Comentário sobre Êxodo 24:1

ואל משה אמר AND UNTO MOSES HE SAID — This section was spoken before the Ten Commandments were given (i. e. אמר is the pluperfect); it was the fourth of Sivan when “Come up” was said to him (Shabbat 88a).

AND UNTO MOSES HE SAID: ‘COME UP UNTO THE ETERNAL etc.’ “This section was told to Moses before the giving of the Ten Commandments, on the fourth day of Sivan.” This is Rashi’s language. “And the Eternal said unto Moses: ‘Come up to Me into the mountain, and be there’⁴⁶⁵Verse 12 (further in this section). — this was said to Moses after the Giving of the Torah.” These too are Rashi’s words. But if so, the sections of the Torah are not in chronological order, nor even in their ordinary sense! Moreover, it is written here, And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Eternal, and all the ordinances,⁴⁶⁶Verse 3. which are these ordinances written above, concerning which He said, And these are the ordinances which thou shalt set before them.⁴⁶⁷Above, 21:1. For it is not correct to interpret the expression: and all the ordinances,⁴⁶⁶Verse 3. to mean [as Rashi wrote], the ordinances which “the sons of Noah”⁴⁶⁸See Vol. I, p. 417, Notes 147-8. were commanded, or the laws which were given to the Israelites in Marah⁴⁶⁹See above, 15:25. which they had already heard and knew, and besides, the word vayesapeir (and he told)⁴⁶⁶Verse 3. always indicates new things which one tells!
But Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra has already grasped this subject correctly, in explaining the verses to be in their proper order, when he commented:⁴⁷⁰On the preceding Verse (23:33). “Up to here is the Book of the Covenant.” On the basis of this statement it can be seen that all the sections of the Torah are in methodical arrangement. For after the Giving of the Torah immediately on the same day G-d said to Moses, Thus shall you tell the children of Israel: Ye yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from heaven,⁴⁷¹Above, 20:19. and He began to warn them again against idolatry, by saying, Ye shall not make with Me etc.,⁴⁷²Ibid., Verse 20. and He continued to command him, Now these are the ordinances which thou shalt set before them,⁴⁶⁷Above, 21:1. and all the commandments following that, and finally He finished with the admonition against the worship of idols which they find in the Land, and against making a covenant with their worshippers. He then said to Moses, “After you have commanded them this, come up unto the Eternal, thou and Aaron.” The section mentions that Moses did according to the command of G-d, and came to the camp and told the people all the words of the Eternal⁴⁶⁶Verse 3. as He had commanded him, Thus shall you tell the children of Israel: Ye yourselves have seen etc.;⁴⁷¹Above, 20:19. and all the ordinances,⁴⁶⁶Verse 3. as He had commanded him, Now these are the ordinances which thou shalt set before them.⁴⁶⁷Above, 21:1. The people received everything with joy and said, All that the Eternal hath spoken will we do,⁴⁷³Above 19:8. See though my Hebrew commentary, p. 447, where it is pointed out that since this verse relates to an event before the Revelation and Ramban is now discussing the events after the Revelation, we must perforce understand his use of that verse, in a stylistic manner, namely, that the people joyfully accepted upon themselves the duty of observing all of G-d’s commandments. meaning that all these things which G-d has told you we will do, for we believe in your words; just as he narrated in the Book of Deuteronomy [that the people said to him], and thou shalt speak unto us all that the Eternal our G-d may speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it,⁴⁷⁴Deuteronomy 5:24. and then Moses wrote them down. Thus on that day he wrote down in a book all that he had been commanded — the statutes, the ordinances, and the laws — and he rose up early in the morning⁴⁷⁵Verse 4. of the following day to make a covenant with them concerning all this. He built the altar and offered the sacrifices,⁴⁷⁵Verse 4. and put half of the blood upon the altar of G-d, and half of it he put in basins⁴⁷⁶Verse 6. [in order to sprinkle upon the people],⁴⁷⁷As explained further in Ramban, (also in Rashi). For the reason of exact division into two equal parts see further in the text of Ramban and also in Note 479. and he took the book which he had written the day before and read it in their hearing,⁴⁷⁸Verse 7. and they accepted upon themselves to make the covenant with Him, saying. All that the Eternal hath spoken will we do, and hearken⁴⁷⁸Verse 7. to you and to whatever you will command in His Name. Then he sprinkled upon them half of the blood [which he had put in the basins], for this is the sign of a covenant, when two things⁴⁷⁹By putting half of the blood upon the altar of G-d and the other half upon the people, Moses indicated that “the two [parties to the covenant] come into equal parts.” See Deuteronomy 26:17-18, and also Vayikra Rabbah 6:5, where the equal division of the blood is explained as signifying that G-d swore to Israel never to exchange it for another nation, and Israel swore eternal fidelity to G-d. come in equal parts. Now after he finished what he did with them, he had to fulfill the word of G-d which He told him, Come up… thou and Aaron, etc. and it is with reference to this that it is said, Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu etc.⁴⁸⁰Verse 9. He completed that which he had been commanded,⁴⁸¹I.e., And Moses alone shall come near unto the Eternal (Verse 2). by coming near alone unto the Eternal. It is with reference to this that it is said, And Moses entered into the midst of the cloud etc.⁴⁸²Further, Verse 18. Thus the act of the covenant took place on the day after the Giving of the Torah, and on that day was the ascent, when Moses went up into the mountain and he stayed from then on for forty days. It is with reference to this that Scripture explains, and on the seventh day He called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud,⁴⁸³Ibid., Verse 16. [i.e., the seventh day of the month Sivan, which was the day after the Giving of the Torah], and it is said, And Moses entered into the midst of the cloud.⁴⁸²Further, Verse 18. All this is correctly and clearly explained.
Now I have seen in the Mechilta⁴⁸⁴Mechilta above, 19:10. That the Rabbis differed on this matter. Some say⁴⁸⁵This is the opinion of Rabbi Yishmael. that the making of the covenant took place before the Giving of the Torah — on the fifth day of Sivan — and Moses said to them: “Now you are bound, held and tied; tomorrow come and accept upon yourselves all the commandments.” But Rabbi Yosei the son of Rabbi Yehudah says: “All these acts were done on one and the same day,” that is to say all these acts were performed on the same day, namely the day after the Torah was given — all that Moses told the people and the writing of the Book of the Covenant — all as we have explained. And to this one [i.e., Rabbi Yosei the son of Rabbi Yehudah] we listen, since he has spoken according to the accepted opinion.⁴⁸⁶See Peah 4:1 for origin of this expression [“to this one we listen etc.”].

ואל משה אמר עלה!, after He had finished telling him כה תאמר אל בני ישראל אתם ראיתם in 20,18. At that time He had explained to the people that they must not try and “reach” Him through intermediaries, but that all that was required was an altar made of earth, coupled with the meticulous observance of His commandments as spelled out in the Ten Commandments. The verse tells us that all of these things were explained to the whole nation. However, ואל משה אמר, to Moses himself G’d had said that he should come up to the mountain just as he had been commanded to do already before the revelation, when G’d had said to him in 19,14 לך רד ועלית אתה ואהרן עמך.

ואל משה אמר, And He had said to Moses (previously), etc. It appears that this paragraph was revealed immediately after the revelation at Mount Sinai but was inserted in the Torah only here. There is no point in citing numerous arguments proving this theory. Ibn Ezra, Nachmanides, and Rashbam are all agreed that the paragraph must have been revealed at the time of the revelation.

ואל משה אמר, from Exodus 20,18 ומשה נגש אל הערפל including the paragraph which the Torah introduces here, all this was communicated to Moses on the same day the Ten Commandments were spoken by G’d. When the Torah here refers to what G’d “had said to Moses,” this refers to what He said to him alone before Moses descended from the mountain on that same day.

ואל משה אמר עלה אל ה' אתה ואהרן נדב ואביהו ושבעים מזקני ישראל, “and He had said to Moses: “ascend, you and Aaron, Nadav and Avihu as well as 70 of the elders of Israel.” I find it puzzling that Eleazar and ittamar, Aaron’s other sons, were not included in this invitation. Surely they were more distinguished than the seventy elders mentioned in our verse. We have a list of the respective rank of Israelite dignitaries at the time in Maimonides ביאת המקדש ה,יג in which he enumerates the following ranks in this order: Aaron, Eleazar, Ittamar, and Pinchas. The above-mentioned all rose to the position of High Priest, and were superior in a variety of ways to the seventy elders. We have a tradition that Nadav and Avihu had already become guilty of death by burning during the episode introduced here (Vayikra Rabbah, 22,10) when they “saw G’d,” i.e. they treated their spiritual high as if it were something ordinary, not even interrupting their eating and drinking during the time they enjoyed this vision. (compare verse 11) Had they not been so highly placed, they might not have been punished in such a salutary manner. At any rate, G’d Who foresees events without necessarily interfering in them, knew that Nadav and Avihu would commit an even greater indiscretion in their enthusiasm to participate in the consecration of the Tabernacle. They were not punished on the occasion described here, as G’d did not want to mar the joy experienced by the people on that day. At the same time, G’d did not want that Aaron would die without a son or grandson who could inherit the office of High Priest. In order not to have all of Aaron’s sons become guilty of the same offence, He did not invite them at the time to accompany Moses part of the way on his ascent to the Mountain. According to Rashi this portion describes events which occurred on the 4th of Sivan, (2 days before the revelation). On the other hand, the instruction to Moses to ascend Mount Sinai (verse 12) occurred after the Ten Commandments had been given. Nachmanides does not agree with this scenario described by Rashi. He supports this by quoting 21,1 claiming that what Moses told the people then were not the 7 Noachide laws, taught to the people at Marah, but laws revealed to him on Mount Sinai. The words ואת כל המשפטים in our verse here (verse 3) as well as the expression ויספר, an expression used only when something new is being revealed, make it plain that this occurred after the giving of the Torah. These were laws mentioned to Moses immediately after the Ten Commandments had been given, laws introduced with the words כה תאמר לבית יעקב, in G’d added there a reference to the people’s visual experience, i.e. אתם ראיתם “you have witnessed, etc.” (at Mount Sinai, i.e. the revelation) Subsequently, G’d commanded the משפטים to the people as described in chapter 21, and the people accepted all of these joyfully, culminating in their declaration כל הדברים אשר דבר ה' נעשה, “we will perform all the instructions G’d has issued.” (24,3) This was a declaration of faith in Moses who had conveyed all these laws to them in the name of Hashem. It was at this point that G’d said to Moses to tell the people to go back to their respective tents. (Deut. 5,27) It is reported there that the people went back to their tents and made a great celebration on that day. They prepared the slaughtering of the animals for the following day as there was not enough time left on the day of the revelation to build a major altar and 12 minor altars known as מצבה. (compare verse 4) Moses had meanwhile written down all that had been revealed on that day orally. It was better to give the people time to prepare properly for the conclusion of the covenant on the following day. On that day the people rose early in readiness for what was to develop. The people stood at the foot of Mount Sinai, the very place where they had stood to receive the Ten Commandments. It was here that Moses built the altar and the 12 pillars representing the 12 tribes of Israel. After the offerings had been presented on the altar, Moses read for the people what he had written down on the previous day. (verse 6) and the people responded with the famous נעשה ונשמע, “we are prepared to carry it out, let’s hear the details.” The words ויעל משה ואהרן concluded the making of the covenant. G’d invited Moses to ascend the Mountain once more and there to receive the Tablets on which were inscribed the Ten Commandments in G’d’s own writing, and to remain on the Mountain for some time, (verse 12) speaks of the day following the giving of the Torah, the 7th day of Sivan, G’d announced to him that at the end of that stay he would receive the Tablets. As to the grammatically strange wording ואל משה אמר עלה, which we would normally translate as “and He had said (previously to all this) to Moses: ‘ascend,’ etc.,” we have to understand this in context. Up until now the commandments Moses had related to the people were applicable to the people, including Moses, of course. Now the Torah refers to a commandment that had been given exclusively to Moses, to be performed only by him. G’d commanded him the details of this commandment after Moses had instructed the people in what they were expected to do, and had concluded the covenant with them. G’d then said to him “ascend to Me,” accompanied by the people enumerated, for a part of the way.

On the 4th of Sivan. . . [Rashi knows this] because afterwards it is written (v. 3), “Moshe came and told the people. . .” and Rashi explains that Moshe told it to them on that same day. [And that verse goes on to say that Moshe told them] “all the words of Adonoy.” And Rashi explains that this is the command to separate from their wives. And Rashi explained earlier, in Parshas Yisro (19:9—10), that the mitzvah of separation was on the 4th of Sivan.

Kap. 24. V. 1. Der erste Akt der Gesetzgebung war vollendet, er bildet den Inhalt der vier Kapitel 20.—23. Er schloss mit der Warnung vor zu großem Selbstvertrauen in die etwa bereits erlangte geistige und sittliche Reife, und dies führt mit Kap. 24 zu der Gegenwart des um den Sinai zum Empfangen des Gesetzes versammelten Volkes zurück, und knüpft unmittelbar an den Schluss des 19. Kap. V. 24 wieder an. Es war dort das Volk in entfernender Umgrenzung von dem Berge gehalten, wiederholt war die Warnung ausgesprochen, nicht hinan zu der Gotteserscheinung zu drängen, nur Mosche und Aaron sollten hinansteigen; während die ersten zehn Gesetze gesprochen wurden, war sogar Mosche unten beim Volke, und nur bei der Erteilung der folgenden Gesetze, — vom Kap. 20, 19 und weiter — war Mosche näher als das Volk zu dem die Gotteserscheinung umhüllenden Gewölke hingetreten, das Volk aber in der Ferne geblieben (das. V. 18). Hierauf blickt nun unser Vers mit dem Satze: ואל משה אמר עלה וגו׳, wo das Praeteritum wie gewöhnlich das Plusquamperfectum ausdrückt, und vervollständigt nur das Kap. 19, 24 Gesagte dadurch, dass auch Aarons beiden ältesten Söhne und siebzig aus den Volkesältesten mit hinansteigen sollen. Oder, wie dies רמב׳׳ן auffasst, es ist die gegensätzliche Konstruktion. Alles Bisherige war an die Gesamtheit gerichtet, ואל משה אמר, Mosche selbst betreffend aber sprach Gott nach Vollendung der Gesamtvorschriften usw. Dem stünde nur entgegen, dass dem Kap. 19, 24 gebotenen Hinangehen Aarons noch nicht genügt worden war. Jedenfalls wird hier V. 1 u.2 selbst nach dem Abschluss dieses ersten Abschnittes der sinaitischen Gesetzoffenbarung wiederholt das Volk ferne gehalten, und nur Mosche und mit ihm Aaron, Nadab und Abihu und eine Auswahl von siebzig aus den Ältesten des Volkes zum Hinantritt auf den Berg zugelassen, und zwar auch diese mit der Unterscheidung, dass Mosche allein ganz hinan sich zu begeben habe, seine Begleiter aber zuerst mit ihm in einer Entfernung ihre Hingebung an Gott durch Niederwerfen ausdrücken, sodann aber in dieser Entfernung beharren sollen, während Mosche allein in die unmittelbare Nähe zu Gott hinanzutreten habe. Also, dass sich die jüdische Gesamtheit in drei Gruppen darstellen sollte: das Volk, völlig getrennt vom Berge; Aaron und eine Elite des Volkes, fern vom Gipfel; Mosche, in der Gipfelnähe.

ואל משה אמר, “and He had said to Moses:” this paragraph up to and including verse 4: 'את כל דברי ה, “all the words of the Lord,” were said to him on the fourth day of Sivan, [two days before the revelation, Ed.] as I have explained at the time. (19,15) According to the plain meaning of the text, an angel had said this to Moses at this time; the text is abbreviated, and is one of many such verses in the Torah.

And unto Moses He said. The reason for this kind of expression [when it should have said, as elsewhere, And the Eternal spoke unto Moses], is that up till now the commandments and the ordinances were addressed to the children of Israel, therefore Scripture said here that this particular commandment was given to Moses, that he alone should do it; thus He commanded him: “After you have set before them the commandments and the ordinances, and have made with them the covenant, come up to Me.” This was why Moses fulfilled the first command [i.e., of telling the people the section beginning with Ye yourselves have seen — above 20:19 — up to for they will be a snare unto thee — 23:33], on the sixth day of Sivan, [following the Revelation which took place on that morning], and on the seventh he rose up early in the morning and made with them the covenant, and after that he went up into the mountain, he and those that were asked to come,⁴⁸⁷I.e., Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel (Verse 1). as they were commanded.⁴⁸⁸I.e., just as at the time of the Giving of the Torah Moses had a place designated for himself, Aaron a place designated for himself, and the people a place designated for themselves (see Ramban above 19:19), so here too Moses approached closer than Aaron, etc.

'עלה אל ה, this command was issued on the day following Moses’ most recent return from the mountain. He was now bidden to ascend the mountain again of the following day.

I have seen an undisputed theory in the Mechilta according to which Moses built an altar on the fifth day of Sivan (a day before the revelation) and that this was the altar mentioned in verse 4, and that he concluded a covenant with the people confirming their adherence to the seven Noachide laws as well as to the statutes he had taught the people at Marah (15,25). Some rabbis hold that the covenant Moses made the people swear to at that time covered all the laws revealed in the Torah till the end of the Book of Leviticus. According to these sages all those laws had to be revealed before the revelation at Mount Sinai. Seeing the people had not been asked to enter into a covenant concernig any of G'd's laws prior to this, we must assume that Moses tested them to see if they were willing to enter into such a covenant of their own free will concerning all of the commandments which had already been revealed even though it had not been G'd Himself who had given them these commandments. Perhaps we find a hint of all this in G'd telling Moses in 19,3:"and tell the children of Israel!" Shabbat 86 understands this directive to mean that Moses was to illustrate the legislation to the people by employing parables and other homiletical material to make these laws appear acceptable in their eyes. As a result of clever presentation of all these laws the people would be prepared to swear an oath obligating themselves to observe all of these commandments. The statement in Shabbat 86 that the Israelites did not say: "we will listen and do," but: "we will do and listen," was the outcome of their each having been "crowned" by 600,000 angels. All these comments prove that our paragraph refers to events prior to the giving of the Torah.

Wir haben schon oben zu Kap. 19. VV. 10. —13, entwickelt, wie durch diese räumliche Abgrenzung des zum Empfangen des Gesetzes versammelten Volkes eine zweifache, dieses Gesetz spezifisch von allen andern unterscheidende Wahrheit dürfte zur faktischen Anschauung haben kommen sollen nämlich: der außermenschliche, überirdische Ursprung dieses Gesetzes, und der zur Zeit dieses Ursprungs geistige und sittliche Abstand des Volkes, das es empfing, von der Höhe, zu welcher es erst durch dies Gesetz im Laufe der Zeit erhoben werden sollte. Es war das Israel der Zukunft, für welches das damalige Geschlecht das Gesetz aus Gottes Händen empfing!

Come up to the Eternal. In line with the simple meaning of Scripture, the reason for this expression [when it should have said: “Come up unto Me”], is because it is the Scriptural style to mention the proper name instead of the pronoun, such as: And Lemech said… Ye wives of Lemech;⁴⁸⁹Genesis 4:23. It should have said: “My wives.” and the Eternal sent Jerubaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel.⁴⁹⁰I Samuel 12:11. Since Samuel was the speaker, he should have said: “and myself.” A similar case is the verse, and cause Thy face to shine upon Thy Sanctuary that is desolate, for the Eternal’s sake.⁴⁹¹Daniel 9:17. It should have said: “for Thy sake.” In the Talmud,⁴⁹²Sanhedrin 38b. however, we find that they⁴⁹³“They” — the Rabbis, asked. To understand, however, the following references in Ramban it is necessary to know that the question was addressed by a min [a Jewish infidel], to Rav Idie for sectarian purposes. The answer here quoted was given by Rav Idie. asked, “It should have said, ‘come up to Me,’” and therefore they said, “this refers to Mattatron, whose name is even as the Name of his Master.”⁴⁹⁴See Ramban above, 23:20. That is to say, “And unto Moses He — the Divine Name mentioned at the beginning of this subject, namely, And the Eternal said unto Moses⁴⁹⁵Above, 20:19. — said, come up to Mattatron, for My Name is in him.” The meaning is thus: “Come up to the place of the Glory where the great angel is,” and the intention was that Moses should come into the midst of the cloud⁴⁸²Further, Verse 18. where the Glory of G-d was, but he should not come right up to the Proper Divine Name, for man shall not see Me, and live.⁴⁹⁶Further, 33:20. The intention of our Rabbis is thus not at all as Rashi had written above.⁴⁹⁷23:20. — Ramban refers to what Rashi wrote there, that the verse mentioned further on [after the sin with the golden calf], and I will send an angel before thee (33:2) has reference to Mattatron. That is not correct, for Moses did not consent that the angel mentioned there should go with them (Abusaula). See also Ramban above 23:20 for a full discussion. In Tractate Sanhedrin also the Rabbi [Rashi] turned the subject around.⁴⁹⁸In Sanhedrin 38 b, Rashi commented: “This is Mattatron. It was he who said Come up unto the Eternal.” Ramban’s opinion, as explained above, is that the Eternal said, “Come up to Mattatron.” Now I have already mentioned⁴⁹⁹Above, 23:20, and in Seder Bo 12:12. the Rabbis’ intention concerning this name [Mattatron], and all their words are true. In that homily, however, [related in Tractate Sanhedrin, concerning the infidel’s question to Rav Idie],⁴⁹³“They” — the Rabbis, asked. To understand, however, the following references in Ramban it is necessary to know that the question was addressed by a min [a Jewish infidel], to Rav Idie for sectarian purposes. The answer here quoted was given by Rav Idie. the Sages spoke in an abstract manner, since Rav Idie did not want, Heaven forbid, to reveal to that infidel who asked him the question, the matter of the great Mattatron and its secret! Instead, he mentioned to him that the verse speaks of the angel who is “the guide of the road” of the world below; and hence he told him, that “even as a guide we refused to accept him, for it is written [that Moses said], If ‘panecha’ — [literally: ‘Thy face’ or ‘Thy presence’] go not up, carry us not up hence,”⁵⁰⁰Further, 33:15. for we accepted no messenger, only the Revered G-d. I have already explained⁵⁰¹Above, 20:3. clearly the secret of panim (face) and the whole subject to those learned in the secret lore of the Cabala, in the section of the Giving of the Torah.

אתה ואהרן; immediately after being told this Moses descended. ויספר לעם את כל דברי ה' וגו'. A reference to Exodus 20, 20-21. On the morrow he built an altar, offered sacrifices, and still on the same day he ascended to where the cloud enveloped him for the duration of 6 days (verse 15).

Mit dieser, der Entfernung des Volkes vom Berge und selbst seiner Auserwählten von der Gipfelhöhe zu Grunde liegenden Idee, schließt sich das Kap. 24 der unmittelbar vorangehenden Warnung an, die eben auf der noch erst zu erlangenden Reife des Volkes basiert. Hat ja der Erfolg aus dem verlockenden Zusammenleben mit den Völkern des Heidentums den Abstand des Volkes von der geistigen und sittlichen Höhe des ihm mit dem Empfange des Gesetzes gewordenen Berufes leider nur zu sehr dokumentiert. Zugleich erscheint eben diese Tatsache der erst von der Zukunft zu erwartenden vollen Berufshöhe des Gottesgesetzvolkes als eine der bei dem folgenden leitenden Ideen (siehe zu V. 4).

ואל משה אמר, an angel told Moses,

Indem aber bis zu einer gewissen Grenze Aaron und Auserwählte des Volkes Mosche den Berg hinan begleiten, ist damit zugleich nach anderer Seite hin die Wahrheit veranschaulicht, dass zwischen der Moschehöhe und dem Volke keineswegs eine spezifisch scheidende Kluft liege, dass etwa Mosche einer mehr als menschlichen Natur teilhaftig gewesen wäre, die seine Gott nahe Stufe bedingt hätte. Vielmehr spricht eben diese Abstufung aus: Mosche war ein Mensch wie alle andern; nicht der Art, dem Grade nach war das Göttliche in ihm höher entwickelt, und hinan zu seiner Stufe zu streben, ist jeder so berufen als befähigt. —

'עלה אל ה; seeing the command did not conclude with the word אלי, “to Me,” we must assume that it was issued by an angel speaking in G’d’s name. On the other hand, in verse 12 where G’d Himself invites Moses, He does add the word אלי, “to Me.”

And that is that He commanded us to redeem the firstborn man, that we should give the money to the priest. And that is His saying, "you shall give me your firstborn sons" (Exodus 22:28). And He explained to us how this giving should be: And it is that we redeem him from the priest; and it is as if [the priest] already acquired him, and we purchase him from him for five sela - and that is His saying, "but surely redeem the firstborn man" (Numbers 18:15). And this commandment is the commandment of redeeming the son. And women are not obligated in it - indeed it is one of the commandments of the son that is upon the father, as it is explained in Kiddushin (Kiddushin 29a). And all of the laws of this commandment have already been explained in Bekhorot. However Levites are not obligated in it. (See Parashat Mishpatim; Mishneh Torah, Firstlings.)