כִּ֞י אֶת־מַעְשַׂ֣ר בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָרִ֤ימוּ לַֽיהוָה֙ תְּרוּמָ֔ה נָתַ֥תִּי לַלְוִיִּ֖ם לְנַחֲלָ֑ה עַל־כֵּן֙ אָמַ֣רְתִּי לָהֶ֔ם בְּתוֹךְ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹ֥א יִנְחֲל֖וּ נַחֲלָֽה׃ (פ)
Car la dîme que les enfants d’Israël prélèveront pour le Seigneur, comme tribut, je la donne aux Lévites comme patrimoine; c’est pourquoi je leur déclare qu’ils n’auront point de patrimoine entre les enfants d’Israël."
Rashi
ונחלתו AND HIS INHERITANCE — this refers to the holy things that might be consumed outside Jerusalem (גבולין) — the heave-offerings and the tithes (Sifrei Devarim 163:4) these they shall eat, BUT נחלה AN INHERITANCE, a real inheritance, לא יהיה לו בקרב אחיו SHALL HE NOT HAVE AMONG HIS BRETHREN. In Sifrei Devarim 164, they (the Rabbis) gave the following interpretation:
ונחלה לא יהיה לו — this refers to the נחלת שאר the inheritance of the שאר.
בקרב אחיו — AMONG HIS BRETHREN — this refers to the inheritance of the five. I do not, however, know for certain what this means (what Sifrei means by שאר and חמשה). But it seems to me that the part of the land of Canaan which is on the other (the western) side of the Jordan and onwards is called the land of the five nations (and these are therefore the five referred to by Sifrei), whilst the territory of Sihon and Og on the eastern side might be called the land of the two nations, viz., the Amorites and the Canaanites, — and נחלת שאר mentioned in Sifrei is intended to include the land of the remaining clans (שאר), the Kenite, the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite, which will become Israel’s inheritance in some future time. (But the land of Sihon and Og need not be mentioned since this was already divided among the two and a half tribes, and it was known that the tribe of Levi had no share in it.) Similarly it (Sifrei) makes a comment in “the section dealing with the gifts that were promised to Aaron” on the verse (Numbers 18:24) “wherefore [I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance]” that it is intended to express a warning regarding the land of the Kenite, the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite (i.e. that not even in later times when Israel will inherit the land of these nations shall the Levite have a portion in it). — It has since been found in the words of Rabbi Kalonymus that the proper version of this passage in Sifrei reads as follows:
ונחלה לא יהיה לו BUT THEY SHALL HAVE NO INHERITANCE — this refers to the territory of the five,
בקרב אחיו AMONGST THEIR BRETHREN — this refers to the territory of the seven, and he explains that this means the five tribes and the seven tribes. And because Moses and Joshua assigned an inheritance in the land only to five tribes — for Moses assigned their inheritance to Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh, and Joshua assigned their inheritance to Judah, Ephraim and the other half tribe of Manasseh, whilst the remaining seven tribes took their portions themselves in the land (conquered it) after the death of Joshua — for this reason it (Scripture) mentions (alludes to) the five tribes separately and to the seven separately.
ונחלה לא יהיה לו — this refers to the נחלת שאר the inheritance of the שאר.
בקרב אחיו — AMONG HIS BRETHREN — this refers to the inheritance of the five. I do not, however, know for certain what this means (what Sifrei means by שאר and חמשה). But it seems to me that the part of the land of Canaan which is on the other (the western) side of the Jordan and onwards is called the land of the five nations (and these are therefore the five referred to by Sifrei), whilst the territory of Sihon and Og on the eastern side might be called the land of the two nations, viz., the Amorites and the Canaanites, — and נחלת שאר mentioned in Sifrei is intended to include the land of the remaining clans (שאר), the Kenite, the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite, which will become Israel’s inheritance in some future time. (But the land of Sihon and Og need not be mentioned since this was already divided among the two and a half tribes, and it was known that the tribe of Levi had no share in it.) Similarly it (Sifrei) makes a comment in “the section dealing with the gifts that were promised to Aaron” on the verse (Numbers 18:24) “wherefore [I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance]” that it is intended to express a warning regarding the land of the Kenite, the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite (i.e. that not even in later times when Israel will inherit the land of these nations shall the Levite have a portion in it). — It has since been found in the words of Rabbi Kalonymus that the proper version of this passage in Sifrei reads as follows:
ונחלה לא יהיה לו BUT THEY SHALL HAVE NO INHERITANCE — this refers to the territory of the five,
בקרב אחיו AMONGST THEIR BRETHREN — this refers to the territory of the seven, and he explains that this means the five tribes and the seven tribes. And because Moses and Joshua assigned an inheritance in the land only to five tribes — for Moses assigned their inheritance to Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh, and Joshua assigned their inheritance to Judah, Ephraim and the other half tribe of Manasseh, whilst the remaining seven tribes took their portions themselves in the land (conquered it) after the death of Joshua — for this reason it (Scripture) mentions (alludes to) the five tribes separately and to the seven separately.
Bartenura
ולא ממעשר ראשון שנטלה תרומתו – We do not donate from it the Kohen’s share of the produce (2%) on a pile of produce requiring separation of Levitical and Priestly tithes that is in his hand, and it was necessary for us to teach where they placed the son of a Levite ahead of a Kohen with regard to sheaves that are exempt from the “great Terumah”[the 2% that goes to the Kohen], and specifically where he took his priest’s due , but where he did not take his priest’s due, he can make the donation as it is taught in [Midrash] Sifrei [Bemidbar/Numbers, Piska 119] : From where does the son of a Levite who wanted to take from his First Tithe – the Great Terumah (the 2% for the Kohen), from where [do we learn] that he may do this? As the inference teaches us: (Numbers 18:24): “For it is the tithes set aside by the Israelites as a gift to the LORD [that I gave to the Levites their share]...,” that if he wanted to make it priest’s due for others, he may do so; he may, even after he has taken his priest’s due – he may make it priest’s due for others, as the inference teaches us (Numbers 18:29): “the part that of that is to be consecrated.” As long as its holiness is within it, he can make it Terumah/priest’s due for others; but if its holiness is not within it, he cannot make it Terumah for others.
Ramban
THOU [Aaron] SHALT HAVE NO INHERITANCE IN THEIR LAND. This means that you [Aaron] will not inherit a share amongst any one of all the tribes of Israel.209Thus they were excluded not only from having a central tribal land of their own but even from having smaller pieces of land throughout the other tribes. Neither shalt thou have [even] a small portion in their land at all, for the cities which were given to them [the Levites] were [also] cities of refuge, and were used by the rest of Israel. Now this admonition applies to the priests, and afterwards He mentioned with respect to the Levites: among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance,210Verse 23. just as He had admonished the priests. And our Rabbis interpreted the verse:211Sifre Korach 118. “Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, as referring to the time when the Land was divided up [amongst the tribes]. Neither shalt thou have any portion among them, that is, a portion of the spoil [taken from a defeated enemy]. I am thy portion — you eat at My table.”212In other words, while all Israel lives upon the yield of the land, the priests acquire their gifts directly from “the Table” of the Most High. See also “The Commandments,” Vol. II, pp. 163-166.
Chukath
Chukath