menu
small logo

Back

undefined

א וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן אַתָּ֗ה וּבָנֶ֤יךָ וּבֵית־אָבִ֙יךָ֙ אִתָּ֔ךְ תִּשְׂא֖וּ אֶת־עֲוֺ֣ן הַמִּקְדָּ֑שׁ וְאַתָּה֙ וּבָנֶ֣יךָ אִתָּ֔ךְ תִּשְׂא֖וּ אֶת־עֲוֺ֥ן כְּהֻנַּתְכֶֽם׃

The Lord said to Aaron: You and your sons the priests, and your patrilineal house, the Kehatites, with you shall bear the iniquity of the Sanctuary, as you will be held accountable for any breach of the sacred. And in addition, you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood: The responsibility for the lack of fulfillment of the duties of the priesthood shall fall upon you.

RASHI

ויאמר ה' אל אהרן.לְמֹשֶׁה אָמַר שֶׁיֹּאמַר לְאַהֲרֹן, לְהַזְהִירוֹ עַל תַּקָּנַת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּנְסוּ לַמִּקְדָּשׁ:

אתה ובניך ובית אביך.הֵם בְּנֵי קְהָת אֲבִי עַמְרָם:

תשאו את עון המקדש.עֲלֵיכֶם אֲנִי מַטִּיל עֹנֶשׁ הַזָּרִים שֶׁיֶּחֶטְאוּ בְעִסְקֵי הַדְּבָרִים הַמְקֻדָּשִׁים הַמְּסוּרִים לָכֶם, הוּא הָאֹהֶל וְהָאָרוֹן וְהַשֻּׁלְחָן וּכְלֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ — אַתֶּם תֵּשְׁבוּ וְתַזְהִירוּ עַל כָּל זָר הַבָּא לִגַּע:

ואתה ובניך.הַכֹּהֲנִים:

תשאו את עון כהנתכם.שֶׁאֵינָהּ מְסוּרָה לַלְוִיִּם, וְתַזְהִירוּ הַלְוִיִּם הַשּׁוֹגְגִים שֶׁלֹּא יִגְּעוּ אֲלֵיכֶם בַּעֲבוֹדַתְכֶם:

ב וְגַ֣ם אֶת־אַחֶיךָ֩ מַטֵּ֨ה לֵוִ֜י שֵׁ֤בֶט אָבִ֙יךָ֙ הַקְרֵ֣ב אִתָּ֔ךְ וְיִלָּו֥וּ עָלֶ֖יךָ וִֽישָׁרְת֑וּךָ וְאַתָּה֙ וּבָנֶ֣יךָ אִתָּ֔ךְ לִפְנֵ֖י אֹ֥הֶל הָעֵדֻֽת׃

Also your brethren, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, bring near with you, and they shall accompany you, and serve you. And only you and your sons with you will serve before the Tent of the Testimony, not the Levites, whose function is outside this area.

RASHI

וגם אחיך.בְּנֵי גֵרְשׁוֹן וּבְנֵי מְרָרִי:

וילוו.וְיִתְחַבְּרוּ אֲלֵיכֶם, לְהַזְהִיר גַּם אֶת הַזָּרִים מִלִּקְרַב אֲלֵיהֶם:

וישרתוך.בִּשְׁמִירַת הַשְּׁעָרִים וּלְמַנּוֹת מֵהֶם גִּזְבָּרִין וַאֲמַרְכָּלִין (ספרי):

DISCUSSION

Also your brethren, the tribe of Levi

The task of assisting the priests was already previously assigned to the Levites (1:48–54, 3:6–10, 8:18). Here, after the uprising against the priesthood, Aaron was given the additional command that the priests and Levites have the permanent job of safeguarding the sacred vessels and tending to the upkeep of the Sanctuary. Such maintenance tasks were far more important in the Temple in Jerusalem than in the Tabernacle, which was a smaller structure with fewer priests serving.

Upgrade to Premium Account to access the full Steinsaltz library & more