פרשת נשא — ששי (Aliyah 6)
Parashat Naso | Numbers 7:1–7:41 | Aliyah 6 of 7
קלאוד על הפרשה
The sixth aliyah (7:1-41) opens chapter 7 — the longest single chapter in the Torah, recording the twelve-day chanukat ha-mizbe’ach (inauguration of the altar) by the tribal princes. The chapter is a remarkable literary monument: each of the twelve nesi’im brings the identical inaugural offering on a consecutive day, and the Torah recounts each prince’s gift in full, prince by prince, for twelve verbatim repetitions. The aliyah covers the framing introduction (7:1-11) and the first five days of offerings — princes 1 through 5: Nachshon ben Aminadav of Yehuda, Netanel ben Tzu’ar of Yissachar, Eli’av ben Chelon of Zevulun, Elitzur ben Shedeur of Re’uven, and Shelumi’el ben Tzurishaddai of Shimon.
The framing verses (7:1-11) are theologically dense. Verse 7:1 anchors the chapter chronologically: va-yehi be-yom kalot Moshe le-hakim et ha-Mishkan — and it was on the day Moshe completed erecting the Mishkan. Rashi (citing Tanchuma) notes the Mishkan was erected on the first of Nisan, so the chanukat ha-mizbe’ach narratively unfolds backward in time from the chronological present of the book (which is Iyar). The Sages explain that the chapter is placed here because it thematically belongs with the inauguration material, not because it is chronologically sequential. The twelve nesi’im then voluntarily bring six covered wagons and twelve oxen as a corporate gift (one wagon for every two nesi’im, one ox per nasi) — to assist the Levi’im in transporting the Mishkan. Hashem instructs Moshe to accept the gift and to distribute the wagons: two wagons to Bnei Gershon (who carry the soft coverings, lighter loads), four wagons to Bnei Merari (who carry the structural boards and pillars, heavier loads), and none to Bnei Kehat (who carry the holy vessels ba-katef yisa’u, on their shoulders, since the Aron and its kin must not be wagon-transported).
Then the individual offerings begin. Each prince brings the same set: one silver bowl of 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels — both filled with semolina mixed with oil for a minchah; one gold pan (kaf) of 10 shekels filled with incense; one young bullock, one ram, one yearling lamb as olah; one goat as chatat; and two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five yearling lambs as shelamim. The order of presentation follows the encampment order: Yehuda (east, leads the march) first; then Yissachar and Zevulun (the rest of the eastern division); then Re’uven (south, second in march-order); then Shimon (continuing the southern division). Chazal (Bemidbar Rabbah 13-14) made the apparent monotonous repetition a teaching opportunity: each prince brought the identical objects with his own unique inner-meaning. Yehuda’s silver bowl, for instance, symbolized one thing (kingship); Yissachar’s same bowl symbolized another (Torah-scholarship); and so on. The Torah records each in full to honor each prince’s kavanah — their outward gift was uniform, but their inner intention was particular. The aliyah closes mid-rotation; the remaining seven nesi’im will bring their offerings in the next (and final) aliyah.
Numbers 7:1–7:41 · במדבר ז:א–ז:מא
פסוק ז:א · 7:1
Hebrew:
וַיְהִ֡י בְּיוֹם֩ כַּלּ֨וֹת מֹשֶׁ֜ה לְהָקִ֣ים אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּ֗ן וַיִּמְשַׁ֨ח אֹת֜וֹ וַיְקַדֵּ֤שׁ אֹתוֹ֙ וְאֶת־כׇּל־כֵּלָ֔יו וְאֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ וְאֶת־כׇּל־כֵּלָ֑יו וַיִּמְשָׁחֵ֖ם וַיְקַדֵּ֥שׁ אֹתָֽם׃
English:
On the day that Moses finished setting up the Tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings, as well as the altar and its utensils. When he had anointed and consecrated them,
The opening verse anchors the entire chanukat ha-mizbe'ach chronologically: 'on the day Moshe completed erecting the Mishkan' -- which Rashi (from Sifrei) identifies as Rosh Chodesh Nisan, after the seven days of miluim during which Moshe had erected and dismantled the Mishkan each day. Rashi notes that the defective spelling 'kalot' (without vav) hints at Yisrael becoming like a kallah (bride) entering her chuppah, and that the Mishkan is credited to Moshe (though Bezalel built it) because he gave his soul to it. Ibn Ezra connects the verse to Birkat Kohanim at the end of chapter 6 -- the dedication began the very day Aharon first blessed the people.
רש״יRashi
ויהי ביום כלות משה. כלת כְּתִיב — יוֹם הֲקָמַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן הָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּכַלָּה הַנִּכְנֶסֶת לַחֻפָּה (פסיקתא; תנחומא): כלות משה. בְּצַלְאֵל וְאָהֳלִיאָב וְכָל חֲכַם לֵב עָשׂוּ אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, וּתְלָאוֹ הַכָּתוּב בְּמֹשֶׁה, לְפִי שֶׁמָּסַר נַפְשׁוֹ עָלָיו, לִרְאוֹת תַּבְנִית כָּל דָּבָר וְדָבָר כְּמוֹ שֶׁהֶרְאָהוּ בָהָר, לְהוֹרוֹת לְעוֹשֵׂי הַמְּלָאכָה, וְלֹא טָעָה בְּתַבְנִית אַחַת; וְכֵן מָצִינוּ בְּדָוִד, לְפִי שֶׁמָּסַר נַפְשׁוֹ עַל בִּנְיַן בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "זְכוֹר ה' לְדָוִד אֵת כָּל עֻנּוֹתוֹ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַה'" וְגוֹ' (תהילים קל"ב), לְפִיכָךְ נִקְרָא עַל שְׁמוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מ"א י"ב) "רְאֵה בֵיתְךָ דָּוִד" (תנחומא): כלות משה להקים. וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר בְּיוֹם הָקִים, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁכָּל שִׁבְעַת יְמֵי הַמִּלּוּאִים הָיָה מֹשֶׁה מַעֲמִידוֹ וּמְפָרְקוֹ, וּבְאוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם הֶעֱמִידוֹ וְלֹא פֵּרְקוֹ, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר "כַּלּוֹת מֹשֶׁה לְהָקִים" — אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם כָּלוּ הֲקָמוֹתָיו, וְרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ נִיסָן הָיָה, בַּשֵּׁנִי נִשְׂרְפָה הַפָּרָה, בַּשְּׁלִישִׁי הִזּוּ הַזָּיָה רִאשׁוֹנָה, וּבַשְּׁבִיעִי גִּלְּחוּ (ספרי):
ויהי ביום כלות משה AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD FINISHED [RAISING THE TABERNACLE] — The word כלות is written defective (without ו after the ל) thus indicating: on the day that the Tabernacle was erected Israel was like a bride (כלה) who goes beneath the marriage canopy (Midrash Tanchuma, Nasso 20). (Cf. Rashi on Exodus 31:18.) כלות משה MOSES HAD FINISHED — Bezalel and Ohaliab and all the wise-hearted men made the Tabernacle (cf. Exodus 36:1), but Scripture attributes it to Moses (describes it as his work), because he devoted himself wholeheartedly to it, to see that the shape of each article was exactly as He had shewn him on the mountain — to show the workmen how it should be made; nor did he err in a single shape. — A similar thing do we find in the case of David: because he devoted himself to the building of the Holy Temple, — as it is said, (Psalms 132:1—5) "Lord, remember David, and all his affliction: How he swore unto the Lord … [I will not give sleep to mine eyes … until I find out a place for the Lord …]", therefore it is called by his name, as it is said, (1 Kings 12:16) "Now see your own house, David" (Midrash Tanchuma, Nasso 13). כלות משה להקים [AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY] THAT MOSES HAD FINISHED SETTING UP [THE TABERNACLE] — but it is not said, "on the day Moses set up"; this (the phrase כלות … להקים, "had finished setting up") teaches us that during each of the seven days of installation Moses used to erect and dismantle it (the Tabernacle), but on that day (the eighth) he erected it but did not again dismantle it; for this reason it is said: "on the day that (Moses) finished setting up" — i.e. on that day his several erections of it came to an end. — It was the New Moon (the first day) of Nisan (cf. Rashi on Leviticus 9:1 and Note thereon), on the second the Red Heifer was burnt, on the third they (the Levites) were sprinkled for the first time with the water in which its ashes were mingled (cf. Rashi on 8:7), and on the seventh day, after having been again sprinkled, they shaved their bodies and were ready to enter on their duties (cf. 8:6—7) (Sifrei Bamidbar 44).
אבן עזראIbn Ezra
וטעם ויהי ביום כלות משה. אחר ברכת כהנים כי כן היה כי ביום שנשא אהרן את ידיו אל העם ויברכם החלה חנוכת המזבח ופסוק ויהי ביום כלות משה להקים את המשכן לעד על דברי המעתיקים כי היה סותרו ומקימו וחוזר לסותרו ולהקימו כל ז' ימי המלואים להרגיל' כי טעם ויקדש אותם בהזאת הדם בשבעת ימי המלואים: ואת המזבח ואת כל כליו. דבק עם ביום כלות משה להקים את המשכן והטעם שהקים המזבח במקומו: ואת כל כליו וימשחם. בשמן המשחה: ויקדש אותם. בדם והזכיר המזבח בעבור החנוכה:
[AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD MADE AN END OF SETTING UP THE TABERNACLE.] Moses made an end to the setting up of the tabernacle after the blessing of the kohanim,1After the kohanim blessed Israel. See Num. 6:24-26; Lev. 9:22. as this was how events unfolded.2Chapter 7 follows the blessing of the kohanim at the end of chapter 6. On the day that Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them,3Lev. 9:22. the dedication of the tabernacle began.4Our verse. The verse And it came to pass on the day that Moses had made an end of setting up the tabernacle is proof of the words of our sages, that Moses took the tabernacle down, raised it up and took it down again, and erected it again throughout the seven days of dedication to train the kohanim.5According to the rabbis, had made an end of setting up the tabernacle indicates that the tabernacle had been set up and taken down a number of times. See I.E. on Ex. 40:2 and the notes thereto (Vol. 2, p. 754). It should be noted that I.E. there rejects the opinion that Moses erected and took down the tabernacle during the seven days of dedication. For the meaning of and sanctified them is that he sanctified them [the furniture, the altar, and the vessels] by the sprinkling of the blood6See Ex. 29:21; Ex. 29:35-7; Lev. 8:30. during the seven days of dedication.7When the tabernacle was set up and taken down. AND THE ALTAR AND ALL THE VESSELS THEREOF. This is connected to on the day that Moses had made an end of setting up the tabernacle.8In other words, And it came to pass on the day that Moses had made an end of setting up the tabernacle also applies to and the altar. It means that he set the altar up in its place. AND ALL THE VESSELS THEREOF, AND HAD ANOINTED THEM. With the anointing oil AND SANCTIFIED THEM. With blood. Scripture mentions the altar because of its dedication.9Prima facie, the altar is included in the furniture thereof. Hence I.E. points out the altar is singled out for special mention because it had a special dedication. According to I.E. sex is one of the things that creates a barrier between man and God (Yesod Mora, chapter 7, pp. 107 and 108). The Nazirite is an individual who takes a vow to abstain from wine and haircutting. I.E. connects wine and hair to sexuality. He believes that most sexual taboos are violated because the transgressor has imbibed wine. As to the prohibition of cutting the hair, I.E. writes, "A woman who does not fix her hair does not seek to engage in sexual relationships" (Num. 5:31). He similarly notes that the Torah states that "a razor shall not come upon the head of a Nazirite so that he does not make himself attractive to women." (Yesod Mora, p. 62).
ספורנוSforno
ואת המזבח ואת כל כליו. ולהקים את המזבח ואת כל כליו כל אחד במקומו: וימשחם ויקדש אותם. אחר שהקים כל אחד מהם כתקונו:
ואת המזבח ואת כל כליו, and to erect the altar and all its appurtenances, each in its proper place. וימשחם ויקדש אותם, after each component had been positioned in the place assigned to it.
אור החייםOr HaChaim
ביום כלות משה. רז"ל אמרו (במד"ר פי"ב) כלת כתיב, ורואני כי בספר תורה כתובה בוא"ו, ואני אומר כי דברי תורה כאלו וכיוצא באלו אינם נמסרים לכל מרים יד בתופשי התורה, כי יסובב הדבר הכפירה והזלזול בכבוד מורים, ויש לך לדעת כי סדר תורתינו הקדושה ותיבותיה ואותיותיה ספורות מזוקקות חצובות ממחצב קדוש ונורא נפלאים המה למכיר בהם ויותר פליאות נעלמים מעין כל, ואעירך גרגיר אחד והוא הלא תמצא כי יש אותיות נרגשות במבטא התיבות ואינם בכתב כגון יהושע כי במבטא ישנו להרגש של אות הוי"ו בין שי"ן לעי"ן ואינה במכתב, וישנה במקום שאינה נרגשת שהיא בין ה"א לשי"ן, והערה זאת תכונן דעת משכיל להכיר כי אותיותיה ספורות מזוקקות ואי אפשר להוסיף אפילו אות אחת הגם כי תצטרך למכטא הקריאה ותהיה נקראת הגם שאינה כתובה, ותהיה קרי ולא כתיב, וקבעה התורה הוא"ו שלא במקומה להעיר בנסתרות, ואולי כי מזה השכילך שנתכוון לצרף שלשה אותיות משמו יתברך בשמו של צדיק, ולסמוך שי"ן ועי"ן להעיר אל ש"ע נהורין, ואם היה מסדר וא"ו במקומה היתה נפסדת הידיעה בדבר כי לא פורש, והנה מביני מערכות האותיות המה ישכילו משבצותם והם האומרים כי כלת כתיב והוא"ו היא מושאלת שם בהשאלה, והמשכיל יבין כי הוא סודו של משה אשר מתיחדת לו וקיימה בו נקבה תסובב גבר (ירמיהו ל״א:כ״ב), וזה שיעור הדברים כלת כתיב פירוש תיבה זו של כלות זה פירושה קח מהכתוב כלת כדי שתבין אשר תכוין אליו התיבה ואות הוא"ו היא בחינת החתן, והוא סוד נעלם וא"ו תוך כלת והבן. ודרשה זו אין אדם דורשה מדעתו אם לא תקדים ההכרה בדברים על בוריין ואמיתותם מפי מקבלי תורה וסודותיה ורמזיה:
ביום כלות משה, on the day Moses completed, etc. Rabbi Levi in Midrash Hagadol on our verse claims that the word כלות is written without the letter ו. In our editions of the Torah it is spelled with the letter ו. How is it possible that scribes could take liberties with the spelling of the Torah? Such a situation would lead to apostasy and a denigration of the respect in which the scholars are held! You should know that the text of our sacred Torah, including every vowel has been carefully counted. Every letter or even crown is sacred enabling us to derive meanings from it. Let me give you a small example of how important an even minute departure from the accepted spelling would be. There are letters which are noticed only by the way they are pronounced, letters which do not even appear in the written text. An example of such a letter is the letter ו before the final ע in the word יהושע. When pronounced properly, we hear that there is a vowel shuruk which does not appear in the written text. On the other hand, such a vowel does appear in the written text in the same word between the letter ה and ש although it cannot be heard when we read the word aloud. This little example ought to alert the intelligent student to the fact that there can never be a question of altering the spelling in the written Torah such as adding a letter ו in the word כלות in our verse, even if only to ensure that the word would be pronounced correctly. If the Torah decided to write a letter ו in a place where we would not have expected it it serves to alert us to hidden meanings in the text. It may have been the intention of the Torah to include three letters of the holy name of G'd in the name of the righteous יהושע. If the Torah had written the letter ו before the letter ע and had omitted the letter ו after the letter ה, we would not have noticed that the Torah had intended to include the first three letters of the tetragram in the name of Joshua. When our sages speak about the word כלות being written without the letter ו, they mean that the letter ו which does appear in the text is to be viewed there as if it were only "on loan." The intelligent student will appreciate that this was the mystical dimension of Moses on whom was fulfilled the verse in Jeremiah 31,21 that נקבה תסובב גבר, that "the female will enclose the male." Moses' exclusive preoccupation with putting together the Tabernacle is alluded to in the word כלות a reference to the "groom-bride" relationship between him and the Tabernacle. When the Midrash says that the word כלות is spelled כלת, the author merely wishes to draw our attention to this relationship of bride and groom. The physical presence of the letter ו in the written text is an allusion to Moses, the גבר, i.e. the male. Inserting the ו into the word כלת is a clear indication of the male-female relationship between the two. No human being has the right to make up such an explanation out of his own mind. Such interpretations are traditional and reflect inspiration by the Holy Spirit.
פסוק ז:ב · 7:2
Hebrew:
וַיַּקְרִ֙יבוּ֙ נְשִׂיאֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל רָאשֵׁ֖י בֵּ֣ית אֲבֹתָ֑ם הֵ֚ם נְשִׂיאֵ֣י הַמַּטֹּ֔ת הֵ֥ם הָעֹמְדִ֖ים עַל־הַפְּקֻדִֽים׃
English:
the chieftains of Israel, the heads of ancestral houses, namely, the chieftains of the tribes, those who were in charge of enrollment, drew near*drew near Cf. Exod. 14.10.
The nesi'im step forward as the inaugural donors. Rashi (from Sifrei) identifies these princes as the very shotrim who had been beaten on Yisrael's behalf in Mitzrayim -- they had suffered for the people, and now they lead in honoring the Mishkan. Sforno adds a striking moral dimension: as overseers of the census they had become aware that members of their tribes had sinned, and as nesi'im they took it upon themselves to bring atonement offerings on their tribes' behalf, standing 'ba-peretz' for their people.
רש״יRashi
הם נשיאי המטת. שֶׁהָיוּ שׁוֹטְרִים עֲלֵיהֶם בְּמִצְרַיִם וְהָיוּ מֻכִּים עֲלֵיהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ה') וַיֻּכּוּ שֹׁטְרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ' (ספרי): הם העמדים על הפקדים. שֶׁעָמְדוּ עִם מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן כְּשֶׁמָּנוּ אֶת יִשְֹרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְאִתְּכֶם יִהְיוּ וְגוֹ'" (במדבר א'):
הם נשיאי המטת THESE ARE THE LEADERS OF THE TRIBES — They were the officers [appointed] over them in Egypt, and they were beaten on account of them, as it says (Exodus 5:14),"The officers of the children of Israel were beaten" (Sifrei Bamidbar 45). הם העמדים על הפקדים THEY WHO STOOD OVER THE COUNTING — They stood with Moses and Aaron when they counted the Israelites, as it says,"With you [Moses and Aaron] there shall be [a man from each tribe]" (Numbers 1:4).
אבן עזראIbn Ezra
ויקריבו נשיאי ישראל. שם כלל והטעם שעשו קרבן לה' אל פתח אהל מועד:
THAT THE PRINCES OF ISRAEL…OFFERED. Scripture employs a general term.10Our verse tells us in general terms that the princes brought an offering. Unlike the offerings brought by the princes when the altar was dedicated (verses 12-83), Scripture does not list the offerings prince by prince. Its meaning is that they brought their offering to the Lord before the opening of the tabernacle.
ספורנוSforno
הם נשיאי המטות הם העומדים על הפקודים. ומצד מה שהיו כך הקריב כל אחד מהם בעד שבטו ואנשיו כי מצד מה שעמדו על הפקודים הרגיש כל אחד מהם בשבטו שקצתו חשוד בעבירות ומצד מה שהיו נשיאים הסכימו לעמוד בפרץ ולהקריב קרבנות לכפר בעדם:
הם נשיאי המטות, הם העומדים על הפקודים. Seeing they all occupied official positions the gift/offering each one brought was on behalf of his tribe and its members. Seeing each one was in charge of other people, he felt a sense of some members of his tribe being suspected of some misdemeanour. At the same time, seeing that they did not only represent the members of the tribes but were נשיאים, "princes" in their own right, they agreed to act as the interlocutors of their tribe in trying to obtain atonement for the errors committed by members of their tribe by offering a communal offering on their behalf.
פסוק ז:ג · 7:3
Hebrew:
וַיָּבִ֨יאוּ אֶת־קׇרְבָּנָ֜ם לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֗ה שֵׁשׁ־עֶגְלֹ֥ת צָב֙ וּשְׁנֵ֣י עָשָׂ֣ר בָּקָ֔ר עֲגָלָ֛ה עַל־שְׁנֵ֥י הַנְּשִׂאִ֖ים וְשׁ֣וֹר לְאֶחָ֑ד וַיַּקְרִ֥יבוּ אוֹתָ֖ם לִפְנֵ֥י הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן׃
English:
and brought their offering before יהוה: six draught carts and twelve oxen, a cart for every two chieftains and an ox for each one. When they had brought them before the Tabernacle,
The princes bring six 'eglot tzav' -- covered wagons (Rashi explains 'tzav' means covered, citing Yeshayahu 66:20) -- and twelve oxen, one wagon for every two nesi'im and one ox per nasi. Rashi (from Sifrei) notes that they brought them 'before the Mishkan' but Moshe would not accept the gift until Hashem instructed him to; Rabbi Natan adds that the princes had previously been last to donate to the Mishkan (planning to fill whatever the community lacked) and now sought to be first as recompense. Sforno reads the shared wagon as a deliberate sign of brotherhood: by pairing up, the princes demonstrated that there was no rivalry between them -- the very condition that draws the Shechinah.
רש״יRashi
שש עגלת צב. אֵין צָב אֶלָּא מְחֻפִּים, וְכֵן "וּבַצַּבִּים וּבַפְּרָדִים" (ישעיה ס"ו); עֲגָלוֹת מְכֻסּוֹת קְרוּיוֹת צַבִּים: ויקריבו אותם לפני המשכן. שֶׁלֹּא קִבֵּל מֹשֶׁה מִיָּדָם עַד שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לוֹ מִפִּי הַמָּקוֹם; אָמַר רַבִּי נָתָן מָה רָאוּ הַנְּשִׂיאִים לְהִתְנַדֵּב כָּאן בַּתְּחִלָּה, וּבִמְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן לֹא הִתְנַדְּבוּ תְּחִלָּה? אֶלָּא כָּךְ אָמְרוּ הַנְּשִׂיאִים, יִתְנַדְּבוּ צִבּוּר מַה שֶּׁיִּתְנַדְּבוּ, וּמַה שֶּׁמְּחַסְּרִין, אָנוּ מַשְׁלִימִין, כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאוּ שֶׁהִשְׁלִימוּ צִבּוּר אֶת הַכֹּל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְהַמְּלָאכָה הָיְתָה דַיָּם" (שמות ל"ו), אָמְרוּ מֵעַתָּה מַה לָּנוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת? הֵבִיאוּ אַבְנֵי הַשֹּׁהַם וְהַמִּלּוּאִים לָאֵפוֹד וְלַחֹשֶׁן, לְכָךְ הִתְנַדְּבוּ כָּאן תְּחִלָּה (ספרי):
שש עגלת צב SIX COVERED WAGGONS — The word צב means "covered over". Similar is, (Isaiah 66:20) "(And they shall bring all your brethren …] in covered wagons (בצבים) and upon mules", where covered wagons are called צבים without the addition of a word denoting "wagons" (Sifrei Bamidbar 46 1). ויקרבו אותם לפני המשכן AND THEY BROUGHT THEM BEFORE THE TABERNACLE — because Moses would not accept them (the gifts) at their (the princes') hands until he was so bidden by the mouth of the Omnipresent (cf. v. 5). — Rabbi Nathan said: What reason had the princes to give their contributions here first of all the people, whereas at the work of the Tabernacle they were not the first but the last to contribute? But — he replied — the princes spoke thus: "Let the community in general contribute all they wish to give and then what will then be lacking we shall supply". As soon as they saw that the community gave everything needed in its entirety (lit., that the community completed everything) — as it said, (Exodus 36:7) "For the stuff they had was enough [for all the work to make it]" — the princes asked, 'What can we now do'? Therefore they brought the onyx stones, and stones for setting for the Ephod and for the breast plate. That is why they were here the first to contribute" (Sifrei Bamidbar 45 1).
אבן עזראIbn Ezra
צב. כמו ובצבים ובפרדים מין ממיני השוורים המושכים את העגלות ויש אומרים שהוא כטעם מלאות יותר מדאי מגזרת ואת בטנך צבה בדרך רחוקה: כבר בארתי בספר מאזנים שמ"ם שנים עשר דבק ומוכרת והטעם שנים ועשר ונסמך אל עשר לקצר כמו שלש עשרה וכן שלש אלה ובאה מלת שני עשר בחסרון מ"ם דרך קצרה: על שני הנשאים. כמו לשני. אמר הכתוב וקרבנו כי כבר הזכיר המקריב והוי"ו יש לו טעם כאומר וזה קרבנו ואמר בשני הקריב את קרבנו כי כן דרך המקרא כמו ויאמר יצחק אל אברהם אביו ויאמר אבי בעבור שארכו לו הדברים וכן ויאמר המלך אחשורוש ויאמר לאסתר המלכה ולא הזכיר ביתר הנשיאים הקריב כי אחז דרך קצרה וכן לגלגלותם במספר ראובן ושמעון לבדם וכן רבים:
COVERED. The word tzav (covered) here is similar to the word tzabbim (Utters) in and in litters, and upon mules (Is. 66:20). The reference is to a type of ox that pulls wagons.11According to this interpretation, here eglot tzav (covered wagons) means wagons pulled by a tzav. This commentary renders Is. 66:20, and upon oxen and mules. Others say that eglot tzav (covered wagons) refers to a wagon that is overloaded and that tzav is connected to the word tzavah (swell) (Num. 5:21). However, this is farfetched. [AND TWELVE OXEN.] I have already explained in my work Moznayim12A work on grammar. that the mem in shenem asar (twelve) remains both in the absolute13That is, in the word two (shenayim). and in the construct.14In the phrase shenem asar (twelve). When a word ending in a mem is connected to another word, the mem is dropped. Hence I.E.'s comment. The meaning of shenem asar (twelve) is two (shenayim) and ten (eser).15In other words, shenem asar is short for shenayim ve-asar, Hence the change in the vowel, shenem rather than shenayim. The word shenem is connected to aser for purposes of brevity. The same applies to shelosh elleh (these three) (Ex. 21:11).16Shelosh is in the construct with elleh. Otherwise the phrase would be written shalosh elleh. See I.E. on Ex. 21:11 (Vol. 2, p. 464). The phrase shene asar (twelve)17This is the form used in our verse. without the mem is an abridged form.18Shene asar is short for shenem asar. FOR EVERY TWO OF THE PRINCES. Al shene ha-nesi'im means for every two of the princes.19The word al usually means on. I.E. points out that here it means for. [13. AND HIS OFFERING.] Scripture reads, and his offering because Scripture had already stated, And he that presented [his offering] (v. 12). The vav of ve-korbano (and his offering) means, and this was his offering. Scripture writes with regard to the second day, hikriv et korbano (he offered his offering)20Translated literally. J.P.S. renders, he presented for his offering. There is no reason to say he offered his offering. Scripture should have read, he offered. (v. 18), for this is the style of Scripture. Compare, And Isaac spoke unto Abraham his father, and said: 'My father' (Gen. 22:7). The word father is repeated because Scripture is being lengthy. Then spoke the king Ahasuerus and said unto Esther the queen (Esth. 7:5) is also similar.21Here too Scripture employs a lengthy style (said and spoke). Scripture does not mention the term hikriv (he presented) with regard to the other princes,22It is used only in regard to the offering of Nethanel the son of Zuar. for Scripture wanted to be brief. Similarly the term le-gulgelotam (by their poles) is used only in the numbering of Reuben23Num. 1:20. and Simeon.24Num. 1:22. Also see I.E. on 1:19. There are many such examples.25Where Scripture employs an abbreviated style.
ספורנוSforno
עגלה על שני הנשיאים. לאות אחוה ביניהם אשר בה יהיו ראויים שתשרה שכינה ביניהם כאמרו ויהי בישורון מלך בהתאסף ראשי עם יחד על הפך חלק לבם עתה יאשמו:
עגלה על שני הנשיאים. The reason that they shared a cart each was not that they were stingy, but that they wanted to demonstrate that there was no rivalry between them, but that, on the contrary, they felt like brothers one toward the other. Such sentiments have been recorded in the Torah in Deuteronomy 33,5 ויהי בישורון מלך בהתאסף ראשי עם, יחד, "Moses was king in Yeshurun when all the people gathered together;" [a king is not someone aloof, in an ivory tower, but his distinction becomes relevant only in his being part of his people, יחד, together." The opposite is reported in Hoseah 10,2 חלק לבם עתה יאשמו, "when its collective heart is divided, this is they their guilt."
פסוק ז:ד · 7:4
Hebrew:
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃
English:
יהוה said to Moses:
פסוק ז:ה · 7:5
Hebrew:
קַ֚ח מֵֽאִתָּ֔ם וְהָי֕וּ לַעֲבֹ֕ד אֶת־עֲבֹדַ֖ת אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וְנָתַתָּ֤ה אוֹתָם֙ אֶל־הַלְוִיִּ֔ם אִ֖ישׁ כְּפִ֥י עֲבֹדָתֽוֹ׃
English:
Accept these from them for use in the service of the Tent of Meeting, and give them to the Levites according to their respective services.
Hashem instructs Moshe to accept the wagons and distribute them to the Levi'im 'ish kefi avodato' -- each according to his service. Sforno explains that Moshe had initially hesitated to accept the gift because he had assumed all Levi'im were to carry their loads on the shoulder (as Bnei Kehat did). Or HaChaim notes the wording 'me-itam' (from them) rather than 'me-hem' indicates the gifts were still in the donors' possession; Moshe withheld acceptance until Hashem's instruction came, vindicating the princes' intuition that the heavy boards and sockets would indeed need wagon-transport.
ספורנוSforno
קח מאתם. כי חשב משה שיהיה כל משא הלויים בכתף כמו הענין במשא בני קהת:
קח מאתם, Moses had thought that anything that the Levites would carry had to be carried on their shoulders, as the Torah had spelled out in connection with how the Kehatites were to perform their tasks (verse 9).
אור החייםOr HaChaim
קח מאתם וגו'. אומרו מאתם, ללמד שעדיין היו ברשות המביאים ולא באו לרשותו של משה, וטעמו של משה לצד שלא נצטוה שישאו המשכן על העגלות לא רצה לקבל כי למה הם ראוים, והנשיאים שיערו בדעתם כי הקרשים והאדנים משא גדול שצריך לעגלות, והסכימה דעתו של הקדוש ברוך הוא:
קח מאתם, "accept it from them!" The reason the Torah wrote the word מאתם (instead of מהם) is that as of that moment the gifts were still the property of the princes and had not as yet been transferred to Moses. The reason that Moses had not as yet accepted the gifts was that he had not been commanded that the Tabernacle be transported on wagons and did not know what else to do with them. The princes had reasoned that seeing the boards and the sockets of the Tabernacle were large and heavy respectively, they would need to be transported on wagons. As it turned out, G'd agreed with their reasoning.
פסוק ז:ו · 7:6
Hebrew:
וַיִּקַּ֣ח מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶת־הָעֲגָלֹ֖ת וְאֶת־הַבָּקָ֑ר וַיִּתֵּ֥ן אוֹתָ֖ם אֶל־הַלְוִיִּֽם׃
English:
Moses took the carts and the oxen and gave them to the Levites.
פסוק ז:ז · 7:7
Hebrew:
אֵ֣ת ׀ שְׁתֵּ֣י הָעֲגָל֗וֹת וְאֵת֙ אַרְבַּ֣עַת הַבָּקָ֔ר נָתַ֖ן לִבְנֵ֣י גֵרְשׁ֑וֹן כְּפִ֖י עֲבֹדָתָֽם׃
English:
Two carts and four oxen he gave to the Gershonites, as required for their service,
Bnei Gershon receive two wagons and four oxen -- exactly half of what Bnei Merari will receive. Rashi explains the asymmetric distribution: Bnei Gershon's burden (the soft coverings, curtains, and screens of the Mishkan) was lighter than that of Bnei Merari (who carried the structural boards, pillars, and sockets), so they needed fewer wagons. The principle 'kefi avodatam' -- according to their service -- means resources are allocated proportionate to the burden each Levitical family actually bears.
רש״יRashi
כפי עבדתם. שֶׁהָיָה מַשָּׂא בְנֵי גֵרְשׁוֹן קַל מִשֶּׁל מְרָרִי, שֶׁהָיוּ נוֹשְׂאִים הַקְּרָשִׁים וְהָעַמּוּדִים וְהָאֲדָנִים:
כפי עבדתם [TWO WAGGONS AND FOUR OXEN HE GAVE UNTO THE SONS OF GERSHON,] ACCORDING TO THEIR SERVICE — only two wagons and four oxen, whilst the sons of Merari were given twice as many, because the burden of the sons of Gershon was lighter than that of the sons of Merari since they carried the boards, the columns and the sockets.
פסוק ז:ח · 7:8
Hebrew:
וְאֵ֣ת ׀ אַרְבַּ֣ע הָעֲגָלֹ֗ת וְאֵת֙ שְׁמֹנַ֣ת הַבָּקָ֔ר נָתַ֖ן לִבְנֵ֣י מְרָרִ֑י כְּפִי֙ עֲבֹ֣דָתָ֔ם בְּיַד֙ אִֽיתָמָ֔ר בֶּֽן־אַהֲרֹ֖ן הַכֹּהֵֽן׃
English:
and four carts and eight oxen he gave to the Merarites, as required for their service—under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.
פסוק ז:ט · 7:9
Hebrew:
וְלִבְנֵ֥י קְהָ֖ת לֹ֣א נָתָ֑ן כִּֽי־עֲבֹדַ֤ת הַקֹּ֙דֶשׁ֙ עֲלֵהֶ֔ם בַּכָּתֵ֖ף יִשָּֽׂאוּ׃
English:
But to the Kohathites he did not give any; since theirs was the service of the [most] sacred objects, their porterage was by shoulder.
The striking exception: Bnei Kehat receive no wagons, because their charge -- the Aron, the Shulchan, the Menorah, and the inner altar -- was 'avodat ha-kodesh', and these most-sacred objects must be carried 'ba-katef yisa'u', on the shoulder. Rashi specifies that the sacred load means 'the Aron and the Shulchan and so on', which must not be wagon-transported. Sforno distinguishes terminology: the wagons were for 'avodat ohel mo'ed' (the structural Mishkan-tent components carried by Gershon and Merari), but Bnei Kehat's load was called 'mikdash' -- the holy vessels themselves -- which were a category apart and demanded the dignity of being borne aloft on human shoulders.
רש״יRashi
כי עבדת הקדש עלהם. מַשָּׂא דְּבַר הַקְּדֻשָּׁה — הָאָרוֹן וְהַשֻּׁלְחָן וְגוֹ', לְפִיכָךְ בַּכָּתֵף יִשָּׂאוּ:
כי עבדת הקדש עלהם [BUT TO THE SONS OF KOHATH HE GAVE NONE (NO WAGGONS)] BECAUSE THE עבדת הקדש BELONGS UNTO THEM — (not the service of the Sanctuary devolved upon them, but the service in connection with) carrying the most holy objects: the ark, the table, etc. was incumbent upon them, therefore בכתף ישאו they should carry upon their shoulders (not in wagons).
ספורנוSforno
ולבני קהת לא נתן כי עבודת הקדש עליהם. ולא עבודת אהל אבל עבודת המקדש. והנה האל יתברך אמר על העגלות שיהיו לעבודת אהל מועד שהיה משא בני גרשון ובני מררי אבל במשא בני קהת לא היה שום דבר מכל בנין אהל מועד אבל היה משאם כלי קדש שהיו בתוכו שנקראו מקדש כאמרו ונסעו הקהתים נושאי המקדש:
ולבני קהת לא נתן כי עבודת הקודש עליהם, as opposed to what was called עבודת אהל מועד. G'd had commanded concerning these carts that they would form part of what was called עבודת אהל מועד, the task of the members of the family of Gershon and that of the family of Merari. The Kehatites did not transport anything which was part of the actual structure called משכן. They only transported furnishings which were part of the Tabernacle. Those were referred to as מקדש for short. (compare Numbers 10,21 ונשאו הקהתים נושאי המקדש.)
פסוק ז:י · 7:10
Hebrew:
וַיַּקְרִ֣יבוּ הַנְּשִׂאִ֗ים אֵ֚ת חֲנֻכַּ֣ת הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ בְּי֖וֹם הִמָּשַׁ֣ח אֹת֑וֹ וַיַּקְרִ֧יבוּ הַנְּשִׂיאִ֛ם אֶת־קׇרְבָּנָ֖ם לִפְנֵ֥י הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃
English:
The chieftains also brought the dedication offering for the altar upon its being anointed. As the chieftains were presenting their offerings before the altar,
Having presented the wagons and oxen for transport, the princes' hearts moved them to bring a second corporate gift: the chanukat ha-mizbe'ach -- the dedication offerings for the altar itself. Rashi (from Sifrei) explains that here too Moshe withheld acceptance until he was instructed by Hashem. Or HaChaim suggests the princes all wanted to bring their offerings on the same first day so the altar might be dedicated by all of them at once, but Hashem responded with the protocol of one nasi per day (the very next verse), so that each prince's contribution would receive its own day of recognition -- and the chanukah would stretch across the full twelve days.
רש״יRashi
ויקריבו הנשאים את חנכת המזבח. לְאַחַר שֶׁהִתְנַדְּבוּ הָעֲגָלוֹת וְהַבָּקָר לָשֵׂאת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, נְשָׂאָם לִבָּם לְהִתְנַדֵּב קָרְבְּנוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לְחַנְּכוֹ: ויקריבו הנשיאם את קרבנם לפני המזבח. כִּי לֹא קִבֵּל מֹשֶׁה מִיָּדָם עַד שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לוֹ מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה (ספרי):
ויקריבו הנשאים את חנכת המזבח AND THE PRINCES OFFERED FOR DEDICATING THE ALTAR — After they had presented the waggons and the oxen for carrying the Tabernacle, their heart prompted them to present offerings for the altar, in order to dedicate it (Here, ויקריבו denotes: they offered sacrifice). ויקריבו הנשיאם את קרבנם לפני המזבח AND THE PRINCES BROUGHT THEIR OFFERING BEFORE THE ALTAR, because Moses would not accept them at their hands until he was so bidden by the mouth of the Almighty (Sifrei Bamidbar 47).
ספורנוSforno
ויקריבו הנשיאים את חנכת המזבח. הקדישוה: ויקריבו הנשיאים את קרבנם לפני המזבח. אחר שהקדישו הקרבן הגישוהו לפני המזבח:
ויקריבו הנשיאים את חנכת המזבח, they sanctified it. ויקריבו הנשיאים את קרבנם לפני המזבח, after they had sanctified it as a sacrifice the brought it before the altar.
אור החייםOr HaChaim
ויקריבו הנשיאים וגו'. נראה כי כולם כאחד רצו להקריב ביום ראשון לחנוכת המזבח, שרצו שיתחנך מכולם יחד, וה' אמר נשיא אחד ליום וגו', ואמר כי בכל הי"ב ימים יחשב חנוכת המזבח, ולזה אחר אומרו נשיא אחד וגו' אמר פעם אחרת לחנוכת המזבח לומר כמו שכתבנו, וכאן לא אמר ה' למשה קח מאתם כדרך שאמר למעלה, משמע שלא היה צריך רשות לזה כי ודאי שיקח קרבנות וכל המובא בית ה' זהב וכסף, אלא לצד שבאו יחד אמר ה' אליו כי יסדרם נשיא א' ליום, אלא שראיתי לרז"ל בספרי שאמרו וזה לשונם מגיד שכשם שנתנדבו הנשיאים למלאכת המשכן כך נתנדבו לחנוכת המזבח ולא קבל משה מהן עד שנאמר לו מפי הקדוש ברוך הוא שנאמר יקריבו את קרבנם לחנוכת וגו' עד כאן. רז"ל דייקו יתור אומרו יקריבו את קרבנם שלא היה צריך לומר ודרשו שבא לרשיון הא למדת שלא קבל מהם, ויש לנו לחקור זאת למה ימאן משה מקחת מידם נדבת ה', ואפשר שלא רצה לקבל מהם עד שידע אם ה' חפץ שהם יחנכו המזבח או משה או אהרן, ומה גם שלא ראה עמהם שבט לוי, ועיין בתחילת פרשת בהעלותך מה שכתבנו שם, והוא הדין שהיה מסתפק בכל אחד שיבא לחנך המזבח בקרבנו, אבל זולת זה בוודאי שהיה מקבל: ויקריבו הנשיאים וגו'. אמר פעם ב' ויקריבו הנשיאים, לומר שהם עצמם טרחו בהבאת הנדבה עד המשכן, הגם שהם נשיאים לא חשו לכבודם. עוד ירצה שלא הביאו הקרבן ונתנוהו ביד המקריב אלא הקריבו אותם לפני המזבח בסמוך לו לומר כי אלו יקריבו ראשונה באין קודם להם, וכמו כן יכוין הכתוב במאמר ויקריבו אותם לפני המשכן האמור בעגלות לומר כי הקדשם הוא לצרכי משכן לשאת עליהם קרשיו וגו':
ויקריבו הנשאים את חנוכת המזבח, The princes brought the dedication-offering for the altar. It appears that all the princes wanted to offer their gifts on the first day on which the altar was being inaugurated, as they all wanted to be part of this inauguration together. G'd, however, said that only one prince per day could offer his respective offering. This is why the Torah added that the period of inauguration extended for the entire twelve days during which the princes offered their gifts (compare wording in verse 11 where the word לחנוכת המזבח appears once more). In this instance G'd did not have to tell Moses "accept it from them!." This means that Moses did not need to obtain G'd's permission to accept these gifts. He had no doubt about G'd's willingness to accept the princes' offerings including the gold and the silver vessels. The only reason that G'd had to involve Himself was that all the princes wanted to bring all their gifts on the same day. I have seen the following comment by Sifri on our verse: "The verse reveals that just as the princes had made free-willed contributions to the materials from which the Tabernacle was constructed so they now contributed for the inauguration of the altar; Moses did not want to accept this from them until he had been instructed to do so by G'd Himself, and that is why the Torah wrote: 'they shall offer their offerings for the inauguration of the altar.'" The author of the Sifri derived this from the apparently superfluous words יקריבו את קרבנם, which he interpreted as permission for Moses to accept the offerings. We must examine why Moses refused to accept these offerings until G'd had given permission for them to be accepted. Perhaps Moses was not sure whether the inauguration of the altar was the province of Aaron and himself or that of the princes. This was especially so seeing the list of princes did not include a representative of the tribe of Levi. Please read what we have written in this connection at the beginning of Parshat Beha-alotcha. ויקריבו הנשאים, the princes offered, etc. The reason the Torah repeats this expression once more is to tell us that the princes went to the trouble to bring the entire gift up to the entrance of the Tabernacle personally, although this might have been considered below their dignity seeing they were "princes." Another reason why the Torah repeated this expression is that instead of handing their sacrifice over to the priest who was to present (part of) it on the altar, they themselves placed it at the entrance of the Tabernacle close to the altar. They hinted by their action that they wished their respective offerings to be the first to be presented on the altar on that day. When the Torah writes in a similar vein in verse 3 that the princes brought the wagons to the Tabernacle, this also means that they wished their gifts to be the first ones to be accepted by the Temple -treasury on that day.
פסוק ז:יא · 7:11
Hebrew:
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה נָשִׂ֨יא אֶחָ֜ד לַיּ֗וֹם נָשִׂ֤יא אֶחָד֙ לַיּ֔וֹם יַקְרִ֙יבוּ֙ אֶת־קׇרְבָּנָ֔ם לַחֲנֻכַּ֖ת הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃ {ס}
English:
יהוה said to Moses: Let them present their offerings for the dedication of the altar, one chieftain each day.
Hashem instructs: 'nasi echad la-yom' -- one prince per day, in sequence. Rashi notes that Moshe still did not know in which order the nesi'im should present their offerings -- whether by birth order of the tribal ancestors (which would have put Reuven first) or by the order of the encampment and march (which would put Yehudah first). Hashem resolves the question: they shall offer in the order of the march, each prince on his own day. The repetition 'nasi echad la-yom, nasi echad la-yom' emphasizes the deliberate spacing -- not three princes per camp-division per day, but each individually.
רש״יRashi
יקריבו את קרבנם לחנכת המזבח. וַעֲדַיִן לֹא הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ מֹשֶׁה הֵיאַךְ יַקְרִיבוּ, אִם כְּסֵדֶר תּוֹלְדוֹתָם, אִם כְּסֵדֶר הַמַּסָּעוֹת, עַד שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לוֹ מִפִּי הַקָּבָּ"ה יַקְרִיבוּ לַמַּסָּעוֹת, אִישׁ יוֹמוֹ (שם):
יקריבו את קרבנם לחנכת המזבח THEY SHALL OFFER THEIR OFFERING, [EACH PRINCE ON HIS DAY] FOR THE DEDICATING OF THE ALTAR — but Moses did not yet know how they were to bring their offerings — whether according to the order of their birth (i.e. according to the order in which the sons of Jacob after whom the tribes were named were born, in which case the prince of the tribe of Reuben would have offered first), or according to the order in which they moved off on the journeys, (when Judah would be the first), until he was told by the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He: "according to the order on the journeys shall they offer" — yet each prince on his day (and not three together as they actually journeyed) (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 47).
פסוק ז:יב · 7:12
Hebrew:
וַיְהִ֗י הַמַּקְרִ֛יב בַּיּ֥וֹם הָרִאשׁ֖וֹן אֶת־קׇרְבָּנ֑וֹ נַחְשׁ֥וֹן בֶּן־עַמִּינָדָ֖ב לְמַטֵּ֥ה יְהוּדָֽה׃
English:
The one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab of the tribe of Judah.
Day 1 belongs to Nachshon ben Aminadav of shevet Yehudah, whose tribe leads the encampment on the east and heads the march. Rashi (citing Seder Olam) notes that this first day was crowned with ten distinctions -- the same calendar day was 'first' in ten ways, including the first day of Creation. Strikingly, the Torah omits the title 'nasi' here (used for every other prince in the chapter); Or HaChaim explains that Nachshon's personal merit was so great that he would have deserved to be first even without the office of prince, and the omission of the title reflects his humility -- he considered himself 'just one of the people'. Rashi (from Sifrei) also stresses that the offerings came 'mi-shelo' -- from Nachshon's own pocket, not collected from his tribe.
רש״יRashi
ביום הראשון. אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם נָטַל עֶשֶׂר עֲטָרוֹת, רִאשׁוֹן לְמַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית, רִאשׁוֹן לַנְּשִׂיאִים וְכוּ', כִּדְאִיתָא בְסֵדֶר עוֹלָם: למטה יהודה. יִחֲסוֹ הַכָּתוּב עַל שִׁבְטוֹ, וְלֹא שֶׁגָּבָה מִשִּׁבְטוֹ וְהִקְרִיב, אוֹ אֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר "לְמַטֵּה יְהוּדָה" אֶלָּא שֶׁגָּבָה מִשִּׁבְטוֹ וְהֵבִיא, תַּ"ל "זֶה קָרְבַּן נַחְשׁוֹן" — מִשֶּׁלּוֹ הֵבִיא (שם):
ביום הראשון ON THE FIRST DAY — That day received ten crowns (was distinguished in ten different ways): it was the same day as was the first day of Creation, the first day on which the princes offered etc., as it is set forth in Seder Olam 7 (cf. Rashi on Leviticus 9:1 and Note 2 thereon). למטה יהודה [NACHSHON THE SON OF AMINADAB,] OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH — By these words Scripture merely states his genealogy after his tribe, and they do not mean that he collected the offerings from his tribe and offered them on their behalf. Or perhaps it does state למטה יהודה only to intimate that he collected the offerings from his tribe and then brought them? Scripture, however, states, (v. 17): this was the offering of Nachshon — he brought it of that which was his own (Sifrei Bamidbar 48).
אור החייםOr HaChaim
המקריב ביום הראשון את קרבנו. צריך לדעת למה הוצרך לומר את קרבנו ואולי שבא לומר שהביא משלו ולא משל השבט, ולדבריהם ז"ל (ספרי פיסקא מ"ח) שדייקו דבר זה ממה שכפל לומר בכל אחד זה קרבן נחשון וגו' זה קרבן נתנאל מלמד שהביאו משלהם טעם אומרו קרבנו, לפי שיש בו ב' בחינות הקרבה, א' הפלגת זכיותיו וקורבתו לפני ה' כאמור בענין בדבריהם ז"ל (במד"ר פי"ג) נפלאים מעשיו של נחשון, והב' הקרבן עצמו, לזה אמר הקריב את קרבנו פירוש הקריב קרבן האמור בענין עם קרבנו הנעלם שהוא סגל מעשה הטוב אשר הפליא עשות, ותדע כי עם קרבן האדם יתייחדו ויתועדו כוחות הקדושה אשר סובבו ממנו ואשר אליו, עוד לצד כי בחינת הקרבן יפעיל הקרבת ענפי הקדושה, והעיד הכתוב כי השיגה יד נחשון להקריב את קרבנו פירוש הצריך להקריב מניצוצי הקדושה וענפיה הקריב וייחד יחד כל הצריך להתקרב ולהתיחד מבחינתו, והוא מאמר המקריב את קרבנו, וזה יעשה בכח ובכוונה בהבאת הקרבן: למטה יהודה. ולא אמר נשיא ככל האמור בכל המטות, לומר כי ראוי הוא נחשון להקריב ראשון הגם שלא היה נשיא ומעלתו מצד עצמו, מה שאין כן בכל שאר הנשיאים כי מעלתם היא לצד היותם נשיאי השבט לבד. עוד ירצה להפליג מהותו שלא היה מחשיב עצמו כנשיא אלא כאחד מבני השבט, ולצד שמצינו רז"ל (תנחומא לקמן פסוק מ"ח) שביקשו לדרוש בשמות הנשיאים כל אחד כפי מעשיו, נראה כי צדיק זה שמו גם כן יגיד כי הוא זה אשר היה יחיד שנתנדב לקדש שמו בירידה לים, והוא אומרו נחשון אות נו"ן מתחלפת בלמ"ד באותיות דטלנ"ת שהגם שהיה נחשול של ים גובר בין ישראל שנקראו עמי נדב וירד לים כמאמרם ז"ל (סוטה לז.):
המקריב ביום הראשון, the one who presented (his gift) on the first day, etc. Why did the Torah have to write the words את קרבנו, (what else did he offer)? Perhaps the Torah wanted to emphasize that the princes each paid for these sacrifices (gifts) out of their own pockets. It was not paid for by the respective tribe's treasury. Sifri item 48 derive this from the repetition of the words: "this was the offering of so and so," after each report of the prince who offered his sacrifice. The reason the Torah also wrote קרבנו, "his offering," before listing the nature of the offering is because the offering consisted of two aspects. 1) acknowledgment of the exceptional merits of the prince bringing the offering; 2) the offering itself. Bamidbar Rabbah 13,10 extols Nachshon's merits for instance, telling us details of his accomplishments. The words הקריב את קרבנו mean that in addition to the visible aspect of the offering there was an invisible aspect, i.e. the devotion to G'd of the person offering the gift. It is well to remember that whenever a person offers an offering to G'd as a gift, such an offering is accompanied by the forces of sanctity which surround such a person. Moreover, it is the nature of the offering to activate various "branches" of sanctity. Our verse testifies that Nachshon succeeded in "offering his sacrifice," i.e. to imbue it with the "sparks" of sanctity and to thereby accomplish all that it is possible to accomplish by means of such a gift-offering. למטה יהודה, of the tribe of Yehudah. The Torah omitted the word נשיא prince, although this title is used in connection with all the other princes when they are introduced as offering their respective gifts. The reason for this is that Nachshon was on a spiritually sufficiently high level to have qualified as the first one to bring this offering even if he had not been the prince of his tribe. The status of most of the other princes was due only to their having been elected as princes of their respective tribes. The Torah also wanted us to know that Nachshon did not think of himself in terms of his title, his position, but considered himself as "one of the people." Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehoshua in Tanchuma on verse 48 make an attempt to interpret the respective names of the princes as describing each prince's special accomplishments. According to their reasoning Nachshon's name reflects that he was the only one willing to risk his life by marching into the sea of reeds before Moses was given instructions to split the sea. The letter נ in his name can be exchanged for the letter ל seeing he confronted the spirit of the waves נחשול when he precipitously entered the sea and became the catalyst which led to the splitting of the sea of reeds (the following letters are sometimes used interchangeably ד,ל,נ,ת for the letter נ).
פסוק ז:יג · 7:13
Hebrew:
וְקׇרְבָּנ֞וֹ קַֽעֲרַת־כֶּ֣סֶף אַחַ֗ת שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים וּמֵאָה֮ מִשְׁקָלָהּ֒ מִזְרָ֤ק אֶחָד֙ כֶּ֔סֶף שִׁבְעִ֥ים שֶׁ֖קֶל בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ שְׁנֵיהֶ֣ם ׀ מְלֵאִ֗ים סֹ֛לֶת בְּלוּלָ֥ה בַשֶּׁ֖מֶן לְמִנְחָֽה׃
English:
His offering: one silver bowl weighing 130 shekels and one silver basin of 70 shekels by the sanctuary weight, both filled with choice flour with oil mixed in, for a meal offering;
Nachshon's offering begins with the silver vessels: a ka'arah (bowl) of 130 shekels and a mizrak (basin) of 70 shekels, both filled with semolina mixed with oil for a minchat nedavah (a free-will meal offering, per Rashi). Sforno surveys the structure of the entire offering: every prince brought olah, minchah, chatat, shelamim, and ketoret -- a comprehensive package mirroring all the categories of korbanot (except asham, which shares one Torah with chatat). Or HaChaim points to the vav at the start of 've-korbano' as alluding to the spiritual dimension preceding the material one, and to the extra heights Nachshon attained beyond the gift itself.
רש״יRashi
שניהם מלאים סלת. לְמִנְחַת נְדָבָה:
שניהם מלאים סלת BOTH OF THEM WERE FULL OF FINE FLOUR — for a free-will meal-offering.
ספורנוSforno
וקרבנו קערת כסף אחת. הנה כל אחד מהם הקריב כל מיני הקרבנות והם עולה ומנחה חטאת ושלמים וקטורת לחנך המזבח ומשרתיו בכל מיני הקרבנות חוץ מן האשם כי החטאת והאשם תורה אחת להם. וספר קרבן כל אחד מהם לבדו להורות שכל אחד מהם כיון לכפר על פרטי חטאים שירבו בשבטו וזה בכל אחד מפרטי קרבנו לרצון להם לפני ה'. וסמך ונצב עליהם בעד שבטו כענין המעמדות בקרבנות צבור:
'וקרבנו קערת כסף אחת, וגו; each one of the princes offered all these components as part of his offering. They comprised: a burnt offering, עולה, a gift offering, מנחה, a sin offering, חטאת, as well as peace offerings, שלמים, and incense, קטורת. The reason why the Torah does not simply lump all these offerings together but tells us separately, 12 times what each prince's offering consisted of, is that each one had intended thereby to atone for all the sins he was aware of that members of his tribe had committed, had been guilty of. Each prince performed the סמיכה, the act of placing all his weight on the animal becoming the sin offering on behalf of the members of his tribe guilty of sins requiring such a sin offering to atone for their sins. This was a regular procedure when communal offerings were being brought.
אור החייםOr HaChaim
וקרבנו. אמר תוספת וא"ו מתחילת המעשה, לפי מה שפירשנו במאמר המקריב את קרבנו כי יכוין לנעלם יוצדק לומר בזכרון הנגלה וקרבנו, גם לשאר הדרכים הוסיף בו וא"ו לרמוז ליתרון אשר כצדיק זה ירום וגבה מאד:
וקרבנו, and his offering, etc. The justification for the letter ו in this word is found in what we wrote about every offering consisting of two aspects in our commentary on the word המקריב. It is a reference to the hidden spiritual aspect of the sacrifice which preceded the Torah's revelation of the material aspect. One may also simply understand the letter as alerting us to the many qualities Nachshon possessed in addition to initiating the kind of offering the princes brought at this time.
פסוק ז:יד · 7:14
Hebrew:
כַּ֥ף אַחַ֛ת עֲשָׂרָ֥ה זָהָ֖ב מְלֵאָ֥ה קְטֹֽרֶת׃
English:
one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;
A gold kaf (pan, or 'palm') of ten shekels weight, filled with ketoret (incense). Rashi notes a halachic anomaly: ketoret is not normally an offering brought by an individual, nor is it ever offered on the outer altar -- yet here the princes bring it on the outer mizbe'ach. The Gemara (Menachot 50b) explains this was a hora'at sha'ah, a one-time dispensation specifically for the chanukat ha-mizbe'ach. The targum renders 'asarah zahav' as ten shekels of holy weight.
פסוק ז:טו · 7:15
Hebrew:
פַּ֣ר אֶחָ֞ד בֶּן־בָּקָ֗ר אַ֧יִל אֶחָ֛ד כֶּֽבֶשׂ־אֶחָ֥ד בֶּן־שְׁנָת֖וֹ לְעֹלָֽה׃
English:
one bull of the herd, one ram, and one lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering;
The olah package: one bull, one ram, and one yearling lamb -- three categories of bovine and ovine ascending as a complete burnt-offering. Rashi (from Sifrei) reads 'par echad' not merely as 'one bull' but as 'the singular one of his herd' -- the most outstanding animal Nachshon possessed, brought as olah.
פסוק ז:טז · 7:16
Hebrew:
שְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים אֶחָ֖ד לְחַטָּֽאת׃
English:
one goat for a sin offering;
A se'ir izim (kid of the goats) as a chatat. Rashi (from Sifrei) explains the function of this purification offering: it serves to atone for any 'kever ha-tehom' -- a hidden grave in the depths of the earth -- that someone might have unknowingly stepped over, becoming tamei by doubtful contact. This was a precautionary atonement for safek tum'ah, ensuring the chanukat ha-mizbe'ach proceeded in a state of complete ritual purity.
פסוק ז:יז · 7:17
Hebrew:
וּלְזֶ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִים֮ בָּקָ֣ר שְׁנַ֒יִם֒ אֵילִ֤ם חֲמִשָּׁה֙ עַתּוּדִ֣ים חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה כְּבָשִׂ֥ים בְּנֵֽי־שָׁנָ֖ה חֲמִשָּׁ֑ה זֶ֛ה קׇרְבַּ֥ן נַחְשׁ֖וֹן בֶּן־עַמִּינָדָֽב׃ {פ}
English:
and for his sacrifice of well-being: two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs. That was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.
פסוק ז:יח · 7:18
Hebrew:
בַּיּוֹם֙ הַשֵּׁנִ֔י הִקְרִ֖יב נְתַנְאֵ֣ל בֶּן־צוּעָ֑ר נְשִׂ֖יא יִשָּׂשכָֽר׃
English:
On the second day, Nethanel son of Zuar, chieftain of Issachar, made his offering.
Day 2: Netanel ben Tzu'ar of Yissachar. Rashi notices that the word 'hikriv' is used here (and only here) -- which, he explains, addresses Reuven's protest that he, as firstborn, should have come second. Moshe responded that Hashem had decreed the order of the march, so Yissachar -- not Reuven -- comes after Yehudah. Rashi (from Sifrei and R' Moshe ha-Darshan) gives a second reason for the doubled 'hikriv': Yissachar earned this second position both because they were Torah scholars ('yode'ei binah la-ittim') and because Netanel himself originated the idea of the princes' offerings. Or HaChaim adds that Netanel's very name ('netan-el', what Hashem gave) alludes to Torah, and 'ben Tzu'ar' (son of Tzu'ar, 'pain') hints that Torah is acquired only through tza'ar (toil and suffering).
רש״יRashi
הקריב נתנאל בן צוער … הקרב את קרבנו. מַה תַּ"ל "הִקְרִיב" בְּשִׁבְטוֹ שֶׁל יִשָּׂשכָר מַה שֶּׁלֹּא נֶאֱמַר בְּכָל הַשְּׁבָטִים? לְפִי שֶׁבָּא רְאוּבֵן וְעִרְעֵר וְאָמַר: אַחַר שֶׁקְּדָמַנִי יְהוּדָה, אַקְרִיב אֲנִי אַחֲרָיו, אָמַר לוֹ מֹשֶׁה מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה נֶאֱמַר לִי שֶׁיַּקְרִיבוּ כְּסֵדֶר מַסָּעוֹת — לְדִגְלֵיהֶם, לְכָךְ אָמַר הִקְרִב אֶת קָרְבָּנוֹ, וְהוּא חָסֵר יוֹ"ד, שֶׁהוּא מַשְׁמַע הַקְרֵב, לְשׁוֹן צִוּוּי, שֶׁמִּפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה נִצְטַוָּה "הַקְרֵב". וּמַהוּ הִקְרִיב הִקְרִיב שְׁנֵי פְעָמִים? שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל שְׁנֵי דְבָרִים זָכָה לְהַקְרִיב שֵׁנִי לַשְּׁבָטִים, אַחַת שֶׁהָיוּ יוֹדְעִים בַּתּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וּמִבְּנֵי יִשָּׂשכָר יוֹדְעֵי בִינָה לַעִתִּים" (דבהי"א י"ב), וְאַחַת שֶׁהֵם נָתְנוּ עֵצָה לַנְּשִׂיאִים לְהִתְנַדֵּב קָרְבָּנוֹת הַלָּלוּ. וּבִיסוֹדוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי מֹשֶׁה הַדַּרְשָׁן מָצָאתִי, אָמַר רַבִּי פִּנְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר נְתַנְאֵל בֶּן צוּעָר הִשִּׂיאָן עֵצָה זוֹ:
הקריב נתנאל בן צוער... הקרב את קרבנו NETANEL BROUGHT HIS OFFERING...HE BROUGHT HIS OFFERING: Why is the word הִקְרִב, "brought [his offering]," used in connection with the tribe of Issachar, but is not used in connection with any of the [other] tribes? Because [the tribe of] Reuben came and complained, "Is it not enough that my brother Judah has preceded me? Let me [at least] offer up after him." Moses said to him,"I was told by the Almighty that they should offer up in the order in which they travel, according to their divisions." This is why it says: הִקְרִב אֶת קָרְבָּנוֹ, [in which the word הִקְרִב is] missing a"yud," [thus] giving it the meaning of הַקְרֵב, in the imperative for he was commanded by the Almighty,"Bring the offering!" What is the meaning of הִקְרִב … הִקְרִב, twice? For because of two reasons he [Issachar] merited to be the second of the tribes to offer their sacrifices: One, because they were [well] versed in the Torah, as it says,"And of the sons of Issachar, those who had understanding of the times" (I Chron. 12:32). Another, because they advised the princes to contribute these offerings (Sifrei Bamidbar 53). In the treatise of Rabbi Moses Hadarshan ["the preacher"], I found [the following]: Rabbi Pinchas the son of Yair says [that] Netanel the son of Zu'ar gave them this idea.
אור החייםOr HaChaim
ביום השני וגו'. הקדים שבט יששכר, לצד היותו בן תורה הורם שבטו וקדם לראובן הבכור, ולא זו בלבד אלא גם זבולון המחזיק בידו ללמוד דכתיב (דברים ל״ג:י״ח) שמח זבולן בצאתך ויששכר וגו' ישב בצלו וקדם לראובן: הקריב נתנאל וגו' נשיא יששכר. הקדים הזכרת שמו לזכרון הנשיאות, לעשות לו גדר המעלה גם בלא חשיבות הנשיאות, מה שאין כן כל שאר הנשיאים שהקדים זכרון הנשיאות לשמם ובשמו הזכיר זכרון התורה ואמצעות קנינה, זכרון התורה נתנאל נתן אל על דרך אומרו (משלי ד׳:ב׳) לקח טוב נתתי לכם, אמצעות קניינה בן צוער שאין התורה נקנית אלא על ידי יסורין, כך היא דרכה של תורה (גיטין נז.) אדם כי ימות באהל, ואולי כי לצד זה גם כן הקדים זכרון שמו לומר כי לצד המפעל הרשום בשמו שהיה בו זכה להיות נשיא לבני יששכר יודעי בינה לעתים:
ביום השני, On the second day, etc. The reason the tribe of Issachar was accorded the honour of offering this sacrifice on the second day was that their prince represented a tribe which would become renowned for its command of Torah. This is why he preceded Reuben although the latter was the senior member of the tribes. Not only this, but also the prince of Zevulun was placed ahead of Reuben seeing that it was the generosity of that tribe which would allow the members of the tribe of Issachar to study Torah without worrying about where their livelihood would come from (compare Deut. 33,18 where Moses even blessed Zevulun ahead of Issachar). הקריב נתנאל בן צוער, Netanel the son of Tzuar offered his gift. In this instance the Torah mentioned the name of the prince before telling us that Netanel was one of the princes. This was also intended to demonstrate that his merit was such that he could have claimed the right to be number two in the lineup even if he had not been a prince. We do not find this again amongst all the other ten princes which follow. Netanel's name is a reminder of the Torah and the means by which it was acquired. Solomon refers to the Torah in Proverbs 4,2 as כי לקח טוב נתתי לכם, i.e. that what G'd has given (the Torah) is a good instruction. The means by which we acquired the Torah is reflected in Netanel's father's name בן צוער, an allusion to pain, צער. The message is that Torah can only be truly acquired through one's undergoing a process of afflictions. We are taught in Gittin 57 that the line אדם כי ימות באהל (Numbers 19,14) is a reminder that in order to truly acquire Torah one must "kill oneself" in the tent of Torah, i.e. in the hall of study by deeply immersing oneself in the mysteries of the Torah. Perhaps this is another reason why Netanel's name precedes his title, to hint that his tribe's immersion in Torah is already reflected in his very name. The first time the Bible mentions that the members of this tribe were outstanding Torah scholars is in Chronicles I 12,33 where the small number of delegates sent by this tribe to David's coronation is explained by the fact that these delegates were יודעי בינה לעתים, "aware of the need of the times." The manner in which their prince "killed" himself in order to study Torah may have contributed to the members of his tribe emulating him and becoming יודעי בינה לעתים.
פסוק ז:יט · 7:19
Hebrew:
הִקְרִ֨ב אֶת־קׇרְבָּנ֜וֹ קַֽעֲרַת־כֶּ֣סֶף אַחַ֗ת שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים וּמֵאָה֮ מִשְׁקָלָהּ֒ מִזְרָ֤ק אֶחָד֙ כֶּ֔סֶף שִׁבְעִ֥ים שֶׁ֖קֶל בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ שְׁנֵיהֶ֣ם ׀ מְלֵאִ֗ים סֹ֛לֶת בְּלוּלָ֥ה בַשֶּׁ֖מֶן לְמִנְחָֽה׃
English:
He presented as his offering: one silver bowl weighing 130 shekels and one silver basin of 70 shekels by the sanctuary weight, both filled with choice flour with oil mixed in, for a meal offering;
Netanel brings the identical silver vessels as Nachshon -- but, per Chazal (cited by Rashi), with entirely different inner intentions. Rashi (from Bemidbar Rabbah) reads the numerical values: 'ka'arat kesef' (930) alludes to Adam ha-Rishon's 930 years; the bowl's weight of 130 shekels alludes to Adam being 130 when he begot Shet (the son who carried the line of mankind forward); 'mizrak echad kesef' (520) alludes to Noach (who begot at age 500 plus the 20 years before that of the decree); and 70 shekels alludes to the 70 nations descended from Noach's sons. The outward objects are uniform; the inner symbolism is uniquely tied to Yissachar's Torah-scholarship orientation toward cosmic history. Or HaChaim notes the doubled 'hikriv' in Netanel's verses (matching the triple usage in Nachshon's) reflects the dual royal-scholar dignity of these two tribes.
רש״יRashi
קערת כסף. מִנְיַן אוֹתִיוֹתָיו בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא תתק"ל, כְּנֶגֶד שְׁנוֹתָיו שֶׁל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן: שלשים ומאה משקלה. עַל שֵׁם שֶׁכְּשֶׁהֶעֱמִיד תּוֹלָדוֹת לְקִיּוּם הָעוֹלָם בֶּן ק"ל שָנָה הָיָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וַיְחִי אָדָם שְׁלֹשִׁים וּמְאַת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד" וְגוֹ' (בראשית ה'): מזרק אחד כסף. בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא תק"ך, עַל שֵׁם נֹחַ שֶׁהֶעֱמִיד תּוֹלָדוֹת בֶּן ת"ק שָׁנָה, וְעַל שֵׁם עֶשְֹרִים שָׁנָה שֶׁנִּגְזְרָה גְּזֵרַת הַמַּבּוּל קֹדֶם תּוֹלְדוֹתָיו — כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי אֵצֶל "וְהָיוּ יָמָיו מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה" (שם ו') — לְפִיכָךְ נֶאֱמַר — מִזְרָק אֶחָד כֶּסֶף, וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר מִזְרָק כֶּסֶף אֶחָד כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּקְּעָרָה, לוֹמַר שֶׁאַף אוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁל אֶחָד מִצְטָרְפוֹת לַמִּנְיָן: שבעים שקל. כְּנֶגֶד שִׁבְעִים אֻמּוֹת שֶׁיָּצְאוּ מִבָּנָיו:
קערת כסף — The numerical value of its letters (of the letters of these two words) is 930 corresponding to the years of Adam ha-Rishon (Numbers Rabbah 14:12). שלשים ומאה משקלה THE WEIGHT THEREOF WAS AN HUNDRED AND THIRTY SHEKELS — in allusion to the fact that when he (Adam) first raised children to maintain the world in existence he was 130 years old, for it is said, (Genesis 5:3) "and Adam lived a hundred and thirty years and then begat [a son]" (Numbers Rabbah 14:12). מזרק אחד כסף — The numerical value of these words is 520, being an allusion to Noah who begot children at the age of 500 and also an allusion to the twenty years before his offspring were born when the decree regarding the flood was made (thus together 520 years) — just as I have set forth in my comment upon the verse (Genesis 6:3): "yet his days shall be 120 years". — It is for this reason that it is here said, מזרק אחד כסף and it is not said, מזרק כסף אחד, the number being placed at the end of the phrase, as it is said of the charger (קערת כסף אחת), — to indicate that the letters of the word אחד, too, should be taken into account in this reckoning (Numbers Rabbah 14:12). שבעים שקל SEVENTY SHEKELS — corresponding to the seventy nations that descended from his (Noah's) sons (Numbers Rabbah 14:12).
אור החייםOr HaChaim
הקרב את קרבנו. כל זה מיותר אחר שכבר אמר הקריב נתנאל, אלא נתכוון להגדיל בחינות הנוספות בזכרון הקרבת נחשון בן עמינדב, ותמצא שהזכיר בנחשון זכרון הקרבן שלשה פעמים, המקריב וגו' קרבנו וגו' וקרבנו, אחד זכרון התקרבותו להקדים ראשונה ואחד לבחינת הקרבן הנעלם, ואחד לקרבן עצמו, כמו כן בנשיא של תורה הזכיר שלשה קרבנות, הקריב נתנאל וגו' הקריב את קרבנו, ובשאר הנשיאים לא הזכיר אלא הזכרת הקרבן המובא בית ה', כי לא יוכלו עשות כמלכי ישראל שהם שבט יהודה ושבט יששכר. וטעם אומרו הקרב בלא יו"ד, לדרוש המסורת שהוא לשון ציווי והורמנותא, והכוונה בזה על פי מאמרם ז"ל (ספרי פ' נ"ב) שערער ראובן עליו, לזה בא מאמר אדון הרשות ואמר הקרב, לזה כתב בלא יו"ד לרמוז זה:
הקריב את קרבנו, brought his offering, etc. These words are superfluous, seeing the Torah already wrote in verse 18 that Netanel brought an offering. The Torah may have intended to stress its regard for Nachshon's offering. The Torah did this by mentioning the fact that Nachshon brought his offering three times. It mentions Netanel as having brought his offering twice, and mentions all the other princes only once as having brought their respective offerings. They were not on the spiritual levels of either the kings of Yehudah or the tribe of Issachar [in the future Ed.]. The reason the word hikriv is spelled here without the customary letter י is to enable us to use the exegetical approach of the sages of the Messorah who understood the word as an imperative. Traditionally, (Sifri item 52 on our verse) the tribe of Reuben had protested when informed that Issachar would be in line after Yehudah. G'd therefore gave specific instructions i.e. hakrev that Issachar was to be next. This is alluded to by the absence of the letter י in the written text, though the word is read in the past tense, i.e. hikriv.
פסוק ז:כ · 7:20
Hebrew:
כַּ֥ף אַחַ֛ת עֲשָׂרָ֥ה זָהָ֖ב מְלֵאָ֥ה קְטֹֽרֶת׃
English:
one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;
The gold ketoret-pan, identical in form to Nachshon's -- but Rashi (from Bemidbar Rabbah) reads it through Yissachar's Torah-lens: 'kaf' (palm/hand) alludes to the Torah given from Hashem's hand; 'asarah zahav' (ten of gold) corresponds to the Aseret ha-Dibrot; and 'ketoret' (קטרת) has the gematria of 613 (when the kof is exchanged with dalet by the at-bash code) -- the number of mitzvot. Yissachar's same gold pan thus 'contains' all of Torah.
פסוק ז:כא · 7:21
Hebrew:
פַּ֣ר אֶחָ֞ד בֶּן־בָּקָ֗ר אַ֧יִל אֶחָ֛ד כֶּֽבֶשׂ־אֶחָ֥ד בֶּן־שְׁנָת֖וֹ לְעֹלָֽה׃
English:
one bull of the herd, one ram, and one lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering;
The same olah-trio as Nachshon -- but again, Rashi (from Bemidbar Rabbah) reads each species symbolically through Yissachar's eyes: the par (bull, ben bakar) alludes to Avraham, who 'took a young bull' when feeding the three angels (Bereishit 18:7); the ayil (ram) alludes to Yitzchak, in whose place a ram was offered at the akeidah (Bereishit 22:13); and the keves (lamb) alludes to Yaakov, who separated the kesavim (Bereishit 30:40). Yissachar's olah is a triple recollection of the Avot.
פסוק ז:כב · 7:22
Hebrew:
שְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים אֶחָ֖ד לְחַטָּֽאת׃
English:
one goat for a sin offering;
The se'ir izim of Yissachar is read by Rashi (from Bemidbar Rabbah) as atoning for the mechirat Yosef -- the selling of Yosef -- about which the Torah records that the brothers slaughtered 'a kid of the goats' to dip Yosef's coat in its blood (Bereishit 37:31). Yissachar's offering reaches back to one of the foundational sins of the tribes' history and seeks rectification.
פסוק ז:כג · 7:23
Hebrew:
וּלְזֶ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִים֮ בָּקָ֣ר שְׁנַ֒יִם֒ אֵילִ֤ם חֲמִשָּׁה֙ עַתֻּדִ֣ים חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה כְּבָשִׂ֥ים בְּנֵי־שָׁנָ֖ה חֲמִשָּׁ֑ה זֶ֛ה קׇרְבַּ֥ן נְתַנְאֵ֖ל בֶּן־צוּעָֽר׃ {פ}
English:
and for his sacrifice of well-being: two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs. That was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar.
The shelamim concludes the offering. Rashi (citing R' Moshe ha-Darshan) decodes Yissachar's numerical layers: two oxen allude to Moshe and Aharon, who made peace between Yisrael and their Father in Heaven; the three species (rams, lambs, he-goats) parallel the three divisions of the nation (Kohanim, Levi'im, Yisra'elim) and the three divisions of Tanakh (Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim); and the three groups of five recall the five chumshei Torah and the five-and-five commandments on the two luchot. The closing 'zeh korban Netanel' is the formula that will be repeated for every prince -- each gift the same in form, each subscribed personally to the donor.
רש״יRashi
ולזבח השלמים בקר שנים. כְּנֶגֶד מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן שֶׁנָּתְנוּ שָׁלוֹם בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל לַאֲבִיהֶם שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם: אלים כבשים ועתדים. שְׁלֹשָׁה מִינִים כְּנֶגֶד כֹּהֲנִים וּלְוִיִּם וְיִשְׂרְאֵלִים, וּכְנֶגֶד תּוֹרָה נְבִיאִים וּכְתוּבִים, שָׁלֹשׁ חֲמִשִּׁיּוֹת כְּנֶגֶד חֲמִשָּׁה חֻמְשִׁין וַחֲמֵשֶׁת הַדִּבְּרוֹת הַכְּתוּבִין עַל לוּחַ אֶחָד וַחֲמִשָּׁה הַכְּתוּבִים עַל הַשֵּׁנִי; עַד כָּאן בִּיסוֹדוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי מֹשֶׁה הַדַּרְשָׁן:
ולזבח השלמים בקר שנים AND FOR A SACRIFICE OF PEACE-OFFERINGS TWO OXEN — The two peace-offerings are an allusion to Moses and Aaron who made peace between Israel and their Father in Heaven (Numbers Rabbah 13:19). אילם כבשים ועתדים — three species — in allusion to the three divisions of the nation: priests, Levites and ordinary Israelites, and also in allusion to the Pentateuch, the Prophets and the Hagiographa, the three sections of the Holy Scriptures. There are three times "five", in allusion to the "Five Books of Moses", to the five Commandments written on one of the Tablets and to the five written on the other (Numbers Rabbah 14:10). Thus far have I found in the work of R. Moshe the Preacher.
פסוק ז:כד · 7:24
Hebrew:
בַּיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י נָשִׂ֖יא לִבְנֵ֣י זְבוּלֻ֑ן אֱלִיאָ֖ב בֶּן־חֵלֹֽן׃
English:
On the third day, it was the chieftain of the Zebulunites, Eliab son of Helon.
Day 3: Eli'av ben Chelon of Zevulun, completing the eastern division. Rashi clarifies the grammar: for Yissachar the Torah said 'hikriv Netanel... nesi Yissachar' (verb first), but here and for all subsequent princes the phrase is 'on day N, the nasi of bnei X was Y' -- a different sentence structure that emphasizes the prince's identity. Or HaChaim explains why Zevulun precedes Reuven (the senior brother): Zevulun's tribe famously supports Yissachar's Torah study (per Moshe's blessing in Devarim 33:18, 'Rejoice Zevulun in your going out, and Yissachar in your tents'). The name Eli'av ('to me, fatherhood') and ben Chelon ('son of secular [trade]') signals that though Zevulun is engaged in chol (commerce), he attains 'fatherhood' over Torah by financing it.
רש״יRashi
ביום השלישי נשיא וגו'. בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי הָיָה הַנָּשִׂיא הַמַּקְרִיב זְבוּלֻן, וְכֵן כֻּלָּם, אֲבָל בִּנְתַנְאֵל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ הִקְרִיב נְתַנְאֵל, נוֹפֵל אַחֲרָיו הַלָּשׁוֹן לוֹמַר נְשִׂיא יִשָּׂשכָר, לְפִי שֶׁכְּבָר הִזְכִּיר שְׁמוֹ וְהַקְרָבָתוֹ, וּבַשְּׁאָר שֶׁלֹּא נֶאֱמַר בָּהֶן הִקְרִיב, נוֹפֵל עֲלֵיהֶן לָשׁוֹן זֶה — נָשִׂיא לִבְנֵי פְלוֹנִי — אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם הָיָה הַנָּשִׂיא הַמַּקְרִיב לְשֵׁבֶט פְּלוֹנִי:
ביום השלישי וגו׳ means, ON THE THIRD DAY, THE PRINCE who offered WAS OF THE SONS OF ZEBULUN, and similar is the meaning of the parallel statement in the case of all of them (all the other tribes). In the case of Nethaneel, however, of whom it is stated, (v. 18) הקריב "[on the second day] did Nethaneel the son of Zuar offer", it is appropriate to use after it the phrase: "the prince of Issachar", since it has already mentioned his name and the fact that he offered, whilst in the case of the others of whom it is not stated "he offered", this phrase is the appropriate one, viz., the prince belonging to the sons of that-and-that tribe, when the meaning of the entire sentence is: on that day the prince who offered was of the sons of so-and-so.
אור החייםOr HaChaim
אליאב בן חלון. נקרא כן לצד שהוא דבר המעמיד ליששכר ללמוד תורה יקרא אב, וכמו שמצינו שהקדימו משה ליששכר דכתיב (דברים לג) שמח זבולן וגו' ויששכר וגו', והוא מאמר אליאב פירוש לי יתיחם לקרות אב, הגם שהוא חלון פירוש חולין שאינו בן תורה ועוסק בפרקמטיא חולין עולם הזה אף על פי כן דין אבא למלכא:
אליאב בן חלון. He was called so seeing he, or his tribe, enabled Issachar to devote themselves to the uninterrupted study of Torah. Similar considerations prompted Moses in Deut. 33,18 to mention the tribe of Zevulun ahead of the tribe of Issachar in his blessings although Issachar was senior to Zevulun by birth. The most appropriate way of translating his name would be "it behooves me to be called father (in relation to Issachar)." The word חלון emphasises that although, biologically speaking, he is only the descendant of chulin, someone secular, occupied with trading instead of Torah study, he nevertheless has attained the rank of seniority to Issachar being the one who provides the wherewithal for Issachar to study Torah.
פסוק ז:כה · 7:25
Hebrew:
קׇרְבָּנ֞וֹ קַֽעֲרַת־כֶּ֣סֶף אַחַ֗ת שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים וּמֵאָה֮ מִשְׁקָלָהּ֒ מִזְרָ֤ק אֶחָד֙ כֶּ֔סֶף שִׁבְעִ֥ים שֶׁ֖קֶל בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ שְׁנֵיהֶ֣ם ׀ מְלֵאִ֗ים סֹ֛לֶת בְּלוּלָ֥ה בַשֶּׁ֖מֶן לְמִנְחָֽה׃
English:
His offering: one silver bowl weighing 130 shekels and one silver basin of 70 shekels by the sanctuary weight, both filled with choice flour with oil mixed in, for a meal offering;
פסוק ז:כו · 7:26
Hebrew:
כַּ֥ף אַחַ֛ת עֲשָׂרָ֥ה זָהָ֖ב מְלֵאָ֥ה קְטֹֽרֶת׃
English:
one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;
פסוק ז:כז · 7:27
Hebrew:
פַּ֣ר אֶחָ֞ד בֶּן־בָּקָ֗ר אַ֧יִל אֶחָ֛ד כֶּֽבֶשׂ־אֶחָ֥ד בֶּן־שְׁנָת֖וֹ לְעֹלָֽה׃
English:
one bull of the herd, one ram, and one lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering;
פסוק ז:כח · 7:28
Hebrew:
שְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים אֶחָ֖ד לְחַטָּֽאת׃
English:
one goat for a sin offering;
פסוק ז:כט · 7:29
Hebrew:
וּלְזֶ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִים֮ בָּקָ֣ר שְׁנַ֒יִם֒ אֵילִ֤ם חֲמִשָּׁה֙ עַתֻּדִ֣ים חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה כְּבָשִׂ֥ים בְּנֵי־שָׁנָ֖ה חֲמִשָּׁ֑ה זֶ֛ה קׇרְבַּ֥ן אֱלִיאָ֖ב בֶּן־חֵלֹֽן׃ {פ}
English:
and for his sacrifice of well-being: two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs. That was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.
פסוק ז:ל · 7:30
Hebrew:
בַּיּוֹם֙ הָרְבִיעִ֔י נָשִׂ֖יא לִבְנֵ֣י רְאוּבֵ֑ן אֱלִיצ֖וּר בֶּן־שְׁדֵיאֽוּר׃
English:
On the fourth day, it was the chieftain of the Reubenites, Elizur son of Shedeur.
Day 4 opens the southern division: Elitzur ben Shedei'ur of Reuven. Or HaChaim reads the very name as a hint that Hashem had healed Reuven from the wound of his earlier sin (Bereishit 35:22): 'Elitzur' = 'eli tzori' (my G-d is my balm, echoing Yirmiyahu 8:22, 'is there no balm in Gilead?'), and 'ben Shedei'ur' = 'ben Shaddai-or' (son of [the G-d called] Shaddai, light). Like the placement of 'and Yaakov's sons numbered twelve' immediately after the story of Reuven and Bilhah, the very fact that Reuven still leads a division of Yisrael with full standing testifies that the matter was rectified -- as Chazal (Shabbat 55b) say, anyone who claims Reuven sinned is mistaken.
אור החייםOr HaChaim
אליצור בן שדיאור. אולי שירמוז לראובן אשר מחל לו ה' עון הרשום בתורה (בראשית לה) וישכב וגו' והעלה לו צרי למחלתו, והוא אומרו אלי פירוש אלהי, צור על דרך (ירמיהו ח׳:כ״ב) הצרי אין בגלעד, בן שדי אור כאן רמז לענין הרשום בתורה וישכב וגו' והצרי הוא שתכף למאמר וישכב וגו', אמר ויהיו בני יעקב שנים עשר בזה ריפא הנגע, ולדברי חז"ל שאמרו (שבת נה:) כל האומר ראובן חטא וכו' הן הם הדברים שהראה ה' בסמיכות ויהיו בני יעקב וגו':
אליצור בן שדיאור, Perhaps there is an allusion in this name that G'd had forgiven the sin of Reuben which the Torah recorded (Genesis 35,22). He may have put balsam or balm, i.e. צרי, on his wound. The letters אלי mean אלקי, my G'd; the letters צור are to be understood as similar to Jeremiah 8,22: הצרי אין בגלעד, "is there no more balm in Gilead?" The word בן שדיאור is to be broken up into בן שדי and אור, i.e. a hint that he was a son of G'd who is also known as שדי. The combined name then is reminiscent of the story in the Torah that Reuben slept with Bilhah. The Torah reported immediately afterwards that the sons of Jacob numbered 12 which shows that any damage inflicted by Reuben had been healed. This prompted our sages in Shabbat 55 to say that if someone were to accuse Reuben of having committed a sin he is in error.
פסוק ז:לא · 7:31
Hebrew:
קׇרְבָּנ֞וֹ קַֽעֲרַת־כֶּ֣סֶף אַחַ֗ת שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים וּמֵאָה֮ מִשְׁקָלָהּ֒ מִזְרָ֤ק אֶחָד֙ כֶּ֔סֶף שִׁבְעִ֥ים שֶׁ֖קֶל בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ שְׁנֵיהֶ֣ם ׀ מְלֵאִ֗ים סֹ֛לֶת בְּלוּלָ֥ה בַשֶּׁ֖מֶן לְמִנְחָֽה׃
English:
His offering: one silver bowl weighing 130 shekels and one silver basin of 70 shekels by the sanctuary weight, both filled with choice flour with oil mixed in, for a meal offering;
פסוק ז:לב · 7:32
Hebrew:
כַּ֥ף אַחַ֛ת עֲשָׂרָ֥ה זָהָ֖ב מְלֵאָ֥ה קְטֹֽרֶת׃
English:
one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;
פסוק ז:לג · 7:33
Hebrew:
פַּ֣ר אֶחָ֞ד בֶּן־בָּקָ֗ר אַ֧יִל אֶחָ֛ד כֶּֽבֶשׂ־אֶחָ֥ד בֶּן־שְׁנָת֖וֹ לְעֹלָֽה׃
English:
one bull of the herd, one ram, and one lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering;
פסוק ז:לד · 7:34
Hebrew:
שְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים אֶחָ֖ד לְחַטָּֽאת׃
English:
one goat for a sin offering;
פסוק ז:לה · 7:35
Hebrew:
וּלְזֶ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִים֮ בָּקָ֣ר שְׁנַ֒יִם֒ אֵילִ֤ם חֲמִשָּׁה֙ עַתֻּדִ֣ים חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה כְּבָשִׂ֥ים בְּנֵֽי־שָׁנָ֖ה חֲמִשָּׁ֑ה זֶ֛ה קׇרְבַּ֥ן אֱלִיצ֖וּר בֶּן־שְׁדֵיאֽוּר׃ {פ}
English:
and for his sacrifice of well-being: two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs. That was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur.
פסוק ז:לו · 7:36
Hebrew:
בַּיּוֹם֙ הַחֲמִישִׁ֔י נָשִׂ֖יא לִבְנֵ֣י שִׁמְע֑וֹן שְׁלֻֽמִיאֵ֖ל בֶּן־צוּרִֽישַׁדָּֽי׃
English:
On the fifth day, it was the chieftain of the Simeonites, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
Day 5: Shelumi'el ben Tzurishaddai of Shimon, second in the southern division. Or HaChaim reads both name-elements as alluding to Shimon's complicated history: the original Shimon, whom Yosef had detained in Egypt as payment for what was done at his selling (Bereishit 42:24); and -- looking ahead -- to Hashem's mercy at the end of the plague forty years later, when Pinchas slew Zimri (also of Shimon) and Hashem said 'enough' (Bemidbar 25:8). 'Shelumi-el' (peace of G-d) and 'Tzuri-shaddai' (my Rock, Shaddai, has said 'enough') together express Shimon's place under both divine judgment and divine reconciliation.
אור החייםOr HaChaim
שלומיאל בן צורישדי. ירמוז לשמעון ששלם לו אל על חטא יוסף ויאסור אותו במשמר, גם מה ששלם ה' במעשה זמרי, צורי שדי שה' אמר לכליונו די דכתיב (לקמן כה, ח,) ותעצר המגפה:
שלמיאל בן צורישדי. The name of the prince of Shimon alludes to the original Shimon whom G'd paid back for what he had done to Joseph by having Joseph incarcerate him in Egypt. It also includes a reference to G'd repaying that tribe for the conduct of Zimri [its prince 40 years later Ed.]. He is understood as exclaiming צורי שדי, "enough (punishment) my G'd." Once Zimri had been slain the plague stopped as we know from Numbers 25,8.
פסוק ז:לז · 7:37
Hebrew:
קׇרְבָּנ֞וֹ קַֽעֲרַת־כֶּ֣סֶף אַחַ֗ת שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים וּמֵאָה֮ מִשְׁקָלָהּ֒ מִזְרָ֤ק אֶחָד֙ כֶּ֔סֶף שִׁבְעִ֥ים שֶׁ֖קֶל בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ שְׁנֵיהֶ֣ם ׀ מְלֵאִ֗ים סֹ֛לֶת בְּלוּלָ֥ה בַשֶּׁ֖מֶן לְמִנְחָֽה׃
English:
His offering: one silver bowl weighing 130 shekels and one silver basin of 70 shekels by the sanctuary weight, both filled with choice flour with oil mixed in, for a meal offering;
פסוק ז:לח · 7:38
Hebrew:
כַּ֥ף אַחַ֛ת עֲשָׂרָ֥ה זָהָ֖ב מְלֵאָ֥ה קְטֹֽרֶת׃
English:
one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;
פסוק ז:לט · 7:39
Hebrew:
פַּ֣ר אֶחָ֞ד בֶּן־בָּקָ֗ר אַ֧יִל אֶחָ֛ד כֶּֽבֶשׂ־אֶחָ֥ד בֶּן־שְׁנָת֖וֹ לְעֹלָֽה׃
English:
one bull of the herd, one ram, and one lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering;
פסוק ז:מ · 7:40
Hebrew:
שְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים אֶחָ֖ד לְחַטָּֽאת׃
English:
one goat for a sin offering;
פסוק ז:מא · 7:41
Hebrew:
וּלְזֶ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִים֮ בָּקָ֣ר שְׁנַ֒יִם֒ אֵילִ֤ם חֲמִשָּׁה֙ עַתֻּדִ֣ים חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה כְּבָשִׂ֥ים בְּנֵי־שָׁנָ֖ה חֲמִשָּׁ֑ה זֶ֛ה קׇרְבַּ֥ן שְׁלֻמִיאֵ֖ל בֶּן־צוּרִֽישַׁדָּֽי׃ {פ}
English:
and for his sacrifice of well-being: two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs. That was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
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