| 1The Levitic kohanim, the entire tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel; the Lord's fire offerings and His inheritance they shall eat. |
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אלֹא־יִֽ֠הְיֶ֠ה לַכֹּֽהֲנִ֨ים הַֽלְוִיִּ֜ם כָּל־שֵׁ֧בֶט לֵוִ֛י חֵ֥לֶק וְנַֽחֲלָ֖ה עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אִשֵּׁ֧י יְהֹוָ֛ה וְנַֽחֲלָת֖וֹ יֹֽאכֵלֽוּן: |
| the entire tribe of Levi: whether whole-bodied or blemished. — [Sifrei] |
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כָּל־שֵׁבֶט לֵוִי:
בֵּין תְּמִימִין בֵּין בַּעֲלֵי מוּמִין (ספרי):
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| no portion: i.e., in the spoils. |
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חֵלֶק:
בַּבִּזָּה:
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| or inheritance: in the land. — [Sifrei] |
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וְנַֽחֲלָה:
בָּאָרֶץ (שם):
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| the Lord’s fire-offerings: The holy sacrifices of the Temple. (Other editions: The holiest sacrifices.) |
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אִשֵּׁי ה':
קָדְשֵׁי הַמִּקְדָּשׁ:
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| and His portion: These are the holy things of the boundaries, [i.e. those eaten throughout the entire land, namely,] the terumoth and the tithes, but he shall have no absolute inheritance among his brothers. In Sifrei [18:41], our Rabbis expound as follows: |
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וְנַֽחֲלָתוֹ:
אֵלּוּ קָדְשֵׁי הַגְּבוּל – תְּרוּמוֹת וּמַעַשְׂרוֹת, אֲבָל נַחֲלָה גְּמוּרָה לא יהיה לו בקרב אחיו; וּבְסִפְרֵי דָּרְשׁוּ – :
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| 2But he shall have no inheritance among his brothers; the Lord is his inheritance, as He spoke to him. |
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בוְנַֽחֲלָ֥ה לֹא־יִֽהְיֶה־לּ֖וֹ בְּקֶ֣רֶב אֶחָ֑יו יְהֹוָה֙ ה֣וּא נַֽחֲלָת֔וֹ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּר־לֽוֹ: |
| But he shall have no inheritance: This refers to the “inheritance of the remainder.” |
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ונחלה לא יהיה לו:
זוֹ נַחֲלַת שְׁאָר:
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| among his brothers: this refers to the “inheritance of the five.” I do not know what this means. It appears to me, however, that across the Jordan and onwards is called “the land of the five nations,” and that of Sihon and Og is called “the land of the two nations,” namely, the Amorites and the Canaanites. Now the expression, “inheritance of the remainder,” is meant to include the [remaining three nations of the ten whose land God promised to Abraham, namely] the Kenites, the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites (Gen. 15:19). The Sifrei in the section dealing with the [priestly] gifts specified for Aaron expounds this in a similar fashion, on the verse (Deut. 10:9), “Therefore, Levi has no portion or inheritance,” to admonish [the Levite to take no portion in] the inheritance of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites. It has since been found in the words of Rabbi Kalonymus that the proper version of this passage in Sifrei reads as follows: |
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בקרב אחיו:
זוֹ נַחֲלַת חֲמִשָּׁה. וְאֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ מַה הִיא, וְנִרְאֶה לִי שֶׁאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן שֶׁמֵּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן וָאֵילָךְ נִקְרֵאת אֶרֶץ חֲמִשָּׁה עֲמָמִין, וְשֶל סִיחוֹן וְעוֹג שְׁנֵי עֲמָמִין, אֱמוֹרִי וּכְנַעֲנִי, וְנַחֲלַת שְׁאָר לְרַבּוֹת קֵינִי וּקְנִזִּי וְקַדְמוֹנִי, וְכֵן דּוֹרֵשׁ בְּפָרָשַׁת מַתָּנוֹת שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרוּ לְאַהֲרֹן (במדבר י"ח) "עַל כֵּן לֹא הָיָה לְלֵוִי וְגוֹ'" לְהַזְהִיר עַל קֵינִי וּקְנִזִּי וְקַדְמוֹנִי. שׁוּב נִמְצָא בְדִבְרֵי רַבִּי קְלוֹנִימוּס הָכֵי גָּרְסִינָן בְּסִפְרֵי:
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| And he will have no inheritance: This refers to the “inheritance of the five.” |
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ונחלה לא יהיה לו:
אֵלּוּ נַחֲלַת חֲמִשָּׁה:
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| among his brothers: This refers to the “inheritance of the seven.” [Rashi now explains this version of the Sifrei:] [The first reference is to] the inheritance of five [of the twelve] tribes [of Israel]. [The second, is to] the inheritance of [the remaining] seven tribes [of Israel]. Now Moses and Joshua apportioned inheritance only to five tribes: Moses, to Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh; Joshua, to Judah, Ephraim, and [the other] half of the tribe of Manasseh. The remaining seven tribes took their inheritance by themselves after Joshua’s demise. Thus, because of this [distinction between these five former tribes and the seven latter ones], the Sifrei mentions five and seven separately. |
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בקרב אחיו:
אֵלּוּ נַחֲלַת שִׁבְעָה, נַחֲלַת חֲמִשָּׁה שְׁבָטִים וְנַחֲלַת שִׁבְעָה שְׁבָטִים; וּמִתּוֹךְ שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ לֹא חִלְּקוּ נַחֲלָה אֶלָּא לַחֲמִשָּׁה שְׁבָטִים בִּלְבָד, שֶׁכֵּן מֹשֶׁה הִנְחִיל לִרְאוּבֵן וְגָד וַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט מְנַשֶּׁה, וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ הִנְחִיל לִיהוּדָה וְאֶפְרַיִם וְלַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט מְנַשֶּׁה, וְשִׁבְעָה הָאֲחֵרִים נָטְלוּ מֵאֵלֵיהֶן אַחֲרֵי מוֹת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, מִתּוֹךְ כָּךְ הִזְכִּיר חֲמִשָּׁה לְבַד וְשִׁבְעָה לְבַד:
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| as He spoke to him: i.e., to Aaron [saying], “You shall not inherit in their land… I am your portion [and your inheritance, among the children of Israel].”- [Num. 18:20] |
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כַּֽאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר־לּוֹ:
"בְּאַרְצָם לֹא תִנְחָל, אֲנִי חֶלְקְךָ" (במדבר י"ח):
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| 3And this shall be the kohanim's due from the people, from those who perform a slaughter, be it an ox or a sheep, he shall give the kohen the foreleg, the jaws, and the maw. |
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גוְזֶ֡ה יִֽהְיֶה֩ מִשְׁפַּ֨ט הַכֹּֽהֲנִ֜ים מֵאֵ֣ת הָעָ֗ם מֵאֵ֛ת זֹֽבְחֵ֥י הַזֶּ֖בַח אִם־שׁ֣וֹר אִם־שֶׂ֑ה וְנָתַן֙ לַכֹּהֵ֔ן הַזְּרֹ֥עַ וְהַלְּחָיַ֖יִם וְהַקֵּבָֽה: |
| from the people: But not from the kohanim [i.e., a kohen is exempt from these dues]. — [Sifrei , Chul. 132b] |
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מֵאֵת הָעָם:
וְלֹא מֵאֵת הַכֹּהֲנִים (ספרי; חולין קל"ב):
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| be it an ox or a sheep: But not [from the category of] beast (חַיָּה) . |
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אִם־שׁוֹר אִם־שֶׂה:
פְּרָט לְחַיָּה:
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| the foreleg: from the carpus to the shoulder blade, called espaldun, espalde, or espaleron in Old French. — [Chul. 134b] |
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הַזְּרֹעַ:
מִן הַפֶּרֶק שֶׁל אַרְכֻּבָּה עַד כַּף שֶׁל יַד שֶׁקּוֹרִין אשפלד"ון (חולין קל"ד):
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| the jaws: together with the tongue. Those who interpret the symbolism of Biblical verses say, the זְרוֹעַ [which is, in effect, the “hand” of the animal, became the due of the kohanim, as a reward] for the “hand” [which Phinehas, the kohen, raised against the sinners], as it is said, “and he took a spear in his hand” (Num. 25:7); the jaws [as a reward] for the prayer [he offered], as it is said, “Then Phinehas stood and prayed” (Ps. 106:30); and the maw (הַקֵּבָה) , as a reward [for his action against the sinning woman], as it said, “[And he stabbed both of them, the man of Israel] and the woman in her stomach (קֵבָתָהּ)” (Num. 25:8). - [Chul. 134b]. |
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הלחיים:
עִם הַלָּשׁוֹן. דּוֹרְשֵׁי רְשׁוּמוֹת הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים זְרוֹעַ תַּחַת יַד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כ"ה) "וַיִּקַּח רֹמַח בְּיָדוֹ", לְחָיַיִם תַּחַת תְּפִלָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהילים ק"י) "וַיַּעֲמֹד פִּינְחָס וַיְפַלֵּל", וְהַקֵּבָה תַּחַת "הָאִשָּׁה אֶל קֳבָתָהּ" (במדבר כ"ה):
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| 4The first of your grain, your wine, and your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep, you shall give him. |
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דרֵאשִׁ֨ית דְּגָֽנְךָ֜ תִּירֽשְׁךָ֣ וְיִצְהָרֶ֗ךָ וְרֵאשִׁ֛ית גֵּ֥ז צֹֽאנְךָ֖ תִּתֶּן־לֽוֹ: |
| The first of your grain: This refers to terumah; and although the verse does not state a required amount, our Rabbis set an amount for it [ranging from a sixtieth to a fortieth of the total produce as follows]: A generous [person] gives one fortieth of the crop, a miserly [person] one sixtieth, and [a person of] average generosity one fiftieth. They base [this ruling] that one should not give less than one sixtieth on what is said, “[This is the offering that you shall set apart: a sixth of an ephah from a homer of wheat,] and you shall separate a sixth of an ephah from a homer of barley” (Ezek. 45:13). [Since an ephah is equivalent to three se’ah,] a sixth of an ephah is equivalent to half a se’ah. [Now the “homer” mentioned in the verse is the same as a kor.] When you give [one sixth of an ephah from a homer, which we now know to be] one half of a se’ah for a kor, this amounts to one sixtieth because a kor is thirty se’ah. — [Yerushalmi, Terumoth 4:3] |
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רֵאשִׁית דְּגָֽנְךָ:
זוֹ תְּרוּמָה, וְלֹא פֵּרֵשׁ בָּהּ שִׁעוּר, אֲבָל רַבּוֹתֵינוּ נָתְנוּ בָהּ שִׁעוּר – עַיִן יָפָה אֶחָד מֵאַרְבָּעִים, עַיִן רָעָה אֶחָד מִשִּׁשִּׁים, בֵּינוֹנִית אֶחָד מֵחֲמִשִּׁים, וְסָמְכוּ עַל הַמִּקְרָא שֶׁלֹּא לִפְחֹת מֵאֶחָד מִשִּׁשִּׁים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל מ"ה) שִׁשִּׁית הָאֵיפָה מֵחֹמֶר הַחִטִּים, שִׁשִּׁית הָאֵיפָה חֲצִי סְאָה, כְּשֶׁאַתָּה נוֹתֵן חֲצִי סְאָה לְכֹר הֲרֵי אֶחָד מִשִּׁשִּׁים, שֶׁהַכֹּר שְׁלוֹשִׁים סְאִין (תלמוד ירושלמי תרומות פ"ד):
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| and the first of the fleece of your sheep: When you shear your sheep each year, give the first of it [the wool] to the kohen. And [although the verse] does not mention a required amount, our Rabbis set an amount, namely, one sixtieth. And how many sheep [are the minimum to] be liable to the law of “the first of the fleece?” At least five sheep, as it is said, “[Then Abigail… took…] and five prepared (עֲשׂוּיוֹת) sheep” (I Sam. 25:18). [The עֲשׂוּיוֹת here, is interpreted as meaning that five sheep compel their owner and say to you, as it were, “Get up and fulfill the commandment of 'the first of the fleece.’”] Rabbi Akiva says: [that the minimum number of sheep liable to this commandment is derived from our verse here]: The phrase רֵאשִׁית גֵז denotes two sheep; צֹאנְךָ [an additional two, making] four, and תִּתֶּן-לוֹ denotes one more, which is a total of five sheep. - [Chul. 135a, 137a; Sifrei] |
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וְרֵאשִׁית גֵּז צֹֽאנְךָ:
כְּשֶׁאַתָּה גּוֹזֵז צֹאנְךָ בְּכָל שָׁנָה תֵּן מִמֶּנָּה רֵאשִׁית לַכֹּהֵן, וְלֹא פֵּרֵשׁ בָּהּ שִׁעוּר, וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ נָתְנוּ בָהּ שִׁעוּר אֶחָד מִשִּׁשִּׁים, וְכַמָּה צֹאן חַיָּבוֹת בְּרֵאשִׁית הַגֵּז? חָמֵשׁ רְחֵלוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל א כ"ה) וְחָמֵשׁ צֹאן עֲשׂוּיוֹת. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר רֵאשִׁית גֵּז – שְׁתַּיִם, צֹאנְךָ – אַרְבָּעָה, תִּתֶּן לוֹ – הֲרֵי חֲמִשָּׁה (עי' ספרי וחולין קל"ה):
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| 5For the Lord, your God, has chosen him out of all your tribes, to stand and serve in the name of the Lord, he and his sons, all the days. |
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הכִּ֣י ב֗וֹ בָּחַ֛ר יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ מִכָּל־שְׁבָטֶ֑יךָ לַֽעֲמֹ֨ד לְשָׁרֵ֧ת בְּשֵֽׁם־יְהֹוָ֛ה ה֥וּא וּבָנָ֖יו כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים: |
| to stand and serve: From here we learn that [the Temple] service is performed only when standing. — [Sifrei , Sotah 38a] |
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לַֽעֲמֹד לְשָׁרֵת:
מִכָּאן שֶׁאֵין שֵׁרוּת אֶלָּא מֵעוֹמֵד (ספרי; סוטה ל"ח):
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