Bamidbar 8 במדבר ח׳

בהעלתך. לָמָּה נִסְמְכָה פָרָשַׁת הַמְּנוֹרָה לְפָרָשַׁת הַנְּשִׂיאִים? לְפִי שֶׁכְּשָׁרָאָה אַהֲרֹן חֲנֻכַּת הַנְּשִׂיאִים חָלְשָׁה אָז דַּעְתּוֹ, שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה עִמָּהֶם בַּחֲנֻכָּה לֹא הוּא וְלֹא שִׁבְטוֹ, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּבָּ"ה חַיֶּיךָ שֶׁלְּךָ גְדוֹלָה מִשֶּׁלָּהֶם, שֶׁאַתָּה מַדְלִיק וּמֵטִיב אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת (עי' תנחומא):

When you light. Why is the parshah of the Menorah adjacent to the parshah of the leaders? Because when Aharon saw the leaders’ dedication (offerings) he was humiliated, since he did not join them in the dedication, neither he nor his tribe. The Holy One, Blessed is He, said to him, “By your life, yours is greater than theirs! For you will light and cleanse the lamps.”

בהעלתך. עַל שֵׁם שֶׁהַלַּהַב עוֹלֶה, כָּתוּב בְּהַדְלָקָתָן לְשׁוֹן עֲלִיָּה, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהַדְלִיק עַד שֶׁתְּהֵא שַׁלְהֶבֶת עוֹלָה מֵאֵלֶיהָ (שבת כ"א), וְעוֹד דָּרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ מִכָּאן שֶׁמַּעֲלָה הָיְתָה לִפְנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה, שֶׁעָלֶיהָ הַכֹּהֵן עוֹמֵד וּמֵטִיב (ספרי):

When you light (lit. cause to rise). Because the flame rises, igniting is described in terms of “rising.” He is required to ignite [the lamp] until the flame rises by itself. In addition, the Rabbis derive from here that there was a platform before the Menorah, upon which the kohein stood when he lit [the lamps].

אל מול פני המנורה. אֶל מוּל נֵר הָאֶמְצָעִי, שֶׁאֵינוֹ בַקָּנִים אֶלָּא בְּגוּף שֶׁל מְנוֹרָה (עי' מנחות צ"ח):

Toward the face of the Menorah. Toward the middle lamp which was not on one of the branches, but on the Menorah itself.

יאירו שבעת הנרות. שִׁשָּׁה שֶׁעַל שֵׁשֶׁת הַקָּנִים, שְׁלֹשָׁה הַמִּזְרָחִיִּים פּוֹנִים לְמוּל הָאֶמְצָעִי — הַפְּתִילוֹת שֶׁבָּהֶן — וְכֵן שְׁלֹשָׁה הַמַּעֲרָבִיִּים רָאשֵׁי הַפְּתִילוֹת לְמוּל הָאֶמְצָעִי, וְלָמָּה? כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ, לְאוֹרָהּ הוּא צָרִיךְ (עי' תנחומא):

Shall the seven lamps cast [their] light. The six [lamps] that were on the six branches [and one on its stem]. The three eastern ones turned toward the middle [by] their wicks. Similarly, the three western ones — the heads of their wicks [were] towards the middle. Why? So that it whould not be said that He (God) needs the light.

ויעש כן אהרן. לְהַגִּיד שִׁבְחוֹ שֶׁל אַהֲרֹן שֶׁלֹּא שִׁנָּה (ספרי):

Aharon did so. To indicate his [Aharon’s] virtue — he did not digress.

וזה מעשה המנרה. שֶׁהֶרְאָהוּ הַקָּבָּ"ה בְּאֶצְבַּע, לְפִי שֶׁנִּתְקַשָּׁה בָהּ, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר "וְזֶה":

This is how the Menorah was made. The Holy One, Blessed is He, showed him (Moshe) by pointing [as one would point] with the finger, since he had difficulty with it. This is why it says וְזֶה (“This”).

מקשה. בטדי"ץ בְּלַעַז, לְשׁוֹן "דָּא לְדָא נָקְשָׁן" (דניאל ה'), עֶשֶׁת שֶׁל כִּכַּר זָהָב הָיְתָה, וּמַקִּישׁ בְּקֻרְנָס, וְחוֹתֵךְ בְּכַשִּׁיל, לְפַשֵּׁט אֵבָרֶיהָ כְּתִקְנָן, וְלֹא נַעֲשֵׂית אֵבָרִים אֵבָרִים עַ"יְ חִבּוּר (עי' ספרא):

Beaten. Batedic (hammered) in Old French, meaning the same as דָּא לְדָא נָקְשָׁן, (“they struck one another”). There was a lump of gold, [weighing] a kikar, [which] he beat with a hammer and cut with shears to extend its (the Menorah’s) limbs properly; but it was not made limb by limb and [then] connected.

עד ירכה. יְרֵכָהּ הִיא הַשִּׁדָּה שֶׁעַל הָרַגְלַיִם, חָלוּל, כְּדֶרֶךְ מְנוֹרוֹת כֶּסֶף שֶׁלִּפְנֵי הַשָּׂרִים:

From its base until its flowers. Its base was the hollow box over the legs, hollowed like the silver candelabras before princes.

עד ירכה עד פרחה. כְּלוֹמַר גּוּפָהּ שֶׁל מְנוֹרָה כֻּלָּהּ וְכָל הַתָּלוּי בָּהּ:

From its base until its flowers. As if to say, ”The Menorah proper, in its entirety, and all its dependent parts.”

עד ירכה. שֶׁהוּא אֵבָר גָּדוֹל:

From its base. Which was a large limb.

עד פרחה. שֶׁהוּא מַעֲשֶׂה דַק שֶׁבָּהּ, הַכֹּל מִקְשָׁה; וְדֶרֶךְ "עַד" לְשַׁמֵּשׁ בְּלָשׁוֹן זֶה, כְּמוֹ "מִגָּדִישׁ וְעַד קָמָה וְעַד כֶּרֶם זָיִת" (שופטים ט"ו):

Until its flowers. Its most delicate work — it was all one piece. עַד (“until”), is customarily used in this sense, like “From the harvested crop, until the standing grain, and until the olive grove.”

כמראה אשר הראה וגו'. כַּתַּבְנִית אֲשֶׁר הֶרְאָהוּ בָהָר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כ"ה) — וּרְאֵה וַעֲשֵׂה בְתַבְנִיתָם וְגוֹ' (ספרי):

According to the vision which [Adonoy] showed . . . According to the form which He showed him on the mountain (Sinai), as it is said: “Observe and make them according to the form. . .etc.”

כן עשה את המנרה. מִי שֶׁעֲשָׂאָהּ; וּמִ"אַ, עַל יְדֵי הַקָּבָּ"ה נַעֲשֵׂית מֵאֵלֶיהָ (תנחומא):

So he made the Menorah. The one who made it. But Midrash Aggadah [states] by the Holy One, Blessed is He, it was made spontaneously.

קח את הלוים. קָחֵם בִּדְבָרִים — אַשְׁרֵיכֶם שֶׁתִּזְכּוּ לִהְיוֹת שַׁמָּשִׁים לַמָּקוֹם:

Take the Levites. Take them with words of persuasion, “you are fortunate to merit becoming servants of the Omnipresent.”

הזה עליהם מי חטאת. שֶׁל אֵפֶר הַפָּרָה מִפְּנֵי טְמֵאֵי מֵתִים שֶׁבָּהֶם:

Sprinkle them with the sin-offering waters. Of the ashes of the red cow, for some of them were defiled by contact with the dead.

והעבירו תער. מָצָאתִי בְדִבְרֵי רַבִּי מֹשֶׁה הַדַּרְשָׁן לְפִי שֶׁנִּתְּנוּ כַפָּרָה עַל הַבְּכוֹרוֹת שֶׁעָבְדוּ עֲ"זָ, וְהִיא קְרוּיָה זִבְחֵי מֵתִים, וְהַמְּצֹרָע קָרוּי מֵת, הִזְקִיקָם תִּגְלַחַת כִּמְצוֹרָעִים:

And cause a razor to pass. I found in R’ Moshe Hadarshan’s remarks: “Because they were given in atonement for the firstborn who practiced idolatry, which is referred to as ‘sacrificing to the dead,’ and since the leper is considered dead, they required shaving like lepers.”

ולקחו פר בן בקר. וְהוּא עוֹלָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב "וַעֲשֵֹה … וְאֶת הָאֶחָד עֹלָה", וְהוּא קָרְבַּן צִבּוּר בַּעֲ"זָ:

They should take a young bullock. This was a burnt-offering, as it is written, “he should make . . . one a burnt-offering.” This is the communal sacrifice for idolatry.

ופר שני. מַה תַּ"ל שֵׁנִי? לוֹמַר לְךָ מָה עוֹלָה לֹא נֶאֱכֶלֶת, אַף חַטָּאת לֹא נֶאֱכֶלֶת. וּבְזוֹ יֵשׁ סֶמֶךְ לִדְבָרָיו בְּת"כֹּ; וְאוֹמֵר אֲנִי שֶׁהוֹרָאַת שָׁעָה הָיְתָה, שֶׁשָּׂעִיר הָיָה לָהֶם לְהָבִיא לְחַטַּאת עֲ"זָ עִם פַּר הָעוֹלָה:

And a second bullock. What does the Torah teach [by specifying] ‘a second’? To inform you that, just as the burnt-offering was not eaten, so was the sin-offering not eaten. This supports his remarks, from Toras Kohanim. Now I say that it was a temporary ruling, as they should have brought a goat as a sin-offering for idolatry with the burnt-offering bull.

והקהלת את כל עדת. לְפִי שֶׁהַלְוִיִּם נִתָּנִים קָרְבַּן כַּפָּרָה תַּחְתֵּיהֶם, יָבֹאוּ וְיַעַמְדוּ עַל קָרְבָּנָם וְיִסְמְכוּ אֶת יְדֵיהֶם עֲלֵיהֶם:

And you shall gather the entire congregation Since the Levites are given as an atonement-offering in their place, let them come and stand near their offering and rest their hands on them.

והניף אהרן את הלוים תנופה. כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁאֲשַׁם מְצֹרָע טָעוּן תְּנוּפָה חַי; שָׁלֹשׁ תְּנוּפוֹת נֶאֶמְרוּ בְּפָרָשָׁה זוֹ: הָרִאשׁוֹנָה — לִבְנֵי קְהָת, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר בָּם "וְהָיוּ לַעֲבֹד אֶת עֲבֹדַת ה'", לְפִי שֶׁעֲבוֹדַת קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים עֲלֵיהֶם — הָאָרוֹן וְהַשֻּׁלְחָן וְגוֹ'; הַשְּׁנִיָּה — לִבְנֵי גֵרְשׁוֹן, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר בָּם "תְּנוּפָה לַה'", שֶׁאַף עֲלֵיהֶם הָיְתָה עֲבוֹדַת הַקֹּדֶשׁ — יְרִיעוֹת וּקְרָסִים הַנִּרְאוֹת בְּבֵית קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים, וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁית — לִבְנֵי מְרָרִי:

Aharon shall wave the Levites as a wave-offering Just as the leper’s guilt- offering requires waving when it is still alive. Three wavings were stated in this chapter: The first, of the sons of Kehos. Therefore it is stated of them: “They will be [entrusted] to do the worship of Adonoy,” since the work of the holiest is upon them — the Ark and the Table etc. The second, of the sons of Gershon. It is therefore stated of them: “A wave-offering to Adonoy,” for even they were entrusted with holy work — tapestries and the hooks which were seen in the Holy of Holies. And the third, of the sons of Merori.

נתנים נתנים. נְתוּנִים לְמַשָּׂא, נְתוּנִים לָשִׁיר:

They are given; they are given. Given for carrying, given for singing.

פטרת. פְּתִיחַת:

פִּטְרַת The opening of.

כי לי כל בכור. שֶׁלִּי הָיוּ הַבְּכוֹרוֹת בְּקַו הַדִּין, שֶׁהֲגִנֹּתִי עֲלֵיהֶם בֵּין בְּכוֹרֵי מִצְרַיִם וְלָקַחְתִּי אוֹתָם לִי — עַד שֶׁטָּעוּ בָעֵגֶל, וְעַכְשָׁו "וָאֶקַּח אֶת הַלְוִיִּם":

For every first born is Mine. The first born were Mine by the rules of justice, since I protected them among the Egyptian firstborn. So I took them for Myself — until they strayed with the [golden] calf. Now I have taken the Levites.

ואתנה וגו'. חֲמִשָּׁה פְעָמִים נֶאֶמְרוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמִקְרָא זֶה, לְהוֹדִיעַ חִבָּתָן, שֶׁנִּכְפַּל אַזְכְּרוֹתֵיהֶן בְּמִקְרָא אֶחָד כְּמִנְיַן חֲמִשָּׁה חֻמְשֵׁי תוֹרָה, וְכָךְ רָאִיתִי בִּבְ"רַ:

I have given the Levites, etc. Bnei Yisroel are mentioned five times, in this passage, to make their preciousness known. They are remembered repeatedly in a single passage to correspond with the number of the five books of the Torah. I saw this in Bereishis Rabbah.

ולא יהיה בבני ישראל נגף. שֶׁלֹא יִצְטָרְכוּ לָגֶשֶׁת אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ, שֶׁאִם יִגְּשׁוּ יִהְיֶה נֶגֶף:

So that there will not be a plague among Bnei Yisroel. So that they will not need to approach the Holy, for if they approach, there will be a plague.

ויעש משה ואהרן וכל עדת וגו'. מֹשֶׁה הֶעֱמִידָן וְאַהֲרֹן הֱנִיפָן, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל סָמְכוּ אֶת יְדֵיהֶם:

Moshe, Aharon, and the entire congregation did, etc. Moshe placed them, Aharon waved them, and the Israelites rested their hands.

כאשר צוה ה' … כן עשו. לְהַגִּיד שֶׁבַח הָעוֹשִׂין וְהַנַּעֲשֶׂה בָהֶן, שֶׁאֶחָד מֵהֶם לֹא עִכֵּב:

Just as Adonoy commanded, etc. so they did. This indicates the praiseworthiness of those who did, and those with whom it was done — no one objected.

זאת אשר ללוים. שָׁנִים פּוֹסְלִים וְאֵין הַמּוּמִין פּוֹסְלִים בָּהֶם (ספרי; חולין כ"ד):

This concerns the Levites. Age disqualifies them, but physical deformity does not disqualify them.

מבן חמש ועשרים. 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):

From the age of twenty-five. But elsewhere it says, “From the age of thirty.” How is this reconciled? From the age of twenty-five he begins to study of the laws of the service. He studies for five years, and serves at the age of thirty. From here [we derive] that a pupil who does not see favorable indications in his studies for five years will never see (them).

ולא יעבד עוד. עֲבוֹדַת מַשָּׂא בַּכָּתֵף, אֲבָל חוֹזֵר הוּא לִנְעִילַת שְׁעָרִים וְלָשִׁיר וְלִטְעֹן עֲגָלוֹת, וְזֶהוּ וְשֵׁרֵת אֶת אֶחָיו — עִם אֲחוֹהִי, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ:

And shall no longer work. At the task of carrying on the shoulder, but he returns to lock the gates, to sing, and to load the wagons. This is [the meaning of] “But he shall serve his brethren,” ‘with his brethren’, as Targum [Onkelos] renders.

לשמר משמרת. לַחֲנוֹת סָבִיב לָאֹהֶל וּלְהָקִים וּלְהוֹרִיד בִּשְׁעַת הַמַּסָּעוֹת:

To keep the watch. To camp around the Tent, and erect and dismantle [it] during the journeys.