Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 18:7/רמב"ן על במדבר י״ח:ז׳
אעֲבֹדַת מַתָּנָה אֶתֵּן אֶת כְּהֻנַּתְכֶם – בְּמַתָּנָה תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ״י. לוֹמַר שֶׁהִיא לָכֶם מַתָּנָה גְּמוּרָה, עַד שֶׁהַזָּר הַקָּרֵב יִהְיֶה חַיָּב מִיתָה. וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי שֶׁיֹּאמַר וַעֲבַדְתֶּם עֲבוֹדַת כְּהֻנָּה, וְאֵינֶנָּה לָכֶם עֲבוֹדַת שִׁעְבּוּד כַּעֲבוֹדַת עַבְדֵי הַמְּלָכִים, אֲבָל עֲבוֹדַת מַתָּנָה גְּדוֹלָה נָתַתִּי לָכֶם בָּהּ לְכָבוֹד וּלְתִפְאֶרֶת מֵאִתִּי, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁדָּרְשׁוּ (סוטה טו) "לְמָשְׁחָה" - לִגְדֻלָּה, כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁהַמְּלָכִים אוֹכְלִין:
1I GIVE YOU THE PRIESTHOOD AS A SERVICE OF GIFT. “[This means that] it shall be to you as a gift.” This is Rashi’s language, and his intention thereby is to state that it is given to you as a complete gift, [to such an extent] that [as the verse continues], a non-priest who draws near [to do the service] will be liable to be put to death [by the hand of Heaven]. The correct interpretation appears to me to be that He is saying: “and you shall perform the service of the priesthood, but it is not to be regarded by you as a burdensome task, like that imposed upon the servants of kings, but I have given you the service of a great gift through it, for glory and for splendor197, 28:2. from Me.” This is similar to the interpretation of the Rabbis:198 “L’moshchah199 — as a distinction, [so that gifts given to the priests from the offerings are to be eaten by them] in the way that kings eat.”200