| 15Thereafter, the Levites must come to serve in the Tent of Meeting. You must purify them and lift them as a wave-offering, |
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טווְאַֽחֲרֵי־כֵן֙ יָבֹ֣אוּ הַֽלְוִיִּ֔ם לַֽעֲבֹ֖ד אֶת־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וְטִֽהַרְתָּ֣ אֹתָ֔ם וְהֵֽנַפְתָּ֥ אֹתָ֖ם תְּנוּפָֽה: |
| 16for they are given, yes, given to Me from among the Israelites. I have taken them for Myself in place of all those who open the womb—that is, all the firstborn—of the Israelites. |
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טזכִּי֩ נְתֻנִ֨ים נְתֻנִ֥ים הֵ֨מָּה֙ לִ֔י מִתּ֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל תַּ֩חַת֩ פִּטְרַ֨ת כָּל־רֶ֜חֶם בְּכ֥וֹר כֹּל֙ מִבְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לָקַ֥חְתִּי אֹתָ֖ם לִֽי: |
| נְתֻנִים נְתֻנִים - Given, [yes,] given. The doubled word indicates two tasks: Given over for transporting the Tabernacle and given over for singing in the Sanctuary. |
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נְתֻנִים נְתֻנִים.
נְתוּנִים לְמַשָּׂא, נְתוּנִים לָשִׁיר:
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| פִּטְרַת - means the opening of. |
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פִּטְרַת.
פְּתִיחַת:
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| 17For all the firstborn among the Israelites are Mine, whether man or beast; I sanctified them for Myself on the day I smote all the firstborn in Egypt and spared them. |
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יזכִּ֣י לִ֤י כָל־בְּכוֹר֙ בִּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בָּֽאָדָ֖ם וּבַבְּהֵמָ֑ה בְּי֗וֹם הַכֹּתִ֤י כָל־בְּכוֹר֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם הִקְדַּ֥שְׁתִּי אֹתָ֖ם לִֽי: |
| כִּי לִי כָל־בְּכוֹר - For all the firstborn…are Mine. The firstborn were Mine by strict right, for I protected them among the firstborn of Egypt and took them for Myself, until they strayed by worshiping the Golden Calf. But now, “I have taken the Levites” in their stead. |
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כִּי לִי כָל־בְּכוֹר.
שֶׁלִּי הָיוּ הַבְּכוֹרוֹת בְּקַו הַדִּין, שֶׁהֲגִנֹּתִי עֲלֵיהֶם בֵּין בְּכוֹרֵי מִצְרַיִם וְלָקַחְתִּי אוֹתָם לִי — עַד שֶׁטָּעוּ בָעֵגֶל, וְעַכְשָׁו "וָאֶקַּח אֶת הַלְוִיִּם":
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| 18I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the Israelites, |
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יחוָֽאֶקַּ֖ח אֶת־הַֽלְוִיִּ֑ם תַּ֥חַת כָּל־בְּכ֖וֹר בִּבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל: |
| 19and I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites to perform the service for the Israelites in the Tent of Meeting and to atone on behalf of the Israelites, so that the Israelites will not be inflicted with a plague when the Israelites approach the Sanctuary.” |
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יטוָֽאֶתְּנָ֨ה אֶת־הַֽלְוִיִּ֜ם נְתֻנִ֣ים | לְאַֽהֲרֹ֣ן וּלְבָנָ֗יו מִתּוֹךְ֘ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ לַֽעֲבֹ֞ד אֶת־עֲבֹדַ֤ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד וּלְכַפֵּ֖ר עַל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְלֹ֨א יִֽהְיֶ֜ה בִּבְנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ נֶ֔גֶף בְּגֶ֥שֶׁת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶל־הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ: |
| וָֽאֶתְּנָה וגו' - And I have given… “The Israelites” is stated five times in this verse, to show us how dear they are to God, for they are mentioned repeatedly in one verse as many times as there are books in the Torah. I have seen thus in Bereshit Rabbah. |
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וָֽאֶתְּנָה וגו'.
חֲמִשָּׁה פְעָמִים נֶאֶמְרוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמִקְרָא זֶה, לְהוֹדִיעַ חִבָּתָן, שֶׁנִּכְפַּל אַזְכְּרוֹתֵיהֶן בְּמִקְרָא אֶחָד כְּמִנְיַן חֲמִשָּׁה חֻמְשֵׁי תוֹרָה, וְכָךְ רָאִיתִי בּבְּרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה:
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| וְלֹא יִֽהְיֶה בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶגֶף - So that the Israelites will not be inflicted with a plague - i.e., so they need not approach the Sanctuary, for if they do approach, there will be a plague. |
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וְלֹא יִֽהְיֶה בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶגֶף.
שֶׁלֹא יִצְטָרְכוּ לָגֶשֶׁת אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ, שֶׁאִם יִגְּשׁוּ יִהְיֶה נֶגֶף:
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| 20Moses, Aaron, and the entire assembly of Israel did what God told them to do to the Levites. The Israelites did in accordance with all that God had instructed Moses regarding the Levites. |
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כוַיַּ֨עַשׂ משֶׁ֧ה וְאַֽהֲרֹ֛ן וְכָל־עֲדַ֥ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לַֽלְוִיִּ֑ם כְּ֠כֹ֠ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֨ה יְהֹוָ֤ה אֶת־משֶׁה֙ לַֽלְוִיִּ֔ם כֵּן־עָשׂ֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל: |
| וַיַּעַשׂ משֶׁה וְאַֽהֲרֹן וְכָל־עֲדַת וגו' - Moses, Aaron, and the entire assembly…did. Each one did his part: Moses had them stand before God, Aaron lifted them as a wave-offering, and the Israelites laid their hands upon them. |
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וַיַּעַשׂ משֶׁה וְאַֽהֲרֹן וְכָל־עֲדַת וגו'.
מֹשֶׁה הֶעֱמִידָן וְאַהֲרֹן הֱנִיפָן, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל סָמְכוּ אֶת יְדֵיהֶם:
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| 21The Levites purified themselves and immersed their clothes. Then Aaron lifted them as a wave-offering before God, and Aaron atoned for them, to purify them. |
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כאוַיִּתְחַטְּא֣וּ הַֽלְוִיִּ֗ם וַיְכַבְּסוּ֙ בִּגְדֵיהֶ֔ם וַיָּ֨נֶף אַֽהֲרֹ֥ן אֹתָ֛ם תְּנוּפָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה וַיְכַפֵּ֧ר עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם אַֽהֲרֹ֖ן לְטַֽהֲרָֽם: |
| 22Thereafter, the Levites came to perform the service in the Tent of Meeting before Aaron and before his sons. They did to the Levites just as God had commanded Moses regarding them. |
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כבוְאַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֞ן בָּ֣אוּ הַֽלְוִיִּ֗ם לַֽעֲבֹ֤ד אֶת־עֲבֹֽדָתָם֙ בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד לִפְנֵ֥י אַֽהֲרֹ֖ן וְלִפְנֵ֣י בָנָ֑יו כַּֽאֲשֶׁר֩ צִוָּ֨ה יְהֹוָ֤ה אֶת־משֶׁה֙ עַל־הַֽלְוִיִּ֔ם כֵּ֖ן עָשׂ֥וּ לָהֶֽם: |
| כַּֽאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' … כֵן עָשׂוּ - They did…just as God had commanded. This is stated to tell the praise of those who did this and those who had it done to them, that none of them protested. |
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כַּֽאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' … כֵן עָשׂוּ.
לְהַגִּיד שֶׁבַח הָעוֹשִׂין וְהַנַּעֲשֶׂה בָהֶן, שֶׁאֶחָד מֵהֶם לֹא עִכֵּב:
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| 23God spoke to Moses, saying: |
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כגוַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־משֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר: |
| 24“This is the rule concerning the Levites: From 25 years old and over they must enter the service to work in the Tent of Meeting. |
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כדזֹ֖את אֲשֶׁ֣ר לַֽלְוִיִּ֑ם מִבֶּן֩ חָמֵ֨שׁ וְעֶשְׂרִ֤ים שָׁנָה֙ וָמַ֔עְלָה יָבוֹא֙ לִצְבֹ֣א צָבָ֔א בַּֽעֲבֹדַ֖ת אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד: |
| זֹאת אֲשֶׁר לַֽלְוִיִּם - This is [the rule] concerning the Levites. This teaches us that age disqualifies them but bodily defects do not disqualify them, although they do disqualify priests. |
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זֹאת אֲשֶׁר לַֽלְוִיִּם.
שָׁנִים פּוֹסְלִים וְאֵין הַמּוּמִין פּוֹסְלִים בָּהֶם (ספרי; חולין כ"ד):
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| מִבֶּן חָמֵשׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים - From 25 [years] old - and elsewhere it says: “from the age of 30.” How can this be reconciled? At 25, he begins learning the laws of service. He learns for five years, and at 30 he begins actual service. From here we learn that any student who does not see positive results in retaining his learning after five years will never see them. |
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מִבֶּן חָמֵשׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים.
וּבְמָקוֹם אַחֵר אוֹמֵר "מִבֶּן שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה" (במדבר ד'), הָא כֵיצַד? מִבֶּן כ"ה בָּא לִלְמֹד הִלְכוֹת עֲבוֹדָה וְלוֹמֵד חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וּבֶן שְׁלֹשִׁים עוֹבֵד, מִכָּאן לְתַלְמִיד שֶׁלֹּא רָאָה סִימָן יָפֶה בְּמִשְׁנָתוֹ בְּחָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים שׁוּב אֵינוֹ רוֹאֶה (ספרי; חולין כ"ד):
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| 25When they are 50 years old, they must retire from the work troop, and do no more work. |
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כהוּמִבֶּן֙ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה יָשׁ֖וּב מִצְּבָ֣א הָֽעֲבֹדָ֑ה וְלֹ֥א יַֽעֲבֹ֖ד עֽוֹד: |
| וְלֹא יַֽעֲבֹד עֽוֹד - And do no more work - this refers to the work of carrying the sacred objects on the shoulders, but he returns to the service of closing the gates, singing, and loading the wagons. That is the meaning of וְשֵׁרֵת אֶת אֶחָיו (lit.) “he must serve his brethren,” i.e., עִם אֲחוֹהִי “with his brethren,” as Onkelos translates it. |
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וְלֹא יַֽעֲבֹד עֽוֹד.
עֲבוֹדַת מַשָּׂא בַּכָּתֵף, אֲבָל חוֹזֵר הוּא לִנְעִילַת שְׁעָרִים וְלָשִׁיר וְלִטְעֹן עֲגָלוֹת, וְזֶהוּ וְשֵׁרֵת אֶת אֶחָיו — עִם אֲחוֹהִי, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ:
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| 26They must serve with their brethren in the Tent of Meeting to keep the charge, but they must not perform the service. Thus must you deal with the Levites regarding their charge.” |
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כווְשֵׁרֵ֨ת אֶת־אֶחָ֜יו בְּאֹ֤הֶל מוֹעֵד֙ לִשְׁמֹ֣ר מִשְׁמֶ֔רֶת וַֽעֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֣א יַֽעֲבֹ֑ד כָּ֛כָה תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה לַֽלְוִיִּ֖ם בְּמִשְׁמְרֹתָֽם: |
| לִשְׁמֹר מִשְׁמֶרֶת - To keep the charge - i.e., to encamp around the Tent, thus keeping laymen away from it, and to erect and dismantle the Tabernacle during the travels. |
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לִשְׁמֹר מִשְׁמֶרֶת.
לַחֲנוֹת סָבִיב לָאֹהֶל וּלְהָקִים וּלְהוֹרִיד בִּשְׁעַת הַמַּסָּעוֹת:
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