Bamidbar 3 במדבר ג׳

ואלה תולדת אהרן ומשה. וְאֵינוֹ מַזְכִּיר אֶלָּא בְנֵי אַהֲרֹן וְנִקְרְאוּ תוֹלְדוֹת מֹשֶׁה, לְפִי שֶׁלִּמְּדָן תּוֹרָה, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁכָּל הַמְלַמֵּד אֶת בֶּן חֲבֵרוֹ תּוֹרָה מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ יְלָדוֹ (סנהדרין י"ט):

These are the descendants of Aharon and Moshe. [Scripture] mentions only the sons of Aharon, yet they are called the descendants of Moshe — because he taught them Torah. This teaches us that one who teaches another’s son Torah is considered as having procreated him.

ביום דבר ה' את משה. נַעֲשׂוּ אֵלּוּ הַתּוֹלָדוֹת שֶׁלּוֹ, שֶׁלִּמְּדָן מַה שֶּׁלָּמַד מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה:

On the day that Adonoy spoke to Moshe They became his descendants, since he taught them what he had learned from the mouth of the Almighty.

על פני אהרן. בְּחַיָּיו:

In the presence [literally “the face”] of Aharon. During his lifetime.

ושרתו אתו. וּמַהוּ הַשֵּׁרוּת?

And they shall serve him. What is the service? [The next passage explains —] ”They shall preserve his guardianship;” since he (Aharon) is obligated to guard the Sanctuary so that no stranger may approach, as it is said, “. . . you (Aharon), your sons, and your father’s house with you shall bear [responsibility for] the sin of [defiling] the Sanctuary . . .,” and these Levites aided them, this is the service.

ושמרו את משמרתו. לְפִי שֶׁשְּׁמִירַת הַמִּקְדָּשׁ עָלָיו שֶׁלֹּא יִקְרַב זָר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ וּבֵית אָבִיךָ אִתָּךְ תִּשְׂאוּ אֶת עֲוֹן הַמִּקְדָּשׁ" (במדבר י"ח), וְהַלְוִיִּם הַלָּלוּ מְסַיְּעִין אוֹתָם, זוֹ הִיא הַשֵּׁרוּת:

ושמרו את משמרתו. כָּל מִנּוּי שֶׁהָאָדָם מְמֻנֶּה עָלָיו וּמֻטָּל עָלָיו לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ קָרוּי מִשְׁמֶרֶת בְּכָל הַמִּקְרָא וּבִלְשׁוֹן הַמִּשְׁנָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמוּר בְּבִגְתָן וָתֶרֶשׁ "וַהֲלֹא אֵין מִשְׁמַרְתִּי וּמִשְׁמַרְתְּךָ שָׁוָה" (מגילה י"ג), וְכֵן מִשְׁמְרוֹת כְהֻנָּה וּלְוִיָּה:

They shall take care to preserve his guardianship. Any position to which a person is appointed which requires his active management is called a “watch” throughout Scripture, and in the Mishnaic idiom, as stated concerning Bigsan and Seresh, “But surely my watch is not similar to yours”? Similarly, the “watches” of the kohanim and Levites.

ואת משמרת בני ישראל. שֶׁכֻּלָּן הָיוּ זְקוּקִין לְצָרְכֵי הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, אֶלָּא שֶׁהַלְוִיִּם בָּאִים תַּחְתֵּיהֶם בִּשְׁלִיחוּתָם, לְפִיכָךְ לוֹקְחִים מֵהֶם הַמַּעַשְׂרוֹת בִּשְׂכָרָן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "כִּי שָׂכָר הוּא לָכֶם חֵלֶף עֲבֹדַתְכֶם" (במדבר י"ח):

And the watch of Bnei Yisroel. They were all actually obligated to provide the needs of the Sanctuary; the Levites merely served in their place, as surrogates. This is why they (the Levites) accepted the tithes from them, in payment, as it is said, “. . . for it (the tithe) is your payment, in return for your service . . .”

נתונם המה לו. לְעֶזְרָה:

They are presented to him. For assistance.

מאת בני ישראל. כְּמוֹ מִתּוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשׂרָאֵל, כְּלוֹמַר מִשְּׁאָר כָּל הָעֵדָה נִבְדְּלוּ לְכָךְ בִּגְזֵרַת הַמָּקוֹם וְהוּא נְתָנָם לוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וָאֶתְּנָה אֶת הַלְוִיִּם נְתֻנִים" וְגוֹ' (במדבר ח'):

From [among] Bnei Yisroel This [מֵאֵת, “from”] is understood as מִתּוֹךְ, “from among” Bnei Yisroel, meaning from the rest of the entire congregation they (the Levites) were selected for this by Divine decree and He (God) gave them to him (Aharon), as it is said, “I (God) have given the Levites, given [them] . . .”

ואת אהרן ואת בניו תפקד. לְשׁוֹן פְּקִידוּת, וְאֵינוֹ לְשׁוֹן מִנְיָן:

Appoint Aharon and his sons. The word connotes appointment, not counting.

ושמרו את כהנתם. קַבָּלַת דָּמִים וּזְרִיקָה וְהַקְטָרָה וַעֲבוֹדוֹת הַמְּסוּרוֹת לַכֹּהֲנִים:

And they shall guard their priesthood. Referring to the blood [of the sacrificial offerings], sprinkling [it on the altar], burning [the sacrifices], [and other] services entrusted to the kohanim.

ואני הנה לקחתי. וַאֲנִי מֵהֵיכָן זָכִיתִי בָהֶן מתוך בני ישראל שֶׁיִּהְיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל שׂוֹכְרִין אוֹתָן לְשֵׁרוּת שֶׁלִּי? עַ"יְ הַבְּכוֹרוֹת זָכִיתִי בָהֶם וּלְקַחְתִּים תְּמוּרָתָם. לְפִי שֶׁהָיְתָה הָעֲבוֹדָה בַּבְּכוֹרוֹת, וּכְשֶׁחָטְאוּ בָעֵגֶל נִפְסְלוּ, וְהַלְוִיִּם שֶׁלֹּא עָבְדוּ עֲ"זָ נִבְחֲרוּ תַחְתֵּיהֶם (עי' זבחים קי"ב):

Behold, I have taken [the Levites]. What is My right to them? From among Bnei Yisroel That the Israelites must hire them to serve Me? Through the [Israelites’] first born, I gained my right to them, having taken them (the Levites) in their place. Because the sacred service was [originally performed] by the firstborn, but when they sinned with the golden calf, they were disqualified. The Levites, who did not indulge in idolatry, were chosen instead.

מבן חדש ומעלה. מִשֶּׁיָּצָא מִכְּלַל נְפָלִים הוּא נִמְנֶה לִקָּרֵא שׁוֹמֵר מִשְׁמֶרֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ; אָ"רַ יְהוּדָה בְּרַבִּי שָׁלוֹם לָמוּד הוּא אוֹתוֹ הַשֵּׁבֶט לִהְיוֹת נִמְנֶה מִן הַבֶּטֶן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה אֹתָהּ לְלֵוִי בְּמִצְרָיִם" (במדבר כ״ו:נ״ט), — עִם כְּנִיסָתָהּ בְּפֶתַח מִצְרַיִם יָלְדָה אוֹתָהּ וְנִמְנֵית בְּשִׁבְעִים נֶפֶשׁ, שֶׁכְּשֶׁאַתָּה מוֹנֶה חֶשְׁבּוֹנָם לֹא תִמְצָאֵם אֶלָּא שִׁבְעִים חָסֵר אֶחָד, וְהִיא הִשְׁלִימָה אֶת הַמִּנְיָן (תנחומא):

From the age of one month and above. When he (the infant) can no longer be categorized as stillborn, he is listed among those entitled “guardian of the sacred watch.” R’ Yehudah B’rabi Shalom said, “This [Levite] tribe is regularly counted from the womb, as it is said, “. . . [Yocheved, Levi’s daughter] . . . whom she (Levi’s wife) bore to Levi in Egypt . . .” While entering the portals of Egypt, she bore her (Yocheved). yet she is counted among the seventy souls [who came down to Egypt]. for, when one tallies their total, one finds only sixty-nine and she completed the total.

על פי ה'. אָמַר מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי הַקָּבָּ"ה, הֵיאַךְ אֲנִי נִכְנָס לְתוֹךְ אָהֳלֵיהֶם לָדַעַת מִנְיַן יוֹנְקֵיהֶם? אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּבָּ"ה, עֲשֵׂה אַתָּה שֶׁלְּךְ וַאֲנִי אֶעֱשֶׂה שֶׁלִּי, הָלַךְ מֹשֶׁה וְעָמַד עַל פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וְהַשְּׁכִינָה מַקְדֶּמֶת לְפָנָיו, וּבַת קוֹל יוֹצְאָה מִן הָאֹהֶל וְאוֹמֶרֶת כָּךְ וָכָךְ תִּינוֹקוֹת יֵשׁ בְּאֹהֶל זֶה, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר עַל פִּי ה':

According to the word of Adonoy. Moshe said before the Holy One, Blessed is He, ”How can I enter into their tents to determine the number of their nursing infants”? The Holy One, Blessed is He, replied, “Do yours, and I will do Mine”! Moshe proceeded, and stood at the door of the tent, whereupon the Divine Presence preceded him [and entered the tent]. A voice then echoed from the tent, announcing, “There are so many and so many nursing infants in this tent”! This is why it is said, “. . . according to the word of God . . .”

לגרשון משפחת הלבני. כְּלוֹמַר, לְגֵרְשׁוֹן הָיוּ הַפְּקוּדִים מִשְׁפַּחַת הַלִּבְנִי וּמִשְׁפַּחַת הַשִּׁמְעִי — פְּקוּדֵיהֶם כָּךְ וְכָךְ:

Of Gershon, the family of Livni. Meaning, of Gershon, those who were counted [was] the family of Livni and the family of Shim’i — their numbers were so many and so many.

המשכן. יְרִיעוֹת הַתַּחְתּוֹנוֹת:

The Mishkon. The lower [ceiling] drapes.

והאהל. יְרִיעוֹת עִזִּים הָעֲשׂוּיוֹת לְגַג:

And the Tent. The goats’ hair drapes, made [to serve] as the roof.

מכסהו. עוֹרוֹת אֵילִים וּתְחָשִׁים:

Its Cover. Ram skins and tachash skins.

ומסך פתח. הוּא הַוִּילוֹן:

And the curtain for the entrance This is the drape.

ואת מיתריו. שֶׁל הַמִשְׁכָּן וְהָאֹהֶל, וְלֹא שֶׁל חָצֵר:

And its ropes. Of the Mishkon and the tent, but not the enclosure.

משפחת בני קהת יחנו … תימנה. וּסְמוּכִין לָהֶם דֶּגֶל רְאוּבֵן הַחוֹנִים תֵּימָנָה — אוֹי לָרָשָׁע אוֹי לִשְׁכֵנוֹ, לְכָךְ לָקוּ מֵהֶם דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם וּמָאתַיִם וַחֲמִשִּׁים אִישׁ עִם קֹרַח וַעֲדָתוֹ, שֶׁנִּמְשְׁכוּ עִמָּהֶם בְּמַחֲלָקְתָּם (תנחומא):

The families of the children of Kehos shall camp . . . on the south. Near them [was] the banner of Reuven, who camped to the south. Woe to the wicked, woe to his neighbor! This is why [Reuven’s constituents] were punished — Doson, Avirom, and two hundred and fifty men — together with Korach and his assembly, because they (the Reuvenites) were drawn, with them, into the dispute.

והמסך. הִיא הַפָּרֹכֶת, שֶׁאַף הִיא קְרוּיָה פָּרֹכֶת הַמָּסָךְ:

And the curtain. This is the Paroches, as it was also called “. . . the Paroches screen . . .”

ונשיא נשיאי הלוי. מְמֻנֶּה עַל כֻּלָּם, וְעַל מַה הִיא נְשִׂיאוּתוֹ —

The leader of the leaders of Levi. [He was] appointed over all of them. Over what was his leadership?

פקדת שמרי משמרת — עַל יָדוֹ הִיא פְּקֻדַּת כֻּלָּם:

The appointment of the guardians to safeguard — They were all appointed by him.

משה ואהרן ובניו. וּסְמוּכִין לָהֶם דֶּגֶל מַחֲנֵה יְהוּדָה, וְהַחוֹנִים עָלָיו יִשָּׂשכָר וּזְבוּלֻן — טוֹב לַצַּדִיק טוֹב לִשְׁכֵנוֹ, לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ שְׁכֵנָיו שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה שֶׁהָיָה עוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה, נַעֲשׂוּ גְדוֹלִים בַּתּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "יְהוּדָה מְחֹקְקִי" (תהלים ס, ט), "וּמִבְּנֵי יִשָּׂשכָר יוֹדְעֵי בִינָה וְגוֹ' מָאתַיִם" (דהי"א י"ב) — רָאשֵׁי סַנְהֶדְרָאוֹת, "וּמִזְּבוּלֻן מֹשְׁכִים בְּשֵׁבֶט סֹפֵר" (שופטים ה, יד) (תנחומא):

Moshe, Aharon and his sons. Near them [was] the banner of the camp of Yehudah, and those who camped near him, Yissachar and Zevulun. Good fortune to the righteous, good fortune to his neighbor! Because they were neighbors of Moshe, who engaged in Torah [study], they became great Torah scholars, as it is said, “Yehudah my lawgiver”; “From the sons of Yissachar of sagacious knowledge, etc.” — [this refers to] two hundred heads of Sanhedrin; “and from Zevulun, came those that handle the scribe’s quill.”

אשר פקד משה ואהרן. נָקוּד עַל וְאַהֲרֹן, לוֹמַר שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה בְּמִנְיַן הַלְוִיִּם (בכורות ד'):

Whom Moshe and Aharon counted. There are dots over [the word] וְאַהֲרֹן, to teach that he was not included in the counting of the Levites.

שנים ועשרים אלף. וּבִפְרָטָן אַתָּה מוֹצֵא שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת יְתֵרִים — בְּנֵי גֵּרְשׁוֹן שִׁבְעַת אֲלָפִים וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת, בְּנֵי קְהָת שְׁמוֹנַת אֲלָפִים וְשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת, בְּנֵי מְרָרִי שֵׁשֶׁת אֲלָפִים וּמָאתָיִם; וְלָמָּה לֹא כְלָלָן עִם הַשְּׁאָר וְיִפְדּוּ אֶת הַבְּכוֹרוֹת וְלֹא יִהְיוּ זְקוּקִים הַשְּׁלֹשָׁה וְשִׁבְעִים וּמָאתַיִם בְּכוֹרוֹת הָעוֹדְפִים עַל הַמִּנְיָן לְפִדְיוֹן? אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ בְמַסֶּכֶת בְּכוֹרוֹת (דף ה'), אוֹתָן שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת לְוִיִּם בְּכוֹרוֹת הָיוּ, וְדַיָּם שֶׁיַּפְקִיעוּ עַצְמָם מִן הַפִּדְיוֹן:

Twenty two thousand. When counting them individually, however, one discovers three hundred extra: the sons of Gershon, seven thousand five hundred; the sons of Kehos, eight thousand six hundred; the sons of Merori, six thousand two hundred [hence, twenty two thousand three hundred]. Why aren’t they included among the rest to redeem the firstborn, thus exempting the two hundred seventy three overlapping firstborn from redemption? Our sages answered, in Maseches Bechoros, that the three hundred Levites were, themselves, firstborn. It was sufficient for them to release themselves from redemption.

פקד כל בכר זכר מבן חדש ומעלה. מִשֶּׁיָּצָא מִכְּלַל סְפֵק נְפָלִים:

Count every male firstborn . . . from the age of one month and above. When he (the infant) can no longer be categorized as stillborn.

ואת בהמת הלוים וגו'. לֹא פָדוּ בְהֵמוֹת הַלְוִיִּם אֶת בְּכוֹרֵי בְהֵמָה טְהוֹרָה שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶלָּא אֶת פִּטְרֵי חֲמוֹרֵיהֶם, וְשֶׂה אֶחָד שֶׁל בֶּן לֵוִי פָּטַר כַּמָּה פִטְרֵי חֲמוֹרִים שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל. תֵּדַע, שֶׁהֲרֵי מָנָה הָעוֹדְפִים בָּאָדָם וְלֹא מָנָה הָעוֹדְפִים בַּבְּהֵמָה (שם ד'):

And the animals of the Levites . . .etc. The animals of the Levites did not redeem the firstlings of the Israelites’ clean (i.e., kosher) animals, but [they did redeem] the firstlings of their donkeys. And a single sheep belonging to a Levite released numerous of the Israelites’ donkey firstlings. The proof is that Scripture counts the extra men, but did not count the extra animals.

ואת פדויי השלשה וגו'. וְאֶת הַבְּכוֹרוֹת הַצְּרִיכִין לְהִפָּדוֹת בָּהֶם, אֵלּוּ שְׁלֹשָׁה וְשִׁבְעִים וּמָאתַיִם הָעֹדְפִים בָּהֶם יְתֵרִים עַל הַלְוִיִּם, מֵהֶם תִּקַּח חמשת שקלים לגלגלת; כָּךְ הָיְתָה מְכִירָתוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף, עֶשְׂרִים כֶּסֶף, שֶׁהָיָה בְּכוֹרָהּ שֶׁל רָחֵל (ב"ר פ"ד):

And the redemption of the [two hundred and seventy-]three. The firstborn who require redemption among them (the Israelites), these are the two hundred seventy-three extras among them, over and above the Levites. From them, take five shekolim per head. This was the sale price for Yoseif, twenty silver [pieces], who was Rochel’s firstborn.

העדפים על פדויי הלוים. עַל אוֹתָן שֶׁפָּדוּ הַלְוִיִּם בְּגוּפָן:

[Those whose numbers were] in excess of those who were redeemed through the Levites. Those redeemed by the very presence of the Levites.

חמשה וששים ושלש מאות ואלף. כָּךְ סְכוּם הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן: חֲמֵשֶׁת שְׁקָלִים לַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת — לְמָאתַיִם בְּכוֹרוֹת אֶלֶף שֶׁקֶל, לְשִׁבְעִים בְּכוֹרוֹת שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת וַחֲמִשִּׁים שֶׁקֶל, וְשָׁלֹשׁ בְּכוֹרוֹת חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר שֶׁקֶל; אָמַר, כֵּיצַד אֶעֱשֶׂה? בְּכוֹר שֶׁאֹמַר לוֹ תֵּן חֲמֵשֶׁת שְׁקָלִים, יֹאמַר לִי "אֲנִי מִפְּדוּיֵי הַלְוִיִּם". מֶה עָשָׂה? הֵבִיא שְׁנַיִם וְעֶשְׂרִים אֶלֶף פְּתָקִין וְכָתַב עֲלֵיהֶם "בֶּן לֵוִי" וּמָאתַיִם וְשִׁבְעִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה פְּתָקִין כָּתַב עֲלֵיהֶן "חֲמֵשֶׁת שְׁקָלִים", בְּלָלָן וּנְתָנָן בַּקַּלְפִּי, אָמַר לָהֶם, בּוֹאוּ וּטְלוּ פִתְקֵיכֶם לְפִי הַגּוֹרָל (סנהדרין י"ז):

One thousand three hundred sixty five. This is the sum total, [at] five shekolim per head. For two hundred firstborn: one thousand shekolim. For seventy firstborn — three hundred and fifty shekolim. For three firstborn — fifteen shekolim. He (Moshe) said, “How shall I do this? Any firstborn whom I tell to pay five shekolim will say, ‘I am from those redeemed by the Levites”’! What did he do? He brought twenty-two thousand slips and wrote “Levite” on them, and two hundred and seventy three slips and wrote “five shekolim” on them. He mixed them together, and placed them in a container. [Then] he told them, “Come, choose your slips by lot.”