민수기 28:2의 주석

צו את בני ישראל COMMAND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL — What is said above? Moses said, “Let the Lord set [a man over the congregation]” (Numbers 27:16). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Instead of giving Me a command regarding My children, command My children regarding Me!” A parable! It may be compared to the case of a princess who was departing this world and gave her husband charge concerning her children, etc., as it is related in Sifrei Bamidbar 142:1.

COMMAND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, AND SAY UNTO THEM: MY OFFERING, MY BREAD FOR MY FIRE-OFFERINGS. The reason [for stating this command here] is that after He had said, Unto these the Land shall be divided,¹⁷⁰Above, 26:53. He completed the commands relating to the laws of the offerings which they are to observe in the Land, since they did not bring any Additional Offerings [of Sabbaths and festivals] in the desert, as I have mentioned in Seder Emor El Hakohanim.¹⁸¹Leviticus 23:2. Likewise they were not obliged to bring drink-offerings in the wilderness, as I have explained in Seder Shelach Lecha.¹⁸²Above, 15:2, in the verse: when ye are come into the Land … But now He charged those who were to come into the Land with the duty of bringing all [these offerings] there — the Daily Whole-offerings, the Additional Offerings, and their meal-offerings and their drink-offerings. And although He did not say expressly here: “when you come into the Land,” He has already mentioned it in the section of drink-offerings,¹⁸²Above, 15:2, in the verse: when ye are come into the Land … and He hinted at it in the first section dealing with the festivals.¹⁸³Leviticus 23:10: when ye are come into the Land … Now He started here with the [laws of the] Daily Whole-offering, [for] although it has already been mentioned in the section of V’atah Tetzaveh,¹⁸⁴Exodus 29:38-42. He repeated it in order that it should all be arranged in one section. And Rashi wrote [in Verse 4]; “That one [i.e., the section in V’atah Tetzaveh] was an instruction [only] for the days of the installation [of the priests], and here He [repeated it] as a commandment for [all future] generations.” But this is not correct, since there it says, It shall be a continual burnt-offering ‘throughout your generations.’¹⁸⁵Ibid., 29:42. Hence the commandment to offer this in future generations has already been stated there.
And according to the interpretation [of the Rabbis]¹⁸⁶Sifre, Pinchas 142. many new teachings are added here [in this repetition of the section of V’atah Tetzaveh; namely]: “My offering — this is the blood. My bread — this refers to [those parts of the offering] that are to be burnt on the altar. My fire offerings — these are the handfuls [of flour] and the frankincense [of the meal-offering]. For a pleasing odor unto Me — these are the [two] bowls [of frankincense that were brought as a memorial] with the showbread.¹⁸⁷Leviticus 24:7. Ye shall observe — that it should only be brought from [animals which have been] kept [for a number of days, and examined so that no blemish occurs to them]. Ye shall observe — that one may only bring [the offering] from that [money] which was donated to the treasury [of the Sanctuary]. Ye shall observe — that priests, Levites and Israelites should stand over it. Ye shall observe — Scripture uses here the term shmirah [‘keeping,’ or ‘observing’], and elsewhere it [also] uses the term shmirah;¹⁸⁸I.e., in the case of the Paschal-lamb where it says: And it shall be to you ‘l’mishmereth’ (in your keeping) until the fourteenth day of the same month (Exodus 12:6). Since the lamb had to be bought on the tenth of that month (ibid., Verse 3), the verse implies that it has to be carefully examined for a blemish for four days before it is slaughtered. Since here, in speaking of the Daily Whole-offering, Scripture likewise uses the term shmirah [— ‘tishmeru’ (ye shall keep)], we deduce that it also has to be examined for four days before it is slaughtered just as there the offering requires observation [so that no blemish should be found in it] for [a period of] four days before it is slaughtered, so here too etc.” [See] the whole interpretation, as it is stated in the Sifre.¹⁸⁶Sifre, Pinchas 142.
By way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], the verse also hints to the following: It states My offering, My bread ‘l’ishai’ — of ‘ishai’ (My Divine powers) — ye shall keep and be careful to offer unto Me to My Name, in its due season. And thou shalt say unto them¹⁸⁹Verse 3. further, This is the fire-offering which ye shall offer unto the Eternal,¹⁸⁹Verse 3. “so that the offering should bring about [the desired unity and harmony on high].”¹⁹⁰See L’vush Ha’orah on Ricanti. Now there is no sin-offering amongst the Additional Offerings of the Sabbath, as there is in all the other Additional Offerings [i.e., those brought on the New Moon and the festivals], because the congregation of Israel is its partner [that of the Sabbath],¹⁹¹See Vol. I, p. 60. The allusions here are Cabalistic. and all is [therefore] peace [and harmony]. The student [learned in the teachings of the Cabala] will understand. Similarly He mentioned [here for the purpose of arranging all offerings in one section] And in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, is the Eternal’s Passover,¹⁹²Further, Verse 16. meaning that they should offer the Paschal-offering, in order to command them about it together with the other [additional] offerings of the Festival of Unleavened Bread. And He dealt with it [the Paschal-offering] briefly, referring to it only by its name, since He had already explained [all] its laws, according to all the statutes of it, and according to all the ordinances thereof.¹⁹³Above, 9:3.

צו את בני ישראל, "command the children of Israel, etc." Why did the Torah choose to record this paragraph of offerings in this of all places, i.e. after the appointment of Joshua instead of in Parshat Emor where all the other sacrifices offered on the festivals are recorded? After all, it is quite clear that the offerings listed here had been part of the regular schedule of sacrifices ever since the Tabernacle had been inaugurated over 38 years earlier whereas Joshua had been appointed only in the 40th year?

צו את בני ישראל, “command the Children of Israel, etc.” Rashi comments that in spite of the fact that a similar instruction had already been issued in Exodus 29,38, the instructions there were limited in validity to the seven days during which the Tabernacle was being consecrated. The legislation commencing in our verse is for all times when sacrifices can be brought. Nachmanides writes that Rashi is not correct, as in Exodus 29,42 the Torah had added the word תמיד לדורותיכם, which means that the legislation is of unlimited duration. We must therefore understand the legislation as follows: After the manner in which the land of Israel would be shared out among the various tribes had been explained, i.e. לאלה תחלק הארץ, (26,53) the Torah concluded the whole subject of the sacrificial offerings, seeing that while in the desert the offerings known as מוספים had not been presented at all, and there had also not been any libation offerings, נסכים in the desert. Now that the people were on the threshold of entering the Holy Land, the Torah had to restate some of these laws in the manner in which they would apply once the people were on their own land. This applied also to the offerings whose details were not introduced under the heading of כי תבואו אל הארץ, “when you will come to the land, etc.” The latter introduction had only been used in connection with the libation offerings in Numbers chapter 15.

את קרבני לחמי, “My offering, My food for My fires;” the chapter dealing with the mandatory public sacrifices offered at regular intervals has been introduced here since Moses had already been warned regarding the offerings that the Israelites are to present; now that Moses saw that he was not going to enter the Holy Land together with the people he informed them of all these details (which were not applicable as yet). He commenced with the daily burnt-offering although the details of this offering had already been listed in Exodus 29, 38-41. At that time the reason was to inform us of what sacrifices were being presented during the seven days of inaugural celebrations of the Tabernacle. (compare Rashi). Nachmanides questions this as the Torah had used the expression “for all your generations” already at that point.

May Hashem command… Rashi is answering the question: What connection does the passage of the constant burnt-offering have with the passage above, where it states “May Hashem, God of the spirits command”?

V. 2. צו את בני ישראל וגו׳, das erste קרבן צבור, Basis und Träger aller Opfer überhaupt (siehe zu Wajikra 6, 5) ist das תמיד, das stete Tagesemporopfer morgens und abends. Seine Anordnung ist bereits (Schmot 29, 38 f.) sofort nach der heiligenden Weihe des Altars gegeben, um den Altar sogleich in seiner lebendigen Wirksamkeit, dem eigentlichen Zweck seiner Einrichtung und Weihe zu zeigen, und verweisen wir auf die dort bemerkten Erläuterungen. Hier wird die ununterbrochene Erfüllung dieser Anordnung zur besonderen nationalen Obliegenheit gemacht und, damit zugleich die Darbringungszeit dieses Tamidopfers als tägliches "Moed" (siehe zu Kap. 9, 2) der Zahl der übrigen Moadim eingereiht, ja ihnen allen vorangestellt. — צו את בני ישראל (siehe zu Kap. 5, 2). Im Hinblick auf das vorhergehende ויצוהו, das Josua in den Dienst der Gesamtheit stellte, fordert dieses צו וגו׳, dass aber gleichzeitig auch die Gesamtheit in den Dienst Gottes gestellt werde und sich selber unablässig durch das דימת-Opfer an diese ihre Dienstbezeichnung erinnere. Es ist dies der Sinn des ספרי z. St.: עד שאתה מפקדני על בני פקוד בני עלי שלא ינהגו בי מנהג בזיון ושלא ימירו את כבודי באלהי נכר.

תשמרו להקריב לי, “you shall observe in order to offer for Me.” Just as the word שמירה in connection with the lambs for the Passover meant: “close supervision, to prevent any blemish developing,” so here too the meaning is “close supervision prior to slaughtering the daily communal animal sacrifices.”

קרבני MY OFFERING — this refers to the blood.

את קרבני לחמי, “My offering, My food; etc.” In the Sifri the word קרבני, “My offering,” is understood as referring to the blood of the offering that gets on the altar, whereas the word לחמי, literally “My bread,” is understood as applying to the meat parts burned up on the altar. The words לאשי, literally “to My fires,” are understood there as applying to the meal-offering, the parts the priest closes his fist over as well as the frankincense. The expression ריח ניחוח, literally “sweet fragrance,” is applied to the spoonfuls of incense presented with the showbreads each Sabbath. The תשמרו –in the same verse- means that no animal is to be offered on the altar unless it had previously been observed for a number of days and it was found to be unblemished. It also means that during the procedure of the slaughter, etc., delegates of the other tribes of the Israelites, Levites, as well as priests should be nearby. The word תשמרו which appears here as well as in Exodus 12,6, where the first communal offering, the Passover, has been described as being checked out during 4 days, is to tell us that any sacrificial animal must be examined during no less than four days before it is offered on the altar.

According to the plain meaning of the text: the word קרבני refers to the blood; the word את includes the salt which had to be added to each offering as we know from Leviticus 2,13. The reason we dip bread nowadays in salt before eating it at the beginning of our meal is that the Torah called a sacrificial offering לחם, bread. The word לחמי refers to the fat parts of the sacrificial animal, (or all its flesh as the case might be) which was burned up on the altar. The word לאשי refers to all that is given over to the fire on the altar. The word תשמרו refers to the Israelites standing in attendance during this procedure. The word במועדו, which means “at its appointed time” and seems superfluous seeing that the offering under discussion is presented daily, means that no other sacrifice is to be offered earlier in the day than these daily total-offerings. By the same token, no offering was to be presented after the evening daily burnt-offering. Another meaning of the word במועדו is that the legislation overrides the Sabbath legislation and that even on the Sabbath (Sifri 142) these daily burnt-offerings were offered as usual even if the laws of ritual impurity had to be set aside in order for this offering to be presented (compare Pessachim 76).

Before you command Me concerning My children, command My children concerning Me. As it is written, “May Hashem command…” (27:16). [This means first] command My children concerning Me, that they should serve Me [by teaching them the laws of My altar offerings].

Perhaps the reason is that he Torah wanted to inform us that in the event that Joshua would want to offer daily burnt-offerings or the additional offerings on the festivals on his own, i.e. from his own funds, he would not be allowed to do so although he personally represented the community as the Talmud demonstrates in several instances. The Torah therefore recorded this legislation here to make certain that these offerings will be perceived as communal offerings paid for by the contributions of the whole community to the fund set up for this. This is the meaning of "command the children of Israel!" The Torah repeats this command by writing ואמרת אליהם, "and say to them," to point out that unless this detail is complied with the sacrifice is invalid. The Torah wrote אליהם instead of the customary להם in accordance with what I have explained on וירא אליו (Genesis 18,1) that when the word אליו or אלהם is used it suggests that the people so addressed should subordinate their own ego. [I suppose the exegetical aspect is that the letters אל also mean "don't." Ed.] I have seen a comment in the Yalkut Shimoni on our verse that the Israelites had assumed that the daily communal sacrifices were part of their wanderings in the desert and that as soon as they would be settled in the Holy Land this practice would be discontinued. G'd therefore recorded this legislation here to show that these sacrifices would be continued also after the conquest of the land of Canaan under Joshua.

את קרבני וגו׳. Es wird hier das Tamid, dieses Grundopfer, in allen wesentlichen Merkmalen der durch die Opfer überhaupt zum Ausdruck kommenden Beziehungen gezeichnet. קרבני: das Zu-Gott-Nahen, die Gewinnung der Gottesnähe; לחמי: durch die Bereitstellung alles irdischen Strebens für die Gottesgegenwart auf Erden; לאשי : vermittelst der Hingebung an das Feuer des göttlichen Gesetzes zur durchdringenden Läuterung und Belebung (siehe Wajikra 1, 2 u. 9 und 3, 11); ריח נחחי: und alles dies nur als andeutender Ausdruck des im Leben zu verwirklichenden Gott Wohlgefälligen. Daher im קרבני זה הדם :ספרי, die zu Gott hinan sich emporhebende לחמי אלו אמורים :נפש, die Hingebung aller Strebungen und aller Ziele; לאשי אלו קמצים ולבונה, die Güter der Nahrung des Wohlstandes und der Lebensfreude (— obgleich beim תמיד weder קומץ noch לבונה gebracht wird, sondern das מנחת נסכים כולה לאשים übergeben wird, so nennt doch ספרי eben solche Feuergaben, die nicht beim תמיד vorkommen, weil eben das תמיד die Grundlage aller übrigen Opfer bildet, und der Idee nach קומץ und anschließen —), also der ganze irdische Anteil מנחת תמיד sich dem מנחות aller לבונה der Menschen und Völker in dem ewigen Feuer des göttlichen Gesetzes zu Gütern des Gottesreichs auf Erden umwandelt; גירסת הגר׳׳א) ריח נחחי אלו נסכים), somit endlich die Summe unserer höchsten Glückseligkeit in dem Boden des göttlichen Gesetzesheiligtums wurzelnd, in das Bewusstsein des göttlichen Wohlgefallens an uns und dem Unsrigen auf Erden aufgehend. —

להקריב לי במועדו, “to present to Me at its appointed time.” This applies even if the appointed time occurs on the Sabbath, or if the person offering it is temporarily ritually unclean. (Compare Sifri) [I did not find the reference to ritual impurity in my edition of the Sifri. Ed.] According to the author, it must mean that if no priest can be found on that day that is ritually pure. This offering must not be skipped even during time of war. [There are stories in the Talmud describing that the priests paid fortunes to the besieging Babylonians or Romans to supply such animals for them. Ed. We find that the angel remonstrated with Joshua for not having seen to it that this offering was offered while the army laid siege to Jericho (Talmud, tractate Megillah folio 3) An alternate interpretation: the emphasis here is on the word במועדו, “at its appointed time,” it must neither be offered too early in the morning nor too late in the afternoon.

לחמי MY FOOD — this refers to the fat-portions, and so it states, (Leviticus 3:16) “And the priest shall burn them (the fat-portions) on the altar, it is the food of the fire-offerings” (Sifrei Bamidbar 142:2).

This refers to the blood. As is written (Vayikra 1:5), “The sons of Aharon shall bring the blood” upon it.

את קרבני לחמי לאשי, "My food which is presented to Me as a burnt offering, etc." The convoluted language is due to the daily communal offerings consisting of three parts. 1) The offering of the sheep as the sacrifice. 2) The tenth of an epha of flour which accompanied it as a gift-offering. 3) The drink-offerings consisting of a quarter Hin of newly pressed wine. With respect to the animal, the Torah speaks of קרבני, "My sacrifice;" with respect to the meal-offering (gift) the Torah speaks of לחמי, "My bread." Finally, with respect to the drink-offerings, the Torah speaks of ריח ניחחי, "sweet savour unto Me." The reason is that the drink-offering is poured onto the foundation of the altar descending into the hole called שיתין, and only its smell is noticeable on the altar. In each of these instances G'd uses the suffix "MY" to indicate that all of them are His and remain within His domain as proclaimed by David in Psalms 24,1: "The earth and all that is thereon belongs to G'd." The reason that G'd appended this possessive suffix even to the word אשי, "My fire," is that even the fire belongs to G'd. Israel should remember that whatever they offer to G'd as a sacrifice is really G'd's in the first place.

Also: את קרבני לחמי לאשי ריח ניחוחי, diesen präzisesten und konzisest gefassten Ausdruck unserer ganzen jüdisch nationalen Stellung und Bestimmung, תשמרו להקריב לי במועדו, ihn in der "von Gott zu unserem Zusammenfinden mit Ihm bestimmten Zeit Gott näher zu bringen" und damit eben diesem unserem von Gott erwarteten "Ihm entgegenkommen" Ausdruck zu leihen, dies wird hier zur nationalen מצוה und שמירה, zur nationalen sorgsamst zu erfüllenden Obliegenheit gemacht. Und wie haben die Geister des jüdischen Volkes die Ausführung dieser Obliegenheit verstanden! Nur aus den von der ewig frischen Hingebung der Nation in allen ihren Gliedern zeugenden jährlichen Halbschekelspenden, מתרומת הלשכה wurden die Nationalopfer, insbesondere aber das tägliche Tamidemporopfer versorgt (Menachot 65a) und immer für das Tamidopfer vier Tage vor dem Gebrauche, dem Pesachopfer gleich (Schmot 12, 3), dessen Fortsetzung im tiefen Grunde das Tamidopfer bildet, sechs מום-freie Schafe in der לשכת הטלאים bereit gehalten (Arachim 13a u. b). Und mit nichten betrachtete man das auf der Moriahöhe zu Jerusalem täglich durch die Priester dargebrachte Nationalopfer als ein opus operatum, als ein damit abgetanes Werk, damit in heidnischem Sinn "der Gottheit ihr Genüge" geschehe. Wie hier in der gesetzlichen Anordnung das Tamidopfer durch den Singular תעשה des Vers 4 die Nation in ihrer Einheit begreift und daher nur durch die nationale Gesamtheitsrepräsentanz zur Verwirklichung gelangt, gleichwohl V. 2 durch den Plural תשמרו die Nation in allen ihren Gliedern zum steten achten auf dieses Nationalopfer verpflichtet: so sagten sich die jüdischen Geister, das beständige Tamid in Jerusalems Tempel werde nur dann zum wahrhaft beständigen Nationalopfer, wenn dem im hohen Mittelpunkt der Nation täglich morgens und abends sich vollziehenden einzigen Opfervorgange die lebendige Teilnahme der Geister und Gemüter überall im ganzen nationalen Umkreise zugewandt sei. וכי האיך קרבנו של אדם קרב והוא אינו עומד על גביו! sagte man sich. Was ist das Opfer ohne die persönliche oder doch geistige Gegenwart des Menschen, dessen Opfer dargebracht wird! Spricht doch das Gesetz: תשמרו להקריב לי במועדו! Schon unter Anordnung der frühesten Propheten teilte sich daher die Nation in vierundzwanzig משמרות, den vierundzwanzig Priesterabteilungen (Dewarim 18, 8) entsprechend, die in Wartung des Tempeldienstes wöchentlich wechselten. Jedes Volks-משמר hatte Angehörige in Jerusalem wohnhaft, die als Deputierte ihres משמר in der sie treffenden Woche sich im Tempel beim Tamidopfer einstellten. Gleichzeitig versammelten sich die fernen Mitglieder des משמר in ihren Städten und schlossen sich im Geiste dem Tamidopfer durch "קריאת התורה und תענית" an, damit als Frucht aller Opfer die Läuterung "der Erkenntnis und des Wandels" beherzigend. Dieses, persönlich oder im Geiste, "Sicheinstellen" bei dem Tamidopfer wird מעמד genannt (Taanit 26 a), und durch diese מעמדות in Jerusalem und in den Städten des Landes wurde direkt und indirekt das Bewusstsein und die Teilnahme für das in Jerusalem sich täglich vollziehende Nationalopfer in der ganzen Nation wach gehalten. Es war damit die zweifache Überzeugung gepflegt, dass für jeden Juden der geistige Halt seines Seins, Denkens und Handelns in dem Gesetzesheiligtum, dem Mittelpunkt der Gesamtnation liege, seine Verbindung mit Gott nur durch das in dem einen Gesamtheiligtum unter Cherubimflügeln ruhende und von dort aus durch die Gesamtvertreter der Nation ihm verbürgte Gesetz vermittelt werde, dass aber auch, und eben daher das auf dem Altar dieses Nationalheiligtums täglich im Opfer sich erneuende Nationalgelübde der zu Gott hinanstrebenden Gesetzestreue in seiner Erfüllung auf jeden Sohn des Volkes rechnen und in dem fernsten und letzten Manne im Volke seinen Jünger und Vollbringer erblicken wolle. Und wenn noch heute, nach so vielen Jahrtausenden, dem Vermächtnis der späteren großen Führer unseres Galut getreu, die ganze in alle Fernen zerstreute Nation zu einem "Maamad" geworden, und in Nord und Süd, in West und Ost, die Zeit des einstigen Tamidopfers in Jerusalem noch jetzt jede treue jüdische Brust weckt, den Blick nach der Moriahgegend in Jeruschalajimzion zu richten und das in Worte übersetzte שחרית und מנחה Nationaltamidopfergelübde erneut auszusprechen, und so uns in einem nationalen Treugelöbnis an das von der Moriahöhe zu Jerusalem uns zu Erbe gewordene Gottesgesetz mit Gott und allen Brüdern auf Erden zusammen zu finden: so ist dies im Gründe nichts anderes, als eine Betätigung im Geiste des את קרבני לחמי לאשי ריח ניחחי תשמרו להקריב לי במועדו, bis einst in Wirklichkeit der Altar auf der Moriahöhe zu Jerusalem wieder erbaut ist und aus den Gesamtschekeln der Nation das Tamidopfer in den von Gott gestifteten Opfersymbolhandlungen das ewige jüdische Nationalgelübde zum Ausdruck bringt.

לאשי [MY FOOD] FOR MY FIRE OFFERING — i.e., the fat-portions that are assigned for the fire offerings of My altar (Sifrei Bamidbar 142:2).

This refers to the “emurin” parts. Meaning that והקטירם ["shall burn them"] refers to the emurin parts that are burned. There (Vayikra 3:16) it is written “bread” [referring to the emurin parts]. Thus we see that the emurin parts are referred to as “bread.”

This was the reason which made G'd write the word תשמרו, "observe, i.e. take care to perform this commandment;" failure to offer these sacrifices means that when we use any part of the universe for our own purposes we are actually stealing G'd's property; we are violating a negative commandment. G'd adds the words להקריב לי, "to present for Me as an offering." This means that even when doing this we are only offering to G'd's presence a small part of His possessions by presenting them to Him. The vast majority of His possessions remain His, however.

Nach allem diesen begreift sich sehr die Opposition, die eben die Darbringung des Tamidopfers aus Nationalmitteln an den Bestrebungen der Sadduzäer finden konnte und fand. Der Geist, welchen das nationale tägliche Opfer im Volke nährte und jeden einzelnen im Volke mit Erkenntnis und Weihe seiner Lebenserfüllungen auf die Gesamtheitsvertretung im Gesetzesheiligtum hinwies, der das Zeugnis und die Lehre des Gesetzes (Dewarim 17, 10) anvertraut war, und die des täglich zu erneuernden Treuegelöbnisses an dies Gesetz in dem Gesamtheitstamidopfer namens der Gesamtheit zu warten hatte, dieser Geist ist eine Verurteilung des Sadduzäismus einer jeden Zeit. Der Sadduzäismus kennt als Vermittlung des jüdischen Menschen mit seinem Gotte nur den, wie er spricht "jedem in seinem Winkel zur Hand liegenden" (Kiduschin 66a) Schriftbuchstaben der Bibel, den sich jeder nach seinem subjektiven Belieben interpretieren und daraus das ihm jeweilig Zusagende als den göttlichen Willen verehren und befolgen möge. Er perhorresziert den Geist des Tamidopfers, der den einzelnen seinen Gott und das göttliche Wohlgefallen nur im Anschluss an die nationale Gesamtheit und das denselben anvertraute und von ihr gewährleistete lebendige Gotteswort finden lassen will. Darum war es eines der ersten Anliegen der Sadduzäer, der Lehre Geltung zu verschaffen, dass das tägliche Tamid kein nationales Pflichtopfer, sondern ein der subjektiven Willensregung eines jeden einzelnen Anheimgegebenes sei. In flacher Beschränktheit urgierten sie den Singular des: את הכבש האחד תעשה בבקר ואת הכבש השני תעשה בין הערבים und übersahen, dass durch den Plural des vorangehenden תשמרו להקריב לי, und ebenso אשר תקריבו לד׳, die Verpflichtung der Gesamtheit auferlegt ist, die in dem Opfer eben sich als Gesamteinheit begreifen soll. Dieser sadduzäische Versuch war von so prinzipiell einschneidender Bedeutung, dass, als es gelang, das Volksbewusstsein von dessen Nichtigkeit zu überführen, die Tage der "Aufrechthaltung des Tamid". איתוקם תמידא, der nationalgeschichtlichen Gedächtnisrolle aller durch Fastenverbot, teils auch durch Trauerklageverbot zu feiernden Rettungstage einverleibt wurden, ja, mit ihnen beginnt diese Nationalchronik der אילין יומיא דלא להתענאה בהון ומקצתהון דלא למספד בהון מריש ירחה דניסן עד תמניא ביה איתוקם תמידא וכו׳ שהיו הצדוקים אומרים יחיד מתנדב ומביא תמיד מאי דרוש את הכבש אחד תעשה בבקר ואת הכבש השני תעשה בין הערבים מאי אהדרו את קרבני לחמי לאישי תשמרו שיהו כולן באין מתרומת הלשכה (Menachot 65a).

תשמרו YE (the children of Israel) SHALL WATCH [TO OFFER TO ME] — This implies that priests, Levites and ordinary Israelites shall stand by watching when the sacrifices are offered (Sifrei Bamidbar 142:2). From this command they (the Rabbis) derived the law of, and instituted the Maamadot (representatives of the people who were present when the sacrificial service was performed) (Taanit 27a).

They learned from here and instituted the ma’amados units. Meaning that it is written, “You shall be vigilant.” This implies that for the entire duration of the offering, in the morning and in the afternoon, all of Yisroel should stand over it. However, this is impossible because everyone has to concern himself with his own affairs to support himself. Therefore, they instituted [the ma’amados] and divided all of Yisroel into twenty-four groups, and similarly the Leviim and the Kohanim were divided into twenty-four groups. One of those twenty-four groups of Kohanim would serve, and similarly they instituted that one group of Leviim and Yisraelim would stand over the constant burnt-offering for one week. During the next week a different ma’amad [would take their place] and they would be considered as the emissaries of all of Yisroel, for the emissary of a person is considered like the person who sends him. The cycle would continue in this way, such that no one ma’amad served more than twice a year.

The Torah also alludes to a mystical dimension of sacrifice per se. Its purpose is to bring closer to G'd's Essence things which are "branches" of sanctity extant in the universe and as such are part of G'd Himself. This is the meaning of the word קרבני with the suffix י, i.e. "the sacrifice is something which brings sanctity close to Me." The means by which this occurs is that My bread is offered to Me as fire. When it rises in the form of smoke it turns into a sweet odour for Me.

במועדו (siehe zu Kap. 9, 2). Eine Wahrheit von nicht geringer Bedeutsamkeit liegt in der Einreihung der "täglichen" Momente des Morgen- und Abendwerdens in den Kreis der menschengeschichtlich "einzigen" von Gott zeugenden und zu Gott ladenden Großtaten Gottes der מתן תורה ,-יציאת מצרים- und Wüstenwanderungswunder. Wie die Offenbarung Gottes in Mizrajim, am Schilfmeer, am Sinai, in der Wüste, mit jeder wiederkehrenden Erinnerungszeit zu einem "Moed", zu einem von Gott zeugenden, zu Gott ladenden Momente wurde, so bestimmt Gott jeden täglich mit einer von keiner anderen Naturerscheinung übertroffenen Regelmäßigkeit eintretenden Moment des Tag- und Abendwerdens zu einem eben solchen "Moed", macht jeden steigenden und fallenden Lichtstrahl zu einem täglichen nicht minder lauten Zeugen und Boten, der uns Gott in der Gegenwart des Weltenganges zeigt und einen jeden von uns zu Gott hinruft. Wie die, die natürliche Ordnung der Dinge aufhebenden Gottestaten in Mizrajim Gott verkündende Wahrzeichen sind, so ist gerade die Stetigkeit in dem kreisenden Wechsel der Naturordnung ein noch lauterer Verkünder dieses Gottes, ja die in die Ordnung der Natur eingreifenden Gottestaten hatten ganz eigentlich den Zweck, uns Ihn als den Ordner dieser Ordnung, als den Gesetzgeber dieser Gesetze zu zeigen, damit durch die Stetigkeit Seiner Ordnungen uns nicht der Gedanke an Ihn, den Ordner, Meister und Gebieter der Weltordnung verloren gehe, der חק נתן ולא יעבר, der das Gesetz gegeben, das nicht weicht, so lange Er sein Bestehen will und Seine Welt in dem Geleise Seines Willens erhält, der wie הוא אמר ויהי, wie Er gesprochen und es ward, so auch הוא צוה ויעמד, gebot und es stand stille, auf dass ייראו מד׳ כל הארץ ממנו יגורו כל יושבי תבל, auf dass die Menschen Ihn als den Herren der Erd- und Menschenwelt kennen und fürchten lernen und wissen, dass nur solchem Menschen- und Völkerbeginnen eine Zukunft winkt, das sich Seinem Gesetze und Willen harmonisch fügt. —

במועדו [YE SHALL OFFER TO ME] IN ITS APPOINTED SEASON — Every day is the “appointed season” for the continual offerings.

Every day… For surely it was offered twice daily, thus why was it necessary to say, “At its prescribed time”? Rather, it was so that it would not be withheld, even in a state of impurity. [You might ask:] Why does Rashi not explain here that “at its prescribed time” means even in a state of impurity, as he explains concerning the Pesach offering (Bamidbar 9:2)? The answer is that there the Pesach offering came only once a year, thus the term “At its prescribed time” would imply even in a state of impurity. However here the constant burnt-offering was offered twice daily, thus “At its prescribed time” was only appropriate according to Rashi’s explanation. Re’m

Wie hier der Moed der täglichen Lichtschöpfung an die Spitze aller geschichtlichen Moadim tritt, so ist ja auch innerhalb dieser Moadim stets das Geschichtliche mit dem jahrzeitlichen Naturmomente verknüpft, auf dass das jüdische Seelenauge mit einem Blick Gott in der Natur und Geschichte erschaue und wir gotterfüllt mit jedem Atemzuge durchs Leben wandeln. —

That is that He commanded us to sacrifice two one-year old lambs in the Temple everyday, and these are called the daily offerings (temidin). And this is His saying, "two a day as a regular burnt offering" (Numbers 28:3) And the order and process of their offering has already been explained in Yoma and in Tractate Tamid. (See Parashat Pinchas; Mishneh Torah, Daily Offerings and Additional Offerings 1.)