Parshat Bamidbar - Seventh Aliyah

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Torah Text (Bamidbar — Aliyah 7 of 7)

Read the biblical text and try to understand it on your own, before reading the commentary.

ד א וַיְדַבֵּר יְדוָד אֶל מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן לֵאמֹר׃
4:1 Vayedaber Adonai el Moshe ve'el Aharon lemor
ב נָשֹׂא אֶת רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי קְהָת מִתּוֹךְ בְּנֵי לֵוִי לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם׃
2 Naso et rosh beney Kehat mitokh beney Levi lemishpechotam levet avotam
ג מִבֶּן שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה וְעַד בֶּן חֲמִשִּׁים שָׁנָה כָּל בָּא לַצָּבָא לַעֲשׂוֹת מְלָאכָה בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד׃
3 Miben shloshim shanah vama'lah ve'ad ben chamishim shanah kol ba latsa'va la'asot melakhah be'ohel mo'ed
ד זֹאת עֲבֹדַת בְּנֵי קְהָת בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים׃
4 Zot avodat beney Kehat be'ohel mo'ed kodesh hakodashim
ה וּבָא אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו בִּנְסֹעַ הַמַּחֲנֶה וְהוֹרִדוּ אֵת פָּרֹכֶת הַמָּסָךְ וְכִסּוּ בָהּ אֵת אֲרֹן הָעֵדֻת׃
5 Uva Aharon uvanav binso'a hamachaneh vehoridu et parokhet hamasakh vekhisu vah et aron ha'edut
ו וְנָתְנוּ עָלָיו כְּסוּי עוֹר תַּחַשׁ וּפָרְשׂוּ בֶגֶד כְּלִיל תְּכֵלֶת מִלְמָעְלָה וְשָׂמוּ בַּדָּיו׃
6 Venatnu alav kesuy or tachash ufarsu beged kelil tekhelet milma'lah vesamu badav
ז וְעַל שֻׁלְחַן הַפָּנִים יִפְרְשׂוּ בֶּגֶד תְּכֵלֶת וְנָתְנוּ עָלָיו אֶת הַקְּעָרֹת וְאֶת הַכַּפֹּת וְאֶת הַמְּנַקִּיֹּת וְאֵת קְשׂוֹת הַנָּסֶךְ וְלֶחֶם הַתָּמִיד עָלָיו יִהְיֶה׃
7 Ve'al shulchan hapanim yifrsu beged tekhelet venatnu alav et hake'arot ve'et hakapot ve'et hamenakiyot ve'et kesot hanasekh velechem hatamid alav yihyeh
ח וּפָרְשׂוּ עֲלֵיהֶם בֶּגֶד תּוֹלַעַת שָׁנִי וְכִסּוּ אֹתוֹ בְּמִכְסֵה עוֹר תָּחַשׁ וְשָׂמוּ אֶת בַּדָּיו׃
8 Ufarsu aleyhem beged tola'at shani vekhisu oto bemikhseh or tachash vesamu et badav
ט וְלָקְחוּ בֶּגֶד תְּכֵלֶת וְכִסּוּ אֶת מְנֹרַת הַמָּאוֹר וְאֶת נֵרֹתֶיהָ וְאֶת מַלְקָחֶיהָ וְאֶת מַחְתֹּתֶיהָ וְאֵת כָּל כְּלֵי שַׁמְנָהּ אֲשֶׁר יְשָׁרְתוּ לָהּ בָּהֶם׃
9 Velakchu beged tekhelet vekhisu et menorat hama'or ve'et neroteha ve'et malkacheha ve'et machtoteha ve'et kol kley shamnah asher yeshartu lah bahem
י וְנָתְנוּ אֹתָהּ וְאֶת כָּל כֵּלֶיהָ אֶל מִכְסֵה עוֹר תָּחַשׁ וְנָתְנוּ עַל הַמּוֹט׃
10 Venatnu otah ve'et kol keleha el mikhseh or tachash venatnu al hamot
יא וְעַל מִזְבַּח הַזָּהָב יִפְרְשׂוּ בֶּגֶד תְּכֵלֶת וְכִסּוּ אֹתוֹ בְּמִכְסֵה עוֹר תָּחַשׁ וְשָׂמוּ אֶת בַּדָּיו׃
11 Ve'al mizbach hazahav yifrsu beged tekhelet vekhisu oto bemikhseh or tachash vesamu et badav
יב וְלָקְחוּ אֶת כָּל כְּלֵי הַשָּׁרֵת אֲשֶׁר יְשָׁרְתוּ בָם בַּקֹּדֶשׁ וְנָתְנוּ אֶל בֶּגֶד תְּכֵלֶת וְכִסּוּ אוֹתָם בְּמִכְסֵה עוֹר תָּחַשׁ וְנָתְנוּ עַל הַמּוֹט׃
12 Velakchu et kol kley hasharet asher yeshartu vam bakodesh venatnu el beged tekhelet vekhisu otam bemikhseh or tachash venatnu al hamot
יג וְדִשְּׁנוּ אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וּפָרְשׂוּ עָלָיו בֶּגֶד אַרְגָּמָן׃
13 Vedishnu et hamizbe'ach ufarsu alav beged argaman
יד וְנָתְנוּ עָלָיו אֶת כָּל כֵּלָיו אֲשֶׁר יְשָׁרְתוּ עָלָיו בָּהֶם אֶת הַמַּחְתֹּת אֶת הַמִּזְלָגֹת וְאֶת הַיָּעִים וְאֶת הַמִּזְרָקֹת כֹּל כְּלֵי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וּפָרְשׂוּ עָלָיו כְּסוּי עוֹר תַּחַשׁ וְשָׂמוּ בַדָּיו׃
14 Venatnu alav et kol kelav asher yeshartu alav bahem et hamachtot et hamizlagot ve'et haya'im ve'et hamizrakot kol kley hamizbe'ach ufarsu alav kesuy or tachash vesamu badav
טו וְכִלָּה אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו לְכַסֹּת אֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְאֶת כָּל כְּלֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ בִּנְסֹעַ הַמַּחֲנֶה וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יָבֹאוּ בְנֵי קְהָת לָשֵׂאת וְלֹא יִגְּעוּ אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ וָמֵתוּ אֵלֶּה מַשָּׂא בְנֵי קְהָת בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד׃
15 Vekhilah Aharon uvanav lekhasot et hakodesh ve'et kol kley hakodesh binso'a hamachaneh ve'acharey khen yavo'u veney Kehat laset velo yig'u el hakodesh vametu eleh masa veney Kehat be'ohel mo'ed
טז וּפְקֻדַּת אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן שֶׁמֶן הַמָּאוֹר וּקְטֹרֶת הַסַּמִּים וּמִנְחַת הַתָּמִיד וְשֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה פְּקֻדַּת כָּל הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְכָל אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ בְּקֹדֶשׁ וּבְכֵלָיו׃
16 Ufekudat El'azar ben Aharon hakohen shemen hama'or uketoret hasamim uminchat hatamid veshemen hamishchah pekudat kol hamishkan vekhol asher bo bekodesh uvkhelav
יז וַיְדַבֵּר יְדוָד אֶל מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן לֵאמֹר׃
17 Vayedaber Adonai el Moshe ve'el Aharon lemor
יח אַל תַּכְרִיתוּ אֶת שֵׁבֶט מִשְׁפְּחֹת הַקְּהָתִי מִתּוֹךְ הַלְוִיִּם׃
18 Al takhrit et shevet mishpechot haKehati mitokh haLevi'im
יט וְזֹאת עֲשׂוּ לָהֶם וְחָיוּ וְלֹא יָמֻתוּ בְּגִשְׁתָּם אֶת קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו יָבֹאוּ וְשָׂמוּ אוֹתָם אִישׁ אִישׁ עַל עֲבֹדָתוֹ וְאֶל מַשָּׂאוֹ׃
19 Vezot asu lahem vechayu velo yamutu begishtam et kodesh hakodashim Aharon uvanav yavo'u vesamu otam ish ish al avodato ve'el masa'o
כ וְלֹא יָבֹאוּ לִרְאוֹת כְּבַלַּע אֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ וָמֵתוּ׃
20 Velo yavo'u lir'ot kevala et hakodesh vametu

The mission of the Kohathites: carrying the holy

“Take a census of the sons of Kehat…”

The Kohathites - the most prominent Levite family - were privileged to carry the holiest vessels: the Ark of the Covenant, the Table of the Showbread, the Menorah, the golden altar, and more.

But! They were permitted to carry, not to touch.

If they touched the holy objects - they would die!

The Tabernacle journey: wrapping rituals

The priests - Aaron and his sons - had to enter the Tabernacle first and carefully wrap each vessel:

  1. The Ark - with the curtain, tachash skins, and a cloth of pure blue.

  2. The Table of the Showbread - with bowls, spoons, and the continual bread.

  3. The Menorah - with all its vessels, in the same meticulous process.

  4. The altars - carefully, wrapped, guarded.

  5. The oil of lighting, incense, meal offering, and anointing oil - under the charge of Elazar son of Aaron.

Every detail - wrapping, order, color - was designed to protect the lives of the Levites.

Mortal danger in holiness

“Do not cut off the tribe of the Kohathite families”

God warns: The Kohathites, despite their stature, were in constant danger if they approached the holy objects without guidance.

The priests - Aaron and his sons - were commanded to instruct each Levite exactly what to carry and how. Not to look, not to touch, not to gaze - holiness kills when there is no framework!

Summary of principles

  • Holiness elevates, but also demands precision and awe.

  • The sacred service is not free - it is planned, responsible, lived according to higher rules.

  • God does not compromise: “so that they may live and not die” is not a recommendation - it is a safeguard of life.

What do we learn for life?

  • Even one with a supreme mission - must have boundaries and precision.

  • Spiritual inspiration is not unregulated - it demands responsibility and caution.

  • The priests and Levites reveal to us: holiness is not just an emotion - it is a complete system of precision, intention, and humility.

Shabbat Shalom

With this we conclude Parshat Bamidbar - in which each person receives their place, their role, and their path to serving the holy. We are all invited to take this with us into Shabbat - to ask: what is my place, and what is my mission in the sacred service of my life?

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