לֹֽא־יִ֠הְיֶה לַכֹּהֲנִ֨ים הַלְוִיִּ֜ם כָּל־שֵׁ֧בֶט לֵוִ֛י חֵ֥לֶק וְנַחֲלָ֖ה עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אִשֵּׁ֧י יְהוָ֛ה וְנַחֲלָת֖וֹ יֹאכֵלֽוּן׃

There shall not be for the priests, who are all Levites, and for the entire tribe of Levi, a portion and an inheritance with Israel. Their unique status is tied to the tasks that are imposed upon them and is a great honor; however, it does not provide them with economic security. The fire offerings of the Lord and His inheritance they shall eat. They eat from the altar, described as the table of God, as they are entitled to parts of certain offerings for their sustenance.

וְנַחֲלָ֥ה לֹא־יִֽהְיֶה־לּ֖וֹ בְּקֶ֣רֶב אֶחָ֑יו יְהוָה֙ ה֣וּא נַחֲלָת֔וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּר־לֽוֹ׃ (ס)

He shall not have an inheritance of land among his brethren; the Lord is their inheritance. The priests and Levites receive their livelihood from their service of God. Although it is permitted for them to engage in any occupation, they have no rights to ancestral lands, and each is supposed to focus on Godly matters, as He had spoken to him.

וְזֶ֡ה יִהְיֶה֩ מִשְׁפַּ֨ט הַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים מֵאֵ֣ת הָעָ֗ם מֵאֵ֛ת זֹבְחֵ֥י הַזֶּ֖בַח אִם־שׁ֣וֹר אִם־שֶׂ֑ה וְנָתַן֙ לַכֹּהֵ֔ן הַזְּרֹ֥עַ וְהַלְּחָיַ֖יִם וְהַקֵּבָֽה׃

This shall be the allocation of the priests, their legal rights, from the people. First, they receive a portion from those who perform slaughter of a non-consecrated animal, if it is an ox or if it is a lamb: He shall give the priest part of the right foreleg of the animal, and the lower jaw and the tongue, and the stomach. These gifts of the priesthood need not be eaten in a state of ritual purity, as they are non-sacred.

רֵאשִׁ֨ית דְּגָֽנְךָ֜ תִּֽירֹשְׁךָ֣ וְיִצְהָרֶ֗ךָ וְרֵאשִׁ֛ית גֵּ֥ז צֹאנְךָ֖ תִּתֶּן־לּֽוֹ׃

The chapter lists additional gifts that must be given to the priests: You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil as teruma , and likewise you shall give him the first of the fleece of your flock, in the form of a non-sacred gift.

כִּ֣י ב֗וֹ בָּחַ֛ר יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ מִכָּל־שְׁבָטֶ֑יךָ לַעֲמֹ֨ד לְשָׁרֵ֧ת בְּשֵׁם־יְהוָ֛ה ה֥וּא וּבָנָ֖יו כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים׃ (ס)

For the Lord your God has chosen him from all your tribes, and therefore his job is to stand and to serve in the name of the Lord, he and his sons all the days.

וְכִֽי־יָבֹ֨א הַלֵּוִ֜י מֵאַחַ֤ד שְׁעָרֶ֙יךָ֙ מִכָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁר־ה֖וּא גָּ֣ר שָׁ֑ם וּבָא֙ בְּכָל־אַוַּ֣ת נַפְשׁ֔וֹ אֶל־הַמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַ֥ר יְהוָֽה׃

And if a Levite shall come from one of your gates from all of Israel where he resides, and he comes with all the desire of his heart, when he wishes to do so, to the place that the Lord will choose, he is permitted to volunteer to perform the Temple service, even at times beyond his appointed Levite watch;

וְשֵׁרֵ֕ת בְּשֵׁ֖ם יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑יו כְּכָל־אֶחָיו֙ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם הָעֹמְדִ֥ים שָׁ֖ם לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃

he shall serve in the name of the Lord his God, like all his brethren the Levites, who stand there before the Lord, on their assigned watch.

חֵ֥לֶק כְּחֵ֖לֶק יֹאכֵ֑לוּ לְבַ֥ד מִמְכָּרָ֖יו עַל־הָאָבֽוֹת׃ (ס)

When the Levite arrives there, portion by portion they shall eat. He is entitled to a portion together with those serving on the official watch, except for that which was sold by the ancestors. This is referring to agreements, similar to sales contracts, between the ancestors of the Levite families, by which the share of each watch was determined. A Levite will not receive a portion that has been guaranteed to members of a different watch.

כִּ֤י אַתָּה֙ בָּ֣א אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֣ן לָ֑ךְ לֹֽא־תִלְמַ֣ד לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת כְּתוֹעֲבֹ֖ת הַגּוֹיִ֥ם הָהֵֽם׃

When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to act in accordance with the abominations of those nations. The reference here does not necessarily involve the worship of foreign gods or sexual licentiousness. Rather, they are rites that contain an element of magic designed to enable their performers to control the future.

לֹֽא־יִמָּצֵ֣א בְךָ֔ מַעֲבִ֥יר בְּנֽוֹ־וּבִתּ֖וֹ בָּאֵ֑שׁ קֹסֵ֣ם קְסָמִ֔ים מְעוֹנֵ֥ן וּמְנַחֵ֖שׁ וּמְכַשֵּֽׁף׃

There shall not be found among you any one who passes his son or his daughter through the fire, a Canaanite ritual that was designed to consecrate the child or to ensure future success; a sorcerer; a soothsayer [ me’onen ], one who foresees which seasons [ onot ] are favorable for certain activities, or one who tells the future based on the appearance of clouds, [ ananim ]; or a diviner, who tries to discern future events by means of signs, similar to the modern practice of reading tea leaves; or a warlock, someone who seeks esoteric knowledge through unholy means;

וְחֹבֵ֖ר חָ֑בֶר וְשֹׁאֵ֥ל אוֹב֙ וְיִדְּעֹנִ֔י וְדֹרֵ֖שׁ אֶל־הַמֵּתִֽים׃

or an enchanter, who engages in sorcery by gathering animals together; or a medium, who seeks to communicate with the dead; or an oracle, one who tells the future by means of the bones of the dead. All these are professional sorcerers who seek to contact hidden worlds. The verse adds: Or a necromancer, an individual who prays to the dead for their assistance.

כִּֽי־תוֹעֲבַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה כָּל־עֹ֣שֵׂה אֵ֑לֶּה וּבִגְלַל֙ הַתּוֹעֵבֹ֣ת הָאֵ֔לֶּה יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ מוֹרִ֥ישׁ אוֹתָ֖ם מִפָּנֶֽיךָ׃

For anyone who performs these is an abomination to the Lord, and due to these abominations the Lord your God dispossesses them, the Canaanites, from before you. These are considered abominations not because they are superstitions, but because those who perform them are devoted to forces of evil, destruction, and death.

תָּמִ֣ים תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה עִ֖ם יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ (ס)

You, by contrast, shall be wholehearted with the Lord your God. Even if you are beset by troubles which lead you to seek reassurances and answers to your questions, do not look for a response by embracing foreign beliefs and strange forms of worship. Rather, you must wholeheartedly follow God alone.

כִּ֣י ׀ הַגּוֹיִ֣ם הָאֵ֗לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֤ר אַתָּה֙ יוֹרֵ֣שׁ אוֹתָ֔ם אֶל־מְעֹנְנִ֥ים וְאֶל־קֹסְמִ֖ים יִשְׁמָ֑עוּ וְאַתָּ֕ה לֹ֣א כֵ֔ן נָ֛תַן לְךָ֖ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃

For these nations from whom you are taking possession heed soothsayers and sorcerers; but you, not so did the Lord your God give to you, and it is prohibited for you to engage in those practices.

נָבִ֨יא מִקִּרְבְּךָ֤ מֵאַחֶ֙יךָ֙ כָּמֹ֔נִי יָקִ֥ים לְךָ֖ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ אֵלָ֖יו תִּשְׁמָעֽוּן׃

Even one who seeks to follow God wholeheartedly, and who does not attempt to ascertain the future through sorcery, will often wonder how to act when confronted with ever-changing circumstances. It is only natural that he will want to amend his way of life when the normative conduct of his life proves unsatisfactory. The Torah provides an answer for this need: A prophet from your midst, from your brethren, who will be like me, both in that he will be a great man and that his identity and lineage are as widely known as mine, the Lord your God will establish for you; him you shall heed;

כְּכֹ֨ל אֲשֶׁר־שָׁאַ֜לְתָּ מֵעִ֨ם יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ בְּחֹרֵ֔ב בְּי֥וֹם הַקָּהָ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר לֹ֣א אֹסֵ֗ף לִשְׁמֹ֙עַ֙ אֶת־קוֹל֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֔י וְאֶת־הָאֵ֨שׁ הַגְּדֹלָ֥ה הַזֹּ֛את לֹֽא־אֶרְאֶ֥ה ע֖וֹד וְלֹ֥א אָמֽוּת׃

in accordance with everything that you asked of the Lord your God at Horev on the day of the assembly, at the revelation on Mount Sinai, saying: I will not continue to hear the voice of the Lord my God, and I will not see this great fire anymore so that I will not die. Fearing the direct encounter with God, you petitioned me to mediate between Him and you.

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֵלָ֑י הֵיטִ֖יבוּ אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֵּֽרוּ׃

The Lord said to me in response to your request: They did well in that which they spoke.

נָבִ֨יא אָקִ֥ים לָהֶ֛ם מִקֶּ֥רֶב אֲחֵיהֶ֖ם כָּמ֑וֹךָ וְנָתַתִּ֤י דְבָרַי֙ בְּפִ֔יו וְדִבֶּ֣ר אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם אֵ֖ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲצַוֶּֽנּוּ׃

I will establish a prophet for them from among their brethren, like you, and I will place My words in his mouth, and he will speak to them everything that I will command him. He will relay the word of God, but he will not function as a constant channel of communication between the people and God, and he will not be a member of your ruling class. Rather, God will endow this individual with prophetic abilities, through which he will convey His instructions when God deems this necessary.

וְהָיָ֗ה הָאִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־יִשְׁמַע֙ אֶל־דְּבָרַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר יְדַבֵּ֖ר בִּשְׁמִ֑י אָנֹכִ֖י אֶדְרֹ֥שׁ מֵעִמּֽוֹ׃

God, who chooses and establishes the prophet, continues: It shall be that the man who will not heed My words that he will speak in My name, I will demand it from him. I will punish him for his refusal to obey.

אַ֣ךְ הַנָּבִ֡יא אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָזִיד֩ לְדַבֵּ֨ר דָּבָ֜ר בִּשְׁמִ֗י אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־צִוִּיתִיו֙ לְדַבֵּ֔ר וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר יְדַבֵּ֔ר בְּשֵׁ֖ם אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֑ים וּמֵ֖ת הַנָּבִ֥יא הַהֽוּא׃

Since a prophet has great influence, the parameters of his prophecy must be defined. However, the prophet who will speak with intent a matter in My name that I did not command him to speak, or even worse, one who will speak in the name of other gods, even if he does not preach the worship of idols, but he claims that he was sent by other forces, that prophet shall die.

וְכִ֥י תֹאמַ֖ר בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ אֵיכָה֙ נֵדַ֣ע אֶת־הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־דִבְּר֖וֹ יְהוָֽה׃

If you say in your heart, when a prophet arrives and speaks in the name of God: How shall we know the matter that the Lord did not speak? Unlike Levites and priests, whose status is determined by their lineage, one can easily err in the identification of a true prophet. He is not recognizable by any outward characteristics or from his origins, as he is simply one of the people who purports to speak in God’s name.

אֲשֶׁר֩ יְדַבֵּ֨ר הַנָּבִ֜יא בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֗ה וְלֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֤ה הַדָּבָר֙ וְלֹ֣א יָב֔וֹא ה֣וּא הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־דִבְּר֖וֹ יְהוָ֑ה בְּזָדוֹן֙ דִּבְּר֣וֹ הַנָּבִ֔יא לֹ֥א תָג֖וּר מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ (ס)

That which a prophet will speak in the name of the Lord, and the matter will not be and will not come to pass, that is the matter that the Lord did not speak. The true word of God is clear and perfect; therefore, if a prophet says something that does not occur, you will know that the prophet spoke with evil intent, and from a desire to sin. You shall not be daunted by him, a prophet of that kind.