT THOU HAVE ANY PORTION IN THE MIDST OF THEM even in the spoil (Sifrei Bamidbar 119:1).
Ramban
THOU [Aaron] SHALT HAVE NO INHERITANCE IN THEIR LAND. This means that you [Aaron] will not inherit a share amongst any one of all the tribes of Israel. Neither shalt thou have [even] a small portion in their land at all, for the cities which were given to them [the Levites] were [also] cities of refuge, and were used by the rest of Israel. Now this admonition applies to the priests, and afterwards He mentioned with respect to the Levites: among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance, just as He had admonished the priests. And our Rabbis interpreted the verse: “Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, as referring to the time when the Land was divided up [amongst the tribes]. Neither shalt thou have any portion among them, that is, a portion of the spoil [taken from a defeated enemy]. I am thy portion — you eat at My table.”Chukath
Or HaChaim
בארצם לא תנחל, "you will not have an in heritance in their land, etc." According to Sifri this verse forbids the priests not only a share in the land but also a share in the spoils of war. This is based on the respective meaning of נחלה and חלק both of which appear twice in our verse. The Torah tells us that though the other tribes might be willing to share the loot with the priests and they might interpret the verse as only excusing them from sharing but not forbidding same, this is not so. The legislation is not comparable to the Shemittah legislation where we are told in Shevi-it 10,9 that the rabbis were delighted if a debtor volunteered to repay a debt which the creditor could no longer insist on collecting legally. To make the point quite clear the Torah wrote לא תנחל, you must not inherit. Had the Torah written nothing else I would have thought that only inheritance of land is actually forbidden but that accepting a share of the spoils of war is permissible. This is why the Torah had to add the word וחלק, "as well as any part." The reason the Torah added the word בתוכם may be understood when we look at Proverbs 1,14: גורלך תפיל בתוכנו, i.e. "accept part of our lot together with us." The prohibition applies only when the priests receive their share as part and parcel of the division between the tribes. If anyone wishes to give them some of the spoils in the form of a gift this is permissible. אני חלקך ונחלתך בתוך בני ישראל, "I am your share and your inheritance amongst the children of Israel." G'd first says "I," meaning that which is unique to Him will be the share of the priests. He then added: "amongst the children of Israel," i.e. that there would not be anything the Israelites did in which G'd did not have a share; the priest would receive this share of the harvests of the land, the trees, the bread, the meat, the wine, the oil, and the remainder of the 24 categories of gifts the Israelite is to donate to the priest on G'd's behalf.
Chizkuni
אני חלקך, “I am your portion;” G-d is announcing that He, personally, is the priests’ “portion.” [as opposed to terrestrial earth in the Holy Land. Ed.]. Seeing that this is so, you are free, (timewise) to perform your duties in the Tabernacle/Temple once you are all settled in the Land of Israel. Seeing that you have these duties, you are relieved of the need to work for a living for six days a week, and the many difficulties that this involves. You need not engage in trade and commerce either.
Rabbeinu Bahya
בארצם לא תנחל, “in their land you shall have no heritage.” Our sages apply this verse (only) to the time when the land parcels will be distributed to the various tribes (Sifri Korach 119). וחלק לא יהיה לך בתוכם, “and you will not have a share among them.” This refers to booty captured in war. אני חלקך, “I am your share.” You will eat at My table (altar). The portions of the offerings assigned to you (the priests) are portions from G’d’s table.
Tur HaArokh
בארצם לא תנחל, “you will not share in the inheritance of their land.” Nachmanides understands the verse to mean that the Levites (priests) will not share in the Land of Israel on the same basis, as do the other tribes. In fact, they would not even get any real share as the 48 cities set aside for the Levites were basically all on soil belonging to the respective tribes on whose territory they were situated. Basically, these cities functioned as cities of refuge for inadvertent killers. The warning spelled out in our verse is actually directed at the priests; the warning to the Levites is only a corollary of this. Our sages interpreted the words בארצם לא תנחל as applying primarily to the time when Joshua would divide up the land as the loot accruing to the people from their war of conquest.
And to the children of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, even the service of the tent of meeting.
verse value 4729 — אֹ֥הֶל = 36 (double-Chai)
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 63 letters. Notable word values: "the·Tent·of" (אֹ֥הֶל) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "Levi" (לֵוִ֔י, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·the·tithes" (כׇּל־מַֽעֲשֵׂ֥ר, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "all·the·tithes" (כׇּל־מַֽעֲשֵׂ֥ר), "that·they" (אֲשֶׁר־הֵ֣ם), "perform" (עֹֽבְדִ֔ים). The root עבדה appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·to·sons·of" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "in·Israel" (root ישראל, 183x in Numbers); "I·give" (root נתן, 119x in Numbers). First appearance of the root מעשר ("all·the·tithes") in Numbers. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'as·an·inheritance', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 7 words. Full calculation: וְלִבְנֵ֣י [and·to·sons·of] (98) + לֵוִ֔י [Levi] (46) + הִנֵּ֥ה [behold] (60) + נָתַ֛תִּי [I·give] (860) + כׇּל־מַֽעֲשֵׂ֥ר [all·the·tithes] (660) + בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל [in·Israel] (543) + לְנַחֲלָ֑ה [as·an·inheritance] (123) + חֵ֤לֶף [in·return·for] (118) + עֲבֹֽדָתָם֙ [their·services] (516) + אֲשֶׁר־הֵ֣ם [that·they] (546) + עֹֽבְדִ֔ים [perform] (126) + אֶת־עֲבֹדַ֖ת [the·services·of] (877) + אֹ֥הֶל [the·Tent·of] (36) + מוֹעֵֽד [Meeting] (120) = 4729.
Onkelos
And to the children of Levi — behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel as an inheritance, in exchange for the service that they perform, the service of the Tent of Meeting.
Ibn Ezra
"In exchange" (חֵלֶף) — meaning as compensation.
Chizkuni
ולבני לוי וגו, and as far as the Levites are concerned, etc.” in the Sifri on this verse the letter ו at the beginning of the word ולבני, is a conjunctive letter, linking the basic functions and lifestyle of the Levites to that of the priests to the extent that the special covenant of salt between G-d and the priests includes them also.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ולבני לוי, “to the sons of Levi, etc.” Seeing that in connection with the priests the Torah had spoken of “Pinchas and his descendants after him,” (Numbers 25,13), i.e. that the priesthood would be hereditary in character, the Torah had to teach us that the same principle applied to the duties and privileges associated with the Levites. The Torah chose the word: “sons of” seeing that it had not previously used the word “after him” as it had in connection with the priesthood bestowed on Pinchas. The letter ו in ולבני, is an additive, adding something to the original i.e. the subject discussed previously, the priesthood. Just as the term “an eternal salt-like covenant” applies to the priests and the priesthood, so the same term applies to the Levites and their duties and privileges. These portions which we conclude here describe that after the various challenges to the already prevailing hierarchy had been disposed of, the staff of Aaron had to sprout not only as symbol of his personal status but as symbol once and for all that the functions of both the Levites and the Priests had been ordained from on high not just for this generation but on an ongoing hereditary basis. As mentioned previously, the sprouting of Aaron’s staff contained not only the message of Aaron’s “superiority,” but the whole phenomenon was to serve as warning to any future challengers of the system that G’d’s punishment would be swift, just as the almond tree develops swiftly. We find strong allusions to this concept in Psalms 92,8, in Isaiah 35,2, in Hoseah 14,6 and in Proverbs 11,28. In all of the verses mentioned the verb פרח does not only describe development, growth as such, but swift development.
And henceforth the children of Israel shall not come nigh the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin, and die.
verse value 2450 — חֵ֖טְא = 18 (chai)
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 39 letters. Notable word values: "guilt" (חֵ֖טְא) = 18, chai, 'life'. Verse gematria: 2450 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "henceforth" (ע֛וֹד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·shall·not·trespass" (וְלֹא־יִקְרְב֥וּ, 8 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·shall·not·trespass" (וְלֹא־יִקְרְב֥וּ). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·Israelites" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "Israel" (root ישראל, 183x in Numbers); "and·die" (root מות, 87x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Meeting', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְלֹא־יִקְרְב֥וּ [and·shall·not·trespass] (355) + ע֛וֹד [henceforth] (80) + בְּנֵ֥י [the·Israelites] (62) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל [Israel] (541) + אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל [on·the·Tent·of] (67) + מוֹעֵ֑ד [Meeting] (120) + לָשֵׂ֥את [to·incur] (731) + חֵ֖טְא [guilt] (18) + לָמֽוּת [and·die] (476) = 2450.
Onkelos
The children of Israel shall no longer draw near to the Tent of Meeting, to receive sin and die.
Ibn Ezra
"And they shall not come near again" — this is because of the congregation of Korach.
Chizkuni
ולא יקרבו עוד בני ישראל, “and the Children of Israel shall no longer come close, etc.” the word עוד here cannot mean “still,” but must mean “again,” as they had already come near as we know from verse 5, else why was G-d described as angry there? (Sifri)
But the Levites alone shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, and among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
verse value 4335 — אֹ֣הֶל = 36 (double-Chai)
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 73 letters. Notable word values: "the·Tent·of" (אֹ֣הֶל) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "no" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "throughout·your·generations" (לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 51: the·Levite, and·they. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "shall·perform" (וְעָבַ֨ד), "their·guilt" (עֲוֺנָ֑ם), "but·among" (וּבְתוֹךְ֙). 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·Israelites" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "Israel" (root ישראל, 183x in Numbers); "no" (root לא, 129x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·guilt', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 9 words.
Onkelos
The Levites alone shall perform the service of the Tent of Meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity — an eternal ordinance throughout your generations; and among the children of Israel they shall not possess an inheritance.
Rashi
והם [BUT THE LEVITES SHALL PERFORM THE SERVICE OF THE APPOINTED TENT] AND THEY SHALL BEAR THEIR INIQUITY — “They” means the Levites; they shall bear the iniquity of the children of Israel, because upon them (the Levites) lies the duty to warn them (the Israelites) not to come near unto them.
Ibn Ezra
"But the Levite himself shall perform the service" — that is, he himself personally. Some say that הוא here is passive in sense, but that is not correct; for "the service of the Tent of Meeting" is the object [acted upon]. "And they shall bear their iniquity" — if they do not keep guard. Now since the tithe is their inheritance, therefore I said this.
For the tithe of the children of Israel, which they set apart as a gift to Hashem, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance; therefore I have said to them: Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance."
verse value 6372
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 83 letters. Verse gematria: 6372 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֞י, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·Israelites" (בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 651: as·a·gift, I·have·said. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "the·tithes·of" (אֶת־מַעְשַׂ֣ר). The root בן appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·Israelites" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "that" (root אשר, 223x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'as·their·share', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 9 words.
Onkelos
For the tithe of the children of Israel that they separate before Hashem as a separation — I have given to the Levites as an inheritance; therefore I said to them: among the children of Israel they shall not possess an inheritance.
Rashi
אשר ירימו לה׳ תרומה [BUT ALL THE TITHES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] WHICH THEY HEAVE AS A HEAVE OFFERING UNTO THE LORD — Scripture terms it (the tithe) T’rumah (although it is not holy and may be eaten by a layman) until he (the Levite) sets apart from it the “heave offering of the tithe” (Sifrei Bamidbar 119:5).
Or HaChaim
כי את מעשר בני ישראל אשר ירימו, for the tithes of the children of Israel which they set aside, etc. Earlier the Torah had said: "for I have given all the tithes to the Levites, etc. (18,21)." How do we reconcile this repetition of the same legislation? It appears that there are two aspects to the tithes which G'd assigned to the Levites. One reason they receive the tithes is in compensation for the Levites not having received a share of the land. The second reason is to save them having to till the land, i.e. the seven stages of work until the farmer's wheat is finally ready to be milled, etc. This is the reason the Torah gives a different reason in verse 21 i.e. that it is given to them in exchange for the service they have to perform in the Tent of Testimony.
Chizkuni
כי את מעשר בני ישראל , “but (instead) the tithes of the Children of Israel.” The reason why the word מעשר is vocalised with a patach under the letter ש instead of the usual vowel t’zeyreh, is that it is in the construct mode to the expression בני ישראל.
Verse structure: 4 words, 18 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·he·spoke" (וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר, 5 letters). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "saying" (root אמר, 246x in Numbers); "to·Moses" (root משה, 217x in Numbers). Full calculation: וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר [and·he·spoke] (222) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה [to·Moses] (376) + לֵּאמֹֽר [saying] (271) = 895.
Onkelos
Hashem spoke to Moses, saying:
Ibn Ezra
"And Hashem spoke to Moses" — and not to Aaron, because of their giving a tithe from the tithe to Aaron.
"Moreover you shall speak to the Levites, and say to them: When you take of the children of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall set apart of it a gift for Hashem, even a tithe of the tithe.
verse value 9757 — יְהֹוָ֔ה = 26 (Hashem)
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 96 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "from" (מֵאֵ֨ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·to·the·Levites" (וְאֶל־הַלְוִיִּ֣ם, 8 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·to·the·Levites" (וְאֶל־הַלְוִיִּ֣ם), "when·you·receive" (כִּֽי־תִ֠קְח֠וּ), "the·tithes" (אֶת־הַֽמַּעֲשֵׂ֗ר). The root מעשר appears 3 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·Israelites" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "and·you·shall·say" (root אמר, 246x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'as·your·share', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 6 words.
Onkelos
To the Levites you shall speak and say to them: When you receive from the children of Israel the tithe that I have given to you from them as your inheritance, you shall separate from it a separation before Hashem — a tithe of the tithe.
Chizkuni
בנחלתכם, “as your inheritance;” in lieu of a piece of land as an inheritance. This is why you have to tithe the tithes you receive from the Israelite farmer also as if it had been your inheritance of an ancestral piece of land.
And the gift which you set apart shall be reckoned to you, as though it were the corn of the threshing-floor, and as the fullness of the wine-press.
verse value 2296
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 37 letters. The shortest word is "to·you" (לָכֶ֖ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "as·your·gift" (תְּרוּמַתְכֶ֑ם, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "as·your·gift" (תְּרוּמַתְכֶ֑ם), "as·the·grain" (כַּדָּגָן֙), "from·the·threshing·floor" (מִן־הַגֹּ֔רֶן). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·you" (root לכם, 88x in Numbers). First appearance of the root חשב ("and·it·shall·be·accounted") in Numbers. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'as·your·gift', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְנֶחְשַׁ֥ב [and·it·shall·be·accounted] (366) + לָכֶ֖ם [to·you] (90) + תְּרוּמַתְכֶ֑ם [as·your·gift] (1106) + כַּדָּגָן֙ [as·the·grain] (77) + מִן־הַגֹּ֔רֶן [from·the·threshing·floor] (348) + וְכַֽמְלֵאָ֖ה [and·as·the·full·produce] (102) + מִן־הַיָּֽקֶב [from·the·vat] (207) = 2296.
Onkelos
Your separation shall be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor and as the fullness from the winepress.
Rashi
ונחשב לכם תרומתכם כדגן מן הגרן AND THIS YOUR HEAVE OFFERING SHALL BE RECKONED UNTO YOU AS THOUGH IT WERE THE CORN OF THE THRESHING FLOOR — i.e. the heave-offering of your tithe is forbidden to laymen and to unclean priests, and such of these as eat it of set purpose incur the death penalty, or, if they have eaten it inadvertently, pay in addition to the capital sum a fifth, just as in the case of “T’rumah Gedolah” (the T’rumah set apart by the ordinary Israelite) which is termed the “firstling of the corn” from the threshing floor. וכמלאה מן היקב AND AS THE FULNESS OF THE WINE PRESS — the heave offering of wine and oil which is taken out of the wine-press. מלאה is a term for “ripening”; it is the produce that becomes full. יקב is the pit in front of the wine-press into which the wine runs. The expression יקב always denotes an excavation in the ground. Similar is (Zechariah 14:10) יקבי המלך, “the pits of the King”, that is, the ocean (cf. Rashi on that verse) — the cavity which the King of the Universe has excavated.
Ibn Ezra
"And as the fullness" (וְכַמְלֵאָה) — I have already explained this.
Sforno
ונחשב לכם תרומתכם, to ensure that blessing will be present in your homes even though we are speaking about something which has been measured, something not ordinarily subject to blessings. Our sages had gone as far as saying that when someone prays for G’d’s blessing on things he had already counted, measured, or weighed, this is a futile prayer, i.e. he uttered the Lord’s name in vain. (Taanit 5) This תרומת מעשר, tithe of the tithe is exempt from such restrictions.
Chizkuni
וכמלאה מן היקב, “as though it were the corn from the threshing floor.” Both wine and oil are called מלאה, seeing that the container into which it is poured cannot be filled beyond the rim. (B’chor shor)
Rashbam
כדגן מן הגורן; forbidden , but not on pain of death, under the heading “no non-priest must eat t’rumah in Leviticus 22,15-16.
Thus you also shall set apart a gift to Hashem of all your tithes, which you receive of the children of Israel; and of it you shall give the gift which is set apart to Hashem to Aaron the priest.
verse value 8382 — יְהֹוָ֔ה = 26 (Hashem)
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 79 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֵּ֣ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "your·tithes" (מַעְשְׂרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "your·tithes" (מַעְשְׂרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם), "gift·of" (אֶת־תְּרוּמַ֣ת). The root רום appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "children·of" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "that" (root אשר, 223x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 6 words.
Onkelos
So shall you also separate a separation before Hashem from all your tithes that you receive from the children of Israel; and from it you shall give the separation before Hashem to Aaron the priest.
Rashi
כן תרימו גם אתם THUS YE ALSO SHALL HEAVE AN HEAVE OFFERING just as the ordinary Israelites set apart a heave offering, from the produce of their threshing floors and wine presses, so you Levites, also, shall set apart a heave offering from your tithes, for that is your inheritance (cf. v. 24).
Chizkuni
כן תרימו, “thus you shall set apart, etc.” just as the Israelites do. [They have to set the tithes etc. apart before the remainder may be consumed or used by the farmer who grew the crop.” Ed.] מכל מעשרותיכם, “of all your tithes;” i.e. from all the other tithes that you are obligated to give away, and which are subject to tithes from the fields which have grown for you.
Out of all that is given you, you shall set apart all of that which is due to Hashem, of all the best of it, even the hallowed part of it out of it.
verse value 4352 — יְהֹוָ֑ה = 26 (Hashem)
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 46 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "from·everything" (מִכֹּל֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·gifts·of" (אֵ֖ת כׇּל־תְּרוּמַ֣ת, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 136: from·all·its·best·portion, from. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "your·gifts" (מַתְּנֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם), "all·gifts·of" (אֵ֖ת כׇּל־תְּרוּמַ֣ת), "from·all·its·best·portion" (מִכׇּ֨ל־חֶלְבּ֔וֹ). The root כל appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "from·everything" (root כל, 98x in Numbers); "its·consecrated·part" (root קדש, 70x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: מִכֹּל֙ [from·everything] (90) + מַתְּנֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם [your·gifts] (960) + תָּרִ֕ימוּ [you·shall·set·aside] (656) + אֵ֖ת כׇּל־תְּרוּמַ֣ת [all·gifts·of] (1497) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + מִכׇּ֨ל־חֶלְבּ֔וֹ [from·all·its·best·portion] (136) + אֶֽת־מִקְדְּשׁ֖וֹ [its·consecrated·part] (851) + מִמֶּֽנּוּ [from] (136) = 4352.
Onkelos
From all your gifts you shall separate every separation of Hashem — from all the finest of it, its sacred portion from it.
Rashi
מכל מתנתיכם תרימו את כל תרומת ה׳ OUT OF ALL YOUR GIFTS YOU SHALL HEAVE EVERY HEAVE OFFERING UNTO THE LORD — Scripture is speaking here of the “Terumah Gedolah” (not of תרומת מעשר, for this is dealt with in verse 28); the meaning is, that if the Levite came to the field before the priest, when the grain has been made into a heap (i.e., after it has been threshed, when it becomes subject to the law of Terumah), and received his tithes before the priest took the Terumah Gedolah from the heap, the Levite must first set apart the fiftieth part (the usual proportion of the crop which the Israelite gives to the priest) of the tithe as “Terumah Gedolah” and then again set apart the תרומת מעשר (i.e. the tithe of his tithe) (Shabbat 127b).
Ibn Ezra
"From all its fat" — from the best of it; similarly, "and eat the fat of the land." "Its sacred portion" — for the tithe itself is the consecrated thing.
Chizkuni
מכל מתנותיכם תרימו, “out of all that has been given to you, you must set aside, etc.; this is to teach you that even what grows on the fields which have been allocated to the Levites as a kind of enlarged garden adjoining their houses, the Levites are obligated to give tithes to the priests. The Levite is not allowed to claim that he need not tithe what he has himself grown on these plots, using logic to support their argument. His logic would run as follows: “seeing that I receive from others part of what they have grown, surely I am entitled to keep what I have grown myself with the sweat of my brow.” This is why the Torah emphasises that everything that the Levite has been allocated by the Torah is in the nature of a “gift,” מתנותיכם, “a gift for you,“ you did not have to labour hard in order to obtain it. Compare the text of the Torah in Numbers 35, 2: ומגרש לערים סביבותיכם תתנו ללוים, “and open land round about of the cities inhabited by the Levites you shall give to the Levites. “ מכל חלבו את מקדשי ממנו, “of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it.” This is a reference to the t’rumah, the 2% (average) given to the priest from the gross amount of the harvest, before the tithe is set aside for the Levite.
Therefore you shall say to them: When you set apart the best of it from it, then it shall be counted to the Levites as the increase of the threshing-floor, and as the increase of the wine-press.
verse value 4134
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 55 letters. Verse gematria: 4134 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "threshing·floor" (גֹּ֖רֶן, 3 letters) and the longest is "when·you·set·aside" (בַּהֲרִֽימְכֶ֤ם, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "as·the·yield·of" (כִּתְבוּאַ֥ת), "and·as·the·yield·of" (וְכִתְבוּאַ֥ת), "vat" (יָֽקֶב). The root תבואה appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·you·shall·say" (root אמר, 246x in Numbers); "to·them" (root אל, 85x in Numbers); "to·the·Levites" (root לוי, 71x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 9 words. Full calculation: וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ [and·you·shall·say] (647) + אֲלֵהֶ֑ם [to·them] (76) + בַּהֲרִֽימְכֶ֤ם [when·you·set·aside] (317) + אֶת־חֶלְבּוֹ֙ [its·best·part] (447) + מִמֶּ֔נּוּ [from·it] (136) + וְנֶחְשַׁב֙ [and·it·shall·be·reckoned] (366) + לַלְוִיִּ֔ם [to·the·Levites] (116) + כִּתְבוּאַ֥ת [as·the·yield·of] (829) + גֹּ֖רֶן [threshing·floor] (253) + וְכִתְבוּאַ֥ת [and·as·the·yield·of] (835) + יָֽקֶב [vat] (112) = 4134.
Onkelos
And you shall say to them: When you separate its finest from it, it shall be reckoned to the Levites like the produce of the threshing floor and like the produce of the winepress.
Rashi
בהרימכם את חלבו ממנו WHEN YE HEAVE THE BEST THEREOF FROM IT — i.e. after you have heaved the תרומת מעשר (the priest’s share in the tithe) from it. ונחשב THEN the remainder MAY BE ACCOUNTED by the Levites as profane (of a non-sacred character) in all respects. כתבואת גרן AS THE PRODUCE OF THRESHING FLOOR is to the Israelites. [This is not a mere repetition of verse 27 but is stated in order that] you should not say: Since Scripture terms it (the tithe) “Terumah”, — as it is said, (verse 24) “But the tithes of the children of Israel which they heave as a תרומה unto the Lord” — I may conclude that it is all entirely forbidden to the Levites (just as “Terumah” is forbidden to them); Scripture therefore states, “it shall be accounted unto the Levites as the produce of the threshing floor”. How is it with the remainder of the Israelite’s produce after he has set apart the “Terumah”? It is profane (non-holy)! So, too, is the corresponding portion of the Levite’s tithe profane (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 122).
Ibn Ezra
The meaning of "when you have raised up the fat of it" is that Scripture already mentioned this in order to connect to what follows: "and you may eat it." The meaning is that it is forbidden for you to eat from it until you have raised up its fat portion; but once it is accounted to you, then you may eat it in any clean place.
And you may eat it in every place, you and your households; for it is your reward in return for your service in the tent of meeting.
verse value 3525
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 53 letters. The shortest word is "it" (אֹתוֹ֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·any·place" (בְּכׇל־מָק֔וֹם, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "in·any·place" (בְּכׇל־מָק֔וֹם), "and·your·households" (וּבֵֽיתְכֶ֑ם), "for·recompense" (כִּֽי־שָׂכָ֥ר). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·you" (root לכם, 88x in Numbers); "it·is" (root הוא, 70x in Numbers); "in·the·Tent·of" (root אהל, 70x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·your·households', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 7 words. Full calculation: וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֤ם [and·you·may·eat] (497) + אֹתוֹ֙ [it] (407) + בְּכׇל־מָק֔וֹם [in·any·place] (238) + אַתֶּ֖ם [you] (441) + וּבֵֽיתְכֶ֑ם [and·your·households] (478) + כִּֽי־שָׂכָ֥ר [for·recompense] (550) + הוּא֙ [it·is] (12) + לָכֶ֔ם [to·you] (90) + חֵ֥לֶף [in·exchange·for] (118) + עֲבֹֽדַתְכֶ֖ם [your·services] (536) + בְּאֹ֥הֶל [in·the·Tent·of] (38) + מוֹעֵֽד [Meeting] (120) = 3525.
Onkelos
You may eat it in any place, you and the members of your households, for it is your wage in exchange for your service in the Tent of Meeting.
Rashi
בכל מקום AND YE MAY EAT IN EVERY PLACE — even in a cemetery (Sifrei Bamidbar 122).
Or HaChaim
כי שכר הוא לכם, חלף עבודתכם, "for it is a reward for you, in exchange for your service, etc." This is basically a repetition of what the Torah has already said about the tithes in verse 21. The Torah now added that these tithes do not possess a special sanctity as they may be eaten anywhere, as opposed to תרומה or similar gifts allocated to the priests. If someone sells the tithe, the money received is treated as totally secular. This is the message of the Torah writing that the tithes are given to the Levites as a reward for their service in the Temple, i.e. as some kind of wages. Our sages in the Sifri derive from that wording that only the Levites who have performed service in the Temple are entitled to such tithes. This leads the halachic authorities to arrive at the conclusion that any Levite who declared his preparedness to carry out all the duties a Levite has to perform bar one, is not considered as a true Levite. Both interpretations are fully legitimate.
Chizkuni
אתם וביתכם “you and your households;” this includes the larger family, based on the patriarch of each family, who is considered the head within his tribe.
And you shall bear no sin by reason of it, seeing that you have set apart from it the best of it; and you shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, that you die not."
verse value 4596 — חֵ֔טְא = 18 (chai)
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 61 letters. Notable word values: "guilt" (חֵ֔טְא) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·Israelites" (בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·you·shall·incur·no" (וְלֹֽא־תִשְׂא֤וּ), "and·the·sacred·donations·of" (וְאֶת־קׇדְשֵׁ֧י), "you·shall·profane" (תְחַלְּל֖וּ). The root לא appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·Israelites" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "not" (root לא, 129x in Numbers); "through·it" (root על, 128x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·it', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְלֹֽא־תִשְׂא֤וּ [and·you·shall·incur·no] (744) + עָלָיו֙ [through·it] (116) + חֵ֔טְא [guilt] (18) + בַּהֲרִֽימְכֶ֥ם [when·you·set·aside] (317) + אֶת־חֶלְבּ֖וֹ [its·best·part] (447) + מִמֶּ֑נּוּ [from·it] (136) + וְאֶת־קׇדְשֵׁ֧י [and·the·sacred·donations·of] (821) + בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל [the·Israelites] (603) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + תְחַלְּל֖וּ [you·shall·profane] (474) + וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + תָמֽוּתוּ [you·shall·die] (852) = 4596.
Onkelos
You shall not bear sin on account of it when you separate its finest from it; and the sacred things of the children of Israel you shall not profane, lest you die.
Rashi
ולא תשאו עליו חטא וגו׳ AND YE SHALL BEAR NO SIN BY REASON OF IT etc. — This implies: consequently if you do not set it aside you will bear sin on that account. ולא תמותו LEST YE DIE — consequently if you do profane them you will die (Bekhorot 26b; cf. Rashi on Exodus 30:20 and Note thereon).
Ibn Ezra
"And you shall bear no sin because of it" — its meaning is: when you have raised it up, you shall bear no sin because of it; and by giving its sacred portion from it, the holy things of the children of Israel will be safeguarded. But if you do not do so, you will bear sin for having transgressed the commandment and profaned the holy things of the children of Israel by eating their sacred portion yourselves.
Chizkuni
ואת קדשי בני ישראל לא תחללו ולא תמותו, “and the holy things of the Children of Israel you shall not profane so that you will not die.” Once you have set aside the tithes there is no danger of your having profaned the holy things or of your dying on account of that. All the 24 different items designated as gift to the priests are completely secular and will not be subject to the rules of holy items that have been desecrated. Of these 24 categories of “gifts,” 12 were given to the priests in Jerusalem, the other 12 in any part of the Holy Land. Our author lists all the 24 items here once more, [but I see no reason to repeat what has been spelled out by the Torah. Ed.
Rashbam
לא תחללו, by eating such while in a state or ritual impurity.
Onkelos
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Sforno
Or HaChaim
Chizkuni
Rabbeinu Bahya
Rashbam