Komentarz do Liczb 3:58

ואלה תולדת אהרן ומשה AND THESE ARE THE OFFSPRING OF AARON AND MOSES — But it mentions only the sons of Aaron! But they also are called the sons of Moses because he taught them the Torah. This tells us that whoever teaches the Torah to the son of his fellow man Scripture regards it to him as though he had begotten him (Sanhedrin 19b).

NOW THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF AARON AND MOSES IN THE DAY THAT THE ETERNAL SPOKE WITH MOSES IN MOUNT SINAI. “And yet [in the following verse] Scripture only enumerates the sons of Aaron, [as it is said, And these are the names of the sons of Aaron! If so, why does it say here and Moses?] They [were indeed the sons of Aaron, but] they are called the generations of Moses because he taught them Torah. This establishes the principle that if one teaches the Torah to one’s fellow man,¹⁴³In our Rashi: “the son of his fellow man.” Scripture accounts it to him as though he had begotten him. In the day that the Eternal spoke to Moses did these children [of Aaron] become his [Moses’], because he taught them then what he learned from the mouth of the Almighty.” This is Rashi’s language.
However, the expression in the day that the Eternal spoke to Moses is intended [not to convey the idea mentioned by Rashi, but] only to say that these were [Aaron’s four] sons [namely, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, as mentioned in Verse 2] in the day that the Eternal spoke with Moses in Mount Sinai, and then Scripture states [in the following verses] that Nadab and Abihu died, and that therefore they¹⁴⁴I.e., Aaron and Moses. — Ramban is following the verse which speaks of the children as the generations of Aaron and Moses, for the reason that Rashi explained, but he is of course referring to Aaron’s sons. have no children now except Eleazar and Ithamar. Now Scripture mentions this in order to state that in the day that the Eternal spoke with Moses in Mount Sinai these [sons of Aaron] were chosen to be anointed, and their anointing shall be to them for an everlasting priesthood,¹⁴⁵Exodus 40:15. but as for the rest of the tribe [of Levi], Moses was not commanded that they be chosen [for service in the Tabernacle] until now. And the reason why He mentioned the generations of Aaron and Moses at this place is that since He had completed the census of all Israel by their generations and by their fathers’ houses,⁵⁸Verses 20, 22, etc. and He now wanted to mention the generations of the tribe of Levi, He began with the leaders of that tribe.
According to the plain meaning of Scripture, the sense of [the expression] the generations of Aaron and Moses is that the sons of Aaron were anointed priests separated from [the rest of] the tribe [of Levi] so that they be most holy,¹⁴⁶I Chronicles 23:13. and the generations of Moses were the family of the Amramites which He mentions further on, since of the Amramites there were only the children of Moses,¹⁴⁷Further, Verse 27. Of Amram’s two sons, the sons of the first, Aaron, are already mentioned above; thus the verse must be speaking of Moses’ children only. and they are counted among the Levites. This [verse] is thus similar to that which it is written, The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses; and Aaron was separated, that he should be sanctified as most holy.¹⁴⁶I Chronicles 23:13. But as for Moses the man of G-d, his sons are named among the tribe of Levi.¹⁴⁸I Chronicles 23:14. And the homiletic interpretation [which Rashi mentioned, that the generations of Aaron are also attributed to Moses because he taught them Torah], the Rabbis based upon [the fact that] Scripture does not state “and these are the names of the sons of Moses,” as it does with the sons of Aaron [stating in Verse 3: These are the names of the sons of Aaron — therefore the Rabbis explained that the verse says: Now these are the generations of Aaron and Moses] to allude to [the principle that] the sons of Aaron are also the generations of Moses because he taught them Torah, for it is the way of the Torah to explain and to allude [to spiritual truths].

ואלה תולדות אהרן ומשה ביום דבר ה' אל משה. At the time when G’d set the tribe of Levi apart from the other tribes, some of them having to transport the Tabernacle on its journeys, some to perform service in and around the Tabernacle and to pronounce blessings in G’d’s name. Nadav and Avihu were included in the people described as Levites.

תולדות אהרן ומשה, descendants of Aaron and Moses, etc. Curiously, the Torah enumerates only Aaron's descendants. This is to tell us that they were considered as if they had been Moses' descendants seeing he had prayed on their behalf as we know from Deuteronomy 9,20 where G'd is reported as having been angry at Aaron, ready to exterminate him. This would have resulted in his remaining two sons dying. Our sages in Vayikra Rabbah 7,1 say that Moses' prayer helped to keep Eleazar and Ittamar alive.

ואלה תולדות אהרן ומשה, first the Torah counted the descendants of the people at large, followed by that of the priests, and finally the Levites. Now the Torah enumerates the personal offspring of Aaron. The offspring of Moses is lumped together with that of the Levites, as we know from verse 27 “and as for Kehat, the family of Amram, the family of Yitzhar, etc., etc.” Amram had only two sons, Aaron and Moses. Both were included in the list of the members of the tribe of Levi. Aaron’s sons had the additional distinction of being sanctified.

ואלה תולדות אהרן ומשה....בהר סיני, “And these are Aaron’s and Moses’ immediate biological offspring…at Mount Sinai.” Nachmanides explains the apparently irrelevant mention of the words: “at Mount Sinai,” as well as the absence of any names of Moses’ children, by saying that Aaron’s children were also considered as if they were Moses’ children seeing that they learned the Torah from their uncle Moses, and we have it on the authority of our sages that anyone teaching someone else’s children Torah is accorded the merit of being the (spiritual) father of such a youngster. Moreover, the Torah hints by the wording of this verse that although these children of Aaron had not been anointed as priests until over nine months later, from the day, G’d in His mind, had already designated them to become priests at the time of the revelation at Mount Sinai. These appointments had not only been for life, but hereditary, whereas the other appointments, such as the leaders of the tribes, did not have their root already at the time of the revelation at Mount Sinai, nor were those appointments hereditary. One of the reasons why the chapter commences with the descendants of Aaron is that seeing that we will be reading about the count of the Levites shortly, it is appropriate to commence with the children of the leader of the tribe of Levi. Looking at the plain meaning of the text the meaning of the words “the descendants of Aaron and Moses,” is simply that seeing that Aaron’s sons had been especially anointed to become priests, they were in a category all by themselves compared to the other members of the tribe of Levi. If the tribe of Levi was considered “holy,” then the priests so anointed were considered “holiest of the holy.” The allegorical commentaries, drush, support this approach, seeing that Moses’ own children have not even been mentioned, the Torah failing to add: “and these were the offspring of Moses, etc,” especially in view of the fact that the Midrash told us that even Aaron’s sons were considered as if they had been Moses’ own, how is it then that Moses’ own have not even been mentioned? Some commentators hold that inasmuch as in connection with the count of the other tribes the Torah speaks of “in the desert of Sinai,” whereas when the sons of Aaron are mentioned these are referred to in conjunction with Mount Sinai, the reason is that their father had already been chosen by G’d to be the High Priest even before the people left Egypt, whereas the other Levites had only been chosen as special in the desert. [After the firstborn had participated in the sin of the golden calf. Ed.]

Since he taught them what he had learned. Otherwise [i.e. if the Torah did not say this], what relevance does this point have here. Thus Rashi explains that ביום דיבר (lit. on the day that He spoke) means “from the day that He spoke,” and that the letter beis is like the beis in והנותר בבשר ובלחם (that which is left from the meat and from the bread) (Vayikro 8:32). It was not on the day that Hashem spoke to Moshe on Har Sinai that he taught them, rather from that day onwards he taught them and thus they became his descendants. One might ask: Surely all of Israel learned Torah from Moshe, so why were they not [also] called his descendants? The answer is: When he taught Torah to the whole of Yisroel it was at the command of Hashem, as it is written “Hashem said to Moshe come up to me … that I wrote to instruct them” (Shemos 24:12). This implies that the main reason for Hashem teaching Moshe was for [Moshe to teach] the people of Yisroel. Therefore it is not correct to say that [regarding them that] “one who teaches another’s son…” However regarding Aharon’s sons, Moshe was not obligated to teach them, given that only a father is obligated to teach his son Torah, therefore they were called the descendants of Moshe. This appears to the precise meaning of the wording “anyone who teaches another’s son Torah…”

Kap. 3. V. 1. Die Söhne Israels als עדה, als die Gemeinde, waren gezählt, die Leviten als die Wächter des עדות sollen gezählt werden, zuvor jedoch Moses und Aharons gedacht werden, die nicht zu den Gezählten zählten, sondern die Zählenden waren, und zugleich die Familie des einen, Aharons, festgestellt werden, dessen Nachkommen ja nicht zu den Leviten im eigentlichen Sinne gehörten, sondern eine nationale Gruppe für sich, כהנים, die Priester, bildeten. Es war niederzulegen, dass nur zwei Söhne, Elasar und Itamar, nach Aharon das Priestertum weitertragen, somit nur diejenigen für alle Zukunft כהונה-fähig sind, die ihrer Abstammung nach entweder zu Elasar oder Itamar gehörten. Bedeutsam wird auch von תולדות משה gesprochen und gleichwohl werden Mosches Söhne nicht genannt. Genannt werden ja in allen diesen Zählungskapiteln von den Verstorbenen nur diejenigen, die eine öffentliche Stellung in der Nation einnahmen, כהנים ,נשיאים waren. Unser "Mosche" ließ aber seine Söhne ganz auszeichnungslos in die Menge aufgehen und hatte nicht einmal ein Ämtchen, ein Titelchen, ein Bändchen für seine Kinder.

ואלה תולדות אהרן ומשה, “and these are the descendants of Aaron and Moses.” In other words, “these are the priests and their descendants and the Levites and their descendants.” The descendants of Aaron are listed separately at first, just as they have been in Chronicles I 23,13. Seeing that the sons of Moses were not separated in any way from the other Levites, they are included in the Levites described as the descendants of Moses’ father Amram, although Aaron was also a son of Amram.

ביום דבר ה' אל משה בהר סיני, “as long as G-d wasspeaking with Moses at Mount Sinai,” Aaron’s sons Nadav and Avihu were still alive. They died in the Tabernacle in the desert of Sinai, at the beginning of the second year.

These are the descendants. [Scripture] calls only the sons of Aharon the descendants of Moshe [because he taught them Torah] but not all of Israel, although Moshe taught them, because Hashem commanded him to teach them Torah, and if not for them Hashem would not have given him the Torah. However, Moshe taught the sons of Aharon more than the others, and that was from Moshe alone; in this he is considered as having procreated them.

ביום דבר ה׳ את משה IN THE DAY THAT THE LORD SPAKE TO MOSES did these children (these of Aaron) become his (Moses’) children, because then for the first time he taught them what he heard from the Almighty.

ביום דבר ה' את משה בהר סיני, these words are added as the conversation occurred before the Tabernacle had been erected when Aaron still had four sons as opposed to the second year (mentioned in 1,1) when the Tabernacle had already been erected and Aaron had only two sons left, Eleazar and Ittamar, as I have explained already at the beginning of our portion. Once the Tabernacle had been erected, G’d is no longer referred to as speaking to Moses at Mount Sinai.

Our verse continues ביום דבר ה׳, to tell us precisely when Moses prayed on their behalf. There is also a hint here of the reason that his prayer was effective as the Torah's mention of Mount Sinai is a reminder that he was such a loyal representative of G'd that he had been found worthy to receive the Torah on Mount Sinai.

ביום דבר וגו׳. Da auch Nadab und Abihu zu nennen waren, um zu sagen, dass von ihnen keine Priesterfamilien abstammten, sie aber zur Zeit der Zählung bereits gestorben waren, so musste hier auf eine frühere Zeit zurückgegangen werden. Als Gott das Gesetz erteilte und Aharon und seine Söhne zu Priestern bestellte, da hatte Aharon vier Söhne, die auch alle vier zu Priestern geweiht und bestellt wurden.

ביום דבר ה' את משה, “on the day on which the Lord had spoken to Moses.” This will be dealt with further on.

ואלה שמות בני אהרן; each one of them was mentioned by his name, i.e. not only because he was a son of an illustrious father such as Aaron.

V. 2. Eigentümlich ist die Akzentuierung. Es ist, als ob der Bericht mit schmerzlicher Pause zuerst auf Nadab und dann auf Abihu ruht und dann rasch Elasar und Itamar beifügt.

These are the names of the sons of Aharon, the firstborn, Nadav, and Avihu, Elazar and Isamar. There is a pause between the words “the firstborn” and “Nadav” because it does not refer to Nadav who died without children, and there is no practical ramification of his being the firstborn. Rather, it refers to Aharon who was the firstborn ahead of Moshe.

הכהנים המשוחים, future priests were not described in such terms as they were not anointed while the High Priest was alive. אשר מלא ידם לכהן, the reason why the sons of Aaron were also anointed with the oil of anointment was to enable them to perform priestly duties, as otherwise there would have been no priests other that Aaron, no one having been born as priest to a father who was a priest. Had they been born after Aaron’s appointment, they would not have required such anointing as heredity would have sufficed.

אלה שמות…המשוחים, These are the names… who had been anointed, etc. When the Torah repeated the word "these" both in verse one and again in our verse it is to stress that only these four sons of Aaron had been anointed. Had the Torah not repeated the word אלה here we could have assumed that other Levites had been anointed seeing that the chapter commenced with the word ואלה, "and these."

על פני אהרן [AND ELEAZAR AND ITHAMAR MINISTERED] BEFORE THE FACE OF AARON — i.e. during his lifetime (cf. Rashi on Genesis 11:28).

AND ELEAZAR AND ITHAMAR MINISTERED ‘AL PNEI’ AARON THEIR FATHER - “that is, during the lifetime [of Aaron their father].” This is the language of Rashi. Now [Rashi] does not mean to say that they ministered during their father’s lifetime, for all priests of the family of Aaron may minister during their fathers’ lifetime [so why should Scripture single out Eleazar and Ithamar in this respect?] Rather, [the verse says that they were anointed during Aaron’s lifetime], because He had stated [that Aaron’s sons were] the priests that were anointed,¹⁴⁹Verse 3. meaning that they too were like the High Priests in that they were anointed during Aaron’s lifetime, just as he [Aaron] was anointed, a procedure which was not applicable in later generations.¹⁵⁰In later generations ordinary priests did not have to be anointed ; they automatically entered into the priesthood by descent. Only High Priests were anointed. Scripture thus alludes here to the unusual fact that Eleazar and Ithamar were anointed at this time, although they were ordinary priests, in the same way that Aaron the High Priest was anointed, a procedure which was not followed in later generations, see Vol. III, p. 117.
But the correct interpretation is that the expression al pnei refers to the beginning [of the verse, and the order of the phrases is to be understood as if inverted, as follows]: “And Nadab and Abihu died before the Eternal ‘al pnei’ (in the presence of) Aaron their father, when they offered strange fire.”¹⁵¹The order of the phrases according to the Hebrew text is as follows: And Nadab and Abihu died before the Eternal when they offered strange fire before the Eternal, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children; and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest’s office in the presence of Aaron their father. And so indeed it is stated in the Book of Chronicles: And Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children, and Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest’s office.¹⁵²I Chronicles 24:2. The meaning of [the expression] before the Eternal is that they died a miraculous death which came [directly] from Him. Similarly it is stated in the case of the spies that they died by the plague before the Eternal.¹⁵³Further. 14:37.

בהקריבם אש זרה, this was the only blemish they had been guilty of.

וימת נדב ואביהו לפני ה', “and Nadav and Avihu had died in the presence of Hashem, etc.” They died as a direct act of G’d. We find a similar expression used in Numbers 14,37 when the Torah reports the death of the 10 spies who had reported negatively on the people’s chances to conquer the land of Canaan.

During his lifetime. There are texts that read “In the presence of Aharon their father— during his lifetime.” One might ask: Why did Rashi explain “during his lifetime.” The answer is that if he had not explained so, one would say that this was after his death, because they were not fitting to serve when [Aharon] was present. Therefore Rashi explains, in the presence of Aharon their father, in his lifetime they were made Kohanim Gadolim, meaning that if Aharon became impure then Elazar would serve, and if Elazar became impure then Isamar would serve (Tanchuma).

V. 4. וימת נדב וגו׳ (siehe zu Wajikra 10, 1 u. 2). — ובנים לא היו להם. Wären ihnen, nachdem sie die Priesterweihe empfangen hatten, Söhne geboren worden, so hätten diese auch mit der Geburt den Priestercharakter empfangen, und es hätte sich das Priestertum auch in der von ihnen stammenden Familie weiter vererbt. So aber hinterließen sie bei ihrem Tode keine Söhne, und ויכהן אלעזר ואיתמר על פני אהרן אביהם. Wir haben zu Bereschit 16, 12 angemerkt, wie der Ausdruck על פניר nicht selten von unangenehmen, widerwärtigen, missliebigen Wahrnehmungen und Erfahrungen gebraucht wird. Wir glauben daher auch hier es in einem solchen Sinne verstehen zu dürfen. Dadurch, dass die beiden älteren Söhne kinderlos fortgestorben waren, blieben von Aharon nur Elasar und Itamar als Fortträger der כהונה übrig.

'לפני ה, “before the Lord;” Rabbi Yochanan queried this wording, asking if Nadav and Avihu had indeed died “before the Lord, i.e. while performing service in honour of the Lord?” He therefore concludes that when righteous peple have to die, their death is as difficult for the Lord to come to terms with as if they had died while performing service to the Lord. (Compare Bamidbar Rabbah 2,24).

ובנים לא היו להם, “and they did not have sons.” Rabbi Yaakov, son of bar Avi, speaking in the name of Rabbi Acha, said: if these sons of Aaron had had sons, they would have preceded Elazar and Ittamar in greatness; it is a rule that anyone who has offspring takes precedence compared to those who do not have heirs. Their shortcoming was that they did not marry and assure themselves of offspring. (Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar 2,22.)

ובנים לא היו להם, if they had had sons, the sons would have been their replacements if they had been physically and mentally suitable.

על פני אהרן אביהם, “during the lifetime of their father Aaron.” Rashi explains that the expression על פני means “during the lifetime of.” Nachmanides elaborates that what the Torah means is not that the sons who died had not had already functioned as priests during the lifetime of their father, in the sense of “substituting for their father.” All four sons had been anointed as priests and had functioned or were ready to function as priests. [After all they died on the very first day that Moses had handed over service in the Tabernacle to the priests, as we know from Leviticus Ed.] The reason that the Torah adds the words על פני אהרן אביהם, is only that seeing the Torah had spoken of the priests who had been anointed, it was made plain that these two had also been properly anointed. They were potentially High Priests just as their father was in practice. I, personally believe, (author speaking) that the words על פני אביהם refer to the beginning of our verse, i.e.לפני ה' as in Chronicles I 24,2 we also read the words לפני אביהם, not על פני אביהם, followed by the words ובנים לא היו להם ויכהן אלעזר ואיתמר תחתיהם, “and they were not survived by children, and Eleazar and Ittamar became priests in their stead.” [Just as in our verse here. Ed.]

על פני אהרן אביהם, “while their father was alive.” The expression: על פני, is to be understood as in Deuteronomy 21,16: על פני בן השנואה הבכור, “instead of the firstborn son of the hated wife;” or as in Exodus 20,3: לא יהיה לך אלוהים אחרים על פני, “you shall not have any other deities in My presence,”

ויכהן אלעזר ואיתמר, they had been given authority to substitute for their father in the Tabernacle if the need would arise, by the command of G’d.

על פני אהרן אביהם, during the lifetime of Aaron his sons had already been anointed. The death of two of them, as well as their replacing their father as High Priest was not at Aaron’s command, even though he was the High Priest. [if I understand the author correctly, he means that contrary to a king appointing a son as his successor, the High Priest is not entitled to appoint his own successor. Ed.] None of what is reported here is of significance for future generations as ordinary priests were not anointed, whereas the position of High Priest was not a position that could be inherited.

V. 5. וידבר וגו׳. Es war im Vorhergehenden die zum Priestertum berufene Familie festgestellt und dabei zugleich des Todes der beiden ältesten Söhne gedacht, die sogleich am ersten Tage der vollendeten Priesterweihe, ja im ersten heiligsten Momente priesterdienstlicher Vollziehungen, den Tod gefunden, weil sie אש זרה, weil sie die "Willkür" in den Priesterdienst hineintrugen und der ganze Dienst des Heiligtums doch eben auf "Dienst" und in "Dienst", auf Gehorsam und in Gehorsam ruht und wurzelt und "freudigen Gehorsam", freudige Unterordnung unter den göttlichen Willen mit Beseitigung jeder subjektiven Willkür als Boden und Ziel aller Lebensbestimmung veranschaulichen soll. Wie sehr die ganze Erfüllung dieser Lebensbestimmung von dem entschiedenen, immer wach zu haltenden Bewusstsein bedingt sei, dass dieser unsere Lebensaufgabe bestimmende Gotteswille in dem "Zeugnis der Wohnung" einen von Gott erflossenen, von Gott an uns gelangten, uns gegebenen Ausdruck habe, — wie dieser Charakter des Gegebenen des Gesetzeszeugnisses durch seine Stellung in den Mittelpunkt der Nation und durch deren Fernstellung von diesem Mittelpunkte immer vor Augen gehalten werden sollte und zu Wächtern dieses gottgegebenen Zeugnisses der Nation gegenüber der Stamm Levi bestellt war, das hat schon Kap. 1, 48 f. seine eingehende Besprechung gefunden. Hier wird nun diese Wacht ums Heiligtum, die dort lediglich als aus dem Wesen und Bedürfnis des Heiligtums erflossen dargestellt ist, in ihrer Beziehung zu den Priestern und zu der Nation erfasst und demgemäß die Stellung der mit dieser Heiligtumswacht betrauten Leviten zu den andern beiden nationalen Kreisen, zu den Priestern und zur Gemeinde, näher präzisiert. Zuerst ihre Stellung zum Priester:

ושרתו אתו [BRING THE TRIBE OF LEVI … BEFORE AARON] THAT THEY MINISTER UNTO HIM — And wherein consists their ministering?

ושרתו אותו. Seeing that the ultimate responsibility for anything connected with the Tabernacle was Aaron’s, as we know from Numbers 18,1 אתה ובניך ובית אביך אתך תשאו את עון המקדש ואתה ובניך אתך תשאו את עון כהנתכם, “you and your sons and the house of your father with you will have to carry the sin or guilt of the Temple; and you and your sons with you will have to be responsible for any sin/guilt involving the priesthood you have been appointed to.” As a result of these verses, the service performed by the Levites was in the nature of being assistants to the priests, comprising standing guard over the Tabernacle, protecting it against the entry of people not in a fit state for one reason or another. They had to ensure that the vessels of the Tabernacle remained not only in good condition but were not stolen, etc. The second half of that verse in chapter 18 refers to no non-priests being allowed within the sacred domain reserved for either the priests or even only the High Priest.

They shall preserve. These are not two topics — that they would serve, and also preserve their guardianship, because there is no other service aside from the guarding of the sanctuary which was the service of Aharon and his sons.

V. 6. הקרב וגו׳. Das Gesetzeszeugnis selbst, oder vielmehr die Anforderungen desselben haben ja bereits im כהן einen lebendigen Vertreter inmitten des Volkes erhalten, der durch die symbolischen Opferhandlungen im Heiligtum, wie durch die sein ganzes Leben vor den Augen des Volkes gestaltenden כהונה-Gesetze, der Nation מכין und מכונן sein, ihr "Bildung und Richtung" zur Lösung dieser Anforderungen bringen soll. Diese priesterliche Heranbildung und Heranerziehung der Nation zum Gesetzesheiligtum gehört ja wesentlich, ja in allererster Linie der "Levitenwacht" um dieses Gesetz an, die Unantastbarkeit des Heiligtums ist ja der allererste Ausgangspunkt der Priesterstellung und des Priesterberufs und er, der כהן, der Priester, ist als der erste Wächter ums Gesetz der Nation und — sich gegenüber bestellt. Es wird daher zunächst der von den Leviten zu vollziehenden Wacht um das Gesetzesheiligtum der Charakter eines Hilfedienstes für die vom Priester zu lösende Aufgabe erteilt. Es wird damit den Leviten selbst diese ihre Funktion in das Licht ihrer höheren, den göttlichen volksbildenden und erziehenden Zwecken, derer der Priester zu warten hat, näheren Beziehung gesetzt. הקרב, heißt es, lass sie dir und Aharon "näher" treten, והעמדת אותו לפני אהרן הכהן, (vergl. Esther 4, 5; Daniel 1, 5; Sam. I. 16, 22; Kön. I. 1, 2 usw. wo עמד לפני immer die Stellung eines persönlichen Dienstes bezeichnet). — ושרתו אתו. Wir haben bereits zu Schmot 31, 10 auf die Verwandtschaft von שרת mit שרד hingewiesen und bemerkt, wie שרת immer ein persönliches Bedienen, d. i. eine solche Leistung bezeichnet, die den andern einer sonst von ihm selbst zur Befriedigung seiner Wünsche, Obliegenheiten usw. zu erfüllenden Tätigkeit überhebt. Diese beiden Ausdrücke hier: והעמדת אתו לפני וגו׳, ושרתו אתו geben eben der לויה, dem Levitenamt, den Charakter eines mitarbeitenden Gehilfen der כהונה.

הקרב את מטה לוי, “bring the tribe of Levi near;” in chapter 1,50, G-d had already told Moses to appoint that tribe to be in charge of all the furnishings of The Tabernacle as well as the Tabernacle itself and to carry it during the journeys; they had also been warned not to allow any non Levite to come close to the Tabernacle; now that the Levites were to be appointed as performing service for the priests (Aaron and descendants), Moses was commanded to

ושמרו את משמרתו THAT THEY SHALL KEEP HIS CHARGE — Because the care of the Sanctuary, viz., that no stranger should approach it, was committed to his charge, as it is said, (Numbers 18:1) "Thou and thy sons, and thy father’s house with thee, shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary”, (which Rashi explains to have reference to the iniquity committed by a “stranger” in approaching the holy things), and these Levites aided them — this therefore, was their ministering [alluded to here].

והעמדת אותם, “to present them” to the priests by performing services for them. Use of the root עמד in the in a similar mode is also found Kings I 17,1, where the prophet Elijah promises to appear and be at the service of King Achav by saying: ועמדתי לפניו. “I will present myself before him as being at his service.”

ושמרו את משמרתו AND THEY SHALL KEEP HIS CHARGE — Any post to which a person is appointed and the duties of which he is bound to carry out is everywhere in Scripture and in the Mishnaic idiom called משמרת, an office, a charge. For example, it is stated in the story of Bigthan and Teresh that when they were conspiring against Ahasuerus one said to the other (Megillah 13b): "But surely my official duty (משמרתי) is not the same as your official duty (משמרתך) and therefore we can never meet to put our plans into execution!" Similar, also, is its use in the phrase ,משמרות כהונה ולויה “shifts for duty of priests and Levites”.

משמרת כל העדה לפני אהל מועד לעבוד את עבודת המשכן, to assist in the tasks needed to perform the service in the Temple properly. Had it not been for the sin of the golden calf, it would have been the duty/privilege of the members of the Supreme Court, Sanhedrin, to carry out the tasks now allocated to the Levites.

V. 7. ושמרו את משמרתו, die Wacht, die sie zu vollziehen haben, haben sie daher als ein ihnen vom Priestertum übertragenes Amt zu vollziehen, zu gleicher Zeit aber auch als משמרת כל העדה. Das Priestertum selbst ist ja nur eine Vertretung der Gesamtgemeinde am Heiligtum. Das Gesetz ist ja nicht den Priestern und Leviten, es ist der Gesamtgemeinde gegeben und überantwortet, und nicht Priester und Leviten hatten ihm die heilige Stätte zu erbauen und haben sie gebaut, ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם war der Gesamtgemeinde gesagt, die Gott die heilige Stätte seines Gesetzes erbauen sollte, damit Gott in ihrer Mitte gegenwärtig werde. Im Namen der Nation steht daher der Priester und der Levite da, und namentlich ist die Levitenwacht ums Heiligtum namens der Nation zu vollziehen. Das Gesetz und sein Heiligtum ist ein der Nation anvertrautes heiliges Gut, שמירה, dessen "Hut" es vor Verletzung gegen andere und — sich selber zu schützen, ist die allererste Obliegenheit, die ein solches anvertrautes Gut seinen Hütern auferlegt. In ihrem eigenen Interesse, zur Lösung ihrer ersten verantwortungsreichsten Pflicht, lässt daher die Nation sich selber im ganzen und einzelnen gegenüber die Leviten Wache halten um die Wohnung des Gesetzeszeugnisses, wie ja diese Wacht nicht nur dem Volke, sondern auch den Priestern gegenüber zu vollziehen ist, und das והזר הקרב יומת, das (Kap. 1, 51) jeden Unbefugten vom Levitendienst zurückweist, nicht nur das Volk, sondern auch die Leviten gegenseitig und auch die Priester in bezug zur Levitenfunktion, wie wir bereits bemerkt, in die gesetzlichen Schranken weist.

They shall take care to preserve his guardianship. This refers to what is necessary for the service to prepare the sacrifices, the meal-offerings, and the libations, which is the practical aspect of the priestly guardianship.

ושמרו את משמרתו, “and they shall keep his charge (The High Priest’s) in accordance with his instructions.

לעבד את עבדת המשכן: die Leviten haben vom Priester (משמרתו) und von der Gesamtgemeinde (משמרת כל העדה) den Auftrag לעבד את עבדת המשכן, den Dienst an der Wohnung des Zeugnisses zu vollziehen. Sie stehen im Dienste des משכן im Namen Aharons und im Namen der Gemeinde.

ואת משמרת כל העדה, “and the charge of the whole congregation;” a reference to anything the Israelites were supposed to do in front of the Tent of Meeting they should see to it that it be done.

לעבוד את עבודת המשכן, “to perform the service of the Tabernacle.” Details had been spelled out already in 1,50.

ואת משמרת בני ישראל [AND THEY SHALL KEEP ALL THE VESSELS OF THE TENT OF MEETING] AND THE CHARGE OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL — It is called “the charge of the children of Israel” because all of them (all the Israelites) were really bound to care for the needs of the Sanctuary, only that the Levites took their places as representing them. For this reason they (the Levites) received from them the tithes as a reward, as it is said, (Numbers 18:31) “for it (the tithe) is your hire in exchange for your service”.

משמרת בני ישראל לעבוד את עבודת המשכן, the auxiliary aspects of the service in the Tabernacle, to carry, to sing, etc; these tasks, if not for the sin of the golden calf, would have been assigned to ordinary members of the people at large instead of being reserved exclusively for the Levites.

V. 8. מנורה ,שולחן ,ארון .ושמרו את כלי אהל מועד und מזבחות sind die כלי אהל מועד durch sie wird das משכן erst zum sammelnden Mittelpunkte, in welchem die Gesamtgemeinde ihre sie alle einigende Bestimmung findet; denn in ihnen ist die zu lösende Aufgabe (ארון), und die daraus für jede jüdische Seele sich ergebende Gewährung und Anforderung (מנורה שולחן מזבחות) niedergelegt. Diese כלים vertraut ihnen das משכן an, und sie sind zugleich ein ihnen von jeder jüdischen Seele anvertrautes Gut, sie sind משמרת בני ישראל, jeder jüdischen Seele ruht darin ein Anrecht, und in diesem Sinne haben sie des Dienstes der Wohnung zu warten.

נתונים המה לו THEY ARE GIVEN UNTO HIM as a help.

נתונים נתונים המה לו, all their (the Levites’) service was to be performed at the instruction of Aaron, to whom the Levites had been delegated by the people.

נתונים,נתונים, the repetition of the word is similar to the repetition נתן תתן להם אחזת נחלה, “be sure to give” in English, in Numbers 27,7.

For assistance. Meaning for the holy service, but not for mundane work. Rashi’s proof is from that which is mentioned in Parshas Korach, “that I have given you a gift to perform the work of the Tent of Meeting” (Bamidbar 18:6). From there one may infer that it was specifically for holy service, but not for the mundane.

V. 9. ונתתה. Wenn nun gleich die Leviten ihren Dienst namens der Priester und namens des Volkes zu vollziehen haben, so sind sie doch keineswegs weder von dem Priester noch von der Volksgemeinde etwa kraft einer ihnen innewohnenden Machtvollkommenheit und eines von ihnen ausgehenden Willensaktes zu bestellen, vielmehr: ,וְנָתַתָה Gott verfügt also durch Mosche, eine durch Mosche zu vollziehende göttliche Anordnung überträgt die der Gesamtheit und für dieselbe den Priestern obliegende Heiligtumswacht und Heiligtumsdienstversorgung den Leviten. Mosche hat sie aus dem Volke heraus, oder als von dem Volke, den Priestern zu solchem Zwecke zu "geben". Namentlich den Priestern steht daher über diesen bestimmten Zweck und über das in solcher Gottesverfügung Liegende hinaus keinerlei Machtbefugnis über die Leviten zu. נתונים נתונים המה לו "gegeben, gegeben" sind sie ihnen: die Stellung der Leviten zu den Priestern fließt nicht aus einer allgemeinen Überordnung der Priester über sie und geht überall nicht weiter, als mit Zweck und Inhalt dieser Verfügung an die Priester denselben eingeräumt ist.