וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר   15:1

Numb. 15:1  And the Lord spoke to Moses saying,

דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם כִּי תָבֹאוּ אֶל־אֶרֶץ מֹושְׁבֹתֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לָכֶם   15:2

Numb. 15:2  “Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them, ‘When you will come in to the land of your dwelling places that I will be giving to you,

The Lord must mean “the children” literally here, for only they will enter the promised land.

וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אִשֶּׁה לַיהוָה עֹלָה אֹו־זֶבַח לְפַלֵּא־נֶדֶר אֹו בִנְדָבָה אֹו בְּמֹעֲדֵיכֶם לַעֲשֹׂות רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַיהוָהַ   15:3

מִן־הַבָּקָר אֹו מִן־הַצֹּאן

Numb. 15:3  and make a fire offering to the Lord, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice to distinguish a vow, or as a freewill offering, or in your appointed seasons, to make a scent sweet to the Lord, from the herd or from the flock,

וְהִקְרִיב הַמַּקְרִיב קָרְבָּנֹו לַיהוָה מִנְחָה סֹלֶת עִשָּׂרֹון בָּלוּל בִּרְבִעִית הַהִין שָׁמֶן   15:4

Numb. 15:4  then the one bringing his offering to the Lord shall present a meal offering of fine flour of a tenth of an ephah mingled with a fourth of a hin of oil.’

In vss. 15:2, 15:3, and 15:4, once the Lord dictates to Moses what he shall say (in v. 15:2), all the second-person pronouns are plural.  Starting in v. 15:5 and continuing to v. 15:10, the second-person pronouns are all singular, apparently addressing the one bringing the offering mentioned in this verse.  From v. 15:12 to v. 15:16, the second-person pronouns again become plural.  I have discussed before the implications of second-person pronoun number (singular vs. plural) – see the discussion relating to Exod. 19:9 and Exod. 35:2.  I believe that at times, this distinction of number is important; at other times it is less critical.  In these verses I suspect it is important; the use of these pronouns informs us as to the meaning of the verses.  For the next six verses the Lord is addressing a particular situation involving one person, the one who is bringing his offering.  The pronoun you in those verses refers specifically to him.  The foregoing instructions could have been addressed to each member of the entire congregation (using plural pronouns as I have stated previously), but the specificity of the instructions would have been obscured.  These instructions are to be adhered to specifically when one brings an offering.

                                                                                                                   [Return to Numb. 28:4]

וְיַיִן לַנֶּסֶךְ רְבִיעִית הַהִין תַּעֲשֶׂה עַל־הָעֹלָה אֹו לַזָּבַח לַכֶּבֶשׂ הָאֶחָד   15:5

Numb. 15:5  ‘And you shall prepare a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering for the burnt offering or for the sacrifice for each lamb.’

אֹו לָאַיִל תַּעֲשֶׂה מִנְחָה סֹלֶת שְׁנֵי עֶשְׂרֹנִים בְּלוּלָה בַשֶּׁמֶן שְׁלִשִׁית הַהִין   15:6

Numb. 15:6  ‘Or for a ram, you shall prepare a meal offering of fine flour of two tenths of an ephah mingled with a third of a hin of oil.’

וְיַיִן לַנֶּסֶךְ שְׁלִשִׁית הַהִין תַּקְרִיב רֵיחַ־נִיחֹחַ לַיהוָה   15:7

Numb. 15:7  ‘And you shall present a third of a hin of wine for the drink offering, a sweet scent to the Lord.

וְכִי־תַעֲשֶׂה בֶן־בָּקָר עֹלָה אֹו־זָבַח לְפַלֵּא־נֶדֶר אֹו־שְׁלָמִים לַיהוָה   15:8

Numb. 15:8  ‘And when you will prepare a bullock for a burnt offering or a sacrifice to distinguish a vow, or a peace offering to the Lord,

וְהִקְרִיב עַל־בֶּן־הַבָּקָר מִנְחָה סֹלֶת שְׁלֹשָׁה עֶשְׂרֹנִים בָּלוּל בַּשֶּׁמֶן חֲצִי הַהִין   15:9

Numb. 15:9  then a meal offering of fine flour of three tenths of an ephah mingled with half a hin of oil shall be presented with the bullock.’

וְיַיִן תַּקְרִיב לַנֶּסֶךְ חֲצִי הַהִין אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ־נִיחֹחַ לַיהוָה   15:10

Numb. 15:10   ‘And you shall present half a hin of wine for the drink offering, a fire offering, a sweet scent to the Lord.’

כָּכָה יֵעָשֶׂה לַשֹּׁור הָאֶחָד אֹו לָאַיִל הָאֶחָד אֹו־לַשֶּׂה בַכְּבָשִׂים אֹו בָעִזִּים   15:11

Numb. 15:11   ‘In such manner shall it be done for each bullock or for each ram or for each among the he-lambs or among the kids.’

כַּמִּסְפָּר אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשׂוּ כָּכָה תַּעֲשׂוּ לָאֶחָד כְּמִסְפָּרָם   15:12

Numb. 15:12   ‘According to the number that you shall prepare, so shall you do for each according to their quantity.’

כָּל־הָאֶזְרָח יַעֲשֶׂה־כָּכָה אֶת־אֵלֶּה לְהַקְרִיב אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ־נִיחֹחַ לַיהוָה   15:13

Numb. 15:13   ‘Anyone who is native born shall do these things in this manner to present a fire offering of a sweet scent to the Lord.’

וְכִי־יָגוּר אִתְּכֶם גֵּר אֹו אֲשֶׁר־בְּתֹוכְכֶם לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם וְעָשָׂה אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ־נִיחֹחַ לַיהוָה כַּאֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשׂוּ כֵּן   15:14

יַעֲשֶׂה

Numb. 15:14   ‘And when a stranger might sojourn with you, and who will be among you for your generations, and he would offer a fire offering of a sweet scent to the Lord, as you must do, so shall he do.’

הַקָּהָל חֻקָּה אַחַת לָכֶם וְלַגֵּר הַגָּר חֻקַּת עֹולָם לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם כָּכֶם כַּגֵּר יִהְיֶה לִפְנֵי יְהוָה   15:15

Numb. 15:15   ‘One statute for you of the congregation and for the sojourning stranger, a perpetual statute for your generations.  Like you, so the stranger shall be before the Lord.’

תֹּורָה אַחַת וּמִשְׁפָּט אֶחָד יִהְיֶה לָכֶם וְלַגֵּר הַגָּר אִתְּכֶם   15:16

Numb. 15:16   ‘One law and one ordinance shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you.’”

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר   15:17

Numb. 15:17   And the Lord spoke to Moses saying,

דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם בְּבֹאֲכֶם אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מֵבִיא אֶתְכֶם שָׁמָּה   15:18

Numb. 15:18   “Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them, ‘Upon your coming in to the land where I will be bringing you,

וְהָיָה בַּאֲכָלְכֶם מִלֶּחֶם הָאָרֶץ תָּרִימוּ תְרוּמָה לַיהוָה   15:19

Numb. 15:19   it shall be, upon your eating from the bread of the land, you shall offer a gift to the Lord.’

As I read this verse, the offering of the gift (nowadays, in the absence of the Temple, I believe that means a blessing) is to be made after or while eating the bread, not before.

רֵאשִׁית עֲרִסֹתֵכֶם חַלָּה תָּרִימוּ תְרוּמָה כִּתְרוּמַת גֹּרֶן כֵּן תָּרִימוּ אֹתָהּ   15:20

Numb. 15:20   ‘Of the first of your dough, you shall offer a cake, a gift.  As the offering of the threshing floor, so shall you offer it.’

מֵרֵאשִׁית עֲרִסֹתֵיכֶם תִּתְּנוּ לַיהוָה תְּרוּמָה לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם   15:21

Numb. 15:21   ‘From the first of your dough you shall give a gift to the Lord for your generations.’

וְכִי תִשְׁגּוּ וְלֹא תַעֲשׂוּ אֵת כָּל־הַמִּצְוֹת הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה   15:22

Numb. 15:22   ‘And when you will stray and not observe all these commandments that the Lord spoke to Moses,

As I interpret this verse and the next, the scribe appears to have substituted some of his own words for the Lord’s words after v. 15:21 and then continues with the Lord’s words again in v. 15:24.

אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֲלֵיכֶם בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁה מִן־הַיֹּום אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה וָהָלְאָה לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם   15:23

Numb. 15:23   all that the Lord had commanded to you by the hand of Moses from the day that the Lord commanded and from then on for your generations,

וְהָיָה אִם מֵעֵינֵי הָעֵדָה נֶעֶשְׂתָה לִשְׁגָגָה וְעָשׂוּ כָל־הָעֵדָה פַּר בֶּן־בָּקָר אֶחָד לְעֹלָה לְרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ   15:24

לַיהוָה וּמִנְחָתֹו וְנִסְכֹּו כַּמִּשְׁפָּט וּשְׂעִיר־עִזִּים אֶחָד לְחַטָּת

Numb. 15:24   then it shall be, if it was done unwittingly away from the eyes of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one bullock calf for a burnt offering, for a sweet scent to the Lord and its meal offering and its drink offering, according to ordinance, and one he-goat for a sin offering.’

וְכִפֶּר הַכֹּהֵן עַל־כָּל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְנִסְלַח לָהֶם כִּי־שְׁגָגָה הִוא וְהֵם הֵבִיאוּ אֶת־קָרְבָּנָם אִשֶּׁה   15:25

לַיהוָה וְחַטָּאתָם לִפְנֵי יְהוָה עַל־שִׁגְגָתָם

Numb. 15:25   ‘And the priest shall make atonement for the whole congregation of the children of Israel and it shall be forgiven because of them, for it was an error and they have brought their offering, a fire offering, to the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord, for their error.’

וְנִסְלַח לְכָל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּתֹוכָם כִּי לְכָל־הָעָם בִּשְׁגָגָה   15:26

Numb. 15:26   ‘And it shall be a pardon for the whole congregation of the children of Israel and for the stranger sojourning among you, for it was in ignorance according to all the people.’

Once more we are told that forgiveness is ours if we cling to the Lord and His commandments.  See Levi. 16:30.

וְאִם־נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת תֶּחֱטָא בִשְׁגָגָה וְהִקְרִיבָה עֵז בַּת־שְׁנָתָהּ לְחַטָּאת   15:27

Numb. 15:27   ‘And if one soul will sin unwittingly, then it shall offer a she-goat calf for a sin offering.’

וְכִפֶּר הַכֹּהֵן עַל־הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַשֹּׁגֶגֶת בְּחֶטְאָה בִשְׁגָגָה לִפְנֵי יְהוָה לְכַפֵּר עָלָיו וְנִסְלַח לֹו   15:28

Numb. 15:28   ‘And the priest shall make atonement for the errant soul that because of its sinning unwittingly before the Lord, to atone for him, and it shall be forgiven for him,

הָאֶזְרָח בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּתֹוכָם תֹּורָה אַחַת יִהְיֶה לָכֶם לָעֹשֶׂה בִּשְׁגָגָה  15:29

Numb. 15:29   the home born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger sojourning in your midst. One law shall be for you for doing unwittingly.’

וְהַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־תַּעֲשֶׂה בְּיָד רָמָה מִן־הָאֶזְרָח וּמִן־הַגֵּר אֶת־יְהוָה הוּא מְגַדֵּף וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא   15:30

מִקֶּרֶב עַמָּהּ

Numb. 15:30   ‘But the soul that will do with a high hand, from the home born or from the stranger, he is blaspheming the Lord, then that soul shall be cut off from the midst of its people.’

כִּי דְבַר־יְהוָה בָּזָה וְאֶת־מִצְוָתֹו הֵפַר הִכָּרֵת תִּכָּרֵת הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא עֲוֹנָה בָהּ   15:31

Numb. 15:31   ‘Because he has despised the word of the Lord and broken His commandments, that soul shall be completely cut off; its iniquity is on it.’”

וַיִּהְיוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּדְבָּר וַיִּמְצְאוּ אִישׁ מְקֹשֵׁשׁ עֵצִים בְּיֹום הַשַּׁבָּת   15:32

Numb. 15:32   And the children of Israel were in the wilderness and they discovered someone gathering sticks on the day of the Sabbath,

וַיַּקְרִיבוּ אֹתֹו הַמֹּצְאִים אֹתֹו מְקֹשֵׁשׁ עֵצִים אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל־אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל כָּל־הָעֵדָה   15:33

Numb. 15:33   and those who discovered him brought the gatherer of sticks to Moses and to Aaron and to the whole congregation,

וַיַּנִּיחוּ אֹתֹו בַּמִּשְׁמָר כִּי לֹא פֹרַשׁ מַה־יֵּעָשֶׂה לֹו   15:34

Numb. 15:34   and they placed him in a ward because he had not declared what he would do to him.

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה מֹות יוּמַת הָאִישׁ רָגֹום אֹתֹו בָאֲבָנִים כָּל־הָעֵדָה מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה   15:35

Numb. 15:35   And the Lord said to Moses, “Surely the man shall be put to death, all the congregation slaying him with stones, outside of the camp.”

וַיֹּצִיאוּ אֹתֹו כָּל־הָעֵדָה אֶל־מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה וַיִּרְגְּמוּ אֹתֹו בָּאֲבָנִים וַיָּמֹת כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה   15:36

Numb. 15:36   And the whole congregation brought him to the outskirts of the camp and slew him with stones, as the Lord had commanded Moses, and he died.

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר   15:37

Numb. 15:37   And the Lord spoke to Moses saying,

דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם וְעָשׂוּ לָהֶם צִיצִת עַל־כַּנְפֵי בִגְדֵיהֶם לְדֹרֹתָם וְנָתְנוּ עַל־צִיצִת   15:38

הַכָּנָף פְּתִיל תְּכֵלֶת

Numb. 15:38   “Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them that they shall make a fringe for themselves on the corners of their garments for their generations, and they shall put a thread of blue with the fringe of each corner.”                        [Return to Deut. 22:12]

וְהָיָה לָכֶם לְצִיצִת וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתֹו וּזְכַרְתֶּם אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֹת יְהוָה וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם וְלֹא־תָתֻרוּ אַחֲרֵי   15:39

לְבַבְכֶם וְאַחֲרֵי עֵינֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּם זֹנִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם

Numb. 15:39   “And it shall be to you for a fringe that you shall regard it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and observe them, and not seek after your own heart and after your own eyes -- because you are harlots following them –

לְמַעַן תִּזְכְּרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֹתָי וִהְיִיתֶם קְדֹשִׁים לֵאלֹהֵיכֶם   15:40

Numb. 15:40   in order that you may remember and observe all My commandments and be holy for your God.”

אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר הֹוצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לִהְיֹות לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם   15:41

Numb. 15:41   “I am the Lord, your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. 

                                                            I am the Lord, your God.”

Torah Commandments in this Chapter

363. When you eat you shall offer a gift to the Lord.    V. 15:19

464. From the first of your dough you shall offer a cake to the Lord.    V. 15:20

365. You shall make a fringe on the corners of your garments.    V. 15:38

366. You shall put a thread of blue with each fringe.    V. 15:38

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