Numbers 15:2 h.כי תבאו WHEN YE ARE COME [INTO THE LAND] — He brought them the good tidings that they would enter the land.
Numbers 15:3 h.ועשיתם אשה — This is not a command: when you come into the land you shall make a fire-offering — but the meaning is: When you will come there and it enters your mind to make a fire-offering unto the Lord.
h.לפלא נדר או בנדבה וגו׳ TO DISTINGUISH YOURSELVES BY A VOW OR A FREE-WILL OFFERING [OR ON YOUR FESTIVALS] — i.e. or that you would make the fire-offering on account of the obligatory festival sacrifice which I have obligated you to offer on a festival....
h.ריח ניחח [TO MAKE] A PLEASING ODOR — i.e. to cause satisfaction to Me.
Numbers 15:4 h.והקריב המקריב THEN SHALL HE THAT OFFERETH [HIS OFFERING BRING A MEAL OFFERING etc.] — i.e. you shall offer a drink-offering and a meal-offering for each and every animal: the meal-offering to be entirely burnt, and the oil be mingled with it, and the wine to be put into the basins from which it was poured upon the altar (but see Tosafot on Sukkah 48a), as we have learnt in Treatise Sukkah 48a.
Numbers 15:5 h.לכבש האחד FOR EACH LAMB — It (this phrase) refers to all that is mentioned above — to the meal-offering, and the oil and the wine (not only to the wine last mentioned; the prescribed measures of flour, oil, and wine are to accompany each lamb).
Numbers 15:6 h.או לאיל OR FOR A RAM [THOU SHALT PREPARE etc.] — This means: and if it be a ram [thou shalt prepare, etc.]”. Our Rabbis, however, have interpreted the word "או," “or”, as being intended to bring also the פלגס (a lamb beyond the age of a כבש and below that of an איל) under the law of the drink-offerings prescribed for a ram (i.e. that the animal in its intermediate age is regarded as full grown as regards the נסכים) (Chullin 23a; Menachot 91b).
Numbers 15:10 h.אשה ריח FOR A FIRE OFFERING OF [PLEASING] ODOUR — This refers only to the meal-offering and the oil mentioned in v. 9, but the wine is not a fire-offering, since it is not put on the fire.
Numbers 15:11 h.או לשה גו׳ [THUS SHALL IT BE DONE FOR ONE OX …] OR FOR A YOUNG SHEEP שה בכבשים או בעזים — i.e. whether it (the שה) be of the lambs or whether it be of the goats. כֶּבֶשׂ and שֶׂה are the names given to sheep or goats within their first year., אַיִל is [the name given] from the age of thirteen months and one day (Mishnah Parah 1:3).
Numbers 15:12 h.כמספר אשר תעשו ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER THAT YE SHALL PREPARE — This means: according to the number of animals that you will offer as sacrifices, ככה תעשו SO SHALL YE OFFER drink-offerings for each of them, כמספרם ACCORDING TO THEIR NUMBER — i.e. as is the number of animals so shall be the number of drink-offerings.
Numbers 15:15 h.ככם כגר means, AS YOU ARE SO IS THE STRANGER (“you and the stranger shall be alike”). Thus (the use of the prefix כ with each of two things or persons stated to be exactly alike) is the Hebrew idiom to express complete similarity. Examples are: (Genesis 13:10) “As (כ) the garden of the Lord so (כ) is the land of Egypt”; (1 Kings 22:4) “As (כ) I am so (כ) art thou; as (כ) my people is so (כ) is thy people”.
Numbers 15:18 h.בבאכם אל הארץ WHEN YE COME (more lit., on your coming) INTO THE LAND — This statement about their “entering” into the land is expressed differently from all other statements about their “entering” made in the Torah, for in all other cases it is said, “When you come”, or “when ye come”, — and consequently in all these latter cases each may learn some particular from the other by way of a ג”ש. Therefore, since Scripture distinctly states in one instance of these (Deuteronomy 26:1) that the law there enjoined is applicable only after the full possession (ירושה) of, and definite settlement (ישיבה) in it, (“When thou comest to the land … and thou dost possess it (וירשת) and thou dwellest (וישבת) therein”, then thou shalt take of the first of all thy fruits etc.), all other cases where the phrase כי תבא or כי תבאו introduce a law are similar (i.e. the laws laid down in such instances were also to come in force only after ירושה and ישיבה). — In this case, however, it is stated בבאכם “on your coming”, implying that as soon as they had entered it (the Land) and ate of its bread they became subject to the law about “Challah” (Sifrei Bamidbar 110:1).
Numbers 15:20 h.ראשית ערסתכם OF THE FIRST OF YOUR DOUGH [YE SHALL HEAVE A CAKE] — This means: when you knead as much as is now your dough (ערסתכם), i.e. the quantity which you are accustomed to knead in the wilderness — and how much is this? You may learn it from the statements (Exodus 16:18) “And they measured with the Omer” and (Exodus 16:16) “An Omer a head”, — you shall set apart at its very beginning (ראשית), meaning, before you eat from it its first portion, one cake (חלה) shall you set apart, as a heave-offering in honour of the Lord (תרימו תרומה לה׳) (Eruvin 83a).
h.חלה is tourteau in O. F., (Engl = cake).
h.כתרומת גרן EVEN AS THE HEAVE OFFERING OF THE THRESHING FLOOR for which no minimum quantity is stated in the Torah, so shall ye heave it, and not as the “Heave-offering of the Tithe (תרומת מעשר, the priest’s share in the Levite’s tithe) for which a minimum quantity is stated (cf. Numbers 18:26) (Sifrei Bamidbar 110:1). — The Sages, however have stipulated a minimum quantity for it (the portion set aside) — for a private person (lit., the owner of a house) one twenty-fourth, and for the baker one forty-eighth of the dough (Sifrei Bamidbar 110:1; Mishnah Challah 2:7).
Numbers 15:21 h.מראשית ערסתיכם OF THE FIRST OF YOUR DOUGH [YE SHALL GIVE UNTO THE LORD A HEAVE OFFERING] — Why is this stated at all? (What does it add to the command in v. 20)? Because it states there ראשית ערסתכם, I might understand this to mean that only the first amongst several doughs which you are kneading at the same time shall you set aside entirely as a heave-offering and all the other doughs are exempt! It therefore states here מראשית “of (some of) the first of the dough”, implying part of it but not all of it (not an entire dough) (Sifrei Bamidbar 110:2).
h.תתנו לה׳ תרומה YE SHALL GIVE UNTO THE LORD A HEAVE OFFERING — Because we have not heard any mention of a definite minimum quantity for the Challah it is stated here “ye shall give”, implying that it shall contain sufficient to constitute a “gift” (Sifrei Bamidbar 110:2).
Numbers 15:22 h.וכי תשגו ולא תעשו AND IF YE HAVE ERRED, AND NOT DONE [ALL THESE COMMANDMENTS WHICH THE LORD HATH SPOKEN UNTO MOSES] — Idolatry (which is the transgression referred to here; cf. Rashi on next passage) is naturally comprehended under the general term “all the commandments” (see Leviticus 4:13) for which the whole community brings a bullock as a sin-offering if it infringes one of them, but, you see, Scripture here excepts it (the sin of idolatry) from the general law about them, to bring it under the law of a bullock as a burnt-offering, and a he-goat for a sin-offering (whilst the rule in Leviticus 4:13 is a bullock for sin-offering, and no he-goat is prescribed) (Sifrei Bamidbar 111:1).
h.וכי תשגו וגו׳ AND IF YE HAVE ERRED etc. — Scripture is speaking of the sin of idolatry. Or perhaps not, but of the transgression of any of all the commandments? It, however, states, “[And if ye have erred, and not done] all these commandments” which implies “one command that is the same as (the equivalent of) all the commands”. What is the case of one who transgresses all the commandments? He throws off the yoke of the Law, breaks the covenant and bids defiance to the Torah (more lit., exposes his face, acts bare-facedly). So, too, must this single commandment referred to here be of such a nature that by transgressing it one throws off the yoke, breaks the covenant and bids defiance to the Torah. And which is this? It is idolatry (Sifrei Bamidbar 111:1).
h.אשר דבר ה’ אל משה WHICH THE LORD HATH SPOKEN UNTO MOSES — [This refers to the two commandments prohibiting idolatry:] “I am the Lord, thy God”, and “Thou shalt have no other gods, etc.”, which we heard from the mouth of the Almighty (and which God also commanded us by Moses (v. 23) in many other passages where idolatry is forbidden), as it is written (Psalms 62:12): “Once did God speak these commandments to us but we heard them twice” (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 111:1; Horayot 8a).
Numbers 15:23 h.את כל אשר צוה וגו׳ EVEN ALL THAT [THE LORD] HATH COMMANDED [YOU] etc. — This tells us that he who acknowledges the divinity of an idol is like one who denies the Torah in its entirety and all that the prophets prophesied, because it states, “[and if yo have erred and not done … all that the Lord hath commanded by Moses] from the day that the Lord commanded (Moses), and hence forth [throughout all your generations]” (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 111:1).
Numbers 15:24 h.ואם מעיני העדה נעשתה בשגגה — This means: If it is by the eyes (the leaders) of the community that this sin has been committed in error, i.e., that they have mistakenly taught of a certain one of the rites associated with the worship of God that it is permissible to worship an idol in that manner, [then it shall be that all the congregation shall offer, etc.] (cf. Horayot 5b).
h.לחטת — This lacks the א usually found in it, to indicate that it is not like other חטאות, sin-offerings; for in the case of all sin offerings mentioned in the Torah that are to be brought together with a burnt offering, the sin-offering precedes the burnt offering (i.e. is offered first), since it is said, (Leviticus 5:10) “And the second animal shall he make as a burnt offering,” whilst in this case the burnt offering precedes the sin-offering (Horayot 13a).
Numbers 15:25 h.הביאו את קרבנם אשה לה׳ [AND] THEY HAVE BROUGHT THEIR OFFERING, A FIRE OFFERING UNTO THE LORD — This is that offering mentioned previously in this chapter (v. 24), viz., the bullock for a burnt offering, since it says here, “a fire offering to the Lord” (which is a description of a burnt offering) (Sifrei Bamidbar 111:3).
h.וחטאתם AND THEIR SIN OFFERING — This is the he-goat (mentioned in v. 24).
Numbers 15:27 h.תחטא בשגגה [AND IF ANY SOUL (i.e. any individual)] SIN THROUGH ERROR, by committing idolatry,
h.עז בת שנתה [HE SHALL BRING] A SHE GOAT OF ONE YEAR [FOR A SIN OFFERING] — For other sins committed in error an individual may bring either a she-lamb or a she-goat as a sin-offering, whilst in the case of this (the sin of idolatry) Scripture has appointed a she-goat for it (Sifrei Bamidbar 112:1).
Numbers 15:30 h.ביד רמה [BUT A PERSON THAT DOETH OUGHT] WITH A HIGH HAND — i.e. with premeditation.
h.מגדף is synonymous with מחרף HE REVILETH, as in (Ezekiel 5:15) “it shall be a reproach (חרפה) and a reviling (גדופה) (Isaiah 37:6) “the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled (גדפו)”. Further, our Rabbis derived from here the law that he who blasphemes the name of the Lord is liable to excision (Keritot 7b).
Numbers 15:31 h.דבר ה׳ [BECAUSE HE HATH SCORNED] THE WORD OF THE LORD — The prohibition of idolatry (אנכי and לא יהיה לך) the people heard from the mouth of the Lord but all the other commandments from the mouth of Moses (therefore the prohibition of idolatry is called דבר ה׳ “the utterance of the Lord”) (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 112:2; Sanhedrin 99a).
h.עונה בה [THAT PERSON SHALL UTTERLY BE CUT OFF] HIS INIQUITY IS UPON HIM — only at the time when (under the circumstances that) his iniquity is upon him shall he be cut off, i.e., in the case that he has not repented (Sanhedrin 90b).
Numbers 15:32 h.ויהיו... במדבר וימצאו AND [WHEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] WERE IN THE DESERT, THEY FOUND [A MAN THAT PICKED UP WOOD ON THE SABBATH DAY] — (This must mean when they first came into the wilderness, and) Scripture is speaking here to the disparagement of the Israelites viz., that they kept the first Sabbath only, for on the second this man came and desecrated it (Sifrei Bamidbar 113).
Numbers 15:33 h.המצאים אתו מקשש THEY THAT FOUND HIM PICKING UP WOOD — [The redundancy of the phrase המצאים אתו מקשש עצים intimates that] they warned him not to do this and yet he did not refrain from picking them up even after they had found him and warned him (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 113; Sanhedrin 41a).
Numbers 15:34 h.כי לא פרש מה יעשה לו [AND, THEY PLACED HIM IN WARD] BECAUSE IT WAS NOT EXPLAINED WHAT SHOULD BE DONE WITH HIM — i.e. what kind of death penalty he was to die had not yet been explained, but they were fully aware that one who desecrates the Sabbath is punishable by some death penalty (Sifrei Bamidbar 114; Sanhedrin 78b; cf. Rashi on Leviticus 24:12).
Numbers 15:35 h.רגום expresses the idea of “doing” something (that is, it is an infinitive or verbal noun); in O. F. faisant; (English = doing). Similarly הלוך allant, “going“, and so, too, זכור “remembering”, שמור “keeping”.
Numbers 15:36 h.ויציאו אתו AND [ALL THE CONGREGATION] BROUGHT HIM OUTSIDE [THE CAMP] — From here we learn that the place of stoning was outside and distant from the seat of the Beth Din (Sifrei Bamidbar 114).
Numbers 15:38 h.ועשו להם ציצת THAT THEY MAKE THEM A FRINGE — It is called צצית, because of the threads that hang down from it. Similar is, (Ezekiel 7:3) “and he caught me by the curls (ציצת) of my head’’. (The word denotes something twisted as threads or curls). — Another explanation is: it is called ציצת because of the command associated with it (v. 39) “and ye shall look at it”. Similar is, “looking (מציץ) from the lattice” (Song 2:9). (The word therefore denotes “something looked at”) (Sifrei Bamidbar 115).
h.תכלת BLUE PURPLE — It is the blue dye of (obtained from) the blood of the Chilazon (a kind of shell-fish).
Numbers 15:39 h.וזכרתם את כל מצות ה׳ AND YE SHALL REMEMBER ALL THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD — The ציצית will remind one of all the commandments because the numerical value of the letters of the word ציצית is six hundred, and there are eight threads and five knots in the fringes, so that you have six hundred and thirteen, which is also the number of the commandments of the Torah.
h.ולא תתרו אחרי לבבכם — The verb has the same meaning as in (Numbers 13:25), “and they returned from searching (מתור) the land”. (The translation therefore is: AND YE SHALL NOT SEARCH AFTER YOUR OWN HEART). The heart and the eyes are the “spies” of the body — they act as its agents for sinning: the eye sees, the heart covets and the body commits the sin (Midrash Tanchuma, Sh'lach 15; cf. Talmud Yerushalmi Berakhot 1:8).
Numbers 15:41 h.אני ה׳ I AM THE LORD Who am faithful to give reward.
h.אלהיכם YOUR GOD Who am certain to exact punishment (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 115:1).
h.אשר הוצאתי אתכם [I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD] WHO BROUGHT YOU OUT [OF THE LAND OF EGYPT TO BE YOUR GOD] — On this condition I delivered you — that you should take upon yourselves My decrees (i.e. that I should be your God) (Sifrei Bamidbar 115:1).
h.אני ה׳ אלהיכם I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD — Why is this stated again? In order that the Israelites should not say, “Why has the Omnipresent said it ('אני ה)? Is it not in order that we should perform the commandments and receive reward (cf. Rashi on previous verse)!? We will not perform them and we shall not receive (we shall not expect) any reward!” Therefore it states again in general terms and without reference to the Exodus from Egypt, “I will be the Lord your God: in spite of yourselves I will be your King (I will exercise My sovereignty upon you). — In a similar sense it states, (Ezekiel 20:23) “Surely with a strong hand … will I reign over you” (Sifrei Bamidbar 115:1). — Another explanation: Why is the exodus from Egypt mentioned in connection with the fringes? In order to intimate: It was I who distinguished in Egypt between one who was a firstborn and one who was not (cf. Rashi on Leviticus 19:36); I shall also find out and exact punishment from him who attaches indigo-dyed wool (which resembles תכלת in colour) on his garments and pretends that it is תכלת (Bava Metzia 61b). From the work of Rabbi Moses the Preacher I copy the following: Why is the section speaking of the stick-gatherer placed in juxtaposition with the section (vv. 22—31) dealing with idolatry? In order to tell you that whoever desecrates the Sabbath is regarded as having worshipped idols, for it (the law of the Sabbath) also is alone of equal importance with the entire sum of the commandments (just as is the law of idolatry; cf. Rashi on v. 22). And so, too, it is said in the Book of Ezra, (Nehemia 9:13—14) “And Thou camest down upon Mount Sinai and gavest to Thy people … the Torah and commandments and Thou madest known unto them Thy holy Sabbath”. And the section dealing with the “Zizith” is also for the same reason placed in juxtaposition with these two sections, because it, too, is of equal importance with the sum total of the commandments, as it is said, (v. 40) “[That ye may remember] and do all My commandments".
h.על כנפי בגדיהם ON THE BORDERS (lit., wings) OF THEIR GARMENTS — an allusion to God having delivered them from Egypt, as it states, (Exodus 19:4) “And I bore you on eagles’ wings” (cf. Rashi on this verse). The Zizith are to be placed on a garment having four corners but not on one that has three or on one that has five corners (cf. Zevachim 18b), thereby alluding to the four different terms used by God in describing the deliverance from Egypt, for it states, (Exodus 6:6—7) “And I will bring forth”, “and I shall deliver”, “and I shall redeem”, “and I shall take out”.
h.פתיל תכלת A THREAD OF BLUE PURPLE — an allusion to the bereavement (שכול) which the Egyptians suffered through the death of their firstborn, for the Targum (Aramaic) word corresponding to שכול, bereavement, is תכלה (similar in sound to תכלת). Further, the plague that befell them was at night, and so, too, the colour תכלת resembles the sky when it darkens at eventide (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 115:1; Menachot 43b). The eight threads in it (the ציצית) are an allusion to the eight days that Israel waited from the time they went forth from Egypt until they sang the Song of Praise at the Red Sea.