פירוש על במדבר 18:10

בקדש הקדשים תאכלנו וגו׳ IN THE MOST HOLY PLACE THOU SHALT EAT IT etc. — This teaches with reference to the sacrifices holy in the highest degree that they must be eaten only in the fore-court and only by male priests (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 117:2).

B’KODESH HAKODASHIM’ (IN THE MOST HOLY PLACE) SHALT THOU EAT IT. “This teaches us that the most holy offerings may only be eaten in the Sanctuary Court, and only by male priests.” But I have not understood this, because the Kodesh Hakodashim (Holy of Holies) is not the right place for eating the offerings; for Scripture states, in a holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the Tent of Meeting,²⁰¹Leviticus 6:19. whereas the Kodesh Hakodashim is the place where the ark is, within the Veil, as it is written, and the Veil shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.²⁰²Exodus 26:33. Nobody could even enter therein except for the High Priest on the Day of Atonement, let alone eat the offerings there! (see Ramban further). It is furthermore written, and thou shalt put the ark-cover upon the ark of the covenant in the most holy place,²⁰³Ibid., Verse 34. and there can be no eating and drinking there, since no one may enter it except for the High Priest on the Day of Atonement!
Now I have seen the following text in the Sifre:²⁰⁴Sifre Korach 117. “Rabbi Yehudah the son of B’theira says: Whence do we know that if the Sanctuary Court is surrounded by gentiles [besieging it], the holy offerings may be eaten even in the Sanctuary proper? From the verse, In the most holy place thou shalt eat it.” Thus Rabbi Yehudah the son of B’theirah noted [the implication of] this verse, and explained it as applying to a time of emergency, and [therefore] he mentioned it in trepidation, by saying: “may be eaten in the Sanctuary,” when he ought to have said: “may be eaten even in ‘the innermost part’” [of the Sanctuary, i.e., the Holy of Holies], if the enemy besieged the Sanctuary.
According to the plain meaning of Scripture, we must explain the verse ‘b’kodesh hakodashim’ thou shalt eat it as meaning: “you shall eat it in a manner befitting the sanctity of the most holy offerings.” For at first He had said, they²⁰⁵I.e., the most holy offerings which are specifically mentioned here in the first part of the verse, namely: the meal-offering, the sin-offering, and the guilt-offering. See (Leviticus), Vol. III, p. 71, Note 55 for a fuller discussion of the terms “most holy offerings,” and “lesser holy offerings.” See also further, Note 207. are most holy for thee and for thy sons,²⁰⁶Verse 9. meaning that you should not treat them²⁰⁵I.e., the most holy offerings which are specifically mentioned here in the first part of the verse, namely: the meal-offering, the sin-offering, and the guilt-offering. See (Leviticus), Vol. III, p. 71, Note 55 for a fuller discussion of the terms “most holy offerings,” and “lesser holy offerings.” See also further, Note 207. as you treat the lesser holy offerings, but should regard them as most holy. He then continued and explained: in a most holy [manner] thou shalt eat it, meaning that your eating thereof should be in a manner befitting the strictest degree of sanctity. And since He had already explained [in the Book of Leviticus] with reference to the meal-offering and the sin-offering what are the stricter rules concerning eating them, over and above those applying to the lesser holy offerings, in respect of place and of time,²⁰⁷The most holy offerings may be eaten only in the Sanctuary Court, and only on the day that they were offered up and the following night, until midnight. These offerings may be eaten only by male priests. The lesser holy offerings may be eaten in the whole city of Jerusalem, for two days and the intervening night, and the portion given to the priests may be eaten by their wives, children, and slaves. He did not have to treat this subject here at length, but only said that they²⁰⁵I.e., the most holy offerings which are specifically mentioned here in the first part of the verse, namely: the meal-offering, the sin-offering, and the guilt-offering. See (Leviticus), Vol. III, p. 71, Note 55 for a fuller discussion of the terms “most holy offerings,” and “lesser holy offerings.” See also further, Note 207. must all be eaten as most holy offerings, meaning that the eating thereof must be with the stricter degree of holiness, not that of the lesser holy offerings. The [examples of] usage of the letter beth [as in the word b’kodesh] are many, for the prepositional beth, in addition to denoting place and time, can also signify manner [thus meaning here: “in a most holy manner thou shalt eat it”]. Similarly, ‘b’itzavon’ shalt thou eat it²⁰⁸Genesis 3:17. [means: “in a manner of toil shalt thou eat it”].

This is also why בקדש הקדשים תאכלו, you are to eat it within the consecrated grounds of the courtyard of the Tabernacle.

בקודש הקדשים תאכלנו, “In the most holy shall you eat it.” According to Rashi this means that only male priests may consume the edible portions of the most holy of offerings. This must be done within the courtyard of the Tabernacle. Nachmanides questions this, as the term קודש הקדשים is not familiar to us as a place where sacrificial meat may be consumed, and our verse speaks of the eating of such meat. The term is familiar to us as the most sacred part of the Tabernacle, the secluded room beyond the dividing curtain where the Holy Ark with its lid and the cherubs was kept. There was never any eating or drinking that occurred in that section. According to Nachmanides the meaning of the words בקודש הקדשים תאכלנו, is that the male priests eating of the parts of the offerings described may only do so when they have first sanctified themselves to the highest degree possible. In the previous verse the Torah had written קודש קדשים לך הוא ולבניך, “it shall be as most holy to you and to your sons.” This was already an implied warning not to enjoy the portions mentioned in the same way as קדשים קלים, sacrificial meat of a lower degree of holiness, such as peace-offerings, thanksgiving offerings, etc. The Torah now repeats this warning as applicable as it had interrupted its list by mentioning such offerings as מנחה, meal-offerings, which do not have such a high degree of holiness.

בקדש הקדשים תאכלו, “you shall eat it in the most holy.” Seeing that the Inner Sanctuary, known generally as קדש הקדשים, is not an area in which one may consume any part of the offerings since even the High Priest may only enter there on Yom Kippur when eating is altogether forbidden, the meaning of this word must be something different. The term does not apply to a location but to a state of ritual purity, i.e. the highest state of ritual purity the priest can attain. He is not allowed to eat the parts of the sacrificial meat described in the previous verse unless he is in that state of purity.
Alternatively, the term here is relative, i.e. compared to the outer courtyard of the Tabernacle, the area of the Sanctuary including the עזרה, is considered “the holy of holies” (compare Ibn Ezra).

May be eaten only in the Sanctuary courtyard. Thus the meaning of “in the supremely holy…” is “in the manner of the supremely holy.” This means that they are eaten in the manner of supremely holy [offerings], i.e., in a holy place, the courtyard, as is explained elsewhere. However, it does not refer to the Holy of Holies, the most inner part of the Sanctuary, because even the Kohein Gadol would enter there only on Yom Kippur, meaning that there is never any eating or drinking there. This ruling is repeated in order to teach that it is mandatory.

V. 10. בקדש הקדשים וגו׳. Nicht im Allerheiligsten, sondern in dem für קדשי הקדשים bestimmten Genusraum, der עזרה, wie dies für מנחה und חטאת und אשם bereits Wajikra 6, 9. 19 u. 7, 6 ausgesprochen. Es dürfte hier das קדש, wie in שבת קדש, אדמת קדש nicht Heiligtum, sondern Heiligkeit bedeuten, also in heiligster Weise der Heiligtümer, dazu gehört auch, wie an den angeführten Stellen ausgesprochen, dass sie nur in der עזרה gegessen werden dürfen. Es ist bei ihnen der Opfergenuss selbst Fortsetzung und Abschluss der durch die עבודות an und auf dem Altar begonnenen כפרה (siehe zu Schmot 29, 33). Daher hat dieser Genuss nur durch זכרי כהונה zu geschehen. Sebachim 97b wird hieraus noch gelehrt, dass auch זבחי שלמי צבור.(Wajikra 23, 19) als zu קדש הקדשים gehörig nur von זכרי כהונה genossen worden.

בקדש הקדשים תאכלנו, “in a most holy place you shall consume them;” the place meant (normally) is the courtyard of the Temple. The wording here allows for these portions to be eaten by the priests even inside the Sanctuary when the Temple was under siege by infidels. The wording refers to the state of the priests while eating same, compare discussion in Sifri. It is “most holy,” compared to other sacred sites of lower rank of holiness.