Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 6

14The following are the heads of the paternal clans of the first three tribes: The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, were Chanoch, Palu, Chetzron, and Karmi; these are the families of Reuben.   ידאֵ֖לֶּה רָאשֵׁ֣י בֵֽית־אֲבֹתָ֑ם בְּנֵ֨י רְאוּבֵ֜ן בְּכֹ֣ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל חֲנ֤וֹךְ וּפַלּוּא֙ חֶצְרֹ֣ן וְכַרְמִ֔י אֵ֖לֶּה מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת רְאוּבֵֽן:
אֵלֶּה רָאשֵׁי בֵֽית־אֲבֹתָם - The following are the heads of the paternal clans. Since Scripture needed to give the genealogy of the tribe of Levi up to Moses and Aaron for the sake of telling us the ancestry of Moses and Aaron, it began by giving the genealogy of the tribes by their order of birth, from Reuben, the first tribe. But in Pesikta Rabbati 1 I have seen another explanation: Because their father Jacob had rebuked these three tribes at the time of his death, Scripture gives their genealogy here again on their own, implying that they were nevertheless worthy.   אֵלֶּה רָאשֵׁי בֵֽית־אֲבֹתָם.  מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁהֻזְקַק לְיַחֵס שִׁבְטוֹ שֶׁל לֵוִי עַד מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן בִּשְׁבִיל מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, הִתְחִיל לְיַחֲסָם דֶּרֶךְ תּוֹלְדוֹתָם מֵרְאוּבֵן. וּבְפְסִיקְתָּא רַבָּתִי רָאִיתִי, לְפִי שֶׁקִּנְטְרָם יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ לִשְׁלוֹשָׁה שְׁבָטִים הַלָּלוּ בִּשְׁעַת מוֹתוֹ, חָזַר הַכָּתוּב וְיִחֲסָם כָּאן לְבַדָּם, לוֹמַר שֶׁחֲשׁוּבִים הֵם:
15The sons of Simeon were Yemu’el, Yamin, Ohad, Yachin, Tzochar, and Sha’ul, son of Dinah, who was considered the Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon.   טווּבְנֵ֣י שִׁמְע֗וֹן יְמוּאֵ֨ל וְיָמִ֤ין וְאֹ֨הַד֙ וְיָכִ֣ין וְצֹ֔חַר וְשָׁא֖וּל בֶּן־הַכְּנַֽעֲנִ֑ית אֵ֖לֶּה מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת שִׁמְעֽוֹן:
16These are the names of the sons of Levi in their order of birth: Gershon, Kehat, and Merari. The years of Levi’s life came to 137 when he died.   טזוְאֵ֨לֶּה שְׁמ֤וֹת בְּנֵֽי־לֵוִי֙ לְתֹ֣לְדֹתָ֔ם גֵּֽרְשׁ֕וֹן וּקְהָ֖ת וּמְרָרִ֑י וּשְׁנֵי֙ חַיֵּ֣י לֵוִ֔י שֶׁ֧בַע וּשְׁלשִׁ֛ים וּמְאַ֖ת שָׁנָֽה:
וּשְׁנֵי חַיֵּי לֵוִי וגו' - The years of Levi’s life came to… Why are the years of Levi enumerated? To thereby tell us how long was the period of actual slavery, for as long as one of the tribes was alive there was no slavery, for it says: “Joseph and all his brothers died,” 2 and only after that “a new king arose”; 3 and Levi lived longer than all the others.   וּשְׁנֵי חַיֵּי לֵוִי וגו'.  לָמָּה נִמְנוּ שְׁנוֹתָיו שֶׁל לֵוִי? לְהוֹדִיעַ כַּמָּה יְמֵי הַשִּׁעְבּוּד; שֶׁכָּל זְמַן שֶׁאֶחָד מִן הַשְּׁבָטִים קַיָּם לֹא הָיָה שִׁעְבּוּד (שמות רבה א'), שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וַיָּמָת יוֹסֵף וְכָל אֶחָיו" (שמות א), וְאַחַר כָּךְ "וַיָּקָם מֶלֶךְ חָדָשׁ", וְלֵוִי הֶאֱרִיךְ יָמִים עַל כֻּלָּם:
17The sons of Gershon were Livni and Shim’i, with their respective families.   יזבְּנֵ֥י גֵֽרְשׁ֛וֹן לִבְנִ֥י וְשִׁמְעִ֖י לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָֽם:
18The sons of Kehat were Amram, Yitzhar, Chevron, and Uzi’el. The years of Kehat’s life came to 133 when he died.   יחוּבְנֵ֣י קְהָ֔ת עַמְרָ֣ם וְיִצְהָ֔ר וְחֶבְר֖וֹן וְעֻזִּיאֵ֑ל וּשְׁנֵי֙ חַיֵּ֣י קְהָ֔ת שָׁל֧שׁ וּשְׁלשִׁ֛ים וּמְאַ֖ת שָׁנָֽה:
וּשְׁנֵי חַיֵּי קְהָת וּשְׁנֵי חַיֵּי עַמְרָם וגו' - The years of Kehat’s life came to…the years of Amram’s life came to…. From this reckoning of the years of Kehat and Amram we can deduce that when Scripture states that the Israelites would dwell in exile for 400 years, 4 they do not mean only the years spent in Egypt, but they begin from the day of Isaac’s birth; for Kehat was among those who went down to Egypt with Jacob – count all his years (133), the years of Amram (137), and the 80 years of Moses’ age at the Exodus, and you do not find them amounting to 400 years, and besides this, many years of the sons’ lives overlap with the years of the fathers.   וּשְׁנֵי חַיֵּי קְהָת וּשְׁנֵי חַיֵּי עַמְרָם וגו'.  מֵחֶשְׁבּוֹן זֶה אָנוּ לְמֵדִים עַל מוֹשַׁב בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (בראשית ט״ו:י״ג), שֶׁלֹּא בְאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לְבַדָּהּ הָיוּ, אֶלָּא מִיּוֹם שֶׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק; שֶׁהֲרֵי קְהָת מִיּוֹרְדֵי מִצְרַיִם הָיָה, חֲשֹׁב כָּל שְׁנוֹתָיו וּשְׁנוֹת עַמְרָם וּשְׁמוֹנִים שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה, לֹא תִמְצָאֵם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה, וְהַרְבֵּה שָׁנִים נִבְלָעִים לַבָּנִים בִּשְׁנֵי הָאָבוֹת:
19The sons of Merari were Machli and Mushi. The above are the families of Levi, in their order of birth.   יטוּבְנֵ֥י מְרָרִ֖י מַחְלִ֣י וּמוּשִׁ֑י אֵ֛לֶּה מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הַלֵּוִ֖י לְתֹֽלְדֹתָֽם:
20Amram married Yocheved, his aunt. She bore him Aaron and Moses. The years of Amram’s life came to 137 when he died.   כוַיִּקַּ֨ח עַמְרָ֜ם אֶת־יוֹכֶ֤בֶד דֹּֽדָתוֹ֙ ל֣וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֔ה וַתֵּ֣לֶד ל֔וֹ אֶת־אַֽהֲרֹ֖ן וְאֶת־משֶׁ֑ה וּשְׁנֵי֙ חַיֵּ֣י עַמְרָ֔ם שֶׁ֧בַע וּשְׁלשִׁ֛ים וּמְאַ֖ת שָׁנָֽה:
יוֹכֶבֶד דודתו - Yocheved, his aunt. Onkelos translates דֹּדָתוֹ as אַחַת אֲבוּהִי “his father’s sister,” i.e., she was the daughter of Levi and thus the sister of Kehat, Amram’s father.   יוֹכֶבֶד דודתו.  אַחַת אֲבוּהִי, בַּת לֵוִי אֲחוֹת קְהָת:
21The sons of Yitzhar were Korach, Nefeg, and Zichri.   כאוּבְנֵ֖י יִצְהָ֑ר קֹ֥רַח וָנֶ֖פֶג וְזִכְרִֽי:
22The sons of Uzi’el were Misha’el, Eltzafan, and Sitri.   כבוּבְנֵ֖י עֻזִּיאֵ֑ל מִֽישָׁאֵ֥ל וְאֶלְצָפָ֖ן וְסִתְרִֽי:
23Aaron married Elisheva daughter of Aminadav and sister of Nachshon, and she bore him Nadav, Avihu, Eleazar, and Itamar.   כגוַיִּקַּ֨ח אַֽהֲרֹ֜ן אֶת־אֱלִישֶׁ֧בַע בַּת־עַמִּֽינָדָ֛ב אֲח֥וֹת נַחְשׁ֖וֹן ל֣וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וַתֵּ֣לֶד ל֗וֹ אֶת־נָדָב֙ וְאֶת־אֲבִיה֔וּא אֶת־אֶלְעָזָ֖ר וְאֶת־אִֽיתָמָֽר:
אֲחוֹת נַחְשׁוֹן - Sister of Nachshon. From here we learn that one marrying a woman should first examine the character of her brothers.   אֲחוֹת נַחְשׁוֹן.  מִכָּאן לָמְדוּ, הַנּוֹשֵׂא אִשָּׁה צָרִיךְ לִבְדֹק בְאַחֶיהָ (בבא בתרא ק"י):
24The sons of Korach were Asir, Elkanah, and Avi’asaf; these are the families of the clan of Korach.   כדוּבְנֵ֣י קֹ֔רַח אַסִּ֥יר וְאֶלְקָנָ֖ה וַֽאֲבִֽיאָסָ֑ף אֵ֖לֶּה מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הַקָּרְחִֽי:
25Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Puti’el, and she bore him Pinechas. The above are the heads of the paternal clans of the Levites, by their families.   כהוְאֶלְעָזָ֨ר בֶּן־אַֽהֲרֹ֜ן לָֽקַח־ל֨וֹ מִבְּנ֤וֹת פּֽוּטִיאֵל֙ ל֣וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֔ה וַתֵּ֥לֶד ל֖וֹ אֶת־פִּֽינְחָ֑ס אֵ֗לֶּה רָאשֵׁ֛י אֲב֥וֹת הַֽלְוִיִּ֖ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָֽם:
מִבְּנוֹת פּֽוּטִיאֵל - One of the daughters of Puti’el. She was a descendant of Jethro, known as Puti’el because he fattened (פִּטֵּם) calves to sacrifice to idols, and a descendant of Joseph, known as Puti’el because he scorned (פִּטְפֵּט) the advice of his evil inclination.   מִבְּנוֹת פּֽוּטִיאֵל.  מִזֶּרַע יִתְרוֹ שֶׁפִּטֵּם עֲגָלִים לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וּמִזֶּרַע יוֹסֵף שֶׁפִּטְפֵּט בְּיִצְרוֹ (סוטה מ"ג):
26These are the same Aaron and Moses to whom God said, “Take the Israelites out of Egypt according to their tribal groups.”   כוה֥וּא אַֽהֲרֹ֖ן וּמשֶׁ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמַ֤ר יְהֹוָה֙ לָהֶ֔ם הוֹצִ֜יאוּ אֶת־בְּנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם עַל־צִבְאֹתָֽם:
הוּא אַֽהֲרֹן וּמשֶׁה - i.e., those who are mentioned above, whom Yocheved bore to Amram, “these are the same Aaron and Moses to whom God said…”; their background contributed to them being selected as leaders. There are some places where Scripture mentions Aaron before Moses, and some places where it mentions Moses before Aaron, in order to indicate to you that they were equal in that they both played integral roles in this mission.   הוּא אַֽהֲרֹן וּמשֶׁה.  אֵלּוּ שֶׁהֻזְכְּרוּ לְמַעְלָה, שֶׁיָּלְדָה יוֹכֶבֶד לְעַמְרָם. הוא אהרן ומשה. יֵשׁ מְקוֹמוֹת שֶׁמַּקְדִּים אַהֲרֹן לְמֹשֶׁה וְיֵשׁ מְקוֹמוֹת שֶׁמַּקְדִּים מֹשֶׁה לְאַהֲרֹן, לוֹמַר לְךָ שֶׁשְּׁקוּלִין כְּאֶחָד:
עַל־צִבְאֹתָֽם - means: בְּצִבְאוֹתָם “with their groups,” i.e., their entire host according to their tribes. Sometimes, as here, the word עַל is merely in place of a single-letter prefix: “עַל חַרְבְּךָ you will live” 5 is the same as בְּחַרְבְּךָ “by your sword”; “You stood עַל חַרְבְּכֶם” 6 is the same as בְּחַרְבְּכֶם “by your sword.”   עַל־צִבְאֹתָֽם.  בְּצִבְאוֹתָם, כָּל צְבָאָם לְשִׁבְטֵיהֶם; יֵשׁ עַל שֶׁאֵינוֹ אֶלָּא בִמְקוֹם אוֹת אַחַת, "וְעַל חַרְבְּךָ תִחְיֶה" (בראשית כ"ז), כְּמוֹ בְּחַרְבְּךָ, "עֲמַדְתֶּם עַל חַרְבְּכֶם" (יחזקאל ל"ג) – בְּחַרְבְּכֶם:
27They are the ones who spoke to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, in order to take the Israelites out of Egypt. They were Moses and Aaron.   כזהֵ֗ם הַֽמְדַבְּרִים֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם לְהוֹצִ֥יא אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם ה֥וּא משֶׁ֖ה וְאַֽהֲרֹֽן:
הֵם הַֽמְדַבְּרִים וגו' - They are the ones who spoke…. i.e., they are the ones who were commanded to speak to Pharaoh because of their inherent qualities as stated above, and they actualized these potentials, living up to their expectations.   הֵם הַֽמְדַבְּרִים וגו'.  הֵם שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ, הֵם שֶׁקִּיְּמוּ:
הוּא משֶׁה וְאַֽהֲרֹֽן - (lit.) He was Moses and Aaron - i.e., they each were consistent in their unique roles in their mission, which stemmed from their individual righteous qualities, from beginning to end.   הוּא משֶׁה וְאַֽהֲרֹֽן.  הֵם בִּשְׁלִיחוּתָם וּבְצִדְקָתָם מִתְּחִלָּה וְעַד סוֹף (מגילה י"א):
28On the day that God spoke to Moses in Egypt,   כחוַיְהִ֗י בְּי֨וֹם דִּבֶּ֧ר יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶל־משֶׁ֖ה בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם:
וַיְהִי בְּיוֹם דִּבֶּר וגו' - (lit.) It was on the day… This verse is connected to the following verse.   וַיְהִי בְּיוֹם דִּבֶּר וגו'.  מְחֻבָּר לַמִּקְרָא שֶׁלְּאַחֲרָיו: