Comentários de Citação sobre Números 10:8

For the Chief Musician: on Neginoth. A Psalm of David: – Our teachers of blessed memory have said (Shoher Tod, ad loc.) that “this Psalm was uttered in three kinds of praise, in nissuah (נצוח), in niggun (ןגוי), and in mizmor (מזמור).” It is evident that the (person called the) מנצח (“Chief Musician”) is the one who was over the singers, and that the Psalms were rendered under the direction of the(se) “Chief Musicians,” who assigned them to (certain) players and singers. [This view is supported by the fact that] you nowhere find [as titles] “For the Singer” or “For the Player,” but only For the Chief Musician. And accordingly we have in the Prayer of Habakkuk (3:19) “For the Chief Musician on my stringed instruments”; and so the text (1 Chron. 23:4) “to superintend (לנצח) the work of the house of the Lord.” It is written also (ibid. 15:21) “with harps set to the Sheminith to lead (לנצח).” And it is the case that there was a “Chief Musician” over the instrument called Neginoth and another over that called Sheminith. And the songs and the melodies and the praises were rendered each according to the melody known in connexion with them; for it was a great science and would stimulate the rational soul, and was reckoned in the category of secular sciences. And the instruments which were (used) in the Temple for praise were lutes, lyres, cymbals, trumpets, and a horn. The instruments also were classified according to melodies known in connexion with them. Of the melodies there was that called Alamoth, as in the text (1 Chron. 15:20) and written (Ps. 46:1), “Set to Alamoth. A Song.” And there was that called Neginoth, and in this the present Psalm was rendered. And there was one of them called Maskil, and there was one of them called Mikhtam. There was also Shiggaion, and there was Nehiloth, and there was Shigionoth, and there was Gittith. One of the instruments was called “Tenstrings,” another “Pipes,” and another “Minnim.” And each of these is classified in its melody as it was known to the masters of the science. We find also a text which says (i Chron. 23:5), “And four thousand praised the Lord with the instruments I made to praise.” It is not known, however, whether the instruments were in the hands of those who were actually reciting the Psalm, or whether they acted together – those who sang with the mouth, and opposite them those who played upon (musical) instruments. We find also another text which says (2 Chron. 7:6), “And the Levites with the instruments of music of the Lord which David the king had made to give thanks unto the Lord, for His mercy (endureth) for ever, when David praised by their ministry: and the priests sounded the trumpets before them.” And further it is written (ibid. 29:28), “and the singers sang and the trumpeters sounded.” Now the trumpets alone were in the hands of the priests, as it is written (Num. 10:8), “and the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets;” and the rest of the instruments were in the hands of the Levites; and so it is written (2 Chron. 29:26), “And the Levites stood with the instruments of David and the priests with the trumpets.”

בהר סיני, “at Mount Sinai;” all the portions preceding this one from the beginning of the Book of Leviticus had been revealed to Moses from the Tabernacle, (G–d’s voice emanating from the top of the Hoy Ark) and they all concerned laws of importance for the service in the Tabernacle in one way or another. The two portions commencing here had been revealed to Moses at Mount Sinai, as they neither concerned the Tabernacle nor the priests. This is the reason why the Torah here added the words: “at Mount Sinai.” Nonetheless, they were included in the Book of Leviticus, seeing that they deal with the laws of sh’mittah and Yovel as well as the laws of Erchin and Charamim which are administered by the priests. In verse 9 of our chapter the Torah decrees the blowing of the shofar on the tenth of Tishrey when the Jubilee year officially begins. This blowing of the shofar was performed by one of the priests. The fact that this blowing of the shofar when required was performed by the priests is documented in Numbers chapter 10, verse 8. In order that we should not think that these laws were issued from the Tabernacle, the Torah added the words: בהר סיני, “at Mount Sinai.”

ויבא משה ואהרן, Moses and Aaron arrived (at the Palace); the reason why the Torah did not mention during the other plagues that both Moses and Aaron arrived at the Palace together, is that Aaron had been present at every interview Moses had with Pharaoh. The reason that it needed to be stressed here, is that shortly the Torah will tell us that after Pharaoh had thrown out Moses and Aaron they were both recalled at Pharaoh’s servants urging him to do so. (Verse 8)

and the priests were sounding the trumpets opposite them For it was incumbent upon them to play music with the trumpets, as it is said (Num. 10: 8): “And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow [with the trumpets].”

and the priests with the trumpets as it is written (Num. 10:8): “And Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall blow the trumpets.”