וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר׃
여호와께서 또 모세와 아론에게 일러 가라사대
Bamidbar Rabbah
Another matter, “do not cut off,” what is written before it? “The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron” (Numbers 4:17). Rabbi Levi said: What matter does Aaron have, that he is mentioned here? It is, rather, that He is providing an allusion to the sons of Kehat and saying to them: ‘Focus your attention to ensure that you will not conduct yourselves with levity and enter before the Ark. If you conducted yourselves with levity in its regard, learn from the sons of Aaron.’ He said: The sons of Aaron, because they entered without permission, what is written in their regard? “Fire emerged from before the Lord, and consumed them” (Leviticus 10:2). You, too, focus your attention, so what befell the sons of Aaron will not befall you. That is why He wrote: “The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron.”
Our Rabbis say: Why is Aaron written here? It is because when the sons of Kehat were commanded regarding the bearing of the Ark, they became afraid. They began shouting at Moses and saying: ‘We are going to die just as the sons of Aaron died.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Just as you instituted a remedy for Aaron [when he enters the Holy of Holies], as it is stated: “With this Aaron shall come into the Holy of Holies” (Leviticus 16:3), so, institute a remedy for the Kehatite families so they will not die.’ That is what is written: “Do not cut off…”
“But do this for them, [and they will live, and will not die]” (Numbers 4:19). Do not wonder about this that the Holy One blessed be He instituted a remedy for them so they would not die, as even for the wicked we have found that He instituted a remedy for them so they would not die. When the Holy One blessed be He detailed for Moses the thirty-six instances of karet in the Torah, Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, if a person sins in these, will he be eliminated in that way?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Let them be flogged forty lashes and thereby satisfy the obligation of their karet.’ That is what we learned: All those liable to receive karet who were flogged are exempted from their karet, as it is stated: “And your brother shall be debased before your eyes” (Deuteronomy 25:3). Once he is flogged he is as your brother. This is the statement of Rabbi Ḥananya ben Gamliel.5Makkot 23a. If one violates one transgression, his soul is taken for it, one who performs one mitzva, all the more so that his soul will be given to him. Why did the Torah require to flog him with forty lashes? It is because he violated the Torah that was given in forty days, and he caused death to himself, who was formed in forty days.6The fetus, for certains purposes, is not viewed as a child before forty days of development. (Yevamot 69:2) Let him be flogged forty lashes and thereby satisfy the obligation of his karet. Just as it was done to Adam the first man, who sinned and incurred liability to die, and was stricken with forty blows, as the world was cursed forty curses due to his sin: Ten for Adam, ten for Eve, ten for the serpent, and ten for the earth. The Holy One blessed be He extended the day for him, as it is stated: “As on the day that you eat of it you will die” (Genesis 2:17), but he lived nine hundred and thirty years. He did not complete the day of the Holy One blessed be He.7Based on the verse: “As one thousand years in Your eyes are like yesterday gone by” (Psalms 90:4). If for the wicked He instituted a remedy, all the more so for the righteous. That is, “do not cut off…”
Our Rabbis say: Why is Aaron written here? It is because when the sons of Kehat were commanded regarding the bearing of the Ark, they became afraid. They began shouting at Moses and saying: ‘We are going to die just as the sons of Aaron died.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Just as you instituted a remedy for Aaron [when he enters the Holy of Holies], as it is stated: “With this Aaron shall come into the Holy of Holies” (Leviticus 16:3), so, institute a remedy for the Kehatite families so they will not die.’ That is what is written: “Do not cut off…”
“But do this for them, [and they will live, and will not die]” (Numbers 4:19). Do not wonder about this that the Holy One blessed be He instituted a remedy for them so they would not die, as even for the wicked we have found that He instituted a remedy for them so they would not die. When the Holy One blessed be He detailed for Moses the thirty-six instances of karet in the Torah, Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, if a person sins in these, will he be eliminated in that way?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Let them be flogged forty lashes and thereby satisfy the obligation of their karet.’ That is what we learned: All those liable to receive karet who were flogged are exempted from their karet, as it is stated: “And your brother shall be debased before your eyes” (Deuteronomy 25:3). Once he is flogged he is as your brother. This is the statement of Rabbi Ḥananya ben Gamliel.5Makkot 23a. If one violates one transgression, his soul is taken for it, one who performs one mitzva, all the more so that his soul will be given to him. Why did the Torah require to flog him with forty lashes? It is because he violated the Torah that was given in forty days, and he caused death to himself, who was formed in forty days.6The fetus, for certains purposes, is not viewed as a child before forty days of development. (Yevamot 69:2) Let him be flogged forty lashes and thereby satisfy the obligation of his karet. Just as it was done to Adam the first man, who sinned and incurred liability to die, and was stricken with forty blows, as the world was cursed forty curses due to his sin: Ten for Adam, ten for Eve, ten for the serpent, and ten for the earth. The Holy One blessed be He extended the day for him, as it is stated: “As on the day that you eat of it you will die” (Genesis 2:17), but he lived nine hundred and thirty years. He did not complete the day of the Holy One blessed be He.7Based on the verse: “As one thousand years in Your eyes are like yesterday gone by” (Psalms 90:4). If for the wicked He instituted a remedy, all the more so for the righteous. That is, “do not cut off…”
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
(Numb. 4:17-48:) THEN THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES AND UNTO AARON, SAYING: DO NOT CUT OFF THE TRIBE OF THE KOHATHITE FAMILIES <FROM THE LEVITES>. This text is related (to Prov. 22:22): DO NOT ROB THE IMPOVERISHED BECAUSE HE IS IMPOVERISHED. R. Tanhuma bar Abba said:136Tanh., Numb. 1:22. R. Levi said: DO NOT ROB THE IMPOVERISHED BECAUSE HE IS IMPOVERISHED. This refers to the lupine137Gk.: thermos (“hot”). which arrives with the dessert. One should not say: There are nuts and dates before me. I will say <the blessing> over them and leave the lupine alone. The Holy One said (ibid.): DO NOT ROB THE IMPOVERISHED BECAUSE HE IS IMPOVERISHED. R. Hezekiah and R. Jeremiah bar Abba said in the name of R. Johanan: It is with reference to everyone who does not say something in the name of the one who said it that the text says (ibid.): DO NOT ROB THE IMPOVERISHED BECAUSE HE IS IMPOVERISHED.138See Avot 6:3. So when a person hears something, it is necessary to cite it in the name of the one who <originally> said it, even though <doing so takes up> more than a third of a law (halakhah). Thus our masters have taught (in Pe'ah 2:6): R. NAHUM THE SCRIBE139Livlar. Cf. Lat.: libellaris (“documentary”); libellarius (“relating to a written rental contract”); librarius (“scribe,” “copyist”). SAID: I HAVE RECEIVED FROM R. MAY'ASHA, WHO RECEIVED [FROM ABBA, WHO RECEIVED FROM THE PAIRS (zugot),140Gk.: zuga (“yokes”); cf. Lat.: juga. WHO RECEIVED] FROM THE ELDERS, A LAW (halakhah) OF MOSES FROM SINAI. So it is with reference to whoever does not say something in the name of the one who said it that the text (of Prov. 22:22) says: DO NOT ROB THE IMPOVERISHED. But everyone who does say something in the name of the one who said it brings redemption into the world.141Meg. 15a. From whom have you learned it? From Esther. When she heard of the matter from Mordecai, she said to Ahasuerus according to what is stated (in Esth. 2:22): AND ESTHER SPOKE TO THE KING IN THE NAME OF MORDECAI. For that reason she was worthy of having Israel be redeemed at her hands. Ergo: If you hear something, cite it in the name of the one who said it.