וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

דַּבֵּ֣ר ׀ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְקַ֣ח מֵֽאִתָּ֡ם מַטֶּ֣ה מַטֶּה֩ לְבֵ֨ית אָ֜ב מֵאֵ֤ת כָּל־נְשִֽׂיאֵהֶם֙ לְבֵ֣ית אֲבֹתָ֔ם שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָׂ֖ר מַטּ֑וֹת אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־שְׁמ֔וֹ תִּכְתֹּ֖ב עַל־מַטֵּֽהוּ׃

Speak to the children of Israel, and take from them one staff for each patrilineal house, from each of their princes according to their patrilineal house, twelve staffs; each man’s name you shall write upon his staff.

וְאֵת֙ שֵׁ֣ם אַהֲרֹ֔ן תִּכְתֹּ֖ב עַל־מַטֵּ֣ה לֵוִ֑י כִּ֚י מַטֶּ֣ה אֶחָ֔ד לְרֹ֖אשׁ בֵּ֥ית אֲבוֹתָֽם׃

You shall write Aaron’s name upon the staff of Levi, for there shall be one staff for the head of their patrilineal house. In addition to Aaron’s other roles, he is also the prince and representative of his tribe. This division of the tribes is not based on military camps, as it is for the encampments and the travels of the Israelites. Rather, it follows the original tribes of Israel. Consequently, it includes the tribe of Levi, and it is likely that Joseph was not split into two tribes.

וְהִנַּחְתָּ֖ם בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד לִפְנֵי֙ הָֽעֵד֔וּת אֲשֶׁ֛ר אִוָּעֵ֥ד לָכֶ֖ם שָֽׁמָּה׃

You shall place them, the staffs, in the Tent of Meeting before the testimony, the covenant that was inside the Ark, where I will meet with you, in the Holy of Holies.

וְהָיָ֗ה הָאִ֛ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶבְחַר־בּ֖וֹ מַטֵּ֣הוּ יִפְרָ֑ח וַהֲשִׁכֹּתִ֣י מֵֽעָלַ֗י אֶת־תְּלֻנּוֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֛ר הֵ֥ם מַלִּינִ֖ם עֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

It shall be that the man whom I shall choose, his staff will blossom and I will quell from upon Me the complaints of the children of Israel that they bring against you.

וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וַיִּתְּנ֣וּ אֵלָ֣יו ׀ כָּֽל־נְשִֽׂיאֵיהֶ֡ם מַטֶּה֩ לְנָשִׂ֨יא אֶחָ֜ד מַטֶּ֨ה לְנָשִׂ֤יא אֶחָד֙ לְבֵ֣ית אֲבֹתָ֔ם שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָׂ֖ר מַטּ֑וֹת וּמַטֵּ֥ה אַהֲרֹ֖ן בְּת֥וֹךְ מַטּוֹתָֽם׃

Moses spoke these matters to the children of Israel, and all their princes gave him one staff for each prince according to their patrilineal house, twelve staffs in total; and the staff of Aaron was among their staffs. Moses did not place Aaron’s staff at any particular spot, but simply as one staff among the others, so that no one could argue that it blossomed due to its position.

וַיַּנַּ֥ח מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־הַמַּטֹּ֖ת לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה בְּאֹ֖הֶל הָעֵדֻֽת׃

Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the Tent of the Testimony.

וַיְהִ֣י מִֽמָּחֳרָ֗ת וַיָּבֹ֤א מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל הָעֵד֔וּת וְהִנֵּ֛ה פָּרַ֥ח מַטֵּֽה־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לְבֵ֣ית לֵוִ֑י וַיֹּ֤צֵֽא פֶ֙רַח֙ וַיָּ֣צֵֽץ צִ֔יץ וַיִּגְמֹ֖ל שְׁקֵדִֽים׃

It was on the next day, and Moses came into the Tent of the Testimony and behold, the staff of Aaron of the house of Levi had blossomed; it had produced a blossom, and had sprouted a bud, the first part of the fruit that develops from a blossom after the petals have fallen off, and had brought forth almonds. Unlike the natural gradual process, where the almonds ripen only six months after blossoming, here the blossom, bud, and almonds all miraculously appeared together.

וַיֹּצֵ֨א מֹשֶׁ֤ה אֶת־כָּל־הַמַּטֹּת֙ מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה אֶֽל־כָּל־בְּנֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּרְא֥וּ וַיִּקְח֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ מַטֵּֽהוּ׃ (ס)

Moses took out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the children of Israel and they saw, and each took his staff. In this manner, all the princes saw proof that they had not been chosen to serve as priests in the Sanctuary.