Tanach
Bamidbar 17:16-24 במדבר י״ז:ט״ז-כ״ד
Part of: KorachKorach, Aliyah 5Chapter 17
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וַיְדַבֵּר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹֽר׃
Adonoy spoke to Moshe, saying:
Adonoy spoke to Moshe, saying:
דַּבֵּר ׀ אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְקַח מֵֽאִתָּם מַטֶּה מַטֶּה לְבֵית אָב מֵאֵת כׇּל־נְשִֽׂיאֵהֶם לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר מַטּוֹת אִישׁ אֶת־שְׁמוֹ תִּכְתֹּב עַל־מַטֵּֽהוּ׃
“Speak to Bnei Yisroel and take from among them a staff, a staff for each father’s [tribal] house, from all the leaders according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staffs; and you shall write each man’s name on his staff.
“Speak to Bnei Yisroel and take from among them a staff, a staff for each father’s [tribal] house, from all the leaders according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staffs; and you shall write each man’s name on his staff.
וְאֵת שֵׁם אַהֲרֹן תִּכְתֹּב עַל־מַטֵּה לֵוִי כִּי מַטֶּה אֶחָד לְרֹאשׁ בֵּית אֲבוֹתָֽם׃
You shall write the name of Aharon on the staff of Levi, for, [there is] one staff for the head of their fathers’ house.
You shall write the name of Aharon on the staff of Levi, for, [there is] one staff for the head of their fathers’ house.
Rashi
וְהִנַּחְתָּם בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לִפְנֵי הָֽעֵדוּת אֲשֶׁר אִוָּעֵד לָכֶם שָֽׁמָּה׃
You shall leave them inside the Tent of Meeting before the testimony where there I meet you.
You shall leave them inside the Tent of Meeting before the testimony where there I meet you.
וְהָיָה הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר אֶבְחַר־בּוֹ מַטֵּהוּ יִפְרָח וַהֲשִׁכֹּתִי מֵֽעָלַי אֶת־תְּלֻנּוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הֵם מַלִּינִם עֲלֵיכֶֽם׃
It shall be that the man whom I choose, his staff shall blossom; and I will abate from Myself the complaints of Bnei Yisroel that they complain against you.”
It shall be that the man whom I choose, his staff shall blossom; and I will abate from Myself the complaints of Bnei Yisroel that they complain against you.”
Rashi
והשכתי. כְּמוֹ "וַיָּשֹׁכּוּ הַמָּיִם" (בראשית ח'), "וַחֲמַת הַמֶּלֶךְ שָׁכָכָה" (אסתר ז'):
And I will abate. Like “the waters abated,” “the king’s rage abated.”
וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּתְּנוּ אֵלָיו ׀ כׇּֽל־נְשִׂיאֵיהֶם מַטֶּה לְנָשִׂיא אֶחָד מַטֶּה לְנָשִׂיא אֶחָד לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר מַטּוֹת וּמַטֵּה אַהֲרֹן בְּתוֹךְ מַטּוֹתָֽם׃
Moshe spoke to Bnei Yisroel and all the leaders gave to him a staff for each leader; a staff for each leader, according to their fathers’ house, twelve staffs, and the staff of Aharon [was] among their staffs.
Moshe spoke to Bnei Yisroel and all the leaders gave to him a staff for each leader; a staff for each leader, according to their fathers’ house, twelve staffs, and the staff of Aharon [was] among their staffs.
Rashi
בתוך מטותם. הִנִּיח בָּאֶמְצַע, שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִנִּיחוֹ בְצַד שְׁכִינָה פָּרַח (תנחומא אחרי מות):
Among their staffs. He placed it in the middle, so that they would not claim that, because he placed it near the Divine Presence, it flowered.
וַיַּנַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת־הַמַּטֹּת לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה בְּאֹהֶל הָעֵדֻֽת׃
Moshe placed the staffs before Adonoy in the Tent of the Testimony.
Moshe placed the staffs before Adonoy in the Tent of the Testimony.
וַיְהִי מִֽמׇּחֳרָת וַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה אֶל־אֹהֶל הָעֵדוּת וְהִנֵּה פָּרַח מַטֵּֽה־אַהֲרֹן לְבֵית לֵוִי וַיֹּצֵֽא פֶרַח וַיָּצֵֽץ צִיץ וַיִּגְמֹל שְׁקֵדִֽים׃
It was on the next day, Moshe came inside the Tent of the Testimony, and behold! The staff of Aharon blossomed for the house of Levi, a blossom came forth, and bloomed buds and bore ripe almonds.
It was on the next day, Moshe came inside the Tent of the Testimony, and behold! The staff of Aharon blossomed for the house of Levi, a blossom came forth, and bloomed buds and bore ripe almonds.
Rashi
ויצא פרח. כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ:
Blossomed. Like the plain interpretation.
ציץ. הוּא חֲנָטַת הַפְּרִי כְּשֶׁהַפֶּרַח נוֹפֵל:
Buds. This refers to the budding of the fruit, when the blossoms drop.
ויגמל שקדים. כְּשֶׁהֻכַּר הַפְּרִי הֻכַּר שֶׁהֵן שְׁקֵדִים, לְשׁוֹן "וַיִּגְדַּל הַיֶּלֶד וַיִּגָּמַל" (בראשית כ"א), וְלָשׁוֹן זֶה מָצוּי בִּפְרִי הָאִילָן, כְּמוֹ "וּבֹסֶר גֹּמֵל יִהְיֶה נִצָּה" (ישעיהו י"ח), וְלָמָּה שְׁקֵדִים? הוּא הַפְּרִי הַמְמַהֵר לְהַפְרִיחַ מִכָּל הַפֵּרוֹת, אַף הַמְעוֹרֵר עַל הַכְּהֻנָּה פֻּרְעֲנוּתוֹ מְמַהֶרֶת לָבֹא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בְעֻזִּיָּהוּ "וְהַצָּרַעַת זָרְחָה בְמִצְחוֹ" (דברי הימים ב' כ"ו); תַּרְגּוּמוֹ "וְכָפִית שִׁגְדִּין", כְּמִין אֶשְׁכּוֹל שְׁקֵדִים יַחַד כְּפוּתִים זֶה עַל זֶה:
And bore ripe almonds. When the fruit was discernible, it was recognized as almonds, as in “the child grew and was weaned.” This term is generally used for fruit of the tree, as in “its buds will become ripening fruit.” Why almonds? This is the fruit which blossoms more quickly than all fruits. One who callenges the kehunah as well, will be punished quickly, as we find with Uzyah, “the tzora’as emanated from his forehead.” Targum [Onkelos] renders, “it clustered almonds” — a sort of almond cluster, bunched together with each other.
וַיֹּצֵא מֹשֶׁה אֶת־כׇּל־הַמַּטֹּת מִלִּפְנֵי יְהֹוָה אֶֽל־כׇּל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּרְאוּ וַיִּקְחוּ אִישׁ מַטֵּֽהוּ׃ {פ}
Moshe then brought out all the staffs from before Adonoy to all Bnei Yisroel, and each (man) saw, and retrieved his staff.
Moshe then brought out all the staffs from before Adonoy to all Bnei Yisroel, and each (man) saw, and retrieved his staff.
כי מטה אחד. אַעַ"פִּ שֶׁחִלַּקְתִּים לִשְׁתֵּי מִשְׁפָּחוֹת, מִשְׁפַּחַת כְּהֻנָּה לְבַד וּלְוִיָּה לְבַד, מִכָּל מָקוֹם שֵׁבֶט אֶחָד הוּא:
For, [there is] one staff. Although I divided them into two family groups, the kehunah family separately, and the Levite separately, still, they are a single tribe.