Comentários de Citação sobre Números 7:10

A Midrashic approach: the words: “It was on the day Moses completed the erecting of the Tabernacle” are reminiscent of Proverbs 27,18: “He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit; he who waits on his master will be honoured.” G’d does not withhold the appropriate reward for any creature. If man has toiled and devoted his best efforts to something worthy he will be rewarded. The Midrash illustrates this with the example of David, his son Solomon, and the Temple. It is well known that the scheme to build the Temple originated with David. Not only did he amass most of the funds and materials for the project but he had drawn up detailed blue prints. This is why we find that psalm 30,1 credits the Temple to David rather than to his son Solomon who had spent seven years building it. At the inauguration the hymn commences with the words מזמור שיר חנוכת הבית לדוד, “a psalm for David. A song for the dedication of the House.” You will observe a similar phenomenon with the Tabernacle. Seeing that Moses had devoted so much effort to see the Tabernacle built, had assembled it, erected it, etc., we find here that though Betzalel was the chief architect and executive carrying out the construction, that the Torah speaks about the day “Moses completed the Tabernacle.” This is the way the Torah expresses its recognition of the contribution by people whose efforts is likened to those who plant a fig tree.
Another Midrashic insight: the words: “it was on the day Moses completed the Tabernacle,” are reminiscent of another part of Psalms 51,2--21 “May it please You to make Zion prosper; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then You will want sacrifices offered in righteousness, burnt and whole offerings; the bulls will be offered on Your altar.” Seeing that in this world, at the inauguration of the Tabernacle the sacrifices were quantitatively minuscule, as described in verse 12, G’d could have reacted to such measly offerings with some degree of indignation. The Jewish people, forestalling such a complaint explained that seeing they were not in Jerusalem, did not yet have a home of their own, were traveling through the desert, they only presented a token of their esteem for their king G’d. They hinted in this psalm that as soon as their king would lead them to their permanent home they would reciprocate by presenting the King with sacrifices more in keeping with his stature. In fact when you will study the report of the inauguration of Solomon’s Temple and compare it with the inauguration of the Tabernacle you will be amazed at the quantitative difference. The courtyard of the Temple had to be enlarged (the sanctified area) in order to accommodate all the animals being slaughtered on that occasion. Kings I 8,63 tells of 22,000 oxen, 120,0000 sheep. being sacrificed at that time. Even during the days of Ezra, at the inauguration of the second Temple, when the economic and numerical condition of the Jewish people was a far cry from the glorious days of Solomon, we read that 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and 12 goats were offered on that occasion (Ezra 6,17).
Another interpretation: The choice of the word כלות in the verse ויהי ביום כלות משה להקים את המשכן causes Rabbi Yochanan to understand the meaning of the word in the same sense as in Genesis 18,21 where it referred to total extinction of the people of Sodom. As long as the Tabernacle had not been erected the various destructive forces commonly known as demons had free reign on earth. When Moses had ascended Mount Sinai he recited Psalms 91,1 יושב בסתר עליון בצל שדי יתלונן, extolling “the Jewish people who had been allowed to reside in the shelter of the Most High and abide in the protection of Shaddai.” Tanchuma Nasso 23 understands these words slightly differently i.e. the word צל, shadow, has a numerical value of 120. This is the combined number of days (3 times 40) which Moses spent in that “hideout” near G’d on the mountain. In verse two of that hymn Moses says to G’d: “my refuge and stronghold, my G’d in whom I trust.” G’d responded: “seeing you placed your trust in Me, I will indeed stand by you.” This is why the following verses dealing with miraculous rescues refer particularly to David whom G’d rescued from certain death at the hands of King Shaul (compare Samuel I 23,26). On the words ותחת כנפיו תחסה צנה וסוחרה אמתו, “and under His wings you will find refuge; His fidelity is an encircling shield (verse 4),” Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish comments in that same Midrash that G’d promises to act in the fashion described for all who are true students of Torah. The next verse in the psalm, speaking of there being no need to fear the terror by night or the arrow that flies by day, is a reference to destructive forces on earth known by Moses in the psalm, i.e. the ones who fly around by day. The term קטב מרירי mentioned in verse six is a destructive agent whose sighting the victim is not likely to survive at all. It kills man and beast alike without direct contact. To help identify this creature, our author describes its head as similar to the head of a calf, it sprouts one horn on the middle of its forehead; the time of year when it is rampant is between the 17th of Tammuz and the ninth of Av, i.e. the period when the city of Jerusalem and at the end the Temple were captured and destroyed.
When the psalmist (Moses) continues in verse 10 with: “no harm will befall you, no disease will touch your tent,” this is a reference to the Tent of Meeting, the Tabernacle. As long as the Tabernacle had not become functional these various destructive forces were commonplace; from the day described in our verse they ceased to exist.

inaugurated it as in “the dedication of the altar” [Numbers 7: 10], and also “initiate the child” [Proverbs 22: 6] (from which our Sages, of blessed memory, derived the principle that one must educate one’s children [Qiddushin 30a]). The reason for these commandments is that his attention, and all of his desires, are directed to dedicating his house. Thus, his thoughts are on his house, and not on the battle; consequently, he will flee, and he will induce others to flee.

אבני שהם ואבני מלאים, onyx stones, and stones to be set, etc. Why were these items mentioned only after the other eleven types of materials? They should have been listed even ahead of gold and silver seeing they are of superior value! Perhaps the reason is that the princes who contributed these stones did so only after the people had contributed all their donations. We are told in Bamidbar Rabbah 12,16 that G'd was so displeased with the tardiness of the princes in bringing their donations that the Torah does not even spell the word נשיאים fully in the relevant passage but omits the letter י in their title (compare Numbers 7,10). Mentioning their contribution last was a punishment for their tardiness.

חניכיו HIS TRAINED SERVANTS — The word is written without a י (after the כ) so it may be read חניכו “his trained one”, referring to Eliezer whom he had trained to the observance of religious duties. The word חנך signifies introducing a person or a thing, for the first time, to some particular occupation in which it is intended that he should remain (i. e. to dedicate or devote to some particular purpose). It has a similar sense in (Proverbs 22:6) “Train up (חנוך) a child”, and in (Numbers 7:84) חנוכת המזבח “the dedication of the altar”, and (Psalms 30:1) “The dedication (חנוכת) of the house” In old French enseigner; English: to teach, instruct.

הקריב נתנאל בן צוער... הקרב את קרבנו NETANEL BROUGHT HIS OFFERING...HE BROUGHT HIS OFFERING: Why is the word הִקְרִב, “brought [his offering],” used in connection with the tribe of Issachar, but is not used in connection with any of the [other] tribes? Because [the tribe of] Reuben came and complained, “Is it not enough that my brother Judah has preceded me? Let me [at least] offer up after him.” Moses said to him,“I was told by the Almighty that they should offer up in the order in which they travel, according to their divisions.” This is why it says: הִקְרִב אֶת קָרְבָּנוֹ, [in which the word הִקְרִב is] missing a“yud,” [thus] giving it the meaning of הַקְרֵב, in the imperative for he was commanded by the Almighty,“Bring the offering!” What is the meaning of הִקְרִב … הִקְרִב, twice? For because of two reasons he [Issachar] merited to be the second of the tribes to offer their sacrifices: One, because they were [well] versed in the Torah, as it says,“And of the sons of Issachar, those who had understanding of the times” (I Chron. 12:32). Another, because they advised the princes to contribute these offerings (Sifrei Bamidbar 53). In the treatise of Rabbi Moses Hadarshan [“the preacher”], I found [the following]: Rabbi Pinchas the son of Yair says [that] Netanel the son of Zu’ar gave them this idea.