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17:1

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

Adonoy spoke to Moshe, saying;

Adonoy spoke to Moshe, saying;

17:2

אֱמֹר אֶל־אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן־אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן וְיָרֵם אֶת־הַמַּחְתֹּת מִבֵּין הַשְּׂרֵפָה וְאֶת־הָאֵשׁ זְרֵה־הָלְאָה כִּי קָדֵֽשׁוּ׃

“Say to Elazar the son of Aharon, the kohein and have him lift up the firepans from the inferno, and you, scatter the fire yonder, for, they were sanctified;

“Say to Elazar the son of Aharon, the kohein and have him lift up the firepans from the inferno, and you, scatter the fire yonder, for, they were sanctified;

Rashi

ואת האש. שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ הַמַּחְתּוֹת:

And the fire. In the firepans.

זרה הלאה. לָאָרֶץ מֵעַל הַמַּחְתּוֹת:

Scatter yonder. To the ground, from the firepans.

כי קדשו. הַמַּחְתּוֹת וַאֲסוּרִין בַּהֲנָאָה, שֶׁהֲרֵי עֲשָׂאוּם כְּלֵי שָׁרֵת:

For, they were sanctified. The firepans, and may not be used for personal benefit, since they designated them as sacred service utensils.

17:3

אֵת מַחְתּוֹת הַֽחַטָּאִים הָאֵלֶּה בְּנַפְשֹׁתָם וְעָשׂוּ אֹתָם רִקֻּעֵי פַחִים צִפּוּי לַמִּזְבֵּחַ כִּֽי־הִקְרִיבֻם לִפְנֵֽי־יְהֹוָה וַיִּקְדָּשׁוּ וְיִֽהְיוּ לְאוֹת לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

[These] firepans of these sinners [who paid] with their souls, and make them into hammered sheets to overlay the altar, for they were brought in offering before Adonoy and they were sanctified; and they shall be for a sign for Bnei Yisroel.

[These] firepans of these sinners [who paid] with their souls, and make them into hammered sheets to overlay the altar, for they were brought in offering before Adonoy and they were sanctified; and they shall be for a sign for Bnei Yisroel.

Rashi

החטאים האלה בנפשתם. שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ פוֹשְׁעִים בְּנַפְשׁוֹתָם, שֶׁנֶּחְלְקוּ עַל הַקָּבָּ"ה:

These sinners with their souls. They became willful sinners with their souls by disputing the Holy One, Blessed is He.

רקעי. רְדוּדִין:

Hammered. Beaten.

פחים. טַסִּים מְרֻדָּדִין, טינדי"ש בלעז:

Sheets. Hammered sheets. Tendes, “sheets,” in Old French.

צפוי למזבח. לְמִזְבַּח הַנְּחֹשֶׁת:

To overlay the altar. The copper altar.

ויהיו לאות. לְזִכָּרוֹן — שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ, אֵלּוּ הָיוּ מֵאוֹתָן שֶׁנֶּחְלְקוּ עַל הַכְּהֻנָּה וְנִשְׂרְפוּ:

They shall be for a sign. A reminder, so that they will say, “These belonged to the ones who disputed the kehunah, and were burned.”

17:4

וַיִּקַּח אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן אֵת מַחְתּוֹת הַנְּחֹשֶׁת אֲשֶׁר הִקְרִיבוּ הַשְּׂרֻפִים וַֽיְרַקְּעוּם צִפּוּי לַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃

Elazar the kohein, took the copper firepans, those that the fire victims brought and hammered them into a covering for the altar,

Elazar the kohein, took the copper firepans, those that the fire victims brought and hammered them into a covering for the altar,

Rashi

וירקעום. איטינ"דריש בְּלַעַז:

And hammered them. Atendirent, “hammered” in Old French.

17:5

זִכָּרוֹן לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַעַן אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־יִקְרַב אִישׁ זָר אֲשֶׁר לֹא מִזֶּרַע אַהֲרֹן הוּא לְהַקְטִיר קְטֹרֶת לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה וְלֹֽא־יִהְיֶה כְקֹרַח וְכַעֲדָתוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁה לֽוֹ׃ {פ}

to be a reminder for Bnei Yisroel so that a commoner shall never offer, one who is not a descendant of Aharon, to burn incense before Adonoy; so as not to be like Korach and his congregation; as Adonoy spoke to him, through Moshe.

to be a reminder for Bnei Yisroel so that a commoner shall never offer, one who is not a descendant of Aharon, to burn incense before Adonoy; so as not to be like Korach and his congregation; as Adonoy spoke to him, through Moshe.

Rashi

ולא יהיה כקרח. כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה כְקֹרַח:

So as not to be like Korach. In order not to be like Korach.

כאשר דבר ה' ביד משה לו. כְּמוֹ עָלָיו — עַל אַהֲרֹן דִּבֵּר אֶל מֹשֶׁה שֶׁיִּהְיוּ הוּא וּבָנָיו כֹּהֲנִים, לְפִיכָךְ "לֹא יִקְרַב אִישׁ זָר אֲשֶׁר לֹא מִזֶּרַע אַהֲרֹן" וְגוֹ'; וְכֵן כָּל לִי וְלוֹ וְלָהֶם הַסְּמוּכִים אֵצֶל דִּבּוּר, פִּתְרוֹנָם כְּמוֹ עַל. וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ — עַל קֹרַח, וּמַהוּ "בְיַד מֹשֶׁה" וְלֹא כָתַב "אֶל מֹשֶׁה"? רֶמֶז לַחוֹלְקִים עַל הַכְּהֻנָּה שֶׁלּוֹקִין בְּצָרַעַת כְּמוֹ שֶׁלָּקָה מֹשֶׁה בְּיָדוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וַיּוֹצִאָהּ וְהִנֵּה יָדוֹ מְצֹרַעַת כַּשָּׁלֶג" (שמות ד'), וְעַל כֵּן לָקָה עֻזִּיָּהוּ בְּצָרַעַת (דברי הימים ב' כ"ו):

As Adonoy spoke to him, through Moshe. Like עָלָיו, “about him.” About Aharon, He spoke to Moshe, [saying] that he and his sons shall be kohanim. Therefore, a stranger should not approach who is not a descendant of Aharon, etc. Similarly, every לִי, לוֹ and לָהֶם next to דִּבּוּר, “speech,” is interpreted as עַל, “about.” According to Midrash, about Korach, what is [the meaning of] בְּיַד משֶׁה, [literally “in the hand of Moshe,”] [why did] Scripture not write “to Moshe”? This alludes that those who dispute the kehunah are stricken with tzora'as, as Moshe was stricken in his hand, as it is said, “when he withdrew it, his hand was stricken with tzora’as — white as snow.” This is why Uziyah was stricken with tzora’as.

Texts

  • Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah · License: CC-BY-SA
  • English: Metsudah Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009 · License: CC-BY
  • Hebrew: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann -- corrected vocalization · License: PD
  • English: Rashi Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009 · License: CC-BY

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