Bamidbar (Numbers) Chapter 8

1God spoke to Moses, saying:   אוַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־משֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר:
2“Speak to Aaron and say to him: ‘When you kindle the lamps, place the wicks so the seven lamps shine toward the central shaft of the Candelabrum.’”   בדַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־אַֽהֲרֹ֔ן וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֖ אֵלָ֑יו בְּהַֽעֲלֹֽתְךָ֙ אֶת־הַנֵּרֹ֔ת אֶל־מוּל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הַמְּנוֹרָ֔ה יָאִ֖ירוּ שִׁבְעַ֥ת הַנֵּרֽוֹת:
בְּהַֽעֲלֹֽתְךָ - When you kindle. Why is the passage regarding the Candelabrum juxtaposed to the passage regarding the princes’ offerings? Because when Aaron saw the dedication offerings of the princes, he felt disappointed that he was not among them in bringing the dedication offerings, neither he nor his tribe. So the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: “By your life, your part is greater than theirs, for you light and clean out the lamps.”   בְּהַֽעֲלֹֽתְךָ.  לָמָּה נִסְמְכָה פָרָשַׁת הַמְּנוֹרָה לְפָרָשַׁת הַנְּשִׂיאִים? לְפִי שֶׁכְּשָׁרָאָה אַהֲרֹן חֲנֻכַּת הַנְּשִׂיאִים חָלְשָׁה אָז דַּעְתּוֹ, שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה עִמָּהֶם בַּחֲנֻכָּה לֹא הוּא וְלֹא שִׁבְטוֹ, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חַיֶּיךָ שֶׁלְּךָ גְדוֹלָה מִשֶּׁלָּהֶם, שֶׁאַתָּה מַדְלִיק וּמֵטִיב אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת (עי' תנחומא):
בְּהַֽעֲלֹֽתְךָ - When you (lit.) cause to ascend. Because the flame rises upward, the term “ascent” is written regarding kindling the lamps, indicating that one must kindle them until the flame rises steadily on its own. Our rabbis further derived from here that there was a step in front of the Candelabrum on which the priest stood in order to clean out the lamps.   בְּהַֽעֲלֹֽתְךָ.  עַל שֵׁם שֶׁהַלַּהַב עוֹלֶה, כָּתוּב בְּהַדְלָקָתָן לְשׁוֹן עֲלִיָּה, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהַדְלִיק עַד שֶׁתְּהֵא שַׁלְהֶבֶת עוֹלָה מֵאֵלֶיהָ (שבת כ"א), וְעוֹד דָּרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ מִכָּאן שֶׁמַּעֲלָה הָיְתָה לִפְנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה, שֶׁעָלֶיהָ הַכֹּהֵן עוֹמֵד וּמֵטִיב (ספרי):
אֶל־מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה - Toward (lit.) the face of the Candelabrum - means towards the middle lamp, which is not on the branches but on the main stem of the Candelabrum.   אֶל־מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה.  אֶל מוּל נֵר הָאֶמְצָעִי, שֶׁאֵינוֹ בַקָּנִים אֶלָּא בְּגוּף שֶׁל מְנוֹרָה (עי' מנחות צ"ח):
יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרֽוֹת - So the seven lamps shine. Of the six lamps on the six branches, the wicks of the three eastern ones must be placed facing the middle one, and similarly the three western ones must have the ends of their wicks facing the middle one. And why was this? So that people not say: “He has need for its light.”   יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרֽוֹת.  שִׁשָּׁה שֶׁעַל שֵׁשֶׁת הַקָּנִים, שְׁלֹשָׁה הַמִּזְרָחִיִּים פּוֹנִים לְמוּל הָאֶמְצָעִי — הַפְּתִילוֹת שֶׁבָּהֶן — וְכֵן שְׁלֹשָׁה הַמַּעֲרָבִיִּים רָאשֵׁי הַפְּתִילוֹת לְמוּל הָאֶמְצָעִי, וְלָמָּה? כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ, לְאוֹרָהּ הוּא צָרִיךְ (עי' תנחומא):
3Aaron did so; he kindled the lamps such that their wicks faced toward the central shaft of the Candelabrum, as God had commanded Moses.   גוַיַּ֤עַשׂ כֵּן֙ אַֽהֲרֹ֔ן אֶל־מוּל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הַמְּנוֹרָ֔ה הֶֽעֱלָ֖ה נֵֽרֹתֶ֑יהָ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־משֶֽׁה:
וַיַּעַשׂ כֵּן אַֽהֲרֹן - Aaron did so. This is written to tell us Aaron’s praise, that he did not change anything.   וַיַּעַשׂ כֵּן אַֽהֲרֹן.  לְהַגִּיד שִׁבְחוֹ שֶׁל אַהֲרֹן שֶׁלֹּא שִׁנָּה (ספרי):
4This was how the Candelabrum was made: it was a hammered work of gold; it was hammered from its base to its flower. He made the Candelabrum exactly according to the form that God had shown Moses.   דוְזֶ֨ה מַֽעֲשֵׂ֤ה הַמְּנֹרָה֙ מִקְשָׁ֣ה זָהָ֔ב עַד־יְרֵכָ֥הּ עַד־פִּרְחָ֖הּ מִקְשָׁ֣ה הִ֑וא כַּמַּרְאֶ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֶרְאָ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ אֶת־משֶׁ֔ה כֵּ֥ן עָשָׂ֖ה אֶת־הַמְּנֹרָֽה:
וְזֶה מַֽעֲשֵׂה הַמְּנֹרָה - This is how the Candelabrum was made. The Holy One, blessed be He, showed him a visual representation of it with His finger, because he found its construction difficult to understand. It therefore says: וְזֶה “and this.”   וְזֶה מַֽעֲשֵׂה הַמְּנֹרָה.  שֶׁהֶרְאָהוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּאֶצְבַּע, לְפִי שֶׁנִּתְקַשָּׁה בָהּ, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר "וְזֶה":
מִקְשָׁה - means “batediz” in Old French (“beaten”), related to: “his knees were beating (נָקְשָׁן) against one another.” 1 It was one block of gold, weighing a talent, which he beat with a hammer and cut with a chisel to shape its components correctly. It was not made by attaching individual limbs together.   מִקְשָׁה.  בטדי"ץ בְּלַעַז, לְשׁוֹן "דָּא לְדָא נָקְשָׁן" (דניאל ה'), עֶשֶׁת שֶׁל כִּכַּר זָהָב הָיְתָה, וּמַקִּישׁ בְּקֻרְנָס, וְחוֹתֵךְ בְּכַשִּׁיל, לְפַשֵּׁט אֵבָרֶיהָ כְּתִקְנָן, וְלֹא נַעֲשֵׂית אֵבָרִים אֵבָרִים עַל יְדֵי חִבּוּר (עי' ספרא):
עַד־יְרֵכָהּ - From its base to its flower. Its “base” is the structure resembling a box above its feet. It was hollow, like those of silver candelabra used in the presence of nobles.   עַד־יְרֵכָהּ.  יְרֵכָהּ הִיא הַשִּׁדָּה שֶׁעַל הָרַגְלַיִם, חָלוּל, כְּדֶרֶךְ מְנוֹרוֹת כֶּסֶף שֶׁלִּפְנֵי הַשָּׂרִים:
עַד־יְרֵכָהּ עַד־פִּרְחָהּ - (lit.) Until its base until its flower - i.e., the entire body of the Candelabrum and everything linked with it.   עַד־יְרֵכָהּ עַד־פִּרְחָהּ.  כְּלוֹמַר גּוּפָהּ שֶׁל מְנוֹרָה כֻּלָּהּ וְכָל הַתָּלוּי בָּהּ:
עַד־יְרֵכָהּ - from its base. which is the large part.   עַד־יְרֵכָהּ.  שֶׁהוּא אֵבָר גָּדוֹל:
עַד־פִּרְחָהּ - to its flower - which is its most delicate construction – everything was beaten out of one piece. It is usual for עַד to be used with this meaning, as in: מִגָּדִישׁ וְעַד קָמָה וְעַד כֶּרֶם זָיִת “he burned everything from the grain stacks to the standing grain to the olive groves.” 2   עַד־פִּרְחָהּ.  שֶׁהוּא מַעֲשֶׂה דַק שֶׁבָּהּ, הַכֹּל מִקְשָׁה; וְדֶרֶךְ "עַד" לְשַׁמֵּשׁ בְּלָשׁוֹן זֶה, כְּמוֹ "מִגָּדִישׁ וְעַד קָמָה וְעַד כֶּרֶם זָיִת" (שופטים ט"ו):
כַּמַּרְאֶה אֲשֶׁר הֶרְאָה וגו' - According to the form that [God] had shown… - i.e., according to the form that He had shown him on the mountain, as it says: “Observe their forms that you are being shown on the mountain, and make them in that manner.” 3   כַּמַּרְאֶה אֲשֶׁר הֶרְאָה וגו'.  כַּתַּבְנִית אֲשֶׁר הֶרְאָהוּ בָהָר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כ"ה) — וּרְאֵה וַעֲשֵׂה בְתַבְנִיתָם וְגוֹ' (ספרי):
כֵּן עָשָׂה אֶת־הַמְּנֹרָה - (lit.) So he made the Candelabrum - i.e., the one who made it. And according to an aggadic explanation, it is not specified who made it because Moses threw the block of gold into the fire and it was made by itself, i.e., by the Holy One, blessed be He. 4   כֵּן עָשָׂה אֶת־הַמְּנֹרָה.  מִי שֶׁעֲשָׂאָהּ; וּמִדְרָשׁ אַגָּדָה, עַל יְדֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נַעֲשֵׂית מֵאֵלֶיהָ (תנחומא):
5God spoke to Moses, saying:   הוַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־משֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר:
6“Encourage the Levites to separate themselves from the Israelites, and purify them.   וקַ֚ח אֶת־הַֽלְוִיִּ֔ם מִתּ֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְטִֽהַרְתָּ֖ אֹתָֽם:
קַח אֶת־הַֽלְוִיִּם - (lit.) Take the Levites - i.e., convince them with words: “Fortunate are you that you will merit to be the servants of the Omnipresent!”   קַח אֶת־הַֽלְוִיִּם.  קָחֵם בִּדְבָרִים — אַשְׁרֵיכֶם שֶׁתִּזְכּוּ לִהְיוֹת שַׁמָּשִׁים לַמָּקוֹם:
7This is what you must do to them to purify them: dash them with purification-water, have them shave all their skin with a razor, and have them immerse their garments in the water of a mikveh. Thus must they purify themselves.   זוְכֹה־תַֽעֲשֶׂ֤ה לָהֶם֙ לְטַֽהֲרָ֔ם הַזֵּ֥ה עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם מֵ֣י חַטָּ֑את וְהֶֽעֱבִ֤ירוּ תַ֨עַר֙ עַל־כָּל־בְּשָׂרָ֔ם וְכִבְּס֥וּ בִגְדֵיהֶ֖ם וְהִטֶּהָֽרוּ:
הַזֵּה עֲלֵיהֶם מֵי חַטָּאת - Dash them with purification water - made of the ashes of the red cow, because of those among them who are defiled through contact with the dead.   הַזֵּה עֲלֵיהֶם מֵי חַטָּאת.  שֶׁל אֵפֶר הַפָּרָה מִפְּנֵי טְמֵאֵי מֵתִים שֶׁבָּהֶם:
וְהֶֽעֱבִירוּ תַעַר - Have them shave…with a razor. I found in the words of Rabbi Moshe HaDarshan: Since they were appointed to atone for the firstborn, who committed idolatry – which is called “sacrifices of the dead” 5 – and a metzora is also called dead, they were required to shave like metzora’im.   וְהֶֽעֱבִירוּ תַעַר.  מָצָאתִי בְדִבְרֵי רַבִּי מֹשֶׁה הַדַּרְשָׁן לְפִי שֶׁנִּתְּנוּ כַפָּרָה עַל הַבְּכוֹרוֹת שֶׁעָבְדוּ עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְהִיא קְרוּיָה זִבְחֵי מֵתִים, וְהַמְּצֹרָע קָרוּי מֵת, הִזְקִיקָם תִּגְלַחַת כִּמְצוֹרָעִים:
8They must then take a young bull with its grain-offering of fine flour mixed with oil. And you must take a second young bull as a sin-offering.   חוְלָֽקְחוּ֙ פַּ֣ר בֶּן־בָּקָ֔ר וּמִ֨נְחָת֔וֹ סֹ֖לֶת בְּלוּלָ֣ה בַשָּׁ֑מֶן וּפַר־שֵׁנִ֥י בֶן־בָּקָ֖ר תִּקַּ֥ח לְחַטָּֽאת:
וְלָֽקְחוּ פַּר בֶּן־בָּקָר - They must then take a young bull - and it is an ascent-offering, as it says: “Bring one as a sin-offering and one as an ascent-offering”; 6 and this is the offering prescribed in the case of communal idolatry.   וְלָֽקְחוּ פַּר בֶּן־בָּקָר.  וְהוּא עוֹלָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב "וַעֲשֵֹה … וְאֶת הָאֶחָד עֹלָה", וְהוּא קָרְבַּן צִבּוּר בְּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה:
וּפַר־שֵׁנִי - And…a second young bull. Why does Scripture state שֵׁנִי “second”? To tell you that just as the ascent-offering was not eaten, so too, the sin-offering was not eaten, unlike usual sin-offerings. This statement in Torat Kohanim provides support for Rabbi Moshe HaDarshan’s words that these offerings atoned for communal idolatry, for the sin-offering brought in such a case is also not eaten. I, however, say that in any case this was a one-time ruling, because for idolatry they would normally have brought a goat as a sin-offering together with the ascent-offering bull, rather than another bull.   וּפַר־שֵׁנִי.  מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר שֵׁנִי? לוֹמַר לְךָ מָה עוֹלָה לֹא נֶאֱכֶלֶת, אַף חַטָּאת לֹא נֶאֱכֶלֶת. וּבְזוֹ יֵשׁ סֶמֶךְ לִדְבָרָיו בְּתּוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים; וְאוֹמֵר אֲנִי שֶׁהוֹרָאַת שָׁעָה הָיְתָה, שֶׁשָּׂעִיר הָיָה לָהֶם לְהָבִיא לְחַטַּאת עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה עִם פַּר הָעוֹלָה:
9You must bring the Levites in front of the Tent of Meeting, and you must gather the entire assembly of the Israelites.   טוְהִקְרַבְתָּ֙ אֶת־הַֽלְוִיִּ֔ם לִפְנֵ֖י אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וְהִ֨קְהַלְתָּ֔ אֶת־כָּל־עֲדַ֖ת בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל:
וְהִקְהַלְתָּ אֶת־כָּל־עֲדַת - And you must gather the entire assembly. Since the Levites are given as an atonement-offering instead of them, the community must come to stand by their offering and lay their hands on them.   וְהִקְהַלְתָּ אֶת־כָּל־עֲדַת.  לְפִי שֶׁהַלְוִיִּם נִתָּנִים קָרְבַּן כַּפָּרָה תַּחְתֵּיהֶם, יָבֹאוּ וְיַעַמְדוּ עַל קָרְבָּנָם וְיִסְמְכוּ אֶת יְדֵיהֶם עֲלֵיהֶם:
10You must bring the Levites before God, and the Israelites must lay their hands upon the Levites.   יוְהִקְרַבְתָּ֥ אֶת־הַֽלְוִיִּ֖ם לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה וְסָֽמְכ֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל אֶת־יְדֵיהֶ֖ם עַל־הַֽלְוִיִּֽם:
11Aaron must lift up the Levites as a wave-offering before God from the Israelites, that they may perform God’s service.   יאוְהֵנִיף֩ אַֽהֲרֹ֨ן אֶת־הַֽלְוִיִּ֤ם תְּנוּפָה֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה מֵאֵ֖ת בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְהָי֕וּ לַֽעֲבֹ֖ד אֶת־עֲבֹדַ֥ת יְהֹוָֽה:
וְהֵנִיף אַֽהֲרֹן אֶת־הַֽלְוִיִּם תְּנוּפָה - Aaron must lift up the Levites as a wave-offering - in the same way as the guilt-offering of a metzora requires waving when alive. The term “wave-offering” is stated three times in this passage. The first refers to the clan of Kehat. It therefore says about them: “that they may perform God’s service,” for their service involved carrying the holiest objects – the Ark, the Table, etc. The second refers to the clan of Gershon. It therefore states about them: “a wave-offering to God,” 7 for their service also involved holy objects – the tapestries that hung over the planks that could be seen inside the Holy of Holies. The third 8 refers to the clan of Merari.   וְהֵנִיף אַֽהֲרֹן אֶת־הַֽלְוִיִּם תְּנוּפָה.  כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁאֲשַׁם מְצֹרָע טָעוּן תְּנוּפָה חַי; שָׁלֹשׁ תְּנוּפוֹת נֶאֶמְרוּ בְּפָרָשָׁה זוֹ: הָרִאשׁוֹנָה — לִבְנֵי קְהָת, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר בָּם "וְהָיוּ לַעֲבֹד אֶת עֲבֹדַת ה'", לְפִי שֶׁעֲבוֹדַת קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים עֲלֵיהֶם — הָאָרוֹן וְהַשֻּׁלְחָן וְגוֹ'; הַשְּׁנִיָּה — לִבְנֵי גֵרְשׁוֹן, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר בָּם "תְּנוּפָה לַה'", שֶׁאַף עֲלֵיהֶם הָיְתָה עֲבוֹדַת הַקֹּדֶשׁ — יְרִיעוֹת וּקְרָסִים הַנִּרְאוֹת בְּבֵית קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים, וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁית — לִבְנֵי מְרָרִי:
12The Levites must lay their hands upon the heads of the bulls. Bring one as a sin-offering and one as an ascent-offering to God to atone for the Levites.   יבוְהַֽלְוִיִּם֙ יִסְמְכ֣וּ אֶת־יְדֵיהֶ֔ם עַ֖ל רֹ֣אשׁ הַפָּרִ֑ים וַֽעֲשֵׂ֠ה אֶת־הָֽאֶחָ֨ד חַטָּ֜את וְאֶת־הָֽאֶחָ֤ד עֹלָה֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה לְכַפֵּ֖ר עַל־הַֽלְוִיִּֽם:
13You must present the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and he must lift them as a wave-offering to God.   יגוְהַֽעֲמַדְתָּ֙ אֶת־הַֽלְוִיִּ֔ם לִפְנֵ֥י אַֽהֲרֹ֖ן וְלִפְנֵ֣י בָנָ֑יו וְהֵֽנַפְתָּ֥ אֹתָ֛ם תְּנוּפָ֖ה לַֽיהֹוָֽה:
14Thus must you set apart the Levites from the rest of the Israelites, and the Levites will become Mine.   ידוְהִבְדַּלְתָּ֙ אֶת־הַֽלְוִיִּ֔ם מִתּ֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְהָ֥יוּ לִ֖י הַֽלְוִיִּֽם: