Commentaire de citation sur Les Nombres 4:13

עשו בגדי שרד, “they made into sacramental vestments.” Each garment was composed of a different kind of fabric. How did this work out? All the coverings needed to transport the Tabernacle’s furnishings in, such as the candlestick, the table, the golden altar, the laver, etc., were made totally of blue wool, תכלת. For instance, the coverings for the copper altar were made of red wool, (Numbers 4,13), and the covers for the Table and the showbreads were made of purple coloured wool, (Numbers 4,8). All the details have been spelled out in the Book of Numbers chapter 4.

Similar to: ומרוה גם הוא יורא. The א of תתראו replaces the ו of the root ר–ו–ה. There are many similar examples. The verse means: He who satisfies others with his learning in this world will himself be satisfied in the World to Come. You might ask: How is this proof for the last explanation, that תתראו is a term for leanness? On the contrary, it is a proof that it means satiation! The answer is: Rashi is bringing a proof for both explanations. For the first explanation, the plain meaning is a valid proof. And for the last explanation too it is a proof: תתראו is like תתרוו, but it means “not satiated.” This is similar to Rashi’s explanation of הולך ערירי (15:2) as “childless,” although ער means an heir, i.e., one who has sons. And it is also similar to what is written ודשנו את המזבח (Bamidbar 4:13), where Rashi explains: “They shall take away the ashes from the Altar,” although דשן means ashes. The same is true here. It is as if Scripture had written תתרוו since an א can be replaced by a ו, because the letters א–ה–ו–י are interchangeable. Thus מרוה, too, could mean “satiation,” yet will fit exactly with תתראו. Accordingly, the meaning of ומרוה גם הוא יורא is: He who is not satiated in this world will be satiated in the World to Come.

It is possible to understand the word מורשה as referring to the land of Israel so that the meaning of the whole verse is: “due to the merit of Torah which Moses commanded us, we inherited the land of Israel of which it is written: ‘I give it to you as an inheritance I am the Lord’” (Exodus 6,8). The land becomes the inheritance of the community of Yaakov as a result of these people observing its commandments. If we were to transgress its commandments we would be exiled and be deprived of it.
The word מורשה, as distinct from ירושה, refers to something which is continuously to be passed on as an heritage to future generations [as distinct from a normal heritage which the owner could give away during his lifetime without passing it on to his heirs. Ed.].
We find the expression מוריש ומעשיר “G’d makes poor (as opposed to ‘bestows as inheritance’) and enriches” (apparently simultaneously) something that appears very contradictory, in Samuel I 2,7 in Chanah’s prayer. This is not the only word in the Torah which appears to have opposite meanings on occasion. One such example is Numbers 4,13 ודשנו את המזבח, which at first glance could either mean: “and they will clean the altar” (from the remains of pre previous offerings), or it could mean that the priests were to provide the altar with fat, i.e. the fattest, best animals. Everything depends on the intention. When the community of Yaakov relates positively to the Torah, the land of Israel will “behave” positively toward the Jewish people, they will enjoy it as a bountiful inheritance. If the Jewish people disdain the Torah, the land of Israel will disdain the Jewish people. [The dual meaning of דשן when applied to G’d’s Altar, can have similar allegorical meaning. Ed.]

‎ואת בגדי השרד AND THE GARMENTS OF THE SERVICE — I think — according to the plain sense of the verse — that one cannot say that Scripture is here speaking of (referring to) the priestly garments, because to them refer the next words: “and the garments of holiness for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons to minister as priests”. But these בגדי שרד are identical with the garments of blue purple wool, and red purple wool, and crimson wool which are mentioned in the chapter (Numbers IV.) giving an account of Israel’s encampments: (Numbers 4:12) “and they shall put them in a garment of blue purple”; (Numbers 4:13) “and spread a garment of red purple thereon”; (Numbers 4:8) “and they shall spread upon them a garment of crimson”. And indeed my opinion appears correct, because it is said, (Exodus 39:1) “And of the blue purple, and of the red purple, and of the crimson, they made garments of the service (בגדי שרד) to minister in the holiness”, and linen is not mentioned among them (these materials). Now if Scripture were speaking of the priestly garments it could not have omitted “linen”“, for we do not find in respect of even one of them (of the priestly garments) mention of red purple or crimson without linen.

והשיאו אותם — This (the word אותם) is one of the three cases of את with a pronominal suffix occurring in the Torah which R. Ishmael explained as speaking of (referring to) the person himself who is the subject of the sentence (i. e. as being reflexive and not accusative pronouns). In the same sense did he explain (Numbers 4:13) “[And this is the law of the Nazarite] when the days of his Nazaritehood are fulfilled, יביא אותו [to the entrance of the appointed tent]” as meaning: he shall bring himself (i. e. present himself) to the entrance etc. Similarly he explained (Deuteronomy 34:6) “ויקבור אותו in the glen” as meaning: he (Moses) buried himself (i. e. he went into a cave and died there cf. Avot 5:9 and יד משה on Shemot Rabbah 10). Thus is it explained in the Sifrei Bamidbar 32 (on Numbers 6:3).