Commento su II Cronache 29:34
רַ֤ק הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ הָי֣וּ לִמְעָ֔ט וְלֹ֣א יָֽכְל֔וּ לְהַפְשִׁ֖יט אֶת־כָּל־הָעֹל֑וֹת וַֽיְּחַזְּק֞וּם אֲחֵיהֶ֣ם הַלְוִיִּ֗ם עַד־כְּל֤וֹת הַמְּלָאכָה֙ וְעַ֣ד יִתְקַדְּשׁ֣וּ הַכֹּֽהֲנִ֔ים כִּ֤י הַלְוִיִּם֙ יִשְׁרֵ֣י לֵבָ֔ב לְהִתְקַדֵּ֖שׁ מֵֽהַכֹּהֲנִֽים׃
Ma i sacerdoti erano troppo pochi, così da non poter scuoiare tutti gli olocausti; pertanto i loro fratelli i Leviti li aiutarono, fino alla fine del lavoro e fino a quando i sacerdoti non si furono santificati; poiché i leviti avevano un cuore più retto per santificare se stessi rispetto ai sacerdoti.
Rashi on II Chronicles
Only the priests were few i.e., Those who had consecrated themselves were still few; so their kinsmen, the Levites, reinforced them until the work was completed and until the priests consecrated themselves. Now, should you ask: How was it that the Levites consecrated themselves and the priests did not consecrate themselves? Scripture explains: “for the Levites were more conscientious than the priests to consecrate themselves”; the Levites were more conscientious than the priests, for the priests and the Levites and all God-fearing people had disguised themselves and made themselves appear unrecognizable, and had even hidden, all the days of the wicked kings, and when Hezekiah - who was righteous - came, they could not immediately consecrate themselves and cleanse themselves, for this was in the first year of his reign; so they came and consecrated themselves gradually, as it is written (Prov. 28:12): “When the righteous rejoice, there is much glory, but when the wicked rise up, a person disguises himself,” and it is written (ibid. verse 28): “When the wicked rise up, people hide; but when they perish, the righteous increase.” When the wicked Ahaz rose up, people hid, but when he perished, the righteous increased, i.e., Hezekiah and his company.
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