And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation: you shall do no manner of servile work; it is a day of the shofar blast for you.
verse value 4225
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 65 letters. Verse gematria: 4225 = 65². The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "sacred·occasion" (מִֽקְרָא־קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 90: for·you, for·you. The root חדש appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "shall·be" (root היה, 180x in Numbers); "on·the·first" (root אחד, 165x in Numbers); "not" (root לא, 129x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·shall·do', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 4 words.
Onkelos
And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, there shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall do no laborious work. It shall be a day of sounding the horn for you.
Ibn Ezra
"A day of teruah" — it is a commandment to sound the teruah. For if this passage were referring to the burnt-offering of the day, why did it not mention such a thing for the other festivals? Moreover, for all the burnt-offerings He commanded to sound the tekiah — not the teruah.
Targum Yonatan
And in the seventh month, the month of Tishri, on the first of the month you shall have a holy convocation, you may not do any servile work; it shall be to you a day for the sounding of the trumpet, that by the voice of your trumpets you may disturb Satana who cometh to accuse you.
And you shall prepare a burnt-offering for a sweet savor to Hashem: one young bullock, one ram, seven he-lambs of the first year without blemish;
verse value 3708 — אֶחָ֖ד = 13 (echad/ahavah)
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 58 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֖ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). Verse gematria: 3708 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "bull" (פַּ֧ר, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·you·shall·present" (וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֨ם, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 13: one, one. The root אחד appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "of·the·herd" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "one" (root אחד, 165x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'one', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֨ם [and·you·shall·present] (826) + עֹלָ֜ה [burnt·offering] (105) + לְרֵ֤יחַ [of·odor] (248) + נִיחֹ֙חַ֙ [pleasing] (76) + לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה [to·Hashem] (56) + פַּ֧ר [bull] (280) + בֶּן־בָּקָ֛ר [of·the·herd] (354) + אֶחָ֖ד [one] (13) + אַ֣יִל [ram] (41) + אֶחָ֑ד [one] (13) + כְּבָשִׂ֧ים [male·lambs] (372) + בְּנֵי־שָׁנָ֛ה [yearlings] (417) + שִׁבְעָ֖ה [seven] (377) + תְּמִימִֽם [without·blemish] (530) = 3708.
Onkelos
And you shall offer a burnt offering as an offering accepted with favor before Hashem: one young bull, one ram, seven male lambs in their first year, unblemished.
Chizkuni
כבשים בני שנה שבעה תמימים, “seven unblemished male sheep one year old.” If you were to ask how this can be squared with the opinion of the scholar that on New Year the animals attain their “birthday,” [as opposed to the anniversary of their date of birth. Ed.] so that they are no longer one year old but are already in their second year, (Talmud tractate Niddah folio 47) and we need a male sheep exactly one year old? (Tractate Parah chapter 1 Mishnah 3)? We would have to answer that according to that scholar the eighth day of life of these sheep occurs on New Year’s so that they just began to qualify as potential offerings and had not yet entered their second year. They could not have been called two years old as the count of years did not begin until they were old enough to qualify as potential sacrifices. (From the eighth day of their lives) Therefore, on the day when they were offered as sacrifices they had not entered their second year of “life.” The Torah had hinted at such a scenario when it wrote (Leviticus 22,27) “and from the eighth day onwards it is fit as a potential offering acceptable by G-d with goodwill.”
Daat Zkenim
You shall bring [ועשיתם] a burnt-offering. Why was this different than all the other sin-offerings in which it was written “ והקרבתם— and you shall offer”? The answer is because Rosh HaShanah is the Day of Judgment, and when the people of Israel enter judgment they are made [נעשים] like a new creation. And this is what the liturgical poet wrote: He Who created them as a new creation.
and one tenth part for every lamb of the seven lambs;
verse value 2194 — אֶחָ֔ד = 13 (echad/ahavah)
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֔ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "one" (אֶחָ֔ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·a·tenth" (וְעִשָּׂר֣וֹן, 6 letters). The root אחד appears 2 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "one" (root אחד, 165x in Numbers); "for·seven·of" (root שבע, 85x in Numbers); "for·the·lamb" (root כבש, 70x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·one', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 2 words. Full calculation: וְעִשָּׂר֣וֹן [and·a·tenth] (632) + אֶחָ֔ד [one] (13) + לַכֶּ֖בֶשׂ [for·the·lamb] (352) + הָאֶחָ֑ד [the·one] (18) + לְשִׁבְעַ֖ת [for·seven·of] (802) + הַכְּבָשִֽׂים [the·lambs] (377) = 2194.
Onkelos
And one tenth-part for each lamb, for the seven lambs.
and one he-goat for a sin-offering, to make atonement for you;
verse value 1644 — אֶחָ֖ד = 13 (echad/ahavah)
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֖ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "one" (אֶחָ֖ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·a·goat·of·goats" (וּשְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים, 9 letters). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "one" (root אחד, 165x in Numbers); "for·you" (root על, 128x in Numbers); "purgation·offering" (root חטאת, 29x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'purgation·offering', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: וּשְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים [and·a·goat·of·goats] (713) + אֶחָ֖ד [one] (13) + חַטָּ֑את [purgation·offering] (418) + לְכַפֵּ֖ר [to·make·expiation] (330) + עֲלֵיכֶֽם [for·you] (170) = 1644.
Onkelos
And one male goat as a sin offering, to make atonement for you.
beside the burnt-offering of the new moon, and the meal-offering of it, and the continual burnt-offering and the meal-offering of it, and their drink-offerings, according to their ordinance, for a sweet savor, an offering made by fire to Hashem.
verse value 4242
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 61 letters. The shortest word is "burnt·offering·of" (עֹלַ֨ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·their·libations" (וְנִסְכֵּיהֶ֖ם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 509: and·its·grain·offering, and·its·grain·offering. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "the·new·moon" (הַחֹ֜דֶשׁ). The root עלה appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "burnt·offering·of" (root עלה, 96x in Numbers); "and·its·grain·offering" (root מנחה, 62x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'as·prescribed', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 4 words. Full calculation: מִלְּבַד֩ [in·addition·to] (76) + עֹלַ֨ת [burnt·offering·of] (500) + הַחֹ֜דֶשׁ [the·new·moon] (317) + וּמִנְחָתָ֗הּ [and·its·grain·offering] (509) + וְעֹלַ֤ת [and·burnt·offering·of] (506) + הַתָּמִיד֙ [the·regular] (459) + וּמִנְחָתָ֔הּ [and·its·grain·offering] (509) + וְנִסְכֵּיהֶ֖ם [and·their·libations] (191) + כְּמִשְׁפָּטָ֑ם [as·prescribed] (489) + לְרֵ֣יחַ [of·odor] (248) + נִיחֹ֔חַ [pleasing] (76) + אִשֶּׁ֖ה [offerings·by·fire] (306) + לַיהֹוָֽה [to·Hashem] (56) = 4242.
Onkelos
Apart from the burnt offering of the new month and its meal offering, and the daily burnt offering and its meal offering, and their libations, as is fitting for them — an offering accepted with favor, an offering before Hashem.
Rashi
מלבד עלת החדש BESIDES THE BURNT OFFERING OF THE NEW MOON — besides the additional offerings of the New Moon which is on the New Year Festival (the New Moon of the seventh month).
Ramban
He mentioned [with reference to the Additional Offerings of] the first day of the seventh month [i.e., the New Year], beside the burnt-offering of the New Moon and the meal-offering thereof, but He did not mention the sin-offering of the New Moon, while [with reference to] the Day of Atonement He did mention beside the sin-offering of atonement, but did not mention the burnt-offering of atonement. The reason for this is that concerning the Day of Atonement, it is obvious that the burnt-offering which He commanded here to be brought on that day] is beside the burnt-offering which He commanded there, for both of them are commanded with reference to the same day, and they are not equal; for there [in the Book of Leviticus] the Israelites were only commanded [to bring on the Day of Atonement] one ram for a burnt-offering, and here He commanded as a burnt-offering [that they bring] a bullock, a ram, and seven he-lambs. If so, it is quite clear that these [offerings mentioned here] are in addition to those mentioned there. But [in the case of] the sin-offering, which is the same [both] here and there, one might possibly have made a mistake in connection with it, and think that [the one commanded here] is the same sin-offering which is mentioned there, since [we do not find] two sin-offerings [brought] on one day. Therefore when mentioning it [here] He expressly stated: [one he-goat for a sin-offering] ‘beside the sin-offering of atonement,’ for that sin-offering [mentioned in the Book of Leviticus] is the sin-offering of atonement, that is to say, it is the inner sin-offering that is burnt [outside the camp, or outside the city of Jerusalem], and atones for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, even all their sins; whereas this outer sin-offering is like other sin-offerings, which come together with the Additional Offerings. Similarly [when speaking about] the day of the first-fruits [the Festival of Weeks], it was not necessary to say that what is commanded here is “beside what has been said about it in the section of the festivals,” since the two sections are said about the same day, and the offerings are not the same [and therefore it is self-understood that the offerings mentioned here are in addition to those mentioned there]. Nor was it necessary to state [here when speaking about the offerings of the Festival of Weeks, i.e., Shavuoth, that they are beside] the sin-offering [mentioned in the section of the festivals], because Scripture said there explicitly, And ye shall present with the bread [seven lambs etc. And ye shall offer one he-goat for a sin-offering etc.], and it is quite clear [therefore] that all [the offerings] mentioned there come because of the [two] loaves and must he brought with them, and that these mentioned here are in addition to them. But in the case of the New Moon of this seventh month, one might have thought that when Scripture says, And in your New ...
Chizkuni
מלבד עולת החדש, “in addition of the New Moon burnt offering;” if you were to ask why the Torah did not simply write: “in addition to the sinoffering for the New Moon,?” We would have to answer that all the burnt offerings have equal power to achieve atonement for its donors both those who transgressed negative commandments unintentionally and those who failed to perform negative commandments that are linked to the performance of a positive commandment. This works as follows: the burnt offerings of the new Moon achieve atonement for sins committed inadvertently, the sinner not having been aware of his sin when he committed it, nor after he had completed it. [He might have learned about the existence of such a commandment only after having become guilty of transgressing it. Ed.] Our sages explain this based on what is written in connection with the offering, the word 'לה, in verse 15 being apparently superfluous, [unless we consider the Midrash which interprets it as a sin offering actually offered on behalf of G-d, Who makes amends for having reduced the moon in size, as the plain meaning of the text. (Compare Talmud tractate Chulin folio 60. Ed.] On the other hand, (according to B’chor shor) the New Year burnt offerings presented on the same day affords atonement to sinners who did not know when they began to commit the transgression in question that it was a transgression, but who had become aware of the nature of their transgression before having completely carried it out. On account of this nuance, the Torah mentions both kind of offerings. ונסכיהם, “and their respective drink offerings.” This refers to the drink offerings accompanying the offerings on Rosh Hashanah. It also includes the libations both of wine and meal offerings of both the burnt offering of the New Moon, and that of the daily communal burnt offering.
Tur HaArokh
מלבד עולת החודש ומנחתה, “not including the New Moon offering and its accompanying meal-offering.” Nachmanides writes that the Torah mentions only the עולה, burnt-offering of the New Moon by name, as well as its meal-offering, without mentioning the sin-offering. When summing up the offerings on the Day of Atonement, (verse 11) the Torah proceeds in a reverse fashion by mentioning by name the sin offering while omitting specific reference to the burnt-offering of that day. The reason, most likely, is that it was clear that the burnt offering commanded to be offered on that date was in addition to the daily burnt-offering, תמיד, seeing the legislation for both had been given on the same day. The two could not be confused with one another as one consisted of two bulls plus a ram, whereas the other consisted of a single bull plus a ram. [Plus seven sheep. Ed.] (Day of Atonement) Seeing that the sin-offerings on both days were identical, it was possible to err. One could think that on a single day no two sin-offerings (public) could or would be offered. In order to prevent us from making such an error, the Torah wrote מלבד חטאת הכפורים, “apart from the sin offering (exclusive) to the Day of Atonement.” The distinction of that sin offering (compare Leviticus 16,15) was that its blood was sprinkled on the golden altar. This sin offering, the flesh of which was completely burned up, atoned for sins committed by violating the sanctity of the Temple, etc. The sin offering of the day of the New Moon, in common with that of the other festivals, was offered on the major altar outside the Sanctuary, and seeing that both legislations were revealed to the people on the same day, it was clear that they could not be identical. There was also no need to especially mention the sin-offering as part of the additional sacrifices on Shavuot as it is clear that all the animal sacrifices mentioned there were only supplementary to the two loaves of the new wheat harvest, the major מנחה, gift offering, consisting of grain-based ingredients. On the first of the seventh month, i.e. Rosh Hashanah, seeing that the day is both the beginning of a new year and a new month, one could easily have thought that no additional sin-offering was required, seeing that every New Moon a publicly funded sin offering is offered; the Torah therefore had to spell out that one sin-offering belonged to the ritual of the New Year, and another to that of the New Moon.
And on the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation; and you shall afflict yourselves; you shall do no manner of work;
verse value 5035
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 61 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "your·persons" (אֶת־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶ֑ם, 9 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·on·the·tenth" (וּבֶעָשׂוֹר֩), "and·you·shall·practice·self-denial" (וְעִנִּיתֶ֖ם), "your·persons" (אֶת־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶ֑ם). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "shall·be" (root היה, 180x in Numbers); "not" (root לא, 129x in Numbers); "you·shall·do" (root עשה, 127x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·persons', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: וּבֶעָשׂוֹר֩ [and·on·the·tenth] (584) + לַחֹ֨דֶשׁ [of·the·month] (342) + הַשְּׁבִיעִ֜י [seventh] (397) + הַזֶּ֗ה [this] (17) + מִֽקְרָא־קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ [a·sacred·occasion] (745) + יִהְיֶ֣ה [shall·be] (30) + לָכֶ֔ם [for·you] (90) + וְעִנִּיתֶ֖ם [and·you·shall·practice·self-denial] (576) + אֶת־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶ֑ם [your·persons] (1301) + כׇּל־מְלָאכָ֖ה [any·work] (146) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + תַעֲשֽׂוּ [you·shall·do] (776) = 5035.
Onkelos
And on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall afflict yourselves; you shall do no work at all.
Chizkuni
ובעשר לחודש השביעי הזה, “and on the tenth day of the seventh month in this year, etc.” the word: “this” refers to the month which the Torah had just kept calling the seventh month of the year [although the year began on the first day of this month. Ed.] The Torah therefore used the word “seventh” as referring to a year which had commenced with the month of Nissan. In Kings I 8,2, the author describes the month of Tishrey, i.e. ירח האיתנים, the month in which we celebrate the festival of Sukkot, as the seventh month, in connection with the consecration of the Temple which Solomon had built[, and the celebrations for a full week after the festival of Sukkot]. Targum Yonathan on that verse states clearly that it was the month that the Torah had just described as the seventh month.
Targum Yonatan
And on the tenth of the seventh month, the month of Tishri, you shall have a holy convocation, and chasten your souls (by abstaining) from food and drink, the bath, friction, sandals, and the marriage bed; and you shall do no servile labour,.
but you shall present a burnt-offering to Hashem for a sweet savor: one young bullock, one ram, seven he-lambs of the first year; they shall be to you without blemish;
verse value 3726 — אֶחָ֖ד = 13 (echad/ahavah)
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 65 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֖ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). Verse gematria: 3726 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "bull" (פַּ֧ר, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·you·shall·present" (וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֨ם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 13: one, one. The root אחד appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "of·the·herd" (root בן, 499x in Numbers); "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "they·shall·be" (root היה, 180x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'one', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 6 words.
Onkelos
And you shall bring near a burnt offering before Hashem, accepted with favor: one young bull, one ram, seven male lambs in their first year — they shall be unblemished for you.
Ibn Ezra
"One young bull" — this refers to the communal offering, as does "one ram." These are not the High Priest's bull and his ram. In my view, the ram mentioned in the portion of Acharei Mot, which he took from the people, is not this ram — for concerning his ram and the people's ram it is said: "and he shall make his burnt-offering and the burnt-offering of the people." The proof is that here there is an addition of seven lambs, and similarly this one male goat for a sin-offering is not from the lottery goats. That is why it is written: "besides the sin-offering of atonement written in the portion of Acharei Mot."
a several tenth part for every lamb of the seven lambs;
verse value 2801 — הָאֶחָ֑ד = 18 (chai)
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. Notable word values: "each" (הָאֶחָ֑ד) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "for·the·lamb" (לַכֶּ֖בֶשׂ, 4 letters) and the longest is "the·lambs" (הַכְּבָשִֽׂים, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 626: a·tenth, a·tenth. The root עשרון appears 2 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "each" (root אחד, 165x in Numbers); "of·seven" (root שבע, 85x in Numbers); "for·the·lamb" (root כבש, 70x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'each', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 2 words. Full calculation: עִשָּׂרוֹן֙ [a·tenth] (626) + עִשָּׂר֔וֹן [a·tenth] (626) + לַכֶּ֖בֶשׂ [for·the·lamb] (352) + הָאֶחָ֑ד [each] (18) + לְשִׁבְעַ֖ת [of·seven] (802) + הַכְּבָשִֽׂים [the·lambs] (377) = 2801.
Onkelos
One tenth-part for each lamb, for the seven lambs.
one he-goat for a sin-offering; beside the sin-offering of atonement, and the continual burnt-offering, and the meal-offering of it, and their drink-offerings.
verse value 3652 — אֶחָ֖ד = 13 (echad/ahavah)
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 51 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֖ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "one" (אֶחָ֖ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "a·goat" (שְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 418: a·purgation·offering, the·purgation·offering. The root חטאת appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "one" (root אחד, 165x in Numbers); "and·burnt·offering·of" (root עלה, 96x in Numbers); "and·its·grain·offering" (root מנחה, 62x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'a·purgation·offering', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 7 words. Full calculation: שְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים [a·goat] (707) + אֶחָ֖ד [one] (13) + חַטָּ֑את [a·purgation·offering] (418) + מִלְּבַ֞ד [in·addition·to] (76) + חַטַּ֤את [the·purgation·offering] (418) + הַכִּפֻּרִים֙ [of·expiation] (355) + וְעֹלַ֣ת [and·burnt·offering·of] (506) + הַתָּמִ֔יד [the·regular] (459) + וּמִנְחָתָ֖הּ [and·its·grain·offering] (509) + וְנִסְכֵּיהֶֽם [and·their·libations] (191) = 3652.
Onkelos
One male goat as a sin offering — apart from the sin offering of the Day of Atonement, and the daily burnt offering and its meal offering and their libations.
Rashi
מלבד חטאת הכפורים BESIDES THE SIN OFFERING OF EXPIATION — i.e. the goat whose rite was performed within the Holy of Holies, which is mentioned in the Sedrah אחרי מות — for it, too, was a חטאת, a sin offering, (Leviticus 16:9). ועלת התמיד AND THE CONTINUAL BURNT OFFERING — This means: and besides the continual burnt offering, ye shall offer these burnt offerings mentioned in v. 8. ונסכיהם AND THEIR DRINK OFFERINGS — This word refers to the additional offerings which have been written about (v. 8) and to the word תעשו (which Rashi has supplied). It expresses a command: [besides the sin offering of expiation and] besides the continual burnt offering [and its drink offering] ye shall offer these (mentioned in v. 8) and their drink-offerings. Similar, too, is the meaning every time the expression נסכיהם is mentioned in connection with the offerings of the Festivals (that it alludes to the drink-offerings brought with the additional sacrifices of that Festival), except when used of those of the Feast of Tabernacles, (vv. 17—38) where all such expressions, — ונסכה and ונסכיהם and ונסכיה — which occur in the paragraph about them refer to the תמיד (cf. e.g., v. 15: עלת התמיד מנחתה ונסכה). Nor do they there express a command, for, indeed, the drink offerings that accompany the additional offerings are written down separately for each day (i.e., are specifically commanded for each day, cf. e. g., v. 18: ומנחתם).
Chizkuni
שעיר עזים אחד חטאת, “one male goat, a sinoffering.” The words: ”in order to atone for you,” did not need to be added as the Day itself is a day of Atonement. [If that were not so, how could we secure atonement every year on that date when we are in exile and have no Temple in which to present animal offerings? Ed.] מלבד חטאת הכפורים, “beside the sin offering of atonement;” Rashi comments on this: the reference is to the male goat offered on the altar inside the Sanctuary, the one referred to in Leviticus 16,9. The reason the Torah did not mention this here is that we are dealing here only with the communal offerings, paid for by the Jewish public. The bullock offered on the Day of Atonement on behalf of Aaron was paid for by Aaron personally. ונסכיהם, “and their drinkofferings.” This refers to the libations of wine and meal offerings of all the offerings that were presented on the Day of Atonement.
And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation: you shall do no manner of servile work, and you shall keep a feast to Hashem seven days;
verse value 5416
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 73 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "a·sacred·occasion" (מִֽקְרָא־קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 56: day, to·Hashem. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·you·shall·observe·a·festival" (וְחַגֹּתֶ֥ם). The root יום appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "shall·be" (root היה, 180x in Numbers); "not" (root לא, 129x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·shall·do', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 5 words.
Onkelos
And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month there shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall do no laborious work, and you shall celebrate a festival before Hashem for seven days.
and you shall present a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to Hashem: thirteen young bullocks, two rams, fourteen he-lambs of the first year; they shall be without blemish;
verse value 6092
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 78 letters. The shortest word is "a·burnt·offering" (עֹלָ֜ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·you·shall·present" (וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֨ם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 570: -teen, -teen. The root עשר appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "they·shall·be" (root היה, 180x in Numbers); "rams" (root איל, 111x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'two', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 6 words.
Onkelos
And you shall offer a burnt offering, an offering accepted with favor before Hashem: thirteen young bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs in their first year — they shall be unblemished.
Or HaChaim
והקרבתם עולה…לה׳ פרים, you will offer to G'd 13 bullocks, etc. It would appear that the reason why a progressively smaller number of bullocks was offered on each of the seven days of the Sukkot festival is connected to two different mystical dimensions of the number seven. The Gentile nations comprise the number seven in the "plural," i.e. 70, and they are compared to bullocks. Israel too is compared to the number seven as we know from the Zohar volume 3 page 266, and all Israel's important deeds are somehow related to the number seven. The sacrifices on all the festivals appear in sevens, the total number of festival days are seven (2 days Passover, 1 day Shavuot, 1 day Rosh Hashanah, 1 day Yom Kippur, and 2 days Sukkot/Shemini Atzeret). The Sabbath is the mystical dimension of the seven branches of the tree which contains the root of the souls of the seven righteous people mentioned in Tikkuney Hazohar. The basic message of the 70 bullocks which the Jews offered on Sukkot is that the Gentile nations will keep becoming fewer. The fact that the number of sheep offered as part of these additional burnt-offerings on the seven days of Sukkot is constant, i.e. 14, is an allusion to Israel appearing on two different spiritual levels, the hidden level and the visible level. The "hidden" level of Israel's spirituality refers to the need for the Israelites to set free sparks of sanctity trapped amongst the Gentile nations, a concept which we have written about on several occasions. The visible element is that the Jewish people represent sanctity which is visible. The proof is that after the bullocks of the nations have all been "used up," the only ones left are the Israelites. This means that the Israelites have fulfilled their task, that all the sparks of sanctity that were capable of being set free from their Gentile jailers have been redeemed. This is alluded to by the Mussaph offering on Shemini Atzeret when G'd ordered the Israelites to offer up a single bullock and only seven sheep. These seven sheep symbolise Israel, the sacred flock. The single bullock symbolises the one remaining bullock of the Gentile nations, i.e. the one representing Ishmael. The ram of that sacrifice represents Esau. Between them, the animals in the Mussaph offering of Shemini Atzeret represent the nations descended from Abraham.
Chizkuni
פרים בני בקר שלשה עשר, כבשים בני שנה ארבעה עשר .“thirteen young bullocks, fourteen male young sheep (who had not completed the first year of their lives.).” Seeing that the festival of Sukkot is more joyous than all the other festivals, because the year’s harvest had been brought to their barns prior to that time, and the people had acknowledged this with erecting a Sukka booth and parading the palm fronds and citron, etc., it is not surprising that the communally financed mussaph offerings should also reflect that additional joy and thanksgiving by being correspondingly more generous. (B’chor shor).
Rabbeinu Bahya
והקרבתם עולה אשה ריח ניחוח לה' פרים בני בקר שלושה עשר, “You shall offer a burnt-offering, a fire-offering, a sweet-smelling aroma to Hashem; thirteen young bulls;” the total number of bulls to be offered on the festival of Tabernacles was 70. They were offered in a descending order, i.e. 13 on the first day of the Holiday, 12 on the second day, 11 on the third day, etc. The total number served as a reminder of the fact that eventually all the seventy Gentile nations are destined to perish (see Rashi and ancient Midrashim); [The symbolic killing of these animals on the festival which foresees that event as we read in the portions from the prophets on that festival are most appropriate. Ed.]. The original seventy nations, the ones enumerated after the Tower of Babel, each have a representative in the celestial regions as alluded to in Daniel 10,13, where the particular representative of the empire of Persia is singled out as well as the representative of the Greek Empire. You will observe that in this entire chapter dealing with these bulls being offered as burnt-offerings the customary expression “for Hashem” occurs only in connection with the first day of that festival. The reason for this is that if the Israelites appear to pay some kind of tribute to the 70 representatives of these nations by offering a bull in respect of each one of them this must be understood as something which only has the purpose of unifying all of them under the guidance of Hashem. All of them owe whatever power they appear to possess in history to the One and Only Original Cause, to Hashem.” This is also what our sages had in mind when they said in Sukkah 55: “woe to the nations of the world which are lost and which do not even realise the extent of their loss; as long as there was a Temple in Jerusalem the offerings brought on their behalf by the priests of the Jewish people would atone for them. Nowadays, after they have destroyed the Temple, what instrument of atonement do they have left?” This teaches that the seventy bulls which the Israelites offered on the festival of Tabernacles served as atonement for the seventy nations of the world. The offering (collectively speaking) was designed to unify the religiously pluralistic nations under the One and Only Creator at least to the extent that they see in Him the original Cause of the universe. A Midrashic approach based on Tanchuma Pinchas 16: When the Torah writes: “you are to present a fire-offering,” this is reminiscent of Psalms 109,4: “they answer my love with accusations and I am all prayer.” This was Israel speaking to G’d about the 70 nations on whose behalf the Jewish priests offered sacrifices on Tabernacles. Instead of these nations appreciating this they heaped scorn upon us, hated and persecuted us.” A further Midrashic exegesis concerning the bulls of the festival (Tanchuma Pinchas 17): “the Torah taught us some good manners in connection with these sacrifices; if a person is entertained as a guest, the host will welcome him and offer him fowl on the first day. If the guest stays another day the host will serve him fish. If the guest still lingers the host will serve him vegetables on the third day of his (unexpected) stay. Eventually, he will serve him only inferior fare until the guest realizes that he has overstayed his welcome.”
and their meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil, three tenth parts for every bullock of the thirteen bullocks, two tenth parts for each ram of the two rams,
verse value 6292 — הָֽאֶחָ֗ד = 18 (chai)
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 73 letters. Notable word values: "each" (הָֽאֶחָ֗ד) = 18, chai, 'life'. Verse gematria: 6292 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "choice·flour" (סֹ֖לֶת, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·their·grain·offerings" (וּמִ֨נְחָתָ֔ם, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 670: tenths, tenths. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "of·three-" (לִשְׁלֹשָׁ֤ה), "of·two" (לִשְׁנֵ֖י), "the·rams" (הָאֵילִֽם). The root שלוש appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "each" (root אחד, 165x in Numbers); "for·the·ram" (root איל, 111x in Numbers); "two" (root שנים, 76x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·oil', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 13 words.
Onkelos
And their meal offering of fine flour mixed with oil: three tenth-parts for each bull, for the thirteen bulls; two tenth-parts for each ram, for the two rams.
and a several tenth part for every lamb of the fourteen lambs;
verse value 2878 — הָאֶחָ֑ד = 18 (chai)
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 33 letters. Notable word values: "each" (הָאֶחָ֑ד) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "-teen" (עָשָׂ֖ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·a·tenth" (וְעִשָּׂרוֹׄן֙, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "of·four-" (לְאַרְבָּעָ֥ה). The root עשרון appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "each" (root אחד, 165x in Numbers); "for·the·lamb" (root כבש, 70x in Numbers); "of·four-" (root ארבע, 57x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'each', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְעִשָּׂרוֹׄן֙ [and·a·tenth] (632) + עִשָּׂר֔וֹן [a·tenth] (626) + לַכֶּ֖בֶשׂ [for·the·lamb] (352) + הָאֶחָ֑ד [each] (18) + לְאַרְבָּעָ֥ה [of·four-] (308) + עָשָׂ֖ר [-teen] (570) + כְּבָשִֽׂים [lambs] (372) = 2878.
Onkelos
And one tenth-part for each lamb, for the fourteen lambs.
Chizkuni
ועשרון עשרון, “and a separate tenth of a hin of wine as a libation for each male sheep;” (Compare commentary by Minchat Shay)
and one he-goat for a sin-offering beside the continual burnt-offering, the meal-offering of it, and the drink-offering of it.
verse value 2823 — אֶחָ֖ד = 13 (echad/ahavah)
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 38 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֖ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "one" (אֶחָ֖ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·a·goat" (וּשְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים, 9 letters). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "one" (root אחד, 165x in Numbers); "burnt·offering·of" (root עלה, 96x in Numbers); "its·grain·offering" (root מנחה, 62x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'a·purgation·offering', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּשְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים [and·a·goat] (713) + אֶחָ֖ד [one] (13) + חַטָּ֑את [a·purgation·offering] (418) + מִלְּבַד֙ [in·addition·to] (76) + עֹלַ֣ת [burnt·offering·of] (500) + הַתָּמִ֔יד [the·regular] (459) + מִנְחָתָ֖הּ [its·grain·offering] (503) + וְנִסְכָּֽהּ [and·its·libation] (141) = 2823.
Onkelos
And one male goat as a sin offering — apart from the daily burnt offering, its meal offering and its libation.
Chizkuni
ונסכה, “and its drink offering.” This refers to the libations of wine and meal offerings belonging to the special offerings for the festival.
And on the second day you shall present twelve young bullocks, two rams, fourteen he-lambs of the first year without blemish;
verse value 4741
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 58 letters. The shortest word is "-teen" (עָשָׂ֖ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "young·of·herd" (בְּנֵי־בָקָ֛ר, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 570: -teen, -teen. The root שנים appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·on·the·day" (root יום, 122x in Numbers); "rams" (root איל, 111x in Numbers); "yearlings" (root שנה, 90x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'two', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּבַיּ֣וֹם [and·on·the·day] (64) + הַשֵּׁנִ֗י [the·second] (365) + פָּרִ֧ים [young·bulls] (330) + בְּנֵי־בָקָ֛ר [young·of·herd] (364) + שְׁנֵ֥ים [two] (400) + עָשָׂ֖ר [-teen] (570) + אֵילִ֣ם [rams] (81) + שְׁנָ֑יִם [two] (400) + כְּבָשִׂ֧ים [lambs] (372) + בְּנֵי־שָׁנָ֛ה [yearlings] (417) + אַרְבָּעָ֥ה [four] (278) + עָשָׂ֖ר [-teen] (570) + תְּמִימִֽם [without·blemish] (530) = 4741.
Onkelos
And on the second day: twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs in their first year, unblemished.
Chizkuni
וביום השני פרים שנים עשר, “and on the second day of the Sukkot festival, the mussaph offering is to consist of twelve young bullocks, plus;” just as the fruit which the pilgrims had brought with them to Jerusalem, diminished daily, so did the requirements for the additional number of animals for the communal mussaph offerings. This is a phenomenon that we did not find on the other festivals. If the people had been required to finance the same amount of money for the additional animals required for the mussaph offerings they might have resented this and it would have spoiled the happy atmosphere prevailing.
Targum Yonatan
On the second day of the Feast of Tabernacles you shall offer twelve young bullocks, by twelve orders; two rams, by two orders; fourteen lambs of the year unblemished by nine orders, five of them shall offer two by two, and four of them one by one.
and their meal-offering and their drink-offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance;
verse value 2485
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 41 letters. The shortest word is "for·the·bulls" (לַ֠פָּרִ֠ים, 5 letters) and the longest is "and·their·libations" (וְנִסְכֵּיהֶ֡ם, 7 letters). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for·the·rams" (root איל, 111x in Numbers); "and·for·the·lambs" (root כבש, 70x in Numbers); "and·their·grain·offering" (root מנחה, 62x in Numbers). Full calculation: וּמִנְחָתָ֣ם [and·their·grain·offering] (544) + וְנִסְכֵּיהֶ֡ם [and·their·libations] (191) + לַ֠פָּרִ֠ים [for·the·bulls] (360) + לָאֵילִ֧ם [for·the·rams] (111) + וְלַכְּבָשִׂ֛ים [and·for·the·lambs] (408) + בְּמִסְפָּרָ֖ם [in·their·number] (422) + כַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט [as·prescribed] (449) = 2485.
Onkelos
And their meal offering and their libations for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, as is fitting.
Rashi
ומנחתם ונסכיהם לפרים AND THEIR MEAL OFFERING AND THEIR DRINK OFFERINGS FOR THE BULLOCKS — The bullocks offered on the Feast of Tabernacles are seventy in all, in allusion to the seventy nations of the world, and they gradually decrease in number each day, an omen to them of gradual annihilation, but during the period when the Temple existed and these sacrifices were offered they protected them against this misfortune (cf. Sukkah 55b). ולכבשים AND FOR THE LAMBS — in allusion to the Israelites who are called ( 50:17) “scattered lambs”. — They (the lambs) are of fixed number each day (a symbol that the Israelites are fixed, imperishable), and their total is ninety-eight, serving to avert from them the ninety-eight curses which are set forth in Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 28:15 ff.) — In the paragraph dealing with the second day of the Festival, it is said, (v. 19) ונסכיהם, and this is in reference to the two daily continual offerings (while the usual term is ונסכה corresponding to ומנחתה that precedes it), and it sometimes uses a modification of the terms usually employed in those paragraphs only in order that some teaching may be deduced from it, as our Rabbis, may their memory be for a blessing, said: in the case of the second day we have ונסכיהם, of the sixth ונסכיה, of the seventh כמשפטם (instead of the usual כמשפטה): the additional letters are מ and י and מ — so you have here מים, “water”, — a suggestion that the libation of water on Tabernacles is of Biblical origin (מן התורה) (Sifrei Bamidbar 150; Shabbat 103b).
Rabbeinu Bahya
ומנחתם ונסכיהם, “and their respective gift-offerings plus the appropriate libations.” Taanit 2 draws attention to the different versions of the word נסך used by the Torah for these libations on different days. On the second day of the festival the Torah describes the libations as ונסכיהם, on the sixth day they are described as ונסכה, and on the seventh day the word כמשפט “as required” is spelled as כמשפטם. The extra three letters מ-י-ם spell the word מים suggesting that on the Sukkot festival the libations consisted of water in addition to the wine. You must understand the reason why these allusions commenced only with the list of offerings and libations offered on the second day of the festival. The reason is that on the second day of creation the original waters were divided into the “upper” waters and the waters “below” (Genesis 1,6). It is clear therefore that “water” and its activities are appropriately featured on the “second” day. [In order to understand what follows you must know that in times when rain had not materialized at the expected times, efforts were made to intercede with G’d both in the Temple and in all parts of the country. The people chosen to represent their brethren in such prayers and fasts were known as אנשי מעמד. Ed.]. Our sages (Taanit 27) have explained that the אנשי המעמד, used to fast on Mondays (second day) in supplication for rain to materialize seeing that on that day of the week G’d dealt with the waters. They also fasted on Fridays, the day on which man had been created, seeing man cannot survive without water. The Torah had told us that as long as man was not yet on earth there had not been any rain, only mist rose from the earth (Genesis 2,6). When the Torah reports once more on the creation of man in the verse following (Genesis 2,7), this is an allusion that as of that time rain became necessary and materialized. If the last letter ם appears during the mussaf offerings of the seventh day of the festival Tabernacles this is because the seventh day symbolizes completion of G’d’s universe. In Rosh Hashanah 16 the sages quote G’d as having said: “present libations of water for Me on the Sukkot festival in order that the rains you will receive will prove beneficial.” As a result of such instructions these libations of water were presented on the altar on every single day of the festival. This procedure is known as הלכה של משה מסיני, a decree going back to Sinai when Moses received the Torah. It is not spelled out in the written Torah. The procedure took place during the offering of the daily morning burnt-offering at the same time as the wine-libation was presented. It took place on the south west corner of the altar on the upper half of the altar. The entire amount of water descended to the hole known a “shittin.” The priests would take a bottle made of gold containing three login of water; the bottle was filled from the well known as מי שילוח. When the bearers would arrive at the Temple gate they would blow tekiah teruah tekiah. The priest would ascend the ramp to the altar and turn left after he had arrived at the top and pour the water out of the bottle into a bowl provided for the purpose. There were two such silver bowls. The one on the western side would be filled with the water, the one on the eastern side would be filled with the wine for the libation. Both bowls had two small holes just like the bottom of the nose. The hole in the vessel containing the water was thinner than that in the vessel containing the wine (as water is apt to flow more quickly than wine) so that both libations would arrive at their ultimate destination, the shittin, simultaneously. The priest about to pour the water would be told to raise his hand, seeing it had happened once that a priest poured the water on his feet and the people present pelted him with their citrons believing that he had done so for heretical reasons. [The Sadducees rejected the whole procedure as not written in the Torah. Ed.] Our sages in Sukkah 51 said that anyone who had not witnessed the joy with which this whole procedure of the preparation for the water-libation was celebrated has no idea what true joy is all about. The whole procedure was known as בית השואבה, based on Isaiah 12,3: “you will draw water amidst great joy.” The drawing of the requisite water took place on each of the seven nights (except Sabbath) of the festival for the needs of the daily burnt-offering.
and one he-goat for a sin-offering; beside the continual burnt-offering, and the meal-offering of it, and their drink-offerings.
verse value 2879 — אֶחָ֖ד = 13 (echad/ahavah)
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 41 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֖ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "one" (אֶחָ֖ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·a·goat" (וּשְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים, 9 letters). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "one" (root אחד, 165x in Numbers); "burnt·offering·of" (root עלה, 96x in Numbers); "and·its·grain·offering" (root מנחה, 62x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'purgation·offering', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּשְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים [and·a·goat] (713) + אֶחָ֖ד [one] (13) + חַטָּ֑את [purgation·offering] (418) + מִלְּבַד֙ [in·addition·to] (76) + עֹלַ֣ת [burnt·offering·of] (500) + הַתָּמִ֔יד [the·regular] (459) + וּמִנְחָתָ֖הּ [and·its·grain·offering] (509) + וְנִסְכֵּיהֶֽם [and·their·libations] (191) = 2879.
Onkelos
And one male goat as a sin offering — apart from the daily burnt offering and its meal offering and their libations.
Chizkuni
ונסכיהם, “and (together with) their drinkofferings.” When the expression נסך is used elsewhere it always refers to libations of wine and the oil and meal offerings. Seeing that the mussaph offerings on the festival of Sukkot are different each day, the Torah here has to refer to these offerings repeatedly each day separately, as they were not the same as on the day mentioned previously. This was not the case with the mussaph offerings on the seven days of Passover.
And on the third day eleven bullocks, two rams, fourteen he-lambs of the first year without blemish;
verse value 5047
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 54 letters. The shortest word is "-teen" (עָשָׂ֖ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "eleven" (עַשְׁתֵּי־עָשָׂ֖ר, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "eleven" (עַשְׁתֵּי־עָשָׂ֖ר). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·on·the·day" (root יום, 122x in Numbers); "rams" (root איל, 111x in Numbers); "yearlings" (root שנה, 90x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'two', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּבַיּ֧וֹם [and·on·the·day] (64) + הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֛י [the·third] (655) + פָּרִ֥ים [young·bulls] (330) + עַשְׁתֵּי־עָשָׂ֖ר [eleven] (1350) + אֵילִ֣ם [rams] (81) + שְׁנָ֑יִם [two] (400) + כְּבָשִׂ֧ים [lambs] (372) + בְּנֵי־שָׁנָ֛ה [yearlings] (417) + אַרְבָּעָ֥ה [four] (278) + עָשָׂ֖ר [-teen] (570) + תְּמִימִֽם [without·blemish] (530) = 5047.
Onkelos
And on the third day: eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs in their first year, unblemished.
Targum Yonatan
On the third day of the Feast of Tabernacles you shall offer twelve bullocks by twelve orders; two rams by two orders, fourteen unblemished lambs of the year, by ten orders; four of them shall offer two and two, and six of them one by one;.
and one he-goat for a sin-offering; beside the continual burnt-offering, and the meal-offering of it, and the drink-offering of it.
verse value 2702 — אֶחָ֑ד = 13 (echad/ahavah)
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 35 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֑ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "one" (אֶחָ֑ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·its·grain·offering" (וּמִנְחָתָ֖הּ, 6 letters). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "one" (root אחד, 165x in Numbers); "burnt·offering·of" (root עלה, 96x in Numbers); "and·its·grain·offering" (root מנחה, 62x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'one', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּשְׂעִ֥יר [and·a·goat] (586) + חַטָּ֖את [purgation·offering] (418) + אֶחָ֑ד [one] (13) + מִלְּבַד֙ [in·addition·to] (76) + עֹלַ֣ת [burnt·offering·of] (500) + הַתָּמִ֔יד [the·regular] (459) + וּמִנְחָתָ֖הּ [and·its·grain·offering] (509) + וְנִסְכָּֽהּ [and·its·libation] (141) = 2702.
Onkelos
And one male goat as a sin offering — apart from the daily burnt offering and its meal offering and its libation.
And on the fourth day ten bullocks, two rams, fourteen he-lambs of the first year without blemish;
verse value 3914
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 51 letters. The shortest word is "-teen" (עָשָׂ֖ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·fourth" (הָרְבִיעִ֛י, 6 letters). The root עשר appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·on·the·day" (root יום, 122x in Numbers); "rams" (root איל, 111x in Numbers); "yearlings" (root שנה, 90x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'two', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּבַיּ֧וֹם [and·on·the·day] (64) + הָרְבִיעִ֛י [the·fourth] (297) + פָּרִ֥ים [young·bulls] (330) + עֲשָׂרָ֖ה [ten] (575) + אֵילִ֣ם [rams] (81) + שְׁנָ֑יִם [two] (400) + כְּבָשִׂ֧ים [lambs] (372) + בְּנֵֽי־שָׁנָ֛ה [yearlings] (417) + אַרְבָּעָ֥ה [four] (278) + עָשָׂ֖ר [-teen] (570) + תְּמִימִֽם [without·blemish] (530) = 3914.
Onkelos
And on the fourth day: ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs in their first year, unblemished.
Targum Yonatan
On the fourth day of the Feast of Tabernacles, ten young bullocks by ten orders; two rams by two orders; fourteen unblemished lambs of the year by twelve orders; three of them shall be offered at two times, and eight of them singly;.
and one he-goat for a sin-offering; beside the continual burnt-offering, the meal-offering of it, and the drink-offering of it.
verse value 2823 — אֶחָ֖ד = 13 (echad/ahavah)
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 38 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֖ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "one" (אֶחָ֖ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·a·goat" (וּשְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים, 9 letters). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "one" (root אחד, 165x in Numbers); "burnt·offering·of" (root עלה, 96x in Numbers); "its·grain·offering" (root מנחה, 62x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'purgation·offering', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּשְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים [and·a·goat] (713) + אֶחָ֖ד [one] (13) + חַטָּ֑את [purgation·offering] (418) + מִלְּבַד֙ [in·addition·to] (76) + עֹלַ֣ת [burnt·offering·of] (500) + הַתָּמִ֔יד [the·regular] (459) + מִנְחָתָ֖הּ [its·grain·offering] (503) + וְנִסְכָּֽהּ [and·its·libation] (141) = 2823.
Onkelos
And one male goat as a sin offering — apart from the daily burnt offering, its meal offering and its libation.
And on the fifth day nine bullocks, two rams, fourteen he-lambs of the first year without blemish;
verse value 4190
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 51 letters. The shortest word is "-teen" (עָשָׂ֖ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·fifth" (הַחֲמִישִׁ֛י, 6 letters). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·on·the·day" (root יום, 122x in Numbers); "rams" (root איל, 111x in Numbers); "yearlings" (root שנה, 90x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'two', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּבַיּ֧וֹם [and·on·the·day] (64) + הַחֲמִישִׁ֛י [the·fifth] (373) + פָּרִ֥ים [young·bulls] (330) + תִּשְׁעָ֖ה [nine] (775) + אֵילִ֣ם [rams] (81) + שְׁנָ֑יִם [two] (400) + כְּבָשִׂ֧ים [lambs] (372) + בְּנֵֽי־שָׁנָ֛ה [yearlings] (417) + אַרְבָּעָ֥ה [four] (278) + עָשָׂ֖ר [-teen] (570) + תְּמִימִֽם [without·blemish] (530) = 4190.
Onkelos
And on the fifth day: nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs in their first year, unblemished.
Targum Yonatan
On the fifth day of the Feast of Tabernacles, nine young bullocks by nine orders; two rams by two orders lambs of the year fourteen, perfect by twelve orders two of them in a pair, twelve singly;.
and one he-goat for a sin-offering; beside the continual burnt-offering, and the meal-offering of it, and the drink-offering of it.
verse value 2702 — אֶחָ֑ד = 13 (echad/ahavah)
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 35 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֑ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "one" (אֶחָ֑ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·its·grain·offering" (וּמִנְחָתָ֖הּ, 6 letters). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "one" (root אחד, 165x in Numbers); "burnt·offering·of" (root עלה, 96x in Numbers); "and·its·grain·offering" (root מנחה, 62x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'one', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּשְׂעִ֥יר [and·a·goat] (586) + חַטָּ֖את [purgation·offering] (418) + אֶחָ֑ד [one] (13) + מִלְּבַד֙ [in·addition·to] (76) + עֹלַ֣ת [burnt·offering·of] (500) + הַתָּמִ֔יד [the·regular] (459) + וּמִנְחָתָ֖הּ [and·its·grain·offering] (509) + וְנִסְכָּֽהּ [and·its·libation] (141) = 2702.
Onkelos
And one male goat as a sin offering — apart from the daily burnt offering and its meal offering and its libation.
And on the sixth day eight bullocks, two rams, fourteen he-lambs of the first year without blemish;
verse value 4052
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 49 letters. The shortest word is "-teen" (עָשָׂ֖ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "yearlings" (בְּנֵי־שָׁנָ֛ה, 6 letters). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·on·the·day" (root יום, 122x in Numbers); "rams" (root איל, 111x in Numbers); "yearlings" (root שנה, 90x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'two', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּבַיּ֧וֹם [and·on·the·day] (64) + הַשִּׁשִּׁ֛י [the·sixth] (615) + פָּרִ֥ים [bulls] (330) + שְׁמֹנָ֖ה [eight] (395) + אֵילִ֣ם [rams] (81) + שְׁנָ֑יִם [two] (400) + כְּבָשִׂ֧ים [lambs] (372) + בְּנֵי־שָׁנָ֛ה [yearlings] (417) + אַרְבָּעָ֥ה [four] (278) + עָשָׂ֖ר [-teen] (570) + תְּמִימִֽם [without·blemish] (530) = 4052.
Onkelos
And on the sixth day: eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs in their first year, unblemished.
Targum Yonatan
On the sixth day of the Feast of Tabernacles, eight young bullocks by eight orders; two rams by two orders; fourteen unblemished lambs of the year by thirteen orders; a pair of them together, and twelve of them singly.
and one he-goat for a sin-offering; beside the continual burnt-offering, the meal-offering of it, and the drink-offerings of it.
verse value 2706 — אֶחָ֑ד = 13 (echad/ahavah)
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 35 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֑ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "one" (אֶחָ֑ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·its·libations" (וּנְסָכֶֽיהָ, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "and·its·libations" (וּנְסָכֶֽיהָ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "one" (root אחד, 165x in Numbers); "burnt·offering·of" (root עלה, 96x in Numbers); "its·grain·offering" (root מנחה, 62x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'one', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּשְׂעִ֥יר [and·a·goat] (586) + חַטָּ֖את [purgation·offering] (418) + אֶחָ֑ד [one] (13) + מִלְּבַד֙ [in·addition·to] (76) + עֹלַ֣ת [burnt·offering·of] (500) + הַתָּמִ֔יד [the·regular] (459) + מִנְחָתָ֖הּ [its·grain·offering] (503) + וּנְסָכֶֽיהָ [and·its·libations] (151) = 2706.
Onkelos
And one male goat as a sin offering — apart from the daily burnt offering, its meal offering and its libations.
Targum Yonatan
and one kid for a sin offering by one order, besides the perpetual sacrifice, the wheat flour for the mincha, the wine of its libation, and a vase of water to be outpoured on the day of the Feast of Tabernacles in grateful acknowledgment (for a good memorial) of the showers of rain.
And on the seventh day seven bullocks, two rams, fourteen he-lambs of the first year without blemish;
verse value 3816
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 51 letters. Verse gematria: 3816 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "-teen" (עָשָׂ֖ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·seventh" (הַשְּׁבִיעִ֛י, 6 letters). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·on·the·day" (root יום, 122x in Numbers); "rams" (root איל, 111x in Numbers); "yearlings" (root שנה, 90x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'two', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּבַיּ֧וֹם [and·on·the·day] (64) + הַשְּׁבִיעִ֛י [the·seventh] (397) + פָּרִ֥ים [bulls] (330) + שִׁבְעָ֖ה [seven] (377) + אֵילִ֣ם [rams] (81) + שְׁנָ֑יִם [two] (400) + כְּבָשִׂ֧ים [lambs] (372) + בְּנֵי־שָׁנָ֛ה [yearlings] (417) + אַרְבָּעָ֥ה [four] (278) + עָשָׂ֖ר [-teen] (570) + תְּמִימִֽם [without·blemish] (530) = 3816.
Onkelos
And on the seventh day: seven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs in their first year, unblemished.
Chizkuni
וביום השביעי פרים עשרה, “and on the seventh day, ten young bullocks.” The total number of young bullocks offered on the seven days of Sukkot was seventy. This corresponded to the fifty two Sabbath days in the year, seven days of Passover, one day of Shavuot, one day of New Year, one day of Atonement, and eight days of Sukkot/Sh’mini Atzeret. According to Rashi the seventy bullocks represent the seventy nations of the world. In the days of the Temple these sacrifices protected them against suffering and misfortune, as the Prophet Zechariah said (14.18-19) that the festival of Sukkot protects them more than any other precept.
Targum Yonatan
On the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles you shall offer seven bullocks by seven orders; two rams by two orders; fourteen unblemished lambs of the year by fourteen orders: the number of all these lambs ninety-eight, to make atonement against the ninety-eight maledictions.
and one he-goat for a sin-offering; beside the continual burnt-offering, the meal-offering of it, and the drink-offering of it.
verse value 2696 — אֶחָ֑ד = 13 (echad/ahavah)
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 34 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֑ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "one" (אֶחָ֑ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·a·goat" (וּשְׂעִ֥יר, 5 letters). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "one" (root אחד, 165x in Numbers); "burnt·offering·of" (root עלה, 96x in Numbers); "its·grain·offering" (root מנחה, 62x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'one', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּשְׂעִ֥יר [and·a·goat] (586) + חַטָּ֖את [purgation·offering] (418) + אֶחָ֑ד [one] (13) + מִלְּבַד֙ [in·addition·to] (76) + עֹלַ֣ת [burnt·offering·of] (500) + הַתָּמִ֔יד [the·regular] (459) + מִנְחָתָ֖הּ [its·grain·offering] (503) + וְנִסְכָּֽהּ [and·its·libation] (141) = 2696.
Onkelos
And one male goat as a sin offering — apart from the daily burnt offering, its meal offering and its libation.
Chizkuni
ושעיר חטאת אחד, “and one male goat;” the words: לכפר עליכם, “to atone on your behalf,” do not appear in connection with the ones offered on the other days of the festival, as they were offered on behalf of the gentile nations, whereas on the last day of the festival the mussaph offering was presented on behalf of the Jewish people. Their atonement, if any, had no connection with the atonement granted to the Jewish people. An alternate interpretation of this: the Israelites were not yet in need of any atonement having been forgiven their sins on the Day of Atonement four days before the commencement of the Sukkot festival, and having spent the last eight days busy with performing a large number of additional commandments. Proof of this is that we do not read about: “to atone on your behalf,” on any day after the Day of Atonement in this chapter.
On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly: you shall do no manner of servile work;
verse value 3172
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 38 letters. Verse gematria: 3172 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·work·of" (כׇּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "solemn·gathering" (עֲצֶ֖רֶת). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "shall·be" (root היה, 180x in Numbers); "not" (root לא, 129x in Numbers); "you·shall·do" (root עשה, 127x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: בַּיּוֹם֙ [on·the·day] (58) + הַשְּׁמִינִ֔י [the·eighth] (415) + עֲצֶ֖רֶת [solemn·gathering] (760) + תִּהְיֶ֣ה [shall·be] (420) + לָכֶ֑ם [for·you] (90) + כׇּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת [all·work·of] (541) + עֲבֹדָ֖ה [labor] (81) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + תַעֲשֽׂוּ [you·shall·do] (776) = 3172.
Onkelos
On the eighth day there shall be a solemn assembly for you; you shall do no laborious work.
Rashi
עצרת תהיה לכם ON THE EIGHTH DAY THERE SHALL BE A עצרת (RESTRICTION) FOR YOU — you are restricted in the doing of work. Another explanation of עצרת: Restrict yourselves from leaving Jerusalem: this teaches that this (the eighth day) requires that they should remain in Jerusalem overnight (that the pilgrims should not immediately at the termination of the seventh day begin their homeward journey) (Sifrei Bamidbar 151:1). And an explanation of it in the Agada is: because on all the seven days of the Festival they offered sacrifices corresponding in number to the seventy nations of the world, and they propose then to set forth on their way home, the Omnipresent says to them: ‘I beg of you make a small banquet for Me, so that I may have some pleasure from you exclusively” (Sukkah 55b).
Ibn Ezra
"Atzeret" — I have already explained this word.
Chizkuni
ביום השמיני, “on the eighth day;” the Torah does not use the connective letter ו when introducing this paragraph, in order to teach us that this day was considered a festival in its own right. עצרת תהיה לכם, “it is to be an assembly for you;” (alternative translation: a restriction) this is why it is called:, “the eighth day, the festival of assembly.” שמיני חג העצרת. This is also why the shavuot festival is also called: עצרת, as the Torah has written in 28,26: בשבועותיכם which the Targum translated בעצרותיכן, “on your gatherings, detention;” this term has not been applied to the seventh day of Passover, where it only said: “for the Lord your G-d.” [The Torah also had given specific permission for the people who had made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Passover, to leave for home on the morning after having consumed the Paschal lamb. (Deut. 16,7) Ed.] ביום השמיני עצרת תהיה לכם, “on the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly.” If all this is so important why did the sages permit us to leave the sukkah on the seventh day already? The reason is so that we would feel the need to pray for the rain of the rainy season to commence falling. If we still had to sit in the sukkah, we could not be expected to do this wholeheartedly.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ביום השמיני עצרת תהיה לכם, “On the eighth day shall be a solemn assembly for you.” According to the plain meaning of the text the word עצרת means: “to be prevented from performing one’s regular work” (compare Chagigah 18). The Talmud Sukkah 48 states that this was a separate festival distinguished by seven features. It required a separate drawing of lots for who should present the offerings. It qualifies for a separate benediction sanctifying the day; the duty to perform the pilgrimage to Jerusalem applied to it, i.e. anyone who had not come for Sukkot due to whatever reason was obligated to come now if he could. A special mussaf offering was dedicated to this day (as we read in the following verse). The Levites sang a special hymn saluting that festival. It is mentioned in our prayers as a separate festival. One does not dwell in the Sukkah on that day. If someone had buried a close relative on the eve of that day, its arrival cancels (most of) the remainder of the shloshim, the mandatory thirty days during which the mourner may not shave, etc. The day before, i.e. the one on which the dead was buried, is considered as equivalent to the mandatory seven days of intensive mourning. The festival of Sukkot itself is considered as equivalent to a further seven days, and the eighth day being a separate festival is also considered as seven days so that at the conclusion of this day 21 of the thirty days of extended mourning are considered as having passed. The mourner needs to abstain from shaving only nine more days (compare Moed Katan 20). Our sages in Sukkah 47 draw attention to the wording פר, bull, in our verse as compared to the seven days previously on which a number of פרים were offered each day. They also draw attention to the word וביום which introduces the second to seventh day of Sukkot, whereas here the Torah merely writes ביום, without the connecting letter ו which would have linked this day conceptually to the ones preceding it. The significance of all this is that whereas on each of the seven days of the festival of Sukkot bulls (pl.) had been offered as a part of the mussaf offering, on this day only a single bull representing the Jewish people was offered. The missing letter ו at the beginning of the words ביום השמיני makes clear that this day had a significance all its own, is a separate festival. A Midrashic approach: the words ביום השמיני עצרת may be understood as “on the eighth day a ‘detention.’” G’d is supposed to have asked the Israelites to remain in Jerusalem an additional day as He wants to enjoy their company for another day. It is similar to a king who had entertained his sons for a whole week and who finds it difficult to part from them at the end of that period. He asks them to remain with him for an extra day. In the Talmud Sukkah 55 Abbaye states that whereas the 70 bulls presented on the altar during the seven preceding days were in respect of the seventy nations of the world, the single bull offered on the eighth day was in respect of the unique people, the Jewish people. The commandment by G’d to the Jewish people to offer this single bull on the eighth day is comparable to a king who had told all his servants to prepare a meal for him. At the end of that meal he said to his most intimate friend: “make for me a small dinner so that I can enjoy your presence on an intimate basis.” A kabbalistic approach: The word עצרת is a term describing the כנסת ישראל, the spiritual concept known as “Israel.” The reason that this term is an apt description is that (in colloquial parlance: ‘this people is where the buck stops.’) In other words, were it not for the concept represented by the Jewish people the whole universe would lack meaning and purpose. It is also an expression denoting מלכות, authority, dominion, such as in Samuel I 9,17 זה יעצור בעמי, “this one will rule over My people” (G’d speaking). The word occurs in that meaning also in Rosh Hashanah 16 meaning “crown-prince,” i.e. the prince who will assume the authority of the king. For the above-mentioned reasons Shemini Atzeret is a festival all by itself. We may see reflected in this day the practice that among the four species of plants with which we praise the Lord on the festival of Sukkot it is the etrog which represents the Jewish people and which is held separately, not being bound up with the other species. The Shemini Atzeret festival is perceived as the festival of the giving of the Torah which the Talmud always refers to as עצרת, meaning the festival of Shavuot, the recurrence of the calendar date on which the Torah was received. We find that the name עצרת is also applied by the Torah to the seventh day of Passover (Deut. 16,8) although that day is an integral part of the festival. In other words, the term appears in connection with all three pilgrimage holidays. What does all this mean? Just as the word שבת is applied by the Torah to the various festivals on various occasions to show that the כנסת ישראל is the “bride” of the Sabbath, [and that without this “bride” the entire legislation would be devoid of meaning, Ed.] so the word עצרת when used in connection with the festivals conveys the idea that the Jewish people, spiritually speaking, are the purpose of all these festivals. In kabbalistic terms, they are the יסוד [borrowed from the emanation by that name] “foundation,” without which the entire legislation of the festivals would lack meaning. David gave expression to this feeling when he composed the hymn of the Sabbath commencing with the words מזמור שיר ליום השבת, “a song to the Sabbath Day.” Naturally, he did not mean to address the “day,” [in fact this might have been idolatrous, Ed.] but he addressed the spiritual concept of כנסת ישראל which represents this emanation יסוד. When David similarly exalted למנצח על השמינית (Psalms 12,1) he referred to similar thoughts, i.e. calling כנסת ישראל as the concept which has not been upheld by its representatives on earth. It pays to consider the way G’d phrased the introduction to this special festival by saying עצרת תהיה לכם, similar to להיות לכם לאלו-הים, “in order to be your G’d.” The other festivals in this chapter were introduced as being לה', “for Hashem;” this one is being introduced as being “for you,” i.e. for the Jewish people. On the other hand, in Leviticus 23,36 the same day is described as עצרת היא, instead of as עצרת תהיה לכם. What is the difference? The explanation is that the words עצרת היא should be understood as עצרת של היא, not “it is a detention,” or some such, but it is the detention of היא, the word היא referring to the Sabbath, the companion of the “festival,” i.e. the Jewish people. The Sabbath is featured in a similar manner when the Torah wrote concerning it in Exodus 31,13: אות היא ביני וביניכם, “it is a sign between Me and between you.” When you consider this you will appreciate why the sages in the above-quoted Midrash referred to the meal on the eighth day as a “small” meal. It was an allusion to the letter ה in the word בהבראם, in Genesis 2,4 (compare author’s comments on this. One must remember that the various letters in the word היא appear at different times in smaller than usual script to make these points) as well as the small letter י in the word תשי in Deut. 32,18, and the small letter א in the word ויקרא in Leviticus 1,1. This is the mystical dimension of Berachot 48 that “nine adults plus one minor (usually understood as under-aged individual) may be combined to form a quorum for the sake of making a מנין enabling congregational prayer or use of the word אלוקינו when reciting grace after meals.” [This view is not halachically accepted. Ed.] This is also the mystical dimension of the verse quoting David (in Psalms 37,25) which we recite near the conclusion of the grace after meals prayer נער הייתי גם זקנתי, “I used to be a minor, though in the interval I have come of age and become old,” a verse recited by the שר של העולם, the angel Mattatron who runs the universe on behalf of the Lord. The prophet Isaiah refers to the period of the first Temple as such a “minor” (i.e. peopled by spiritually immature Jews) when he said (Isaiah 28,10) זעיר שם, זעיר שם, “now a little here, now a little there.” (Compare Yevamot 16 on the verse in Psalms 37,25).
but you shall present a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to Hashem: one bullock, one ram, seven he-lambs of the first year without blemish;
verse value 3557 — אֶחָ֖ד = 13 (echad/ahavah)
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 56 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֖ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "bull" (פַּ֥ר, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·you·shall·present" (וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֨ם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 13: one, one. The root אחד appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "one" (root אחד, 165x in Numbers); "ram" (root איל, 111x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'one', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֨ם [and·you·shall·present] (753) + עֹלָ֜ה [burnt·offering] (105) + אִשֵּׁ֨ה [offering·by·fire] (306) + רֵ֤יחַ [odor] (218) + נִיחֹ֙חַ֙ [pleasing] (76) + לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה [to·Hashem] (56) + פַּ֥ר [bull] (280) + אֶחָ֖ד [one] (13) + אַ֣יִל [ram] (41) + אֶחָ֑ד [one] (13) + כְּבָשִׂ֧ים [lambs] (372) + בְּנֵי־שָׁנָ֛ה [yearlings] (417) + שִׁבְעָ֖ה [seven] (377) + תְּמִימִֽם [without·blemish] (530) = 3557.
Onkelos
And you shall offer a burnt offering, an offering accepted with favor before Hashem: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs in their first year, unblemished.
Rashi
פר אחד איל אחד ONE BULLOCK, ONE RAM — these are an allusion to Israel who form one nation: “Stay with me a little longer”. And this conveys the idea of God’s affection for Israel — just like children who think to take leave of their father to whom he says, “Parting from you is very hard to me; stay one day more”. — A parable! It may be compared to the case of a king who made a banquet etc., as it is related in Treatise Sukkah 55b. And in the Midrash of R. Tanchuma 4:8:17 it states: The Torah teaches you a rule of conduct — that he who has a stranger staying with him should give him on the first day fattened poultry to eat, on the morrow he should give him fish to eat, on the next day animal flesh; on the following day he should give him pulse to eat, and on the next day vegetables, diminishing gradually, just as was the case with the bullocks on the Feast of Tabernacles.
Chizkuni
פר אחד, איל אחד, “one bullock, one ram. G-d requested the minimum number of sacrifices from the Jewish people on that day, to show that He detained them only because of His fondness of them. (B’chor shor)
Targum Yonatan
but offer a sacrifice an oblation to be received with favour before the Lord; light oblations; one bullock before the one God, one ram for the one people, lambs of the year unblemished, seven, for the joy of the seven days.
their meal-offering and their drink-offerings for the bullock, for the ram, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the ordinance;
verse value 2389
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 37 letters. The shortest word is "for·the·bull" (לַפָּ֨ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·their·libations" (וְנִסְכֵּיהֶ֗ם, 7 letters). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for·the·ram" (root איל, 111x in Numbers); "and·for·the·lambs" (root כבש, 70x in Numbers); "their·grain-offering" (root מנחה, 62x in Numbers). Full calculation: מִנְחָתָ֣ם [their·grain-offering] (538) + וְנִסְכֵּיהֶ֗ם [and·their·libations] (191) + לַפָּ֨ר [for·the·bull] (310) + לָאַ֧יִל [for·the·ram] (71) + וְלַכְּבָשִׂ֛ים [and·for·the·lambs] (408) + בְּמִסְפָּרָ֖ם [in·their·number] (422) + כַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט [as·the·ordinance] (449) = 2389.
Onkelos
Their meal offering and their libations for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, according to their number, as is fitting.
and one he-goat for a sin-offering; beside the continual burnt-offering, and the meal-offering of it, and the drink-offering of it.
verse value 2702 — אֶחָ֑ד = 13 (echad/ahavah)
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 35 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֑ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "one" (אֶחָ֑ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·its·grain-offering" (וּמִנְחָתָ֖הּ, 6 letters). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "one" (root אחד, 165x in Numbers); "burnt-offering·of" (root עלה, 96x in Numbers); "and·its·grain-offering" (root מנחה, 62x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'one', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּשְׂעִ֥יר [and·he-goat] (586) + חַטָּ֖את [purgation-offering] (418) + אֶחָ֑ד [one] (13) + מִלְּבַד֙ [in·addition·to] (76) + עֹלַ֣ת [burnt-offering·of] (500) + הַתָּמִ֔יד [the·regular] (459) + וּמִנְחָתָ֖הּ [and·its·grain-offering] (509) + וְנִסְכָּֽהּ [and·its·libation] (141) = 2702.
Onkelos
And one male goat as a sin offering — apart from the daily burnt offering and its meal offering and its libation.
These you shall offer to Hashem in your appointed seasons, beside your vows, and your freewill-offerings, whether they be your burnt-offerings, or your meal-offerings, or your drink-offerings, or your offerings of well-being.
verse value 3908 — אֵ֛לֶּה = 36 (double-Chai)
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 70 letters. Notable word values: "these" (אֵ֛לֶּה) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "these" (אֵ֛לֶּה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·for·your·grain-offerings" (וּלְמִנְחֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 36: these, in·addition·to. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Numbers. Unique to this verse in Numbers (hapax): "at·your·stated-times" (בְּמוֹעֲדֵיכֶ֑ם), "in·addition·to" (לְבַ֨ד), "from·your·votive-offerings" (מִנִּדְרֵיכֶ֜ם). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 389x in Numbers); "you·shall·do" (root עשה, 127x in Numbers); "for·your·burnt-offerings" (root עלה, 96x in Numbers). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'at·your·stated-times', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 7 words. Full calculation: אֵ֛לֶּה [these] (36) + תַּעֲשׂ֥וּ [you·shall·do] (776) + לַיהֹוָ֖ה [to·Hashem] (56) + בְּמוֹעֲדֵיכֶ֑ם [at·your·stated-times] (192) + לְבַ֨ד [in·addition·to] (36) + מִנִּדְרֵיכֶ֜ם [from·your·votive-offerings] (364) + וְנִדְבֹתֵיכֶ֗ם [and·your·freewill-offerings] (532) + לְעֹלֹֽתֵיכֶם֙ [for·your·burnt-offerings] (600) + וּלְמִנְחֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם [and·for·your·grain-offerings] (604) + וּלְנִסְכֵּיכֶ֖ם [and·for·your·libations] (236) + וּלְשַׁלְמֵיכֶֽם [and·for·your·offerings-of-well-being] (476) = 3908.
Onkelos
These you shall offer before Hashem at your appointed times, apart from your vows and your freewill offerings — for your burnt offerings and your meal offerings and your libations and your peace offerings.
Rashi
אלה תעשו לה׳ במועדיכם THESE YE SHALL OFFER TO THE LORD ON YOUR APPOINTED FESTIVALS — as something that is laid down as a duty, לבד מנדריכם BESIDES YOUR VOWS [AND YOUR FREEWILL OFFERINGS] — If on the Festival you wish to make a vow to bring a sacrifice, you have a duty ready at hand to your credit and you should bring it on that Festival; or in the case of vow-offerings and freewill offerings which you have vowed all the year, bring them on the Festival. — Perhaps it will be difficult for one to go up again to Jerusalem to bring his vow-offerings, and consequently he will transgress the command, (Deuteronomy 23:22) “Thou shalt not delay to pay it (thy vow)”.
Ibn Ezra
"And for your meal-offerings and your libations" — [this refers] to each and every burnt-offering according to its proper rule.
Chizkuni
לעולותיכם, “as your burnt offerings, etc.” for example the male sheep offered as such on Sabbath days when these occurred on Passover or Sukkot.” [as at least one Sabbath had to fall on each of these festivals. Ed.]
Rabbeinu Bahya
אלה תעשו לה' במועדיכם לבד מנדריכם ונדבותיכם, “these (offerings) you are to present for Hashem on your appointed festivals apart from your vows and free-will offerings, etc.” Actually, the Torah should have written: “your burnt-offerings and your peace-offerings” first, seeing these are offerings consisting of meat before switching to offerings which consist of meal-offerings and libations, instead of mentioning the most important offerings, i.e. the total (burnt) offerings only after the vows and free-will offerings. After all, our sages in Yuma 34 are specific about the burnt-offering always preceding other offerings and being the first offering presented on the altar each morning. The Torah concluded its list with the peace-offerings as the purpose of these offerings is להשלים המדות, “to strive to perfect one’s character traits” (compare author’s comments on Genesis 46,1). Moreover, it is the custom for the Torah whenever it enumerates a number of different offerings to conclude with the “peace-offerings.” Furthermore the greatest and concluding blessing of the priests is the blessing of peace, i.e. שלום. This then is the reason why here too the “peace-offerings” are mentioned last. Just as the tetragrammaton had been associated with these offerings at the beginning of the chapter, the Torah also concludes with mentioning the fact that these offerings are addressed to Hashem. The Torah wishes to underline that all the offerings must always be addressed to this attribute and none other. The reason that the seventy bulls are mentioned between the beginning and the end of our chapter is to remind us that although they were offered on behalf of the seventy nations who are under the immediate care of their celestial representatives, the offerings were all addressed to the attribute Hashem, not to any underlings, angels, etc. The blessings which humanity enjoys from celestial sources are due to the seventy bulls offered to Hashem on behalf of the nations by the priests in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Each “force” in the terrestrial world must recognize that there is a “force” above it, until eventually the highest “force” Hashem is reached. This is the meaning of Kohelet 5,7: “for there is One higher than high Who watches and there are high ones above them.”
Onkelos
Ibn Ezra
Targum Yonatan