| 21I have given to the Levites as an inheritance all tithes of Israel, in exchange for their service that they perform—the service of the Tent of Meeting. |
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כאוְלִבְנֵ֣י לֵוִ֔י הִנֵּ֥ה נָתַ֛תִּי כָּל־מַֽעֲשֵׂ֥ר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְנַֽחֲלָ֑ה חֵ֤לֶף עֲבֹֽדָתָם֙ אֲשֶׁר־הֵ֣ם עֹֽבְדִ֔ים אֶת־עֲבֹדַ֖ת אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד: |
| 22The Israelites must no longer approach the Tent of Meeting, lest they become guilty of sin and die. |
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כבוְלֹֽא־יִקְרְב֥וּ ע֛וֹד בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד לָשֵׂ֥את חֵ֖טְא לָמֽוּת: |
| 23The Levites must perform the service of the Tent of Meeting, and they will bear their iniquity; this is an eternal rule for all generations. They will have no land-inheritance among the Israelites, |
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כגוְעָבַ֨ד הַלֵּוִ֜י ה֗וּא אֶת־עֲבֹדַת֙ אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד וְהֵ֖ם יִשְׂא֣וּ עֲוֹנָ֑ם חֻקַּ֤ת עוֹלָם֙ לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם וּבְתוֹךְ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹ֥א יִנְחֲל֖וּ נַֽחֲלָֽה: |
| וְהֵם - And they - the Levites – “will bear their iniquity” – i.e., that of the Israelites, for it is incumbent upon them to warn laypeople against coming too close to them. |
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וְהֵם.
הַלְוִיִּם — יִשְׂאוּ עֲוֹנָם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁעֲלֵיהֶם לְהַזְהִיר הַזָּרִים מִגֶּשֶׁת אֲלֵיהֶם:
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| 24for I have given the tithes of the Israelites to the Levites as an inheritance, the elevation-offering that they set aside for God. I therefore said to them that they will have no land-inheritance among the Israelites.” |
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כדכִּ֞י אֶת־מַעְשַׂ֣ר בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָרִ֤ימוּ לַֽיהֹוָה֙ תְּרוּמָ֔ה נָתַ֥תִּי לַֽלְוִיִּ֖ם לְנַֽחֲלָ֑ה עַל־כֵּן֙ אָמַ֣רְתִּי לָהֶ֔ם בְּתוֹךְ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹ֥א יִנְחֲל֖וּ נַֽחֲלָֽה: |
| אֲשֶׁר יָרִימוּ לה' תְּרוּמָה - The elevation-offering that they set aside for God. Scripture calls the entire tithe terumah by virtue of the priests’ portion within it until the Levite separates that portion as terumah from the tithe, as described presently. |
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אֲשֶׁר יָרִימוּ לה' תְּרוּמָה.
הַכָּתוּב קְרָאוֹ תְּרוּמָה עַד שֶׁיַּפְרִישׁ מִמֶּנּוּ תְּרוּמַת מַעֲשֵׂר:
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| 25God spoke to Moses, saying, |
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כהוַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־משֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר: |
| 26“Speak to the Levites and tell them, ‘When you take the tithe from the Israelites, which I have given you from them as your inheritance, you must set aside from it a portion (terumah) for God—a tithe of the tithe. |
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כווְאֶל־הַֽלְוִיִּ֣ם תְּדַבֵּר֘ וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶם֒ כִּֽי־תִ֠קְח֠וּ מֵאֵ֨ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶת־הַמַּֽעֲשֵׂ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֨ר נָתַ֧תִּי לָכֶ֛ם מֵֽאִתָּ֖ם בְּנַֽחֲלַתְכֶ֑ם וַֽהֲרֵֽמֹתֶ֤ם מִמֶּ֨נּוּ֙ תְּרוּמַ֣ת יְהֹוָ֔ה מַֽעֲשֵׂ֖ר מִן־הַמַּֽעֲשֵֽׂר: |
| 27Your terumah will be considered for you as the grain from the threshing-floor and the produce of the vat. |
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כזוְנֶחְשַׁ֥ב לָכֶ֖ם תְּרֽוּמַתְכֶ֑ם כַּדָּגָן֙ מִן־הַגֹּ֔רֶן וְכַֽמְלֵאָ֖ה מִן־הַיָּֽקֶב: |
| וְנֶחְשַׁב לָכֶם תְּרֽוּמַתְכֶם כַּדָּגָן מִן־הַגֹּרֶן - Your terumah will be considered for you as the grain from the threshing floor - i.e., your terumah taken from the tithe is forbidden to the laity and to ritually defiled priests, and those eating it are subject to the death penalty by heavenly act if they do so intentionally, or to payment of a fifth if done inadvertently, just like the “great” terumah, which is called “the first of your grain,” from the threshing-floor. |
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וְנֶחְשַׁב לָכֶם תְּרֽוּמַתְכֶם כַּדָּגָן מִן־הַגֹּרֶן.
תְּרוּמַת מַעֲשֵׂר שֶׁלָּכֶם אֲסוּרָה לְזָרִים וְלִטְמֵאִין, וְחַיָּבִין עָלֶיהָ מִיתָה וְחֹמֶשׁ כִּתְרוּמָה גְדוֹלָה שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת רֵאשִׁית דָּגָן מִן הַגֹּרֶן:
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| וְכַֽמְלֵאָה מִן־הַיָּֽקֶב - And the produce of the vat - i.e., like the terumah of wine and oil, which is taken from the vat. |
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וְכַֽמְלֵאָה מִן־הַיָּֽקֶב.
תְּרוּמַת תִּירוֹשׁ וְיִצְהָר הַנִּטֶּלֶת מִן הַיְקָבִים:
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| מְלֵאָה - (lit.) Fullness - this word denotes ripening, i.e., produce that has ripened. |
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מְלֵאָה.
לְשׁוֹן בִּשּׁוּל — תְּבוּאָה שֶׁנִּתְמַלֵּאת:
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| יָּֽקֶב - is the pit in front of the winepress, into which the wine falls. Every instance of יֶקֶב denotes something dug in the ground, and so we find: יִקְבֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ “the King’s pits,” referring to the ocean, the excavation that the King of the World dug. |
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יָּֽקֶב.
הוּא הַבּוֹר שֶׁלִּפְנֵי הַגַּת שֶׁהַיַּיִן יוֹרֵד לְתוֹכוֹ, וְכָל לְשׁוֹן יֶקֶב חֲפִירַת קַרְקַע הוּא, וְכֵן "יִקְבֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ" (זכריה י"ד), הוּא יָם אוֹקְיָנוֹס, חֲפִירָה שֶׁחָפַר מַלְכּוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם:
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| 28So must you too set aside terumah for God from all the tithes you take from the Israelites, and you must give therefrom God’s terumah to Aaron the priest. |
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כחכֵּ֣ן תָּרִ֤ימוּ גַם־אַתֶּם֙ תְּרוּמַ֣ת יְהֹוָ֔ה מִכֹּל֙ מַעְשְׂרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּקְח֔וּ מֵאֵ֖ת בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּנְתַתֶּ֤ם מִמֶּ֨נּוּ֙ אֶת־תְּרוּמַ֣ת יְהֹוָ֔ה לְאַֽהֲרֹ֖ן הַכֹּהֵֽן: |
| כֵּן תָּרִימוּ גַם־אַתֶּם - So must you too set aside - i.e., just as lay Israelites separate terumah from the produce of their threshing-floors and their vats, so must you too separate terumah from your tithe, for that is your possession. |
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כֵּן תָּרִימוּ גַם־אַתֶּם.
כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל מְרִימִים מִגָּרְנָם וּמִיִּקְבֵיהֶם, תָּרִימוּ גַּם אַתֶּם מִמַּעֲשֵׂר שֶׁלָּכֶם, כִּי הוּא נַחֲלַתְכֶם:
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| 29You must set aside from all your gifts all the gifts due to God. That part of it which is to be consecrated must be from its choicest portion.’ |
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כטמִכֹּל֙ מַתְּנֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם תָּרִ֕ימוּ אֵ֖ת כָּל־תְּרוּמַ֣ת יְהֹוָ֑ה מִכָּ֨ל־חֶלְבּ֔וֹ אֶת־מִקְדְּשׁ֖וֹ מִמֶּֽנּוּ: |
| מִכֹּל מַתְּנֹתֵיכֶם תָּרִימוּ אֵת כָּל־תְּרוּמַת ה' - You must set aside from all your gifts all the gifts due to God. The verse is speaking about the “great” terumah, informing us that if the Levite arrived at the heaped grain before the priest and received his tithes from the Israelite before the priest received the “great” terumah from the heap, the Levite must first separate one fiftieth from the tithe as the “great” terumah due from the Israelite and then separate his own terumah from the tithe. |
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מִכֹּל מַתְּנֹתֵיכֶם תָּרִימוּ אֵת כָּל־תְּרוּמַת ה'.
בִּתְרוּמָה גְדוֹלָה הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר, שֶׁאִם הִקְדִּים לֵוִי אֶת הַכֹּהֵן בַּכְּרִי וְקִבֵּל מַעְשְׂרוֹתָיו קֹדֶם שֶׁיִּטֹּל כֹּהֵן תְּרוּמָה גְדוֹלָה מִן הַכְּרִי, צָרִיךְ לְהַפְרִישׁ הַלֵּוִי מִן הַמַּעֲשֵׂר תְּחִלָּה אֶחָד מֵחֲמִשִּׁים לִתְרוּמָה גְדוֹלָה, וְיַחֲזֹר וְיַפְרִישׁ תְּרוּמַת מַעֲשֵׂר (ספרי):
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| 30Say to them, ‘After you set aside its choicest part, it will be considered for the Levites as produce from the threshing-floor and as produce from the vat. |
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לוְאָֽמַרְתָּ֖ אֲלֵהֶ֑ם בַּֽהֲרִֽימְכֶ֤ם אֶת־חֶלְבּוֹ֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְנֶחְשַׁב֙ לַֽלְוִיִּ֔ם כִּתְבוּאַ֥ת גֹּ֖רֶן וְכִתְבוּאַ֥ת יָֽקֶב: |
| בַּֽהֲרִֽימְכֶם אֶת־חֶלְבּוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ - (lit.) After you set aside its choicest part - means here after you have separated terumah from the tithe. |
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בַּֽהֲרִֽימְכֶם אֶת־חֶלְבּוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ.
לְאַחַר שֶׁתָּרִימוּ תְרוּמַת מַעֲשֵׂר מִמֶּנּוּ:
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| וְנֶחְשַׁב - it will be considered. the remainder for the Levites, as unconsecrated food in all respects. |
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וְנֶחְשַׁב.
הַמּוֹתָר לַלְוִיִּם חֻלִּין גְּמוּרִין:
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| כִּתְבוּאַת גֹּרֶן לישראל - as produce from the threshing floor. is for an Israelite. This is stated here so that you not say: Since the Torah calls it terumah, as it says: “the tithes of the Israelites…the elevation-offering (תְּרוּמָה) that they set aside for God,” I might think that it is entirely forbidden to laypeople. Scripture therefore states: “it will be considered for the Levites as produce of the threshing-floor” – just as the Israelite’s produce has unconsecrated status, so the Levite’s produce has unconsecrated status and may be consumed by laypeople. |
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כִּתְבוּאַת גֹּרֶן לישראל.
, שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר הוֹאִיל וּקְרָאוֹ הַכָּתוּב תְּרוּמָה — שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "כִּי אֶת מַעְשַׂר בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יָרִימוּ לַה' תְּרוּמָה" — יָכוֹל יְהֵא כֻלּוֹ אָסוּר, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר "וְנֶחְשַׁב לַלְוִיִּם כִּתְבוּאַת גֹּרֶן", מַה שֶּׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל חֻלִּין, אַף שֶׁל לֵוִי חֻלִּין (עי' ספרי):
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| 31You and your household may eat it anywhere, for it is your wage in exchange for your service in the Tent of Meeting. |
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לאוַֽאֲכַלְתֶּ֤ם אֹתוֹ֙ בְּכָל־מָק֔וֹם אַתֶּ֖ם וּבֵֽיתְכֶ֑ם כִּֽי־שָׂכָ֥ר הוּא֙ לָכֶ֔ם חֵ֥לֶף עֲבֹֽדַתְכֶ֖ם בְּאֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד: |
| בְּכָל־מָקוֹם - Anywhere - even in a cemetery. |
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בְּכָל־מָקוֹם.
אֲפִלּוּ בְּבֵית הַקְּבָרוֹת (שם):
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| 32After you separate the choicest part from it, you will not be guilty of any sin on account of it. You must not profane the sanctified produce of the Israelites, so that you not die.’” |
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לבוְלֹֽא־תִשְׂא֤וּ עָלָיו֙ חֵ֔טְא בַּֽהֲרִֽימְכֶ֥ם אֶת־חֶלְבּ֖וֹ מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וְאֶת־קָדְשֵׁ֧י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל לֹ֥א תְחַלְּל֖וּ וְלֹ֥א תָמֽוּתוּ: |
| וְלֹֽא־תִשְׂאוּ עָלָיו חֵטְא וגו' - You will not be guilty of any sin on account of it…. but if you do not set aside terumah from the tithe, you will bear sin by eating or ritually defiling it, as you will have stolen the property of the priests and you will have to pay for it. |
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וְלֹֽא־תִשְׂאוּ עָלָיו חֵטְא וגו'.
הָא אִם לֹא תָרִימוּ תִּשְׂאוּ חֵטְא:
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| וְלֹֽא־תָמֽוּתוּ - So that you not die - but if you do profane the tithe by eating it before setting aside terumah from it, you will die. |
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וְלֹֽא־תָמֽוּתוּ.
הָא אִם תְּחַלְּלוּ תָּמוּתוּ:
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