Halakhah к Бамидбар 3:58

I also found explicit with regard to the first of the holidays (Passover), which God gave to Israel prior to instructing them about the Sabbath, “on the fourteenth day of the month at evening you should eat unleavened bread, until the twenty first day of the month at evening” (Exodus 12:18), a total of “seven days” (ibid. 12:19). Thus the evening of the fifteenth is the first day. It is also written “[neither shall any of the flesh] from which you offered in the evening of the first day [be left over] until the morning” (Deuteronomy 16:4). Also, it is known that the firstborn were smitten at midnight (Exodus 12:29), yet it is written “on the day that I smote all firstborn” (Numbers 3:13, 8:17).⁴ The verse informs us that God sanctified all Jewish first born on the day that the Egyptian first born were slain. It seems likely that this took place on the first day of Passover. Also in Scripture “this day is a day of tidings…if we wait until the morning light” (2 Kings 7:9).

Now the darkness proceeded the light, as it is written (Genesis 1:2). The great movement (diurnal movement) includes the time of darkness and light, and that is called “yom” (day), that is, a complete day of twenty-four hours.¹⁸ Thus “day” includes a period of darkness and a period of light, in that order. This does not conflict with the fact that Scripture first mentioned “God called the light ‘day’” (Genesis 1:5) before the night, for this is common with the Hebrew language, namely, when someone mentions two things he should begin with the latter.¹⁹ Verses 3 and 4 refer to the light, therefore verse 5 begins by calling the light “day.” For example, “I gave Jacob and Esau to Isaac, and I gave to Esau…” (Joshua 24:4). In the same way, “Your’s is the day also the night” (Psalms 74:16), and he mentions the minor luminary (the moon) that governs the night before the greater luminary (the sun), although the latter is more important than the former. Also, do not be perplexed when Scripture says “He formed the light and created darkness” (Isaiah 40:12). Scripture puts the light first because it has advantages over darkness, even though darkness came before the light. Similarly, in the verse “His sons Isaac and Ishmael” (Genesis 25:9).²⁰ Isaac is mentioned first, even though he was the younger son. Also, “There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife” (ibid. 49:31), although he buried her.²¹ Abraham is mentioned first although Sarah was buried first.

“On condition that I am rich, and found to be poor or poor and found to be rich”; “On condition that I am a Priest¹³¹The priest is the principle functionary in the divine services. They engage in cultic ceremonies which are conducted mainly in the Temple (in Jerusalem prior to 70 A.D.). In general the priest’s post is authorized by hereditary right and they constitute a distinct class separate from the rest of the people. The Hebrew term used to designate a priest is Kohen. According to sections of the Torah the right or priesthood is maintained exclusively for one family of the levite tribe, the family of Aaron.
In modern times the priest has the following privileges:
a) the right to be called first to the reading of the Torah.
b) the privilege of having the phrase, bi-reshut Kohen (with the permission of the Kohen) added to the Grace after Meals.
c) the laws prohibiting contact with the dead except for close relatives and met mitsva are in full force.
d) the laws prohibiting marriage to a Zonah, a halalah, a proselyte, a divorcee, a widow who has received ḥalizah are still in effect.
e) he is entitled to the priest’s position at the ceremony of the redemption of the first born male.
Reform Judaism does not follow all the traditional laws applying to a Kohen. and found to be a Levite¹³²The tribe of Levi was singled out as the servants of God in the Temple. They were chosen “in place of all the first born among the Israelite people” (Num. 3:40-43). Though priests came from one family of the tribe of Levi all Levites served as attendants to the Priesthood. The superiority of the family of Aaron over the Levites is clearly stressed in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. Since the destruction of the Temple the Levite has no special privileges except being called second after the Kohen to Torah, and washing the hands of the Kohen before the latter blesses the people. Their first born sons need not be redeemed. or a Levite and found to be a Priest;” Netin¹³³Usually non-Jewish temple slaves. Traditionally they were considered descendants of the Gibeonites. This group was considered a second type of those in the prohibited category. and found to be a Mamzer¹³⁴Usually translated as “bastard” but the true definition is found in Kidushin 3:12 “If she cannot contract a legally valid marriage to this man, but can contract a legally valid marriage to others, her offspring [from the former] is a mamzer. A mamzer is the issue of a couple whose sexual relationship is forbidden according to the Torah and is punishable by excommunication or death. A mamzer is also the descendant of a mamzer. According to Deut. 23:3: “A mamzer shall not enter the congregation of the Lord” and may not marry a legitimate Jew or Jewess. Legally the status of a mamzer is no different than any other Jew except with regard to marriage. The mamzer is eligible to hold any public office and he or she maintains their appropriate inheritance rights. or Mamzer and found to be Netin; a town dweller and found to be a city dweller or a city dweller and found to be a town dweller; “on condition that my house is close to a bath” and it is found to be far, far and it is found close; “on condition that I have a slave girl” or “grown daughter or a baker” and he does not have, on condition that he does not have and he has; “on condition that he has a wife and sons”¹³⁵(children). and he does not, on condition that he does not have and he does have; in all of these, or if he said I betrothed you to me with this cup of wine and it is found to be honey or honey and it was found to be water, for example that it was covered and she did not recognize it until afterwards, in all these and similar events even if she said “in my heart I intended to be betrothed to him,” even if the condition is not fulfilled she is not betrothed. It makes no difference if she accepts the betrothal; it makes no difference if she told the agent to accept for her with conditions and the agent changed it, and the same holds true if she deceived him, even if he said¹³⁶(afterwards). “In my heart I intended to betroth her” even though she fooled me, she is not betrothed. [Note: Except if afterwards she explicitly said so at the time of betrothal and the husband heard and was silent (Tur) and similarly if she deceived him (and he said explicitly, even if it was not the case) the betrothal is betrothal.] However if he married her¹³⁷(without conditions). and he said “I thought that she was a Kohenet and she is a Levitess,” or¹³⁸(I thought). a Levitess and she is a Kohenet, rich¹³⁹(I thought). and she is poor, poor¹⁴⁰(I thought). and she is rich behold she is betrothed.

From the roots of the commandment, [there is a need to] preface that there is no doubt that God separated the entire tribe of Levi from the congregation of Israel to always serve Him. And still, within that tribe itself, one [group] was selected to be the head, the officer and the minister over all of them - he and his seed forever, and it is the most sacred of all the tribe - to serve and to minister before God permanently. And He placed the rest of the whole tribe below it, to assist in the service - and as it states (Numbers 18:1), "And the Lord spoke to Aharon saying, 'You, your sons, and your patriarchal lineage shall bear the iniquity of the Temple - meaning to say, that the entire tribe will receive the guarding of the Temple. "But you and your sons with you will bear the iniquity of your priesthood" - meaning to say that the primary service - that is the priesthood - is upon you. And it is written after it (Numbers 18:2), "Also your brothers, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, bring close with you, and they shall accompany you and serve you" - meaning to say that you are primary, and not them. And so [too,] is it written elsewhere (Numbers 3:9), "And you shall give the Levites to Aharon and to his sons; they are truly given to him." And so, since the priests are 'the foundation of the home' in the service of our God, they merited twenty-four gifts that are given to them, which are explicit in Scripture, and as the Sages, may their memory be blessed, enumerated (Chullin 133b) - ten in the Temple, four in Jerusalem and ten [outside]. And the rest of the tribe that was chosen with it to assist it also merited to live [from gifts], without toil, with the tithe of the fruits that they take from all Israel. And in order that they know and contemplate that the cause of their portion being free and of the portion of their brothers is the service to God, they were commanded to give a tenth of all they take from the Children of Israel to the 'greater ministers.' And in this way, they will [remind themselves] that there are [others] above them, and that above all of them is the One Who guards all, may He be elevated. With this is also merit, honor and prestige for the Levites, without removing their names from the commandment of the tithe in their portion of the produce. And [the sons of the Israelites] will not [be able to] say to [the sons of the Levites], "You merited the grain, and we the commandment." And now the response will be, "There is 'Torah and there is flour.'"