Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Numbers 17/אבן עזרא על במדבר י״ז
אזרה הלאה. מהמזבח:
1AND SCATTER THOU THE FIRE YONDER. From the altar.
בכי קדשו. כי אחר שהקריבום לשם הנם קדושים:
2FOR THEY ARE BECOME HOLY. The fire-pans are holy because they [Korah and his company] offered them before the Lord.
אאת מחתות החטאים. פי' המחתות:
1EVEN THE FIRE-PANS OF THESE MEN WHO HAVE SINNED. This explains the fire-pans (v. 2).1 in verse 2 refers to the fire-pans of these men who have sinned.
בועשו אותם. האומנים:
2AND LET THEM BE MADE.2 (literally, and they shall make them). The reference is to the workers.3
גרקועי פחים. כמו וירקעו את פחי הזהב:
3BEATEN PLATES. Compare, And they did beat (ve-yerakke’u) the gold into thin plates (Ex. 39:3).4 (beaten) in our verse is similar in meaning to va-yerakke’u (and they did beat).
דופי' כי קדשו כי הקריבום לפני ה':
4[FOR THEY ARE BECOME HOLY.] Because they were offered before the Lord explains for they are become holy.5 they are become holy. I.E. believes this should be interpreted as if written, for they are become holy because they were offered before the Lord.
הויהיו לאות. לזכר ולסימן:
5THAT THEY MAY BE A SIGN. A memorial and a mark.6
אוירקעום. המרקעים:
1AND THEY BEAT THEM OUT. The beaters beat them out.7
אכאשר דבר ה' ביד משה לו. לאהרן וי"א כי לו שב אל קרח והוא רחוק בעיני:
1AS THE LORD SPOKE UNTO HIM BY THE HAND OF MOSES. Unto him (lo) refers to Aaron. Others say that unto him refers to Korah.8. 110a. However, I believe the latter to be farfetched.
אממחרת. זה היום כי לעולם הוא סמוך:
1ON THE MORROW. Of this day, for mochorat (morrow) is always connected to the previous day.9 (morrow) can refer to a morrow in the far future.
באתם המתם. הטעם מה ראיה היתה זאת ששבט לוי הוא הנבחר ונבחר אהרן לכהן גדול ויתכן שבתפלתכם או החכמה שידעתם שרפתם המקריבים:
2YE HAVE KILLED. Its meaning is, what proof is this10 that the tribe of Levi is the chosen one, and that Aaron was chosen to be kohen gadol?11 It is possible that those who offered the fire-pans were burned because of your prayer12 or through your knowledge of the sciences.13
אבהקהל העדה. כל קהלה ואחריה על היא למריבה:
1WHEN THE CONGREGATION WAS ASSEMBLED.14. Whenever the word kehillah (assembly)15. is followed by the word al (on),16 (when the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron). The word al usually means on, not against. Hence I.E.’s comment. it refers to an assembly for the sake of quarreling.
אויבא משה ואהרן. בעבור שראו שנראה הכבוד:
1AND MOSES AND AARON CAME. Because they saw that God’s glory appeared.
אהרמו. שישבו במקום המרומם במחנה הלויה והוא האהל כאשר פירשתי במלת העלו:
1GET YOU UP. For they sat in the tabernacle, which was on the high ground in the camp of the Levites, as I explained in my comments on Get you up (Num. 16:24).17 (Get you up) as, remove yourself from the high place. He cites Num. 16:24, but he actually made his comments on 16:12.
בויפלו על פניהם. להתפלל:
2AND THEY FELL UPON THEIR FACES. To pray.
אאת המחתה. הידועה:
1TAKE THY FIRE-PAN. The reference is to a specific fire-pan.18 (fire-pan) has the definite article ha prefixed to it. The literal meaning of kach et ha-machtah is, take the fire-pan. According to I.E. the fire-pan in our verse means the specific fire-pan used to offer incense (Krinsky).
בושים קטרת. ולא אמר הקטרת והמשכיל יבין:
2AND LAY INCENSE THEREON. Scripture does not say, and lay “the” incense on.19 (incense), it refers to another incense. The intelligent will understand.20
גוהולך. לשון צווי כמו הושב את אביך ושרשו כמו הוליכי וטעמו הובילי כמו ילך עמך:
3AND CARRY. The word holekh (and carry) is an imperative.21 looks like a kal participle. In this case the word would mean goes or walks. However, the context negates such a rendering. Hence I.E.’s comment. It is similar to the word hoshev (make to dwell)22 imperative. in make thy father…to dwell (Gen. 47:6). Holekh comes from the same root as helikhi (take away) (Ex. 2:9).23. It means bring,24 means: and bring (and carry) the fire-pan quickly to the congregation. the idea being it25 should go with you.
אוטעם וישב אהרן. דבק עם הפרשה הבאה ואם נפסקה וכבר הראיתיך רבות כהנה וכהנה וכאשר שב אהרן ונעצרה המגפה דבר השם:
1[AND AARON RETURNED.] And Aaron returned is connected to the section that follows,26 even though it is separated.27, verse 16 starts a new section. I have already given you many such examples.28 When Aaron returned and the plague was stayed, God spoke.29
אמטה. י"א כי מטה לוי איננו מטה האלהים כי כבר היה ניכר ומה צורך לכתוב עליו שם אהרן וי"א כי המטה היה כשאר המטות אין הפרש ביניהם וזה הישר בעיני:
1RODS. Some say that the rod of Levi is not God’s rod, for God’s rod was already known.30 Why then write Aaron’s name on it.31 Others say that the rod32 was like the other rods. There was no difference between them.33 This interpretation appears correct to me.
בוטעם לבית אב. שבטי ישראל כמו ראובן ושמעון:
2[ONE FOR EACH FATHER’S HOUSE.] Each father’s house means each tribe. Reuben and Simeon are examples.34
אוטעם כי מטה אחד. בעבור שנחלק השבט לכהנים וללוים:
1[FOR THERE SHALL BE ONE ROD.] Scripture tells us that there shall be one rod for the tribe of Levi because this tribe was divided into kohanim and Levites.35
אאשר אועד לכם. תמיד:
1WHERE I MEET WITH YOU. Permanently.36).
אוהשכותי. מפעלי הכפל כמו והתמותי (טמאתך) מגזרת וחמת המלך שככה וטעם והשכותי. כדרך בני אדם למצוא מנוחה ומטה לוי בתוך השנים עשר והנה יוסף במטה אחד:
1I WILL MAKE TO CEASE. The word ve-hashikkoti (I will make to cease) comes from a double root.37. It is similar to the word ve-hatimmoti38. Both words are hifils. (and I will consume) in and I will consume thy filthiness from out of thee (Ezek. 22:15). It is related to the word shakhakhah (assuaged) in then was the king’s wrath assuaged (Esth. 7:10).Ve-hashikkoti (I will make to cease) means I [God] will find rest.39 Scripture employs human language.40 The rod of Levi was among the twelve. Behold, the tribe of Joseph was represented by one rod.41
אלבית לוי. מטה משרת עצמו ואחר עמו מטה אהרן מטה לבית לוי:
1FOR THE HOUSE OF LEVI. The word matteh (rod of) is to be read as if written twice. Our verse42 is to be read as if written: the rod of Aaron, the rod of the house of Levi.
בויגמול. מגזרת ויגדל הילד ויגמל ורבים אמרו בעבור שקדים כי המטה היה ממין האילן ואינה ראיה ודרך דרש כי שקדים כמו כי שוקד אני:
2AND BORE RIPE ALMONDS. The word va-yigmol (and bore ripe) is related to the word va-yigammal (and was weaned) in And the child grew, and was weaned (Gen. 21:8). Many say that the rod43 came from an almond tree because the rod bore almonds. However, this is not proof. The word shekedim (almonds) has midrashically been related to the word shoked (watch) in I watch over My word to perform it (Jer. 1:12).44
אויראו. מכתב יד כל אחד:
1AND THEY LOOKED. At the handwriting of each one.
אויאמרו בני ישראל. די לנו שגוענו ואבדנו והנה עוד כל הקרב אל המשכן ה' ימות כמות השרופים ומי יתן ותמנו לגוע אז אמר השם לאהרן שהוא הנגיד על שבט לוי להזהירו שלא יכשילו הלוים את ישראל. וטעם לאהרן על יד משה או כאשר הוא כי גם אהרן נביא היה גם זאת הפרשה לאות כי במדבר סיני היתה כאשר הוקם המשכן ונבחרו הלוים ונפסלו הבכורים:
1AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SPOKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING. It is enough for us that we perished and were undone.45 Now, in addition, everyone that comes near the tabernacle will die like those who were burnt. O that we should cease dying.46 God then spoke to Aaron, who was the leader of the tribe of Levi, and cautioned him that the Levites not cause the Israelites to stumble.47 The meaning of unto Aaron (Num. 18:1) is that God communicated with Aaron through Moses. On the other hand, the clause may be taken at face value,48 because Aaron too was a prophet. Also, this section49 is proof that the rebellion took place in the desert of Sinai when the tabernacle was erected and the Levites were chosen, and the first-born were disqualified.50