Skip to main contentSkip to Content
Parashat HaShavuaפרשת נשאAliyah 7 — שביעי

פרשת נשא — שביעי (Aliyah 7)

Parashat Naso | Numbers 7:42–7:89 | Aliyah 7 of 7


קלאוד על הפרשה

The seventh and final aliyah (7:42-89) completes the chanukat ha-mizbe’ach with the offerings of the remaining seven tribal princes (days 6 through 12), then concludes the parasha — and the entire pre-march section of Sefer Bemidbar — with one of the Torah’s most quietly remarkable verses: Moshe entering the Ohel Mo’ed and hearing the Voice speaking to him from between the keruvim. The structure is the same as the previous aliyah: each prince brings the identical set of inaugural offerings on his designated day, and the Torah records each in full.

The seven remaining princes, in order: Day 6, Elyasaf ben De’u’el of Gad (completing the southern division); Day 7, Elishama ben Amihud of Efrayim; Day 8, Gamliel ben Pedahtzur of Menasheh; Day 9, Avidan ben Gid’oni of Binyamin (completing the western division); Day 10, Achi’ezer ben Amishaddai of Dan; Day 11, Pag’i’el ben Akhran of Asher; Day 12, Achira ben Einan of Naftali (completing the northern division). The order matches the encampment-direction order from Bemidbar 2 — east, south, west, north — extending the symmetry of the camp’s arrangement into the temporal sequence of the inauguration. The Or HaChaim notes that even the seventh day, which fell on Shabbat, did not interrupt the rotation: the prince of that day brought his offering on Shabbat because the chanukat ha-mizbe’ach has the status of a korban tzibbur (communal offering) which overrides Shabbat. This is one of the Torah’s few explicit instances of an individual’s offering displacing Shabbat law.

The grand totals are then aggregated (7:84-88): 12 silver bowls (totaling 1,560 shekels), 12 silver basins (840 shekels), 12 gold pans of incense (120 shekels — kol zehav ha-kapot esrim u-me’ah), 12 bullocks, 12 rams, 12 yearling lambs as olot with their grain accompaniments, 12 goats as chata’ot, and 24 oxen, 60 rams, 60 he-goats, 60 yearling lambs as the great zevach ha-shelamim chanukat ha-mizbe’ach acharei himshach oto — peace-offering for the inauguration of the altar, after its anointing. The numbers are mathematically perfect and theologically symmetrical — twelve tribes producing twelve-fold quantities, with the shelamim quantities at the perfect 12 × 5 multiple. The aliyah closes (7:89) with the chapter’s true climax: u-ve-vo Moshe el Ohel Mo’ed le-dabber ito, va-yishma et ha-kol middaber elav me-al ha-kapporet asher al aron ha-edut, mi-bein shenei ha-keruvim, va-yedaber elavand when Moshe entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with Him, he heard the Voice speaking to him from above the kapporet that was on the Ark of the Testimony, from between the two keruvim, and He spoke to him. Rashi notes the grammatical curiosity: the word is middaber (reflexive, ‘speaking-to-itself’), not the simple medaber — Hashem speaks-to-Himself and Moshe overhears. The verse closes the Mishkan-inauguration arc that began in Shemot, completes the structural-preparation arc that began in Bemidbar 1, and prepares the narrative pivot of the next parasha — Beha’alotekha — where the march finally begins.


Numbers 7:42–7:89 · במדבר ז:מב–ז:פט

פסוק ז:מב · 7:42

Hebrew:

בַּיּוֹם֙ הַשִּׁשִּׁ֔י נָשִׂ֖יא לִבְנֵ֣י גָ֑ד אֶלְיָסָ֖ף בֶּן־דְּעוּאֵֽל׃

English:

On the sixth day, it was the chieftain of the Gadites, Eliasaph son of Deuel.

Day 6 of the chanukat ha-mizbe'ach: Elyasaf ben De'u'el, prince of Gad, brings his offering, completing the southern division (Reuven, Shimon, Gad). Or HaChaim reads the name as an allusion to Gad's later role as the first tribe to be settled in its permanent territory in Transjordan: 'el-yasaf' hints that Gad 'added' (yasaf) to its inheritance by taking land beyond the Jordan that was not part of the original promise to the avot, while 'ben De'u'el' affirms that the tribe remained fully 'knowing of God' alongside the other tribes.
אור החייםOr HaChaim
אליסף בן דעואל. ירמוז להיות שנאספו לעריהם תחילה על פי ה' כאמור זולת גבורי חיל שעברו כל חלוץ וגו', והוא אומרו אל יסף. עוד על פי דבריהם ז"ל שארץ סיחון ועוג לא היתה בכלל מתנת ארץ ישראל שנתן ה' לאברהם, כמו שאמרו בספרי (ח"ב פיסקא רצט) וזה לשונם פרט לעבר הירדן שנטלת מעצמך עד כאן. ומצינו שמשפט ארץ ישראל יש לה (שביעית פ"ט מ"ב) כידוע, ועיין מה שכתבתי בפרשת מטות בפסוק עטרות וגו', לזה קראו אליסף לצד שהוסיף ליטול יותר ממתנת ה' והסכים ה' עמהם, בן דעואל פירוש שעשו היכר לעדות לדעת כי הם ידועי עובדי אל כאחד שבטי ישראל כאמור ביהושע סימן כ"ב:
אליסף בן דעואל. The name of the prince of the tribe of Gad includes a hint that this was the first tribe of the Israelites which was settled in their permanent home. Only the able-bodied men of that tribe crossed the Jordan to form the vanguard of the Israeli army at the time of the conquest. Furthermore, according to Sifri volume two item 299 the lands formerly owned by Sichon and Og were not part of the lands promised by G'd to Abraham. We also find in the rules pertaining to the laws of the land of Israel that the land is divided into three different districts, Transjordan being one of those districts (compare Sheviit 9,2). Please refer to my comments in Parshat Mattot on 32,3-4 where I have explained this in greater detail. Inasmuch as these lands had been "grabbed" by the Jewish people, the letters יסף in the name of its prince are an allusion to that tribe inheriting land which was not part of the heritage promised to the patriarchs. The word בן דעואל is a hint that that tribe as well as all the other tribes are fully loyal to G'd and His Torah, i.e. "know the Lord," compare Joshua 22,27 and 22,34.

פסוק ז:מג · 7:43

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:מד · 7:44

Hebrew:

כַּ֥ף אַחַ֛ת עֲשָׂרָ֥ה זָהָ֖ב מְלֵאָ֥ה קְטֹֽרֶת׃

English:

one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;


פסוק ז:מה · 7:45

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:מו · 7:46

Hebrew:

שְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים אֶחָ֖ד לְחַטָּֽאת׃

English:

one goat for a sin offering;


פסוק ז:מז · 7:47

Hebrew:

וּלְזֶ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִים֮ בָּקָ֣ר שְׁנַ֒יִם֒ אֵילִ֤ם חֲמִשָּׁה֙ עַתֻּדִ֣ים חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה כְּבָשִׂ֥ים בְּנֵי־שָׁנָ֖ה חֲמִשָּׁ֑ה זֶ֛ה קׇרְבַּ֥ן אֶלְיָסָ֖ף בֶּן־דְּעוּאֵֽל׃ {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 Eliasaph son of Deuel.


פסוק ז:מח · 7:48

Hebrew:

בַּיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י נָשִׂ֖יא לִבְנֵ֣י אֶפְרָ֑יִם אֱלִֽישָׁמָ֖ע בֶּן־עַמִּיהֽוּד׃

English:

On the seventh day, it was the chieftain of the Ephraimites, Elishama son of Ammihud.

Day 7: Elishama ben Amihud, prince of Efrayim, opens the western division. Ibn Ezra raises the famous question — must this seventh day not have fallen on Shabbat? — and argues that 'seventh' refers to the seventh day of the chanukah sequence (not necessarily the seventh day of the week), since shelamim are normally not offered on Shabbat. According to the Or HaChaim and the dominant tradition, however, this day did fall on Shabbat and the prince offered anyway, because chanukat ha-mizbe'ach has korban-tzibbur status that overrides Shabbat. Or HaChaim further reads 'Eli-shama' as 'eli shama' ('to Me he listened') and 'ben Amihud' ('my people is his glory') as a tribute to Yosef, ancestor of Efrayim, who at the moment of temptation listened to God rather than to the wife of Potifar.
אבן עזראIbn Ezra
ביום השביעי. יש אומרים כי בשבת הקריבו והיא הוראת שעה ויש אומרים כי היום הוא שביעי לחנוכת המזבח והמכחישים אמרו כי לא היה תחלת החנוכה יום ראשון לשבוע וזה לא יועיל כי לא יתכן שלא יהיה שבת בין שנים עשר יום. והנכון בעיני כי הוא כפירוש השני זבח השלמים וכן ביום השביעי בהקפת יריחו וכן ז' הימים בחנוכת הבית בעבור יום ענוי נפש:
ON THE SEVENTH DAY. Some say that Elishama the son of Ammihud presented his offering on the Sabbath. It was a ruling for that time.26For personal offerings cannot be offered on the Sabbath. Others say that the reference is to the seventh day of the dedication of the tabernacle.27According to this interpretation, the Sabbath day is not included in the days of dedication, for no sacrifice was offered on the Sabbath. Those who disagree with our sages say that the first day of the altar's dedication did not fall on the first day of the week.28Hence the seventh day of dedication did not fall on the Sabbath. However, this is of no avail, for it is impossible that there be no Sabbath in twelve days.I believe that the second interpretation29That the seventh day refers to the seventh day of dedication, not to the seventh day of the week. is correct, because of the peace offering.30Brought by Elishama. Peace offerings were not brought on the Sabbath. The seventh day of the circling of Jericho is similar.31See Josh. 6:6-15. According to I.E. the seventh day on which the Israelites circled Jericho was not a Sabbath. Likewise the seven days of the dedication of the temple (I Kings 8:65) because of the Day of Atonement.32The second series of seven days of the dedication of the first temple apparently took in the Day of Atonement. Now if this is the case, then the people ate on Yom Kippur. This is the opinion of the sages of the Talmud. According to I.E. these seven days do not include Yom Kippur, for there were no dedication festivities on that day.
אור החייםOr HaChaim
אלישמע בן עמיהוד. רז"ל אמרו (תנחומא) ר"מ ור' יהושע בן קרחה היו דורשים את השמות אלישמע בן עמיהוד אלי שמע ולאדונתו לא שמע, עמי היה הודו ולא עם הרשעים עד כאן. נראה כי יכוין הכתוב במאמר אלי שמע שטעם שפירש יוסף לא לצד שום מיחוש אשר יסובב מהמעשה אלא לצד יראת ה' כאומרו. (בראשית ל״ט:ט׳) וחטאתי לאלהים, והוא מאמר אלי שמע. עוד ירצה על פי דבריהם שאמרו (סוטה לו:) שנדמה לו דיוקנו של אביו וכו', והן ידוע כי הוא מראה השכינה כי אביו במקומו לא ידע דבר ואפי' אם עודנו חי, אלא אביר יעקב אלהי ישראל, והוא מאמר אלי שמע, וכפל לומר עוד עמיהוד לרמוז מה שאמר הכתוב (שם) ולא שמע אליה לשכב אצלה להיות עמה פירוש לשכב וגו' כפשוטו, להיות עמה שתבעה ממנו לקירוב בשרו לבשרה ולא רצה, והוא מאמר עמי הודו וכו', ורז"ל שאמרו עם רשעים לשון רבים, אולי שכוונתם לומר שלא מאשת פוטיפר לבד נשמר אלא מכמה כיוצא בה:
אלשמע בן עמיהוד. Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korchah are quoted in Tanchuma on our verse as saying that the name Elishama suggests that whereas "Joseph listened to the commands of G'd, he did not listen to the command of his mistress to sleep with her. He did not make common cause with the wicked." Joseph did not desist from sinning because he was not tempted but because he was obedient to G'd's imperatives as he pointed out to the wife of Potiphar when he described giving in to his urge as a sin against G'd (Genesis 39,9). This is what is meant by Elishama, i.e אלי שמע, "he listened to Me." Our sages in Sotah 36 explained that at the crucial moment he had a vision of the face of his father. Clearly, this is a reference to a divine image which resembled the face of Jacob. After all, his father was in Canaan and had no inkling of what temptation his son faced at the time not even knowing that Joseph was still alive. What Joseph beheld in the vision was what is known as אביר יעקב אלוקי ישראל. When the sages in the Midrash spoke of the wicked in the plural, they may have referred to many similar temptations that Joseph withstood successfully. The reason the same idea occurs a second time in the name of the father of Elyasaph, i.e. עמיהוד is to hint what the Torah told us in that verse in Genesis that he did not listen to Mrs Potiphar who requested that Joseph agree to be physically close to her. Joseph preferred to remain close to G'd, i.e. עמי הודו.

פסוק ז:מט · 7:49

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:נ · 7:50

Hebrew:

כַּ֥ף אַחַ֛ת עֲשָׂרָ֥ה זָהָ֖ב מְלֵאָ֥ה קְטֹֽרֶת׃

English:

one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;


פסוק ז:נא · 7:51

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;

Elishama's olah-portion: one bull, one ram, one yearling lamb. Ibn Ezra glosses 'ben bakar' ('son of the herd') as a young bullock, parallel to 'ben yonah' ('young dove') in Vayikra 1:14 — the term specifies the animal's age, not just its species.
אבן עזראIbn Ezra
פר אחד בן בקר. קטן כמו בן יונה:
ONE YOUNG BULLOCK. Ben bakar means a young bullock. Compare, ben yonah (young dove).33See Lev. 1:14.

פסוק ז:נב · 7:52

Hebrew:

שְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים אֶחָ֖ד לְחַטָּֽאת׃

English:

one goat for a sin offering;


פסוק ז:נג · 7:53

Hebrew:

וּלְזֶ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִים֮ בָּקָ֣ר שְׁנַ֒יִם֒ אֵילִ֤ם חֲמִשָּׁה֙ עַתֻּדִ֣ים חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה כְּבָשִׂ֥ים בְּנֵֽי־שָׁנָ֖ה חֲמִשָּׁ֑ה זֶ֛ה קׇרְבַּ֥ן אֱלִישָׁמָ֖ע בֶּן־עַמִּיהֽוּד׃ {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 Elishama son of Ammihud.

Elishama's shelamim-portion: 2 oxen, 5 rams, 5 he-goats, 5 yearling lambs — the same uniform total carried by every prince. Ibn Ezra clarifies that 'bakar shenayim' ('two of the herd') refers to two male bullocks, and that 'bakar' here means the kind of cattle; the proof is verse 88's summation, where 'twenty-four bullocks' (the doubled total for shelamim) is described with the same word 'bakar'.
אבן עזראIbn Ezra
בקר שנים. גם הם פרים זכרים וטעמו מין הבקר והעד וכל בקר זבח השלמים עשרים וארבעה פרים:
TWO OXEN. These were also male bullocks.34They were of the same sex and kind as the young bullock. The meaning of bakar (oxen) is, from the kind of cattle.35Thus bakar shenayim (two oxen) literally means two of the kind of cattle, the reference being to two bulls. And all the oxen for the sacrifice of peace-offerings twenty and four bullocks (v. 88) is proof of this.36That bakar refers to bullocks.

פסוק ז:נד · 7:54

Hebrew:

בַּיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁמִינִ֔י נָשִׂ֖יא לִבְנֵ֣י מְנַשֶּׁ֑ה גַּמְלִיאֵ֖ל בֶּן־פְּדָהצֽוּר׃

English:

On the eighth day, it was the chieftain of the Manassites, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.

Day 8: Gamliel ben Pedahtzur, prince of Menasheh, continues the western division. Or HaChaim, following Chazal, decodes the names: 'Gamli-el' means 'God dealt bountifully with me' (gamlu Elokim chasadim), and 'ben Pedah-tzur' means 'son of the One who redeemed me from confinement.' Both names continue the Yosef-thematic naming (Menasheh is Yosef's elder son): God rescued Yosef from prison and from spiritual catastrophe, granting him chasadim that allowed his descendants to stand as princes in Israel.
אור החייםOr HaChaim
גמליאל בן פדהצור. אמרו רז"ל הנזכרים וזה לשונם גמליאל עמי גמולים טובים, בן פדהצור פדאני מבית הסוהר עד כאן. וירמוז עוד על זה הדרך גמליאל שיוסף אמר כי גמלו ה' חסדים טובים בעד המעשה הגם שהוא פראו במה שהראהו דיוקנו, והוא אומרו פדה צור:
גמליאל בן פדהצור. Our sages interpret the word גמליאל as "He did favours for me." They also interpret the word פדהצור as "He liberated me from prison." One may also see the following allusion in this name: Joseph gave thanks to G'd who not only had shown him kindness by freeing him from prison but who showed him his father's image at a crucial time to save him from committing a sin." In other words: פדה צור, G'd liberated him from sin.

פסוק ז:נה · 7:55

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:נו · 7:56

Hebrew:

כַּ֥ף אַחַ֛ת עֲשָׂרָ֥ה זָהָ֖ב מְלֵאָ֥ה קְטֹֽרֶת׃

English:

one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;


פסוק ז:נז · 7:57

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:נח · 7:58

Hebrew:

שְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים אֶחָ֖ד לְחַטָּֽאת׃

English:

one goat for a sin offering;


פסוק ז:נט · 7:59

Hebrew:

וּלְזֶ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִים֮ בָּקָ֣ר שְׁנַ֒יִם֒ אֵילִ֤ם חֲמִשָּׁה֙ עַתֻּדִ֣ים חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה כְּבָשִׂ֥ים בְּנֵי־שָׁנָ֖ה חֲמִשָּׁ֑ה זֶ֛ה קׇרְבַּ֥ן גַּמְלִיאֵ֖ל בֶּן־פְּדָהצֽוּר׃ {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 Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.


פסוק ז:ס · 7:60

Hebrew:

בַּיּוֹם֙ הַתְּשִׁיעִ֔י נָשִׂ֖יא לִבְנֵ֣י בִנְיָמִ֑ן אֲבִידָ֖ן בֶּן־גִּדְעֹנִֽי׃

English:

On the ninth day, it was the chieftain of the Benjaminites, Abidan son of Gideoni.

Day 9: Avidan ben Gid'oni, prince of Binyamin, completes the western division (Efrayim, Menasheh, Binyamin). Or HaChaim hears in 'Avi-dan' ('my father was judged') an echo of two future Binyaminite figures: Shaul HaMelech, whom David called 'avi' (I Shmuel 24:11) and whose kingdom was 'dan' — judged to be cut off (I Shmuel 15:28); and Mordechai, who destroyed the seed of Amalek. 'Ben Gid'oni' alludes to the one ('Dovid') on whose account Shaul's dynasty was 'gid'a' (cut off) from royal succession.
אור החייםOr HaChaim
אבידן בן גדעוני. רמז לשאול שהוא אבי שכן קרא לו דוד (שמואל א כ״ד:י״ב) ואבי ראה גם ראה, דן שנידון לגדוע המלכות ממנו כאומרו (שם טו) קרע ה' את ממלכות ישראל מעליך. עוד ירמוז למרדכי אשר אבד זרע עמלק.בן גדעוני בן אותו שנגדעה מלכותו של שאול בשבילו:
אבידן בן גדעוני. This is an allusion to King Saul who was referred to by David as אבי, "my father" (compare Samuel I 24,11) when David had cut off Saul's mantle instead of killing him. Saul had deserved to be killed seeing that G'd had already judged him, דן, and told him he had forfeited his crown (Samuel I 15). There is also an allusion in this name to Mordechai who destroyed the seed of Amalek. The word בן גדעוני means that he (David) was the one on whose account Saul's kingdom had been taken from him.

פסוק ז:סא · 7:61

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:סב · 7:62

Hebrew:

כַּ֥ף אַחַ֛ת עֲשָׂרָ֥ה זָהָ֖ב מְלֵאָ֥ה קְטֹֽרֶת׃

English:

one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;


פסוק ז:סג · 7:63

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:סד · 7:64

Hebrew:

שְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים אֶחָ֖ד לְחַטָּֽאת׃

English:

one goat for a sin offering;


פסוק ז:סה · 7:65

Hebrew:

וּלְזֶ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִים֮ בָּקָ֣ר שְׁנַ֒יִם֒ אֵילִ֤ם חֲמִשָּׁה֙ עַתֻּדִ֣ים חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה כְּבָשִׂ֥ים בְּנֵי־שָׁנָ֖ה חֲמִשָּׁ֑ה זֶ֛ה קׇרְבַּ֥ן אֲבִידָ֖ן בֶּן־גִּדְעֹנִֽי׃ {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 Abidan son of Gideoni.


פסוק ז:סו · 7:66

Hebrew:

בַּיּוֹם֙ הָעֲשִׂירִ֔י נָשִׂ֖יא לִבְנֵ֣י דָ֑ן אֲחִיעֶ֖זֶר בֶּן־עַמִּישַׁדָּֽי׃

English:

On the tenth day, it was the chieftain of the Danites, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.

Day 10: Achi'ezer ben Amishaddai, prince of Dan, opens the fourth and final encampment-division (the northern flag). Or HaChaim hears in this name an allusion to Shimshon, Dan's most famous descendant: 'achi' alludes to the 'ru'ach Hashem' that came upon Shimshon (Shoftim 14:6), 'ezer' to God's help in his battles against the Pelishtim, and 'ben Ami-shaddai' to the climactic moment after Shimshon's eyes were gouged out, when he called out to God and was answered with the strength to bring down the temple of Dagon on thousands of his enemies.
אור החייםOr HaChaim
אחיעזר בן עמישדי. אולי שרמז לשמשון, ואומר אחי ירמוז לרוח ה' שהיתה עמו דכתיב (שופטים י״ד:ו׳) ותצלח עליו רוח ה', ויכונה בשם אחי על דרך אומרו (תהילים קכ״ב:ח׳) למען אחי ורעי, עזר שהיה ה' בעזרו נגד אויביו, ואמר בן עמישדי ירמוז לאחר שנקרו פלשתים את עיניו וקרא לה' והיה עמו ונקם מאויביו:
אחיעזד בן עמישדי. Perhaps there is an allusion here to Samson. The letters אחי in this name refer to the spirit of the Lord which overcame Samson (compare Judges 14,6). The reason that spirit is described as אחי may be related to Psalms 122,8 "למען אחי ורעי" which is understood by Rabbi Moshe Alshich as a reply by the Holy Spirit. The words בן עמישדי allude to what happened to Samson after the Philistines had gouged out his eyes and he called out to G'd to avenge what they had done to him. G'd answered him and he killed thousands of them.

פסוק ז:סז · 7:67

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:סח · 7:68

Hebrew:

כַּ֥ף אַחַ֛ת עֲשָׂרָ֥ה זָהָ֖ב מְלֵאָ֥ה קְטֹֽרֶת׃

English:

one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;


פסוק ז:סט · 7:69

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:ע · 7:70

Hebrew:

שְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים אֶחָ֖ד לְחַטָּֽאת׃

English:

one goat for a sin offering;


פסוק ז:עא · 7:71

Hebrew:

וּלְזֶ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִים֮ בָּקָ֣ר שְׁנַ֒יִם֒ אֵילִ֤ם חֲמִשָּׁה֙ עַתֻּדִ֣ים חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה כְּבָשִׂ֥ים בְּנֵֽי־שָׁנָ֖ה חֲמִשָּׁ֑ה זֶ֛ה קׇרְבַּ֥ן אֲחִיעֶ֖זֶר בֶּן־עַמִּישַׁדָּֽי׃ {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 Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.


פסוק ז:עב · 7:72

Hebrew:

בְּיוֹם֙ עַשְׁתֵּ֣י עָשָׂ֣ר י֔וֹם נָשִׂ֖יא לִבְנֵ֣י אָשֵׁ֑ר פַּגְעִיאֵ֖ל בֶּן־עׇכְרָֽן׃

English:

On the eleventh day, it was the chieftain of the Asherites, Pagiel son of Ochran.

Day 11: Pag'i'el ben Akhran, prince of Asher. Ibn Ezra opens with a grammatical note: why does the Torah say 'ashte asar' for eleven rather than the expected 'echad asar'? He links 'ashte' to 'eshtonotav' ('his thoughts,' Tehillim 146:4) — the number ten 'generates' eleven the way thought generates speech, a 'great secret' of the decimal system — and rejects Rabbi Yonah's competing derivation on grammatical grounds. Or HaChaim then reads the prince's name homiletically: 'pag'i-el' alludes to a midrash about Asher (the brother) reconciling with the others over the Reuven episode (they 'met' him again, pag'u, after first ostracising him), and to Yaakov's blessing 'baruch mi-banim Asher' — Asher's exceptional fertility — for which his name encodes the prayer 'God has given me children.'
אבן עזראIbn Ezra
ביום עשתי עשר יום. כבר בארתי בספר מאזנים למה השתנה זה המספר וטעם עשתי. כמו עשתנותיו מה שיולידו מחשבותיו כאילו העשר הוליד והוא סוד גדול. ויאמר רבי יונה הספרדי כי פירושו על שתי עשר והטעם החשבון שהוא קודם ממנו והנה טעה שתי טעיות גדולות. האחד כי חשבון שנים עשר הוא על אחד עשר הפך דבורו והעד הנאמן מבן עשרים שנה ומעלה. והטעות השנית כי אילו היה על שתי היה ראוי שיאמר עשני עשר ולא עשתי עשר כי עשתי לשון נקבה רק עשתי מלה אחת:
ON THE ELEVENTH DAY. I have already explained in my work moznayim why this number37Ashte asar (eleven). differs [from the other numbers].38All the other teens are written by adding the one number to ten. For example, 12 is written shenem (2) asar; 13, sheloshah (3) asar (10); etc. However, the word for eleven in our verse is ashte asar and not ahad (1) asar (10). The word ashte in (ashte asar, eleven) is similar to the word eshtonotav (his thoughts) (Ps. 146:4). It (ashte) refers to that which a person's thoughts give birth to. The number ten, as it were begets [eleven, etc.]. This is a great secret.39According to I.E., "Ten is the foundation of all sums, for all sums that follow ten are made up of a part or parts of ten, or come into being by doubling ten, multiplying ten, or a combination of the two" (The Secret of the Torah, p. 163). Rabbi Jonah the Sephardi40Jonah ibn Janach, the eleventh-century grammarian. says that ashte asar is short for al shete asar. Its meaning is, the number that precedes twelve.41In other words, ashte asar means eleven. Now Rabbi Jonah made two great mistakes. One, contrary to his words, the number twelve is beyond (al) the number eleven.42In other words, the word al means above, not before. Hence if ashte asar is short for al shetem asar, then its meaning is, not before 12 but beyond 12. From twenty years old and upward (va-ma'alah) (Num. 1:3) is proof of the aforementioned.43Va-ma'alah and al come from the same root. We thus see that al means upward or beyond, not before. His second mistake is that if the word ashte is short for al shete, then the text should have read ashne asar,44Because the word for 12 is shenem asar. not ashte asar. For ashte is in the feminine.45According to Rabbi Jonah, ashte is short for shetem asar. Shetem asar is feminine. Now yom is masculine. Why would Scripture employ a feminine? Ashte is therefore one word.
אור החייםOr HaChaim
פגעיאל בן עכרן. ירמוז על פי דבריהם (ספרי ח"ב פיסקא שנ"ה) שאשר הגיד לאחיו מעשה ראובן ונזפוהו וכשהודה ראובן הודו לדברי אשר וקרבוהו, והוא מאמר פגעי אל פירוש פגעו אליו אחיו אחר שעברוהו: עוד ירצה. על דרך אומרו ברוך מבנים אשר. ואמרו רז"ל (שם) וזה לשונם אין לך בכל השבטים שנתברך בבנים כאשר עד כאן. ומצינו שברכת הבנים תסובב משכונת הקדושה, וזה לך האות ארון התורה אשר חנה בבית עובד אדום הגיתי וכו' (ברכות סג:), והוא מאמר פגעי אל שפגע בו אל אשר מזה נתברך בבנים, ואומרו בן עכרן ירמוז לעכירות הבתולים מבנותיהם כמאמרם ז"ל (תדא"ר פ"ט) שלא היה להם דם בתולים:
פגעיאל בן עכרן. Sifri volume 2 item 355 claims it was Asher who had told his brothers of what Reuben had done, whereupon the brothers rebuked him. When Reuben confessed that he had done what Asher had reported, the brothers included Asher again in their circle. This is the meaning of the word פגעי אל, his brothers met him again after first having ostracised him. Another meaning of the name may be related to the blessing of Asher (Deut. 33,23) "Asher is blessed more than the other sons." Our sages comment on this that "none of the other tribes received as generous a blessing as did Asher." We find that the blessing of the sons was conditioned by their proximity to a holy site, to sanctity. In order to determine this you may assume that the Holy Ark was the centre of sanctity. When this ark was hosted by Oved Edom Hagitti (compare Berachot 63) the host was blessed exceedingly as outlined in the Talmud and the Book of Chronicles. The word פגעי אל means that "G'd has granted me many children." The second part of his name, בן עכרן may be an allusion to a tradition (Tanna be bey Eliyahu 9) that even if the daughters of Asher had sinned, i.e. that they had lost their virginity prior to marriage (figuratively speaking), something עכור, shameful, G'd treated them as if their hymen were intact, i.e. as if they had not sinned at all. [The tradition seems based on those daughters not bleeding when their hymen was ruptured. Ed.]

פסוק ז:עג · 7:73

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:עד · 7:74

Hebrew:

כַּ֥ף אַחַ֛ת עֲשָׂרָ֥ה זָהָ֖ב מְלֵאָ֥ה קְטֹֽרֶת׃

English:

one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;


פסוק ז:עה · 7:75

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:עו · 7:76

Hebrew:

שְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים אֶחָ֖ד לְחַטָּֽאת׃

English:

one goat for a sin offering;


פסוק ז:עז · 7:77

Hebrew:

וּלְזֶ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִים֮ בָּקָ֣ר שְׁנַ֒יִם֒ אֵילִ֤ם חֲמִשָּׁה֙ עַתֻּדִ֣ים חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה כְּבָשִׂ֥ים בְּנֵֽי־שָׁנָ֖ה חֲמִשָּׁ֑ה זֶ֛ה קׇרְבַּ֥ן פַּגְעִיאֵ֖ל בֶּן־עׇכְרָֽן׃ {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 Pagiel son of Ochran.


פסוק ז:עח · 7:78

Hebrew:

בְּיוֹם֙ שְׁנֵ֣ים עָשָׂ֣ר י֔וֹם נָשִׂ֖יא לִבְנֵ֣י נַפְתָּלִ֑י אֲחִירַ֖ע בֶּן־עֵינָֽן׃

English:

On the twelfth day, it was the chieftain of the Naphtalites, Ahira son of Enan.

Day 12: Achira ben Einan, prince of Naftali, brings the final offering and completes the northern division (Dan, Asher, Naftali) — and with it the entire twelve-day chanukat ha-mizbe'ach. Or HaChaim, drawing on the Sifri's comment on 'sevah ratzon u-male birkat Hashem' (Devarim 33:23), hears in the name 'achi ra' a paradoxical compliment: in Naftali's eyes, his brothers' share looked 'inferior' (ra) compared to the fertile blessing of Ginnosaur, the fish of the Kinneret, and the produce of his portion — 'ben Einan' suggests that his eye was already 'sevah ratzon,' completely satisfied with what he had received.
אור החייםOr HaChaim
אחירע בן עינן. ירמוז על דרך מאמרם ז"ל (ספרי שם) בפסוק שבע רצון מלמד שהיה נפתלי שמח בחלקו בימים בדגים בפרגיות ומלא ברכת ה' ים גינוסר עד כאן. והוא מאמר אחי רע פירוש שחלק אחיו היה בעיניו רע בערך חלקו, והיתה עינו מלאה מחלק שנפל בגורל ו:
אחירע בן עינן. This name appears to contain an allusion to the statement of the Sifri on Deut. 33,23 that Naftali was satisfied with favour, i.e. that he did not strive for more than had been granted to him. He enjoyed the fruits of Ginnosaur, the fish of the lake of Kinneret, etc. The word אחי רע suggests that in Naftali's eyes his brothers had received a share inferior to his. His "eye," i.e. his aspirations had been fully met by the blessing he received at the hands of Moses.

פסוק ז:עט · 7:79

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:פ · 7:80

Hebrew:

כַּ֥ף אַחַ֛ת עֲשָׂרָ֥ה זָהָ֖ב מְלֵאָ֥ה קְטֹֽרֶת׃

English:

one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;


פסוק ז:פא · 7:81

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:פב · 7:82

Hebrew:

שְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים אֶחָ֖ד לְחַטָּֽאת׃

English:

one goat for a sin offering;


פסוק ז:פג · 7:83

Hebrew:

וּלְזֶ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִים֮ בָּקָ֣ר שְׁנַ֒יִם֒ אֵילִ֤ם חֲמִשָּׁה֙ עַתֻּדִ֣ים חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה כְּבָשִׂ֥ים בְּנֵֽי־שָׁנָ֖ה חֲמִשָּׁ֑ה זֶ֛ה קׇרְבַּ֥ן אֲחִירַ֖ע בֶּן־עֵינָֽן׃ {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 Ahira son of Enan.


פסוק ז:פד · 7:84

Hebrew:

זֹ֣את ׀ חֲנֻכַּ֣ת הַמִּזְבֵּ֗חַ בְּיוֹם֙ הִמָּשַׁ֣ח אֹת֔וֹ מֵאֵ֖ת נְשִׂיאֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל קַעֲרֹ֨ת כֶּ֜סֶף שְׁתֵּ֣ים עֶשְׂרֵ֗ה מִֽזְרְקֵי־כֶ֙סֶף֙ שְׁנֵ֣ים עָשָׂ֔ר כַּפּ֥וֹת זָהָ֖ב שְׁתֵּ֥ים עֶשְׂרֵֽה׃

English:

This was the dedication offering for the altar from the chieftains of Israel upon its being anointed: silver bowls, 12; silver basins, 12; gold ladles, 12.

The opening of the grand totals (7:84-88): the inauguration offering from all twelve princes of Israel — 12 silver bowls, 12 silver basins, 12 gold pans. Rashi resolves an apparent tension between this verse ('on the day of its anointing') and verse 88 ('after its anointing') — the altar was first anointed and then the offerings began, all on a single day. He also notes that 'twelve silver bowls' implies these were the same dedicated vessels brought forward, with none disqualified along the way. Sforno wistfully observes that this entire chanukah, mathematically modest in vessel-count compared to Shlomo's Beit HaMikdash, was nonetheless the spiritual archetype; Or HaChaim notes that the gifts are collectively credited (all twelve princes shared the single mitzvah), even as individual gradations of merit remain — with Nachshon, the first, foremost.
רש״יRashi
ביום המשח אתו. בּוֹ בַיּוֹם שֶׁנִּמְשַׁח הִקְרִיב, וּמָה אֲנִי מְקַיֵּם "אַחֲרֵי הִמָּשַׁח" (פסוק פ"ח)? שֶׁנִּמְשַׁח תְּחִלָּה וְאַ"כַּ הִקְרִיב, אוֹ אַחֲרֵי הִמָּשַׁח — לְאַחַר זְמַן וְלֹא בָא לְלַמֵּד בְּיוֹם הִמָּשַׁח אֶלָּא לוֹמַר שֶׁנִּמְשַׁח בַּיּוֹם? כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר (ויקרא ז') "בְּיוֹם מָשְׁחוֹ אֹתָם", לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁנִּמְשַׁח בַּיּוֹם, וּמַתַּ"ל "בְּיוֹם הִמָּשַׁח אֹתוֹ" ? בַּיּוֹם שֶׁנִּמְשַׁח הִקְרִיב (ספרי): קערת כסף שתים עשרה. הֵם הֵם שֶׁהִתְנַדְּבוּ, וְלֹא אֵרַע בָּהֶם פְּסוּל (שם):
ביום המשח אתו [THIS WAS THE DEDICATION OFFERING OF THE ALTAR] IN THE DAY WHEN IT WAS ANOINTED — This implies that on the very same day that it was anointed an offering was brought; but how, then, can I explain, (v. 88) "[This was dedication of the altar] after that it was anointed"? As intimating that it was first anointed and afterwards — but still on the same day — the offering was brought. Or, perhaps, these words אחרי המשח mean "some time (i.e. many days) after it was anointed", and the phrase here ביום המשח אתו is merely intended to intimate that it was anointed during the day-time (and not at night)! This cannot be so, because when it states, (Leviticus 7:36) "In the day that he anointed them (Aaron and his sons)" we learn that it (the altar) was anointed during the day-time. What, then, must be the meaning of ביום המשח here? What we first suggested — that on the very same day that it was anointed the offering was brought (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 53). קערת כסף שתים עשרה TWELVE CHARGERS OF SILVER — This intimates: these are the same chargers which they had brought as free-will gifts and nothing to disqualify them had happened to them in the meantime (Sifrei Bamidbar 53).
ספורנוSforno
זאת חנכת המזבח. הנה חנוכת המזבח אז היתה בין הכל דבר מועט בערך אל חנוכת בית ראשון ברבוי הכלים ועשרם ורוב הזבחים:
זאת חנכת המזבח, when we compare the consecration of the altar of the Tabernacle to that of the consecration of Solomon's Temple, this appears as so insignificant as to be hardly worth mentioning. (compare Kings I chapter 8)
אור החייםOr HaChaim
ביום המשח אותו וגו'. כאן הצדיק דברינו שכתבנו למעלה כי כולן הקריבו יחד ביום אחד אלא שנסדרה נדבתם אחד ליום: מאת נשיאי ישראל. צריך לדעת למה הוצרך לומר כן, ואולי שישבח הכתוב אותם שמעצמן עשו חנוכת המזבח, והוא מאמר מאת נשיאי פירוש מאתם היה המעשה ולא הוצרכו להגיע מהזולת, ורז"ל אמרו (ספרי ח"א נ"ג) שבא לומר ששוו כולן במצוה אחת וזכות אחד עד כאן. פירוש אומרו זכות אחד הוא בענין הקרבן האמור בענין, אבל ימצא בהם הדרגות זה למעלה מזה כי נחשון גדול מכולן:
ביום המשח אותו, on the day it was anointed. This verse is proof that our contention that all the princes had come to offer their gifts simultaneously on the first of Nissan is correct, but that G'd arranged that only one prince should offer his gift on any single day. מאת נשיאי ישראל, from the princes of Israel, etc. Why did the Torah have to write these words? Perhaps the Torah wanted to praise the princes for having acted spontaneously in order to inaugurate the altar. The word מאת is as if the Torah had written מאתם, i.e. that the idea originated with the princes and they had not been prompted. Our sages in Sifri volume 1 item 53 state that they all had an equal share in the single מצוה. What the sages meant was the offerings themselves were accounted as if they were a single offering. Different princes acquired different amounts of merit for their part in the offering, however. Nachshon's merit was the greatest of them all.

פסוק ז:פה · 7:85

Hebrew:

שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים וּמֵאָ֗ה הַקְּעָרָ֤ה הָֽאַחַת֙ כֶּ֔סֶף וְשִׁבְעִ֖ים הַמִּזְרָ֣ק הָאֶחָ֑ד כֹּ֚ל כֶּ֣סֶף הַכֵּלִ֔ים אַלְפַּ֥יִם וְאַרְבַּע־מֵא֖וֹת בְּשֶׁ֥קֶל הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃

English:

Silver per bowl, 130; per basin, 70. Total silver of vessels, 2,400 sanctuary shekels.

The silver totals: each bowl 130 shekels, each basin 70, totaling 2,400 sanctuary shekels (12 × 130 + 12 × 70 = 1,560 + 840). Rashi asks why this is repeated, since each prince's weights have already been listed twelve times, and answers that the earlier verses didn't specify 'sanctuary shekel'; this verse states it explicitly for all the silver. He further teaches that the precision was miraculous: whether one weighed the kelim individually or all together as a single mass, the totals matched exactly — neither more nor less.
רש״יRashi
שלשים ומאה הקערה האחת וגו'. מַה תַּ"ל? לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "שְׁלֹשִׁים וּמֵאָה" וְלֹא פֵּרֵשׁ בְּאֵיזוֹ שֶׁקֶל, לְכָךְ חָזַר וּשְׁנָאָהּ כָּאן, וְכָלַל בְּכֻלָּן — כל כסף הכלים, בשקל הקדש: כל כסף הכלים וגו'. לִמֶּדְךָ שֶׁהָיוּ כְלֵי הַמִּקְדָּשׁ מְכֻוָּנִים בְּמִשְׁקָלָן — שׁוֹקְלָן אֶחָד אֶחָד, וְשׁוֹקְלָן כֻּלָּן כְּאֶחָד — לֹא רִבָּה וְלֹא מִעֵט (שם):
שלשים ומאה הקערה אחת וגו׳ EACH CHARGER OF SILVER WEIGHING AN HUNDRED AND THIRTY SHEKELS etc. — Why is this stated at all since it has already been staled several times? But because it has only been said "the weight thereof was 130 shekels", but it does not explain according to which shekel this is reckoned, it (Scripture) therefore repeats it (the number of shekels) here and then makes a general statement with regard to all of them: "all the silver of the vessels was [two thousand and four hundred shekels] after the shekels of the Sanctuary". כל כסף הכלים ALL THE SILVER OF THE VESSELS [WAS TWO THOUSAND AND FOUR HUNDRED SHEKELS etc.] — By giving the sum total of the shekels it teaches you that the vessels of the Sanctuary had their weight exact (thus e.g. a bowl of 70 shekels was exactly 70, neither more nor less) — whether one weighed them each separately or whether one weighed them all together he got neither more nor less than it should have been ( Sifrei Bamidbar 54).

פסוק ז:פו · 7:86

Hebrew:

כַּפּ֨וֹת זָהָ֤ב שְׁתֵּים־עֶשְׂרֵה֙ מְלֵאֹ֣ת קְטֹ֔רֶת עֲשָׂרָ֧ה עֲשָׂרָ֛ה הַכַּ֖ף בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ כׇּל־זְהַ֥ב הַכַּפּ֖וֹת עֶשְׂרִ֥ים וּמֵאָֽה׃

English:

The 12 gold ladles filled with incense—10 sanctuary shekels per ladle—total gold of the ladles, 120.

The gold totals: 12 kapot (incense pans) at 10 shekels each, totaling 120 shekels of gold — 'kol zehav ha-kapot esrim u-me'ah.' Rashi explains why the Torah bothers to restate this: the earlier phrase 'kaf achat asarah zahav' was grammatically ambiguous (was the pan made of gold but weighed 10 silver shekels, or was it a silver pan weighing 10 gold shekels — which would not match the silver shekel by weight?). The summation 'kapot zahav' resolves the ambiguity: the pans themselves were made of gold.
רש״יRashi
כפות זהב שתים עשרה. לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר? לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כַּף אַחַת עֲשָׂרָה זָהָב, הִיא שֶׁל זָהָב וּמִשְׁקָלָהּ עֲשָׂרָה שְׁקָלִים שֶׁל כֶּסֶף, אוֹ אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא כַּף אַחַת שֶׁל כֶּסֶף וּמִשְׁקָלָהּ עֲשָׂרָה שִׁקְלֵי זָהָב — וְשִׁקְלֵי זָהָב אֵין מִשְׁקָלָם שָׁוֶה לְשֶׁל כֶּסֶף — תַּ"ל "כַּפּוֹת זָהָב" — שֶׁל זָהָב הָיוּ (שם):
כפות זהב שתים עשרה THE GOLDEN SPOONS WERE TWELVE — Why is this stated at all, since we have been told that twelve princes brought each one spoon? But because it is stated in each instance: "one spoon עשרה זהב", I might explain it either as meaning: it was of gold but its weight was ten shekels of silver, or, perhaps, not so, but it means: one spoon of silver and the weight thereof ten gold-shekels — and the gold-shekels have not their weight equal to those of silver-shekels — Scripture therefore states here, "golden spoons" — the spoons themselves were of gold ( Sifrei Bamidbar 55).

פסוק ז:פז · 7:87

Hebrew:

כׇּל־הַבָּקָ֨ר לָעֹלָ֜ה שְׁנֵ֧ים עָשָׂ֣ר פָּרִ֗ים אֵילִ֤ם שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר֙ כְּבָשִׂ֧ים בְּנֵֽי־שָׁנָ֛ה שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָׂ֖ר וּמִנְחָתָ֑ם וּשְׂעִירֵ֥י עִזִּ֛ים שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָׂ֖ר לְחַטָּֽאת׃

English:

Total of herd animals for burnt offerings, 12 bulls; of rams, 12; of yearling lambs, 12—with their proper meal offerings; of goats for sin offerings, 12.

The animal totals for olah and chatat: 12 bullocks, 12 rams, 12 yearling lambs (each with their menachot) for olot, and 12 goats for chata'ot — perfect twelvefold symmetry, one for each tribe. Or HaChaim notes the unusual singular phrasing 'kol ha-bakar la-olah' (rather than the expected plural) — the Torah treats all twelve days' offerings as forming a single collective gift; the same singular logic governs 'zevach ha-shelamim' in the next verse.
אור החייםOr HaChaim
כל הבקר לעולה. אמר לשון יחיד, לומר כי גדר אחד לכולן. וכן אמר בקר זבח השלמים לשון יחיד לטעם זה עצמו:
כל הבקר לעולה, All the oxen used for the total-offering, etc. The word בקר is in the singular as each one formed part of the same collective offering. This is also the reason the Torah used the word זבח השלמים in verse 88 describing the sacrifice as one.

פסוק ז:פח · 7:88

Hebrew:

וְכֹ֞ל בְּקַ֣ר ׀ זֶ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִ֗ים עֶשְׂרִ֣ים וְאַרְבָּעָה֮ פָּרִים֒ אֵילִ֤ם שִׁשִּׁים֙ עַתֻּדִ֣ים שִׁשִּׁ֔ים כְּבָשִׂ֥ים בְּנֵי־שָׁנָ֖ה שִׁשִּׁ֑ים זֹ֚את חֲנֻכַּ֣ת הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ אַחֲרֵ֖י הִמָּשַׁ֥ח אֹתֽוֹ׃

English:

Total of herd animals for sacrifices of well-being, 24 bulls; of rams, 60; of he-goats, 60; of yearling lambs, 60. That was the dedication offering for the altar after its anointing.


פסוק ז:פט · 7:89

Hebrew:

וּבְבֹ֨א מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵד֮ לְדַבֵּ֣ר אִתּוֹ֒ וַיִּשְׁמַ֨ע אֶת־הַקּ֜וֹל מִדַּבֵּ֣ר אֵלָ֗יו מֵעַ֤ל הַכַּפֹּ֙רֶת֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־אֲרֹ֣ן הָעֵדֻ֔ת מִבֵּ֖ין שְׁנֵ֣י הַכְּרֻבִ֑ים וַיְדַבֵּ֖ר אֵלָֽיו׃ {פ}

English:

When Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with [God], he would hear the Voice addressing him from above the cover that was on top of the Ark of the Pact between the two cherubim; thus [God] spoke to him.

The culminating verse of the entire pre-march section of Bemidbar: with the chanukat ha-mizbe'ach complete, Moshe enters the Ohel Mo'ed and hears the Voice speaking to him from above the kapporet, from between the two keruvim — the Mishkan-inauguration arc begun in Shemot is now fully consummated. Rashi resolves three classical puzzles in this one verse: he harmonizes the apparent contradiction between Vayikra 1:1 ('me-ohel mo'ed,' outside the parokhet) and Shemot 25:22 ('me-al ha-kapporet,' inside it) — Moshe stood in the Ohel Mo'ed while the Voice traveled from the Heavens down to the keruvim and then outward to him; he reads 'et ha-kol' (with the definite article) as the same thunderous Voice of Sinai, which now cut off at the doorway rather than spilling outside; and he famously parses 'middaber' (rather than 'medaber') as a hitpa'el form meaning 'speaking-to-Himself' — Hashem speaks reflexively to Himself and Moshe overhears, a phrasing chosen out of reverence ('kevodo shel ma'alah'). The closing word 'elav' ('to him') excludes Aharon: this revelation was for Moshe alone. Ibn Ezra notes that this is likely the first instance of the speech that 'Vayikra el Moshe' (Vayikra 1:1) refers to, occurring when the chanukah was complete. Sforno makes the moving observation that for all the Mishkan's apparent modesty next to Shlomo's Temple, no prophet in the Second Temple's 420 years ever entered and immediately heard God's voice on the spot — what Moshe achieves here is greater than the grandest material Beit HaMikdash.
רש״יRashi
ובבא משה. שְׁנֵי כְתוּבִים הַמַּכְחִישִׁים זֶה אֶת זֶה, שְׁלִישִׁי בָא וְהִכְרִיעַ בֵּינֵיהֶם, כָּתוּב אֶחָד אוֹמֵר "וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֵלָיו מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד" (ויקרא א') — וְהוּא חוּץ לַפָּרֹכֶת — וְכָתוּב אֶחָד אוֹמֵר "וְדִבַּרְתִּי אִתְּךָ מֵעַל הַכַּפֹּרֶת" (שמות כ"ה), בָּא זֶה וְהִכְרִיעַ בֵּינֵיהֶם: מֹשֶׁה בָא אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, וְשָׁם שׁוֹמֵעַ אֶת הַקּוֹל הַבָּא מֵעַל הַכַּפֹּרֶת מִבֵּין שְׁנֵי הַכְּרוּבִים — הַקּוֹל יוֹצֵא מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם לְבֵין שְׁנֵי הַכְּרוּבִים, וּמִשָּׁם יָצָא לְאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד (ספרי): וישמע את הקול. יָכוֹל קוֹל נָמוּךְ, תַּ"ל "אֶת הַקּוֹל", הוּא הַקּוֹל שֶׁנִּדְבַּר עִמּוֹ בְּסִינַי, וּכְשֶׁמַּגִּיעַ לַפֶּתַח הָיָה נִפְסָק וְלֹא הָיָה יוֹצֵא חוּץ לָאֹהֶל: מדבר. כְּמוֹ מִתְדַּבֵּר, כְּבוֹדוֹ שֶׁל מַעְלָה לוֹמַר כֵּן, מְדַּבֵּר בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין עַצְמוֹ, וּמֹשֶׁה שׁוֹמֵעַ מֵאֵלָיו: וידבר אליו. לְמַעֵט אֶת אַהֲרֹן מִן הַדִּבְּרוֹת (עי' ספרי):
ובבא משה AND WHEN MOSES CAME [INTO THE TENT OF MEETING … THEN HE HEARD THE VOICE SPEAKING UNTO HIM FROM OFF THE COVERING THAT WAS UPON THE ARK OF THE TESTIMONY] — When two Scriptural verses apparently contradict each other there comes a third and reconciles them. We have got such a case here: one verse says, (Leviticus 1:1) "[And the Lord called unto Moses] and spoke unto him out of the appointed tent", which was outside the Vail, and another verse says, (Exodus 25:22). "And I shall speak unto thee from off the Ark-lid", thus within the Vail — then this (our verse) comes and reconciles them: Moses entered the appointed tent, and there he heard the Voice which came from above the Ark-lid, from between the two Cherubim — the Voice issued from Heaven unto the space between the two Cherubim, and from there it issued into the appointed tent where it was heard by Moses. (Sifrei Bamidbar 58 1; cf. Rashi on Exodus 25:22.) וישמע את הקול AND HE HEARD THE VOICE — One might think it was a very low voice! Scripture, however, states "the Voice" (with the definite article — the well-known Voice) — it was that thunderous Voice with which He spoke to him on Sinai, and yet when it reached the door of the appointed tent it broke off and did not issue beyond the appointed tent (and therefore it states Leviticus 1:1 מאהל מועד from the appointed tent, and not באהל מועד, because the Voice confined itself to the Interior of the אהל מועד; see Rashi on Leviticus 1:1) (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 58:2). מדבר is the same as מתדבר (it is the Hitphael form with assimiliated ת) — "He heard the Voice uttering itself". It is out of reverence for the Most High God that Scripture speaks thus: "The Voice was speaking to itself", and Moses would listen in (i. e., he could not help hearing it). וידבר אליו AND HE SPOKE UNTO HIM — unto him: thus excluding Aaron from the Divine communications (cf. Rashi on Leviticus 1:1, s. v. אליו).
אבן עזראIbn Ezra
וטעם ובבא משה. יתכן שתחלת הדבור שהוא ויקרא אל משה היה כאשר נשלמה החנוכה וכל המדקדקים אמרו כי מדבר אליו מבנין התפעל והתי"ו מובלע ולפי דעתי שהוא שם הפועל כמו הנה לא ידעתי דבר והמ"ם תחת מן למשפט הלשון: וטעם וישמע. שהוא לבדו היה שומע הקול ולא ישמענו מי שהוא באהל מועד מחוץ לפרוכת גם זה נכון כי השם הוסיף בהרגשת אזניו כאשר הוסיף באור עיני נער אלישע וכן ויגל ה' את עיני בלעם: וידבר אליו. כן הי' משפט הדבור תמיד:
[AND WHEN MOSES WENT IN.] It is likely that the beginning of God's word to Moses [in the tabernacle], which is what And the Lord called unto Moses (Lev. 1:1) refers to, was uttered when the dedication of the tabernacle was completed. All the grammarians say that the word middabber (speaking) in speaking unto him is a hitpa'el46So too Rashi. with the tav swallowed.47By the dallet. In other words, middabber is short for mitdabber. However, in my opinion middadbber is an infinitive. It is similar to the word dabber (speak)48Which is an infinitive. in behold, I cannot speak (Jer. 1:5). The mem prefixed to middabber is in place of the word min, as is the rule in the Hebrew language.49A mem placed in front of a word has the meaning of from. I.E. renders va-yishma et ha-kol middabber elav (then he heard the voice speaking unto him) as, then he heard the voice of the One who spoke to him. The meaning of va-yishma (then he heard) is that only Moses heard the voice. Anyone in the tent of meeting outside of the curtain did not hear the voice. The following is also correct: God made Moses' ear supersensitive50So that Moses heard what others did not as he added to the sight of Elisha's young man (II Kings 6:17). Similarly Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam (Num. 22:31).51Which, according to I.E., means God made his eyes more sensitive than the eyes of other people. AND HE SPOKE UNTO HIM. This was the way God's word always came to Moses.52Once the tabernacle was erected.
ספורנוSforno
ובבא משה אל אהל מועד לדבר אתו וישמע את הקול. ואף על פי שהיה הדבר מועט מאד בערך אל חנוכת שלמה מכל מקום בבוא משה אל אהל מועד היה שומע אותו הקול ששמע קודם מעשה העגל וזה לא קרה בבית ראשון כל שכן בבית שני שלא הלך אל המקדש נביא להתנבא באופן שישיג הנבואה תיכף. וזה כי היתה לרצון החנוכה הזאת ומקריביה ומשה שהיה רועה: מדבר. בינו לבין עצמו, כי כל פעל ה' למענהו ובהשכילו את עצמו ובזה ידע וייטיב לזולתו בנדיבות השפעה שאין בה כיליות ויראה פעולה במתפעל כפי הכנתו ובזה פירש אופן כל דבור האמור בתורה באמרו וידבר ה':
ובבא משה אל אהל מועד לדבר אתו וישמע את הקול, even though in physical terms the Tabernacle was insignificant compared to the magnificent structure Solomon had built, in terms of spiritual achievement the Tabernacle far outranked Solomon's Temple, which in turn outranked the second Temple. During the entire period of the second Temple (420 years) not a single prophet had been able to enter the Temple and there to hear the voice of G'd at any given moment. If at this point Moses was able to do this it proved that G'd had approved the consecration and had drawn near Moses as the shepherd of the Jewish people. In spite of all this spiritual grandeur of the Tabernacle in the desert and the clear manifestation of G'd's presence over it or in it, even this was a far cry from the presence of G'd in the Israelite camp during the period of the revelation at Mount Sinai, and the 40 days before the sin of the golden calf. Once Moses entered the Tabernacle he was able to hear the voice of G'd, something he had been able to hear all the time before the sin of the golden calf, and without the benefit of the Tabernacle and the hallowed ground it stood on. מדבר, read "mi-dabber," talking to Himself. [According to Moreh Nevuchim 1,68 and in accordance with Aristotele's concept of G'd, there is no division between subject and predicate in the sphere of understanding something, defining it, actively or passively when we speak of G'd, as is the case when we speak of His creatures. A creature, by definition is subjective vis-à-vis itself, G'd is never subjective, always objective. Having said this you will understand that the translation of G'd "speaking to Himself," i.e. being both at the receiving end and at the initiating end at the same time is not a contradiction in terms." Ed.] Proverbs 16,4 כל פעל ה' למענהו, reveals that in the final analysis, all that G'd does has an intelligent purpose known to Him and approved by Him, so much so that the fact that He has seen fit to do it automatically means that it is beneficial for His universe and those in it. We need to keep this in mind whenever we read a line such as וידבר ה'. It is as if the Torah reminded us that the One described as מדבר
אור החייםOr HaChaim
הקול מדבר אליו. לפי מה שכתבנו במקומות אחרים (שמות כ' א'), כי דבור היוצא מה' היה נוצר ממנו מלאך והוא המדבר לנביא, ועל פי זה ישבתי כל תיבת לאמר האמור בדיבורי ה' והוא אומרו הקול מדבר אליו פירוש קולו של הקדוש ברוך הוא מדבר לו, והגם שהתיבה דגושה כמו מתדבר, לצד שהקול הוא עצמו הדיבור יוצדק ליאמר כסדר זה, והמשכיל יבין: חסלת פרשת נשא
הקול מדבר אליו, the Voice speaking to him, etc. We have already explained on Exodus 20,1 that when G'd speaks an angel is created as a result of such speech and it is the voice of that angel which man (prophet) hears. I have explained all the instances in which the word לאמור appears as unnecessary such as when G'd's message to Moses or Aaron is introduced. This is what is meant here when the Torah speaks of "the Voice" speaking to Moses. The Torah underlines that in this instance G'd's voice spoke to Moses directly, not the voice of an angel. Although there is a dagesh in the letter ד to tell us that the meaning is מתדבר, i.e. the voice itself was doing the talking, it was not the projection of someone else "behind" the voice. This form is grammatically admissible; the intelligent reader will understand what I mean.

Aliyah 6 — ששי |

Back to Parashat Naso | Back to Parashat HaShavua

Last updated on