Bamidbar 9 במדבר ט׳

בחדש הראשון. פָּרָשָׁה שֶׁבְּרֹאשׁ הַסֵּפֶר לֹא נֶאֶמְרָה עַד אִיָּר, לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁאֵין סֵדֶר מֻקְדָּם וּמְאֻחָר בַּתּוֹרָה, וְלָמָּה לֹא פָתַח בְּזוֹ? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא גְנוּתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁכָּל אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִדְבָּר לֹא הִקְרִיבוּ אֶלָּא פֶּסַח זוֹ בִּלְבָד (ספרי; תוספתא קידושין ל"ח):

In the first month. The chapter at the beginning of this book was not said until Iyar. You learn, that there is no order of precedence or succession in the Torah. But why did He not begin with this [chapter]? Because it is to Yisroel’s discredit, that throughout the forty years that Yisroel was in the wilderness they offered no other Pesach-offering but this.

במועדו. אַף בְּשַׁבָּת, בְּמוֹעֲדוֹ — אַף בְּטֻמְאָה (ספרי):

In its proper time. Even on Shabbos; even during ritual uncleanliness.

ככל חקתיו. אֵלּוּ מִצְוֹת שֶׁבְּגוּפוֹ — שֶֹה תָמִים זָכָר בֶּן שָׁנָה:

According to all its statutes. These are the commandments pertaining to its body [i.e., the animal itself] a lamb; unblemished; male; a yearling.

וככל משפטיו. אֵלּוּ מִצְוֹת שֶׁעַל גּוּפוֹ מִמָּקוֹם אַחֵר, כְּגוֹן שִׁבְעַת יָמִים לְמַצָּה וּלְבִעוּר חָמֵץ (מִצְוֹת שֶׁבְּגוּפוֹ — שֶׂה תָמִים זָכָר בֶּן שָׁנָה; שֶׁעַל גּוּפוֹ — צְלִי אֵשׁ רֹאשׁוֹ עַל כְּרָעָיו וְעַל קִרְבּוֹ; שֶׁחוּץ לְגוּפוֹ — מַצָּה וּבִעוּר חָמֵץ):

And according to all its laws. These are commandments having a bearing on the animal but originate from another place (i.e., outside the animal) For example, the seven days of eating matzoh and of eliminating chometz. ([An alternate text:] The commandments pertaining to its body — a lamb; unblemished; male; a yearling. Having a bearing on the animal; roasted over fire, its head with its knees and its inner organs. Outside its body — matzoh and eliminating chometz.)

וידבר משה וגו'. מַה תַּ"ל? וַהֲלֹא נֶאֱמַר "וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה אֶת מֹעֲדֵי ה'", אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁשָּׁמַע פָּרָשַׁת מוֹעֲדִים מִסִּינַי אָמַר לָהֶם, וְחָזַר וְהִזְהִירָם בִּשְׁעַת מַעֲשֶׂה (ספרי):

Moshe spoke, etc. What does the Torah teach? Does it not say, “Moshe spoke of God’s holidays”? Evidently, when he heard the parshah of the holidays at Sinai, he told it to them, and then he reviewed it and exhorted them at the time it was to be performed.

לפני משה ולפני אהרן. כְּשֶׁשְּׁנֵיהֶן יוֹשְׁבִין בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ בָּאוּ וּשְׁאָלוּם, וְלֹא יִתָּכֵן לוֹמַר זֶה אַחַר זֶה, שֶׁאִם מֹשֶׁה לֹא הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ אַהֲרֹן מִנַּיִן לוֹ (ספרי; בבא בתרא קי"ט):

Before Moshe and before Aharon. When both were seated in the study hall, they approached them and asked. But it is untenable to say [that they asked them] one after the other, for if Moshe did not know, how would Aharon [know]?

למה נגרע. אָמַר לָהֶם אֵין קָדָשִׁים קְרֵבִים בְּטֻמְאָה, אָמְרוּ לוֹ יִזָּרֵק הַדָּם עָלֵינוּ בְכֹהֲנִים טְהוֹרִים וְיֵאָכֵל הַבָּשָֹר לִטְהוֹרִים, אָמַר לָהֶם "עִמְדוּ וְאֶשְׁמְעָה" — כְּתַלְמִיד הַמֻּבְטָח לִשְׁמֹעַ מִפִּי רַבּוֹ; אַשְׁרֵי יְלוּד אִשָּׁה שֶׁכָּךְ מֻבְטָח, שֶׁכָּל זְמַן שֶׁהָיָה רוֹצֶה הָיָה מְדַבֵּר עִם הַשְּׁכִינָה; וּרְאוּיָה הָיְתָה פָרָשָׁה זוֹ לֵאָמֵר עַ"יְ מֹשֶׁה כִּשְׁאָר כָּל הַתּוֹרָה כֻּלָּה, אֶלָּא שֶׁזָּכוּ אֵלּוּ שֶׁתֵּאָמֵר עַל יְדֵיהֶן, שֶׁמְּגַלְגְּלִין זְכוּת עַ"יְ זַכַּאי (שם):

Why should we be excluded. He (Moshe) said to them: “The sacred offerings cannot be brought during ritual impurity.” They said to him: “[But] let the blood be sprinkled on us by ritually pure kohanim and the flesh eaten by those who are pure.” He said to them: “Wait, while I listen,” like a disciple assured of hearing from his master’s mouth. Fortunate is the mortal thus assured, for whenever he wished, he could speak with the Divine Presence. Now this chapter should appropriately have been said through Moshe, as is all the rest of the Torah. But these [people] gained the merit of having it said through them, because Providence brings about merit through the meritorious.

או בדרך רחקה. נָקוּד עָלָיו, לוֹמַר, לֹא שֶׁרְחוֹקָה וַדַּאי, אֶלָּא שֶׁהָיָה חוּץ לְאַסְקֻפַּת הָעֲזָרָה כָּל זְמַן שְׁחִיטָה (פסח' צ"ג); פֶּסַח שֵׁנִי מַצָּה וְחָמֵץ עִמּוֹ בַּבַּיִת, וְאֵין שָׁם יוֹם טוֹב, וְאֵין אִסּוּר חָמֵץ אֶלָא עִמּוֹ בַאֲכִילָתוֹ (שם צ"ה):

Or on a distant road. There is a dot over this, as if to say: Not that it was definitely distant, but that he was outside the threshold of the [Temple] courtyard thoughout the time for slaughtering [the Pesach]. [At] the second Pesach, matzoh and chometz may be with him at home; it is not considered ‘yom tov’; and chometz is not prohibited except while he eats [the korbon].

וכי יגור אתכם גר ועשה פסח. יָכוֹל כָּל הַמִּתְגַּיֵּר יַעֲשֶׂה פֶסַח מִיָּד, תַּ"ל "חֻקָּה אַחַת" וְגוֹ', אֶלָּא כָּךְ מַשְׁמָעוֹ — "וְכִי יָגוּר אִתְּכֶם גֵּר" וּבָא לַעֲשׂוֹת פֶּסַח עִם חֲבֵרָיו, "כְּחֻקַּת הַפֶּסַח וּכְמִשְׁפָּטוֹ יַעֲשֶׂה" (ספרי):

If a proselyte dwells among you, and brings the Pesach-offering. Perhaps everyone who converts must immediately bring the Pesach-offering? The Torah therefore teaches, “One statute, etc . . .” Rather, this is its meaning: “If a proselyte dwells among you, and he comes to bring the Pesach-offering with his fellows, according to the statutes of the Pesach-offering and its laws shall he do.”

המשכן לאהל העדת. הַמִּשְׁכָּן הֶעָשׂוּי לִהְיוֹת אֹהֶל לְלוּחוֹת הָעֵדוּת:

The Mishkon [which served] as the Tent of Testimony. The Mishkon which was made to be a tent for the tablets of testimony.

יהיה על המשכן. כְּמוֹ הֹוֶה עַל הַמִּשְׁכָּן, וְכֵן לְשׁוֹן כָּל הַפָּרָשָׁה:

There was over the Mishkon. Similar to, “would constantly be” over the Mishkon. Similarly, all the usages in the parshah.

העלות הענן. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ אִסְתַּלָּקוּת, וְכֵן "וְנַעֲלָה הֶעָנָן", וְלֹא יִתָּכֵן לִכְתֹּב וּלְפִי עֲלוֹת הֶעָנָן, וְעָלָה הֶעָנָן, שֶׁאֵין זֶה לְשׁוֹן סִלּוּק אֶלָּא צִמּוּחַ וַעֲלִיָּה, כְּמוֹ "הִנֵּה עָב קְטַנָּה כְּכַף אִישׁ עֹלָה מִיָּם" (מלכים א י"ח):

The Cloud was lifted. As Targum [Onkelos] renders, אִסְתַּלָּקוּת, (“was lifted”). Similarly, “the Cloud was lifted.” But it would be improper to write “According to when the Cloud rose,” “the Cloud rose,” because the connotation is not rising, but flowering and ascending, as in, “behold, a tiny cloud, like a man’s palm, rises from the sea.”

על פי ה' יסעו. שָׁנִינוּ בִּמְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן: כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל נוֹסְעִים, הָיָה עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן מִתְקַפֵּל וְנִמְשָׁךְ עַל גַּבֵּי בְנֵי יְהוּדָה כְּמִין קוֹרָה, תָּקְעוּ וְהֵרִיעוּ וְתָקְעוּ, לֹא הָיָה מְהַלֵּךְ עַד שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה אוֹמֵר קוּמָה ה' — זוֹ בְּסִפְרֵי — וְנָסַע דֶּגֶל מַחֲנֵה יְהוּדָה:

On the word of Adonoy did they travel. We learned in [the Beraysa describing] the work of the Mishkon; When the Israelites were departing the Cloud column would fold, and extend over the tribe of Yehudah like a type of beam. They sounded the tekiah, teruah, and tekiah. But it did not proceed until Moshe intoned, “Rise, Adonoy . . .” Then the banner of the camp of Yehudah departed. This is in Sifri.

ועל פי ה' יחנו. כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָיָה יִשְׂרָאֵל חוֹנִים עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן הָיָה מִתַּמֵּר וְעוֹלֶה וְנִמְשָׁךְ עַל גַּבֵּי בְנֵי יְהוּדָה כְּמִין סֻכָּה, וְלֹא הָיָה נִפְרָשׂ עַד שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה אוֹמֵר "שׁוּבָה ה' רִבְבוֹת אַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל", הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר "עַ"פִּ ה' וּבְיַד מֹשֶׁה" (ברייתא דמל"ה פי"ג):

On the word of Adonoy did they camp. When the Israelites were camping, the Cloud column would mushroom upward and extend over the tribe of Yehudah like a type of protective covering. It did not separate until Moshe said, “Come to rest, Adonoy, among the myriads and thousands of Israel.” Thus you say, “on the order of Adonoy, through Moshe.”

ויש. כְּלוֹמַר, וּפְעָמִים:

Sometimes (lit. there is). As if to say, “sometimes.”

ימים מספר. יָמִים מוּעָטִים:

A number of days. “a few days.”

או ימים. שָׁנָה, כְּמוֹ "יָמִים תִּהְיֶה גְּאֻלָּתוֹ" (ויקרא כ"ה):

Or a year. (lit. days). A year, as in “[יָמִים], a year shall be its redemption [period].”