Numbers 18:1 h.ויאמר ה' אל אהרן AND GOD SAID UNTO AARON — i.e. He said it to Moses that he in turn should speak to Aaron to admonish him regarding the precautions to be taken for the benefit of the Israelites in order that they might not enter the Sanctuary (cf. Rashi on Leviticus 1:1 s. v. אליו and Note thereon).
h.אתה ובניך ובית אביך THOU, AND THY SONS, AND THY FATHERS HOUSE [… SHALL BEAR THE INIQUITY] — “And thy father’s house” refers to the sons of Kohath the father of Amram (whose charge it was to carry and to watch over the most holy vessels; cf. chapter Numbers IV.).
h.תשאו את עון המקדש [THOU, AND THY SONS, …] SHALL BEAR THE INIQUITY OF THE SANCTUARY — upon you I impose the punishment for any strangers who may inadvertently sin in respect to the sacred objects (המקדש) which are entrusted to you, — which are the tent, the Ark, the table and the holy vessels; you have to sit down (i.e. wait there and be in readiness) and give warning to any stranger who may be about to touch the holy articles.
h.ואתה ובניך AND THOU AND THY SONS, the priests,
h.תשאו את עון כהנתכם SHALL BEAR THE INIQUITY OF THY PRIESTHOOD — for it is not a charge given to the Levites; you must therefore warn the Levites who might do so inadvertently not to come near to you whilst you perform your service.
Numbers 18:2 h.וגם את אחיך AND ALSO THY BRETHREN — i.e. the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari.
h.וילוו means THAT THEY MAY JOIN THEMSELVES UNTO THEE to warn also the strangers (the ordinary Israelites) not to come near to them.
h.וישרתוך AND THEY SHALL MINISTER UNTO THEE by guarding the Temple gates and by appointing from among them (cf. Arakhin 11b) keepers of the Temple treasury and superintendents over these (Sifrei Bamidbar 116:1).
Numbers 18:4 h.וזר לא יקרב אליכם AND A LAYMAN SHALL NOT APPROACH UNTO YOU — It is you whom I admonish concerning this.
Numbers 18:5 h.ולא יהיה עוד קצף THAT THERE BE NO ANGER ANY MORE as there has been already, as it is said, (Numbers 17:11) “For there is anger gone [forth from the Lord]” (Sifrei Bamidbar 116:1).
Numbers 18:6 h.לכם מתנה נתתים TO YOU THEY ARE GIVEN AS A GIFT — I might think that they are given unto you for your private work! It, however, states, “[to you they are given as a gift] for the Lord” — meaning, as explained above (v. 2), — to keep the charge of Temple treasuries and superintendents (Sifrei Bamidbar 116:2).
Numbers 18:7 h.עבדת מתנה [I HAVE GIVEN YOUR PRIESTHOOD UNTO YOU] AS A SERVICE OF GIFT — This means as a gift have I given it to you, [and the stranger that comes near shall die].
Numbers 18:8 h.ואני הנה נתתי לך AND I, BEHOLD, I HAVE ALSO GIVEN THEE [THE CHARGE OF MINE HEAVE OFFERING] with pleasure. This is suggested by the word “Behold”, for this is an expression used when something is done with pleasure, just as in, (Exodus 4:14) “Behold, he goeth forth to meet thee and when he will see thee he will rejoice in his heart!” A parable! This may be compared to a king who presented a field to his friend, but he did not write or seal a deed of gift nor did he record it in the court. When a man came and laid claim to the field, the king said to him, “It seems that anyone who wishes to do so may come and claim against you; behold, I will write and seal a deed of gift to you, and record it in the court! So here, too, because Korah came and made a claim against Aaron to the Priesthood, Scripture (God) came and gave him the twenty-four “gifts” of the priesthood as an everlasting covenant of salt (i.e. an enduring covenant). For this reason is this section recording the gifts of the priests placed here after that which narrates Korah’s rebellion (Sifrei Bamidbar 117:1).
h.משמרת תרומתי [I HAVE GIVEN UNTO YOU] THE KEEPING OF MY HEAVE OFFERINGS — This means that you have to keep them in a state of purity (to guard them against uncleanness).
h.למשחה means as a distinction (cf. Onkelos; Sifrei Bamidbar 117:2; Zevachim 91a).
Numbers 18:9 h.מן האש FROM THE FIRE — i.e., after the burning of the portions given over the fire. (The words are taken to mean: from the time when the fire has operated).
h.כל קרבנם EVERY OFFERING OF THEIRS — for instance the sacrifices of communal feast offerings.
h.מנחתם חטאתם ואשמם EVERY MEAL OFFERING OF THEIRS, AND EVERY SIN OFFERING OF THEIRS, AND EVERY GUILT OFFERING OF THEIRS — all these offerings should be understood in their usual meanings.
h.אשר ישיבו לי WHICH THEY SHALL RENDER (more lit., which they shall return) UNTO ME — This refers to property wrongfully taken from a proselyte (which, when he has no legal heir, reverts to the priests; cf. Rashi on v. 8) (Sifrei Bamidbar 117:2; Zevachim 44b).
Numbers 18:10 h.בקדש הקדשים תאכלנו וגו׳ IN THE MOST HOLY PLACE THOU SHALT EAT IT etc. — This teaches with reference to the sacrifices holy in the highest degree that they must be eaten only in the fore-court and only by male priests (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 117:2).
Numbers 18:11 h.תרומת מתנם [AND THIS IS THINE:] THE HEAVE OFFERING OF THEIR GIFTS (i.e. of offerings given of their free will) — that which is set apart from the thanksgiving offering (cf. Leviticus 7:34), and from the festival offerings and from the ram of the Nazarite (Numbers 6:17).
h.לכל תנופת [AND THIS IS THINE: THE HEAVE OFFERING OF THEIR GIFT] AS REGARDS ALL THAT FORMS A WAVE OFFERING [OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] — That the above named offerings are intended is evident, for, you see, it is these that require waving (Sifrei Bamidbar 117:2).
h.כל טהור EVERY ONE THAT IS CLEAN [IN THY HOUSE SHALL EAT IT] — but not those who are unclean. Another explanation is: The expression “every one [in the house] that is clean” is intended to include his (the priest’s) wife (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 117:2).
Numbers 18:12 h.ראשיתם THE FIRST FRUITS OF THEM [WHICH THEY SHALL GIVE UNTO THE LORD; THEM I HAVE GIVEN THEE] — This refers to the “T’rumah Gedolah” (the priest’s portion of the produce which is the first portion to be set aside from the produce; cf. Deuteronomy 18:4).
Numbers 18:18 h.כחזה התנופה וכשוק הימין [AND THE FLESH OF THEM (of the firstborn animals) SHALL BE TO YOU] AS THE WAVE BREAST AND THE RIGHT SHOULDER of the festival offerings which may be eaten by the priests, their wives and their sons and men-servants during a period of two days and one (the intervening) night, reckoning from the day of slaughtering; so, too, the flesh of the firstborn animal sacrifice may be eaten during two days and one night (Sifrei Bamidbar 118; Zevachim 57a).
h.לך יהיה IT SHALL BE THINE — Rabbi Akiba came and taught: By repeating the words לך יהיה Scripture adds another “status” (more lit., state of being; i.e., it intends the status implied in the first לך יהיה to be extended), in order that you should not say that it shall be to them even as the breast and shoulder of the thanksgiving offering, which may only be eaten during one day and the following night (Sifrei Bamidbar 118; Zevachim 57a).
Numbers 18:19 h.כל תרומת הקדשים ALL THE HEAVE OFFERINGS OF THE HOLY THINGS [… HAVE I GIVEN THEE] — Out of a feeling of affection for the contents of this section, Scripture comprehends it at first in a general statement (v. 11: וזה לכם תרומת וגו׳), and comprehends it also in a general statement at the end (in this verse) and enumerates the details in between (vv. 12—18) (Sifrei Bamidbar 118).
h.ברית מלח עולם [IT IS] A COVENANT OF SALT FOR EVER — This means that He made a covenant with Aaron by means of something which is wholesome and lasting and keeps other things wholesome (Sifrei Bamidbar 118).
h.ברית מלח A COVENANT OF SALT — Another explanation is that ברית מלח is equivalent to כברית מלח, and the meaning is: like the covenant that was made with salt that it will never decay.
Numbers 18:20 h.וחלק לא יהיה לך בתוכם [THOU SHALT NOT INHERIT THEIR LAND,] NEITHER SHALT THOU HAVE ANY PORTION IN THE MIDST OF THEM even in the spoil (Sifrei Bamidbar 119:1).
Numbers 18:23 h.והם [BUT THE LEVITES SHALL PERFORM THE SERVICE OF THE APPOINTED TENT] AND THEY SHALL BEAR THEIR INIQUITY — “They” means the Levites; they shall bear the iniquity of the children of Israel, because upon them (the Levites) lies the duty to warn them (the Israelites) not to come near unto them.
Numbers 18:24 h.אשר ירימו לה׳ תרומה [BUT ALL THE TITHES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] WHICH THEY HEAVE AS A HEAVE OFFERING UNTO THE LORD — Scripture terms it (the tithe) T’rumah (although it is not holy and may be eaten by a layman) until he (the Levite) sets apart from it the “heave offering of the tithe” (Sifrei Bamidbar 119:5).
Numbers 18:27 h.ונחשב לכם תרומתכם כדגן מן הגרן AND THIS YOUR HEAVE OFFERING SHALL BE RECKONED UNTO YOU AS THOUGH IT WERE THE CORN OF THE THRESHING FLOOR — i.e. the heave-offering of your tithe is forbidden to laymen and to unclean priests, and such of these as eat it of set purpose incur the death penalty, or, if they have eaten it inadvertently, pay in addition to the capital sum a fifth, just as in the case of “T’rumah Gedolah” (the T’rumah set apart by the ordinary Israelite) which is termed the “firstling of the corn” from the threshing floor.
h.וכמלאה מן היקב AND AS THE FULNESS OF THE WINE PRESS — the heave offering of wine and oil which is taken out of the wine-press.
h.מלאה is a term for “ripening”; it is the produce that becomes full.
h.יקב is the pit in front of the wine-press into which the wine runs. The expression יקב always denotes an excavation in the ground. Similar is (Zechariah 14:10) יקבי המלך, “the pits of the King”, that is, the ocean (cf. Rashi on that verse) — the cavity which the King of the Universe has excavated.
Numbers 18:28 h.כן תרימו גם אתם THUS YE ALSO SHALL HEAVE AN HEAVE OFFERING just as the ordinary Israelites set apart a heave offering, from the produce of their threshing floors and wine presses, so you Levites, also, shall set apart a heave offering from your tithes, for that is your inheritance (cf. v. 24).
Numbers 18:29 h.מכל מתנתיכם תרימו את כל תרומת ה׳ OUT OF ALL YOUR GIFTS YOU SHALL HEAVE EVERY HEAVE OFFERING UNTO THE LORD — Scripture is speaking here of the “Terumah Gedolah” (not of תרומת מעשר, for this is dealt with in verse 28); the meaning is, that if the Levite came to the field before the priest, when the grain has been made into a heap (i.e., after it has been threshed, when it becomes subject to the law of Terumah), and received his tithes before the priest took the Terumah Gedolah from the heap, the Levite must first set apart the fiftieth part (the usual proportion of the crop which the Israelite gives to the priest) of the tithe as “Terumah Gedolah” and then again set apart the תרומת מעשר (i.e. the tithe of his tithe) (Shabbat 127b).
Numbers 18:30 h.בהרימכם את חלבו ממנו WHEN YE HEAVE THE BEST THEREOF FROM IT — i.e. after you have heaved the תרומת מעשר (the priest’s share in the tithe) from it.
h.ונחשב THEN the remainder MAY BE ACCOUNTED by the Levites as profane (of a non-sacred character) in all respects.
h.כתבואת גרן AS THE PRODUCE OF THRESHING FLOOR is to the Israelites. [This is not a mere repetition of verse 27 but is stated in order that] you should not say: Since Scripture terms it (the tithe) “Terumah”, — as it is said, (verse 24) “But the tithes of the children of Israel which they heave as a תרומה unto the Lord” — I may conclude that it is all entirely forbidden to the Levites (just as “Terumah” is forbidden to them); Scripture therefore states, “it shall be accounted unto the Levites as the produce of the threshing floor”. How is it with the remainder of the Israelite’s produce after he has set apart the “Terumah”? It is profane (non-holy)! So, too, is the corresponding portion of the Levite’s tithe profane (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 122).
Numbers 18:31 h.בכל מקום AND YE MAY EAT IN EVERY PLACE — even in a cemetery (Sifrei Bamidbar 122).
Numbers 18:32 h.ולא תשאו עליו חטא וגו׳ AND YE SHALL BEAR NO SIN BY REASON OF IT etc. — This implies: consequently if you do not set it aside you will bear sin on that account.
h.ולא תמותו LEST YE DIE — consequently if you do profane them you will die (Bekhorot 26b; cf. Rashi on Exodus 30:20 and Note thereon).