| 15Following this, the Levites shall come to serve in the Tent of Meeting. You shall cleanse them and lift them as a waving. |
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טווְאַֽחֲרֵי־כֵן֙ יָבֹ֣אוּ הַֽלְוִיִּ֔ם לַֽעֲבֹ֖ד אֶת־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וְטִֽהַרְתָּ֣ אֹתָ֔ם וְהֵֽנַפְתָּ֥ אֹתָ֖ם תְּנוּפָֽה: |
| 16For they are wholly given over to Me from among the children of Israel; instead of those that open the womb all the firstborn of Israel I have taken them for Myself. |
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טזכִּי֩ נְתֻנִ֨ים נְתֻנִ֥ים הֵ֨מָּה֙ לִ֔י מִתּ֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל תַּ֩חַת֩ פִּטְרַ֨ת כָּל־רֶ֜חֶם בְּכ֥וֹר כֹּל֙ מִבְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לָקַ֥חְתִּי אֹתָ֖ם לִֽי: |
| wholly given over Hebrew נְתֻנִים נְתֻנִים, [the double expression denoting] given over for [the service of] carrying and given over for the singing [in the Temple]. - [Midrash Aggadah] |
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נְתֻנִים נְתֻנִים
נְתוּנִים לְמַשָּׂא, נְתוּנִים לָשִׁיר:
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| that open פִּטְרַת, the opening of. |
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פִּטְרַת
פְּתִיחַת:
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| 17For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are Mine whether man or beast since the day I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt; I have sanctified them for Myself. |
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יזכִּ֣י לִ֤י כָל־בְּכוֹר֙ בִּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בָּֽאָדָ֖ם וּבַבְּהֵמָ֑ה בְּי֗וֹם הַכֹּתִ֤י כָל־בְּכוֹר֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם הִקְדַּ֥שְׁתִּי אֹתָ֖ם לִֽי: |
| For all the firstborn… are Mine The firstborn are Mine by right, for I protected them among the Egyptian firstborn, and I took them for Myself-until they erred through the golden calf; so now “ I have taken the Levites” (verse 18). |
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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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| 18And I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the children of Israel. |
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יחוָֽאֶקַּ֖ח אֶת־הַֽלְוִיִּ֑ם תַּ֥חַת כָּל־בְּכ֖וֹר בִּבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל: |
| 19I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the children of Israel, to perform the service for the children of Israel in the Tent of Meeting and to atone on behalf of the children of Israel, so that the children of Israel will not be inflicted with plague when they 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: |
| I have given… “The children of Israel” is mentioned five times in this verse, thus declaring the affection [God has] for them, for their mention is repeated in one verse as many times as the five books of the Torah. I saw this in Gen. Rabbah [3:5]. [Note that this is not found in Gen. Rabbah, but in Lev. Rabbah 2:4] |
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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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| so that the children of Israel will not be inflicted with plague So that there will be no need for them to approach the holy [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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| 20So Moses, Aaron, and the entire congregation of Israel did [this] to the Levites; the children of Israel did [in accordance with] all that the Lord 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: |
| So Moses, Aaron and all the congregation Moses presented them, Aaron lifted them up, and the Israelites rested their hands [on 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 cleansed themselves and washed their clothes. Then Aaron lifted them as a waving before the Lord, and Aaron atoned for them to cleanse them. |
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כאוַיִּתְחַטְּא֣וּ הַֽלְוִיִּ֗ם וַיְכַבְּסוּ֙ בִּגְדֵיהֶ֔ם וַיָּ֨נֶף אַֽהֲרֹ֥ן אֹתָ֛ם תְּנוּפָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה וַיְכַפֵּ֧ר עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם אַֽהֲרֹ֖ן לְטַֽהֲרָֽם: |
| 22After that, the Levites came to perform the service in the Tent of Meeting before Aaron and before his sons; they did to them just as the Lord had commanded Moses regarding the Levites. |
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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: |
| they did to them just as the Lord commanded Moses [This is written] to extol those who performed [this rite] and those upon whom it was performed, [for] none of them objected. |
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כַּֽאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' … כֵן עָשׂוּ
לְהַגִּיד שֶׁבַח הָעוֹשִׂין וְהַנַּעֲשֶׂה בָהֶן, שֶׁאֶחָד מֵהֶם לֹא עִכֵּב:
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| 23The Lord spoke to Moses saying: |
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כגוַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־משֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר: |
| 24This is [the rule] concerning the Levites: From the age of twenty five years and upwards, he shall 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: |
| This is the rule concerning the Levites Age disqualifies them, but physical blemishes do not disqualify them. — [Sifrei Beha’alothecha 1:10, Chul. 24a] |
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זֹאת אֲשֶׁר לַֽלְוִיִּם
שָׁנִים פּוֹסְלִים וְאֵין הַמּוּמִין פּוֹסְלִים בָּהֶם (ספרי; חולין כ"ד):
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| From the age of twenty-five years Elsewhere (4:3) it says, “From the age of thirty.” How can this be reconciled? However, from the age of twenty-five they came to study the laws of the service; they would study for five years, and at the age of thirty they would [begin] work. From here we learn that a student who does not experience success in his learning for five years, will never experience it. — [Chul. 24a] |
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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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| 25From the age of fifty he shall retire from the work legion, and do no more work. |
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כהוּמִבֶּן֙ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה יָשׁ֖וּב מִצְּבָ֣א הָֽעֲבֹדָ֑ה וְלֹ֥א יַֽעֲבֹ֖ד עֽוֹד: |
| and do no more work [I.e.,] the work of carrying on the shoulders; however, he can return to [the work of] locking the gates, singing, and loading the wagons. This is the meaning of “He shall minister with his brethren (אֶת אֶחָיו)” [in the next verse]-with his brethren, as the Targum [Onkelos] renders (עִם אֲחוֹהִי). |
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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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| 26He shall minister with his brethren in the Tent of Meeting to keep the charge, but he shall not perform the service; thus shall you do for the Levites regarding their charge. |
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כווְשֵׁרֵ֨ת אֶת־אֶחָ֜יו בְּאֹ֤הֶל מוֹעֵד֙ לִשְׁמֹ֣ר מִשְׁמֶ֔רֶת וַֽעֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֣א יַֽעֲבֹ֑ד כָּ֛כָה תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה לַֽלְוִיִּ֖ם בְּמִשְׁמְרֹתָֽם: |
| to keep the charge To camp around the Tent and to assemble and dismantle [it] at the time of the travels. |
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לִשְׁמֹר מִשְׁמֶרֶת
לַחֲנוֹת סָבִיב לָאֹהֶל וּלְהָקִים וּלְהוֹרִיד בִּשְׁעַת הַמַּסָּעוֹת:
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