Komentarz do Liczb 18:8

ואני הנה נתתי לך AND I, BEHOLD, I HAVE ALSO GIVEN THEE [THE CHARGE OF MINE HEAVE OFFERING] with pleasure. This is suggested by the word “Behold”, for this is an expression used when something is done with pleasure, just as in, (Exodus 4:14) “Behold, he goeth forth to meet thee and when he will see thee he will rejoice in his heart!” A parable! This may be compared to a king who presented a field to his friend, but he did not write or seal a deed of gift nor did he record it in the court. When a man came and laid claim to the field, the king said to him, “It seems that anyone who wishes to do so may come and claim against you; behold, I will write and seal a deed of gift to you, and record it in the court! So here, too, because Korah came and made a claim against Aaron to the Priesthood, Scripture (God) came and gave him the twenty-four “gifts” of the priesthood as an everlasting covenant of salt (i.e. an enduring covenant). For this reason is this section recording the gifts of the priests placed here after that which narrates Korah’s rebellion (Sifrei Bamidbar 117:1).

ואני הנה נתתי לך, as for Me, in compensation for the careful security measures which you will take to preserve the sacred nature of these locations, I will grant you as exclusive gifts the potions listed forthwith.

ואני הנני נתתי לד את משמרת תרומותי, "And I, behold I have placed you in charge of My heave-offerings." The reason for the word ואני, which appears superfluous, is that G'd adds another duty to the duty of the priests to guard the sanctity of the Sanctuary on pain of death; G'd states that He had already given the priests an advance payment so to speak, namely the task to preserve the sanctity of the heave-offerings (which are theirs) and the sanctity of everything holy the Israelites designate as such.

לך נתתיה למשחה, they are given to you as symbols of your status just as kings are anointed with oil to publicise their status and their right to rule.

וידבר ה' אל אהרן ואני הנה נתתי לך את משמרת תרומותי, “The Lord said to Aaron: “here I have entrusted to you the minding of My gifts, etc.” At this juncture G’d reconfirms Aaron’s status as High Priest after his position had previously been challenged. You may understand why the Torah found it necessary to do this by means of a parable. A king had given a present of a field to a close friend of his without bothering to draw up a deed confirming the gift. After a while, people seeing the king’s friend treat the field as his challenged him. The king told the friend who was somewhat upset: “let whoever wants to challenge My gift challenge it.” However, I will provide you with a deed proving that you have title to the field and I will put my royal seal on it. Here we have written proof of the 24 different kinds of gifts the king (G’d) bestowed on the priests, most of which came from the pockets of the Israelites (compare Sifri 119). Chulin 133 confirms this stating: “there are 24 different kinds of gifts called מתנות כהונה, ‘gifts that the priests are entitled to.’” They are equivalent to what is called a ברית מלח, a “covenant based on salt.” Just as salt is of an enduring quality so anyone who observes this covenant is highly regarded, whereas anyone who breaches any part of this covenant (withholds any of these items from the priests) is considered as if he had violated all parts of this covenant. The reason for this is that the covenant is spelled out both in general terms, i.e. לכל קדשי בני ישראל לך נתתים, “of all the sacred donations of the Israelites I give them to you,” and is subsequently listed in detail once more.
These twenty-four gifts are divided into three distinct categories. Ten of them apply to sacrificial offerings presented in the Temple and to be consumed only within the sacred precincts of the Temple Mount. Ten more apply to other parts of the Holy Land, i.e. they are to given to the priests anywhere within the Holy Land. The last four are gifts to be given to the priests within the (whole) confines of the city of Jerusalem.
The ten gifts to be consumed within the confines of the sacred grounds of the Temple are: meat from sin-offerings of four-legged animals; meat from a sin-offering consisting of a bird; meat from the guilt-offering for a sin definitely performed, meat from a similar guilt offering when the sinner is not certain he has become guilty of that sin; parts of the meat of public peace-offerings, the log of oil to be offered by a person cured from the skin disease tzoraat; the two show-breads offered in the Temple each Sabbath; the breads offered on Shavuot each year (new wheat harvest); remainders of all “gift-offerings” consisting of flour and oil. The part of the Omer (annual new barley offering) not consigned to the Altar. The four gifts given to the priests for use within the confines of the city of Jerusalem are: the firstborn male animal fit for the altar; the respective first fruit (of the seven kinds of produce the land of Israel is famous for). The remains of the ram brought by the Nazarene at the end his term, and lastly, the hides of the various animals which are offered on the altar. The ten gifts which are applicable and usable by the priest throughout the Land of Israel are: a gift by the farmer before he separates the tithe from his grain harvest. Terumat-Maasser, a corres-ponding gift to the priest by the Levite of the tithe he has received from the Israelite. Challah, the first part of the dough (discussed in Numbers chapter 15,17-21); the wool of the first shearing of the sheep. The stomach, forearm and cheekbones of the average animal offered as a freely donated offering by the ordinary Israelite. The five shekel the father needs to give to the priest to redeem his son if he is the firstborn of his wife by natural birth. The lamb or money in lieu of the lamb traded in order to redeem the fistborn of a farmer’s donkey. Certain lands which belonged to proselytes who died intestate. Fields donated to the Temple Treasury and not subject to the Jubilee legislation. Property stolen from a proselyte who died without heirs before the stolen property could be returned by the thief.

This term denotes joy. You might ask: It is written “Behold I am bringing a flood of water…” (Bereishis 6:17)! However, the question has already been answered in Sifri: The Omnipresent is joyful only when he removes those who anger him from the world. (Kitzur Mizrochi) One may ask: Previously it is written “Behold, I have brought your brothers” (v. 6) and Rashi did not make this comment. The answer is that הנה normally has the meaning of “now.” However, here it is impossible to explain that He gave them [the gifts] now, because He had already given them the twenty-four gifts of kehunah. Therefore Rashi has to explain “with joy…” This is also implied by the parable that Rashi brings.

V. 8. וידבר וגו׳. Das Bisherige sprach die eximierte Stellung der Priester und Leviten zum Heiligtum und die daraus für sie erwachsende Verantwortlichkeit aus, daran schließt sich nun hier eine Zusammenstellung ihrer Rechte im Volke, denen nicht minder der Stempel göttlicher Anordnung aufgedrückt wird, zugleich aber auch der Pflichten, die an diese Rechte sich knüpfen.

ואני הנה נתתי לך, (G–d speaking to Aaron) “as far as I am concerned, lo, I have given to you charge of My heave offerings;” in this paragraph all of the 24 different kinds of gifts reserved for the priests are collectively described as תרומה, “heave offering.”

ואני הנה נתתי לך, “and as far as I am concerned, behold I have given to you, etc.;” after the institution of the hereditary priesthood had now been established by consensus, the Torah proceeds to list the gifts from the farmers that the priests and the Levites are entitled to, as well as to parts of the people’s offerings in the Temple, seeing that they have no other means of earning a livelihood, not owning any ancestral land. [No priest or Levite is permitted to demand anything personally from an individual farmer. Each farmer is at liberty to “pay” these dues to a Levite or priest of his choosing. Ed.

משמרת תרומתי [I HAVE GIVEN UNTO YOU] THE KEEPING OF MY HEAVE OFFERINGS — This means that you have to keep them in a state of purity (to guard them against uncleanness).

Presents him with twenty-four gifts [of kehunah]. In Maseches Chulin 133b it is taught: These [twenty-four are as follows]: Ten in the Sanctuary: (1)The animal and (2)the bird sin-offerings; (3)The certain and (4)the doubtful guilt-offerings; (5)The peace-offering sacrifices of the congregation; (6)The log of oil from the metzora; (7)The two loaves; (8)The show breads; (9)The remainders of the meal-offerings and (10)the remainders of the omer-offering. Four more in Yerushalayim: (11)The firstborn; (12)The first fruits; (13)The portions set aside from the thanksgiving-offering and the ram of a nazarite, and (14)The skins of the sacrifices. And ten outside Yerushalayim: (15)Terumah, (16)Terumas Ma'aser, (17)Challah; (18)The first shearing; (19)The gifts [from a non-consecrated animal]; (20)The redemption of a firstborn son; (21)The [redemption of] a firstborn donkey; (22)A consecrated field; (23)A consecrated ancestral field, and (24)The proselyte’s stolen property. All of these gifts are mentioned in this Parshah and elsewhere.

ואני הנה נתתי וגו׳. Schabbat 25a u. 26a sowie Bechorot 34a wird תרומתי von den speziell תרומה genannten Hebespenden von den zur Verwendung für den menschlichen Genuss bereit stehenden Früchten verstanden, מן התורה nur von דגן תירוש ויצהר den drei Hauptprodukten menschlicher Nahrung. Es ist dies die allgemeinste Annahme. Siehe Bechorot 54a, תוספו daselbst. 1 ,2 הל׳ תרומות רמב׳׳ם scheint תרומות ומעשרות aller Früchte als דאורי׳ zu fassen, mit Ausnahme von ירקות, die nicht unter den Begriff תבואת זרעך, der eigentlichen Ernte fallen. (Siehe מל׳׳מ daselbst, 331, 13 ש׳׳ע י׳׳ד adoptiert die Ansicht des רמב׳׳ם.) — Wir haben bereits zu Wajikra Kap. 22, 9 die Bedeutsamkeit dieser "Heben" entwickelt und gezeigt, wie, während sie einerseits dem Volke, dem vor "Hebung" der תרומה seine vollendeten Früchte טבל und als solche אסור sind, vergegenwärtigen, wie seine ganze materielle Existenz durch seine Hörigkeit an das Gesetz und dessen Achtung bedingt ist, sie ganz besonders aber dem Priester, dessen ganze Existenz auf diese vom Volke Gott und seinem Gesetze geweihten Spenden hingewiesen ist, mit jedem Stückchen Brot, das er genießt, die Erinnerung und Mahnung bringt, dass das Gesetz und das Heiligtum, in deren Dienste er steht, nicht Priestermonopol, sondern Nationalheiligtum sei, dass er nur als Vertreter der Nation von Gott zum Diener des Gesetzes und des Heiligtums bestellt sei, dass er seine ganze Existenz diesem Gesetze und seinem Heiligtum verdanke, nur dann seines "Brotes" würdig sei, wenn sein und seines Hauses ganze Existenz, die mit diesem Brote des Heiligtums gefristet wird, der Blüte dieses Gesetzesheiligtums frommt und dem Volke mustergültig voranleuchtet. Darum hat er sein תרומה-Brot als תרומתי als Gott gehöriges Gut zu achten, das ihm zu משמרת, zu einer seinem Charakter und seiner Bestimmung gemäßen Hut anvertraut ist. Obgleich לך, obgleich Priestereigentum, נכסי כהנים, bleibt es doch קדש, heiliges Gut, ist von ihm, wie bereits Wajikra daselbst ausgesprochen, vor טומאה zu schützen und nur בטהרה zu genießen, und ist es auch in der Verwendung nicht unbeschränkter Willkür überlassen. Er hat es vor טומאה zu schützen, und zwar, wie Bechoroth 34a die Halacha lautet, בשתי תרומות הכתוב מדבר אחת תרומה טהורה :תרומותי ואחת תרומה תלויה ואמר רחמנא עביד ליה שימור: selbst תלויה, wenn bereits der טהרה-Charakter "schwebend" geworden, שנולד בה ספק טומאה, darf nicht zu טומאת ודאי gebracht werden. Implizite, da hier von תרומה in beiden Zuständen, der טהרה und der טומאה, die Rede und beides לך, dem Priester zu Gebrauche gegeben ist, wird Schabbat 25a daran gelehrt, dass תרומה טמאה, die wie jedes קדש שנטמא zu verbrennen ist, weshalb שמן תרומה טמאה gewöhnlich: שמן שרפה genannt wird, im Momente des Verbrennens vom כהן noch benutzt werden darf, בשעת ביעורה תיהני ממנה z. B. zum Leuchten, oder Kochen, בשתי תרומות הכתוב מדבר אחת תרומה טהורה ,eine Verwendung ואחת תרומה טמאה ואמר רחמנא שלך תהא להסיקה תחת תבשילך die, הנאת של כילוי genannt, von תרומה טהורה nicht gestattet ist. Überhaupt ist, wie bereits bemerkt, der Priester in Benutzung der תרומה beschränkt. Er darf kein Geschäft, סחורה damit machen (Schebiit 7, 3), אסור לאכדן: er darf selbst zu Speisebereitung sie nicht in einer Weise verwenden, dass nur ein Teil davon benutzt und das übrige sonst Genießbare weggeworfen werde (Terumot 11, 1), darf überhaupt eine jede Frucht nur in ihrer Ursprünglichkeit verwenden, אין משנין אותן מבריתן (daselbst), aus Datteln nicht Honig, aus Äpfeln nicht Wein bereiten usw. "Reinheit (טהרה) und Gehorsam", das sind die beiden Gedanken, die mit תרומה, dem Brote ihrer Existenz, dem Priester und seinem Hause unaufhörlich vergegenwärtigt werden, sie nähren sich von einem Gott heiligen Dienstbrot, dessen sie sich durch "Sittenreinheit und Pflichttreue" im ganzen Leben würdig zu machen haben.

לכל קדשי בני ישראל, “parts of any offerings by the Jewish people tendered to G-d.”

למשחה means as a distinction (cf. Onkelos; Sifrei Bamidbar 117:2; Zevachim 91a).

Guard in ritual purity. This is to say that they do not have to be guarded against non-kohanim, as in “you shall discharge משמרת הקודש [the sacred duties]” (v. 5). Because regarding terumah it would only be appropriate to say that that one should not cause it to become ritually impure.

לכל קדשי בני ישראל: dieselbe Verantwortlichkeit und Hut, die dir für תרומה zur Pflicht gemacht ist, liegt dir auch für alle קדשי בני ישראל ob, לך נתתים למשחה, sie sind von Gott den Priestern zu einer fortwährenden משיחה, zu einer fortwährenden "Salbung", d. i. zu einer mit jedem Genuss derselben sich wiederholenden Erinnerung an ihre Aussonderung und Absonderung von allem Unheiligen und Gemeinen, das ist ja die Bedeutung der משיחה (siehe Schmot 29, 7), gegeben. Und nur in Voraussetzung der Wahrheit dieser "Weihe", sind sie ihnen als חק עולם, als ewige Gebühr zugeteilt.

לך נתתים, “unto you I have given them” (these “gifts.”) They are yours by right.

For greatness. Because wine and grain are not used for anointing.

ולבניך אחריך, “and to your children after you.” These gifts to the priests and Levites are ancestral, just as the soil distributed by Joshua to the other tribes were hereditary