THE PALESTINIAN TARGUM
ON
THE BOOK OF NUMBERS.
SECTION OF THE TORAH XXXIV.
BEMIDBAR.
I. AND the Lord spake with
Mosheh in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of ordinance, on the first
of the month Ijar, which was the second month of the second year from the time
of their coming forth from the land of Mizraim, saying: Take the account of the
whole congregation of the Beni Israel, according to the families of their
fathers' house, by the number of the names of all the males by their
capitations. From each son twenty years and upwards, every one going out in the
host in Israel; thou and Aharon number them by their hosts. And let there be
with you a man of each tribe, a chief of his father's house. And these are the
names of the men who shall stand with you. Of Reuben, Elizur bar Shedeur: of
Shemeon, the leader,[1]
Shelumiel bar Zuri‑Shaddai: the prince of Jehudah, Nachshon bar
Amminadab: the prince of Issakar, Nathaniel bar Zuar : the prince of Zebulon,
Eliab bar Chelon: the prince of the Beni Joseph, of Ephraim, Elishama bar
Ammihud: the prince of Menasheh, Gamliel bar Pedazur: the prince of Benjamin,
Abidan bar Gideoni: the prince of Dan, Achiezer bar Ammi‑shadai: the
prince of Asher, Pagiel bar Achran: the prince of Gad, Eljasaph bar Dehuel: the
prince of Naphtali, Achira bar Enan. These (were) the notables of the
congregation of the people, chiefs of their fathers' tribes, heads of thousands
in Israel these. And Mosheh and Aharon took these men who are expressed by
their names: and they assembled all the congregation on the first day of the
month Ijar, which is the second month, and recensed them by the families of
their fathers' house, by the number of their names, from twenty years old and
upward by their capitations. As the Lord commanded Mosheh, they numbered them
in the wilderness of Sinai.
And the sons of
Reuben, the first‑born of Israel by the families of the generations of
their fathers' house, in the number of their names by their polls, every male
from twenty years old and upward, all going forth in the host, the sum of the
tribe of Reuben, forty‑six thousand Five hundred. [JERUSALEM. Their sum.]
Of the families of the Beni Shemeon, after the generations of their fathers'
house in the number of their names by their polls, every male from twenty years
and upward, every one going forth in the host, the sum of the tribe of Shemeon,
fifty‑nine thousand three hundred: of the family of the Beni Gad, after
the generation of their fathers' house, in the number of their names by their
polls, every male from twenty years and upward, forty-five thousand six hundred
and fifty. The sum of the tribe of Jehudah seventy‑four thousand six
hundred:[2]
of Issakar, fifty‑four thousand four hundred: of Zebulon, fifty‑seven
thousand four hundred: of Ephraim, forty thousand five hundred: Of Menasheh,
thirty‑two thousand two hundred: Benjamin, thirty five thousand four
hundred: Dan, sixty‑two thousand seven hundred: Asher, forty-one thousand
five hundred: Naphtali, fifty‑three thousand four hundred.
These are the sums of
the numbered ones which Mosheh and Aharon, and the princes of Israel, twelve
men, a man for each house of their fathers, did number. And all the sums of the
numbered of the Beni Israel were six hundred and three thousand five hundred
and fifty. But the Levites after their father's tribe were not numbered among
them. For the Lord had spoken with Mosheh, saying: Nevertheless, the tribe of
Levi thou shalt not number, nor take their sum among the children of Israel:
but thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and
over all its vessels, and whatever things pertain unto it. They shall carry the
tabernacle and all its vessels, and do service in it; and round about the
tabernacle shall they dwell. And when the tabernacle is to go forward, the
Levites shall take it apart; and when the tabernacle is to be stationary, the
Levites are to uprear it: the common person who draweth near will be slain by a
flaming fire from before the Lord.
And the sons of Israel
shall encamp every one by the place of his own company, every one under his
standard according to their hosts. But the Levites shall encamp round about the
tabernacle of the testimony, that there may not be wrath upon the congregation
of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle
of testimony. And the sons of Israel did according to all that the Lord
commanded Mosheb, so did they.
II. And the Lord spake
with Mosheh and with Aharon, saying: Every man of the Beni Israel shall encamp
by his standard, by the ensign which is signified upon the standards of their
fathers' house over against the tabernacle of ordinance shall they encamp round
about. The length of the camp of Israel shall be twelve miles, and its breadth
twelve miles. And they who encamp eastward to the sunrise shall be of the
standard of the camp of Jehudah by their hosts, spreading over four miles. And
his standard shall be of silk, of three colours, corresponding with (those of)
the precious stones which are in the breastplate,--sardius, topaz, and
carbuncle; and upon it shall be expressed and set forth the names of the three
tribes of Jehudah, Issakar, and Zebulon; and in the midst shall be written : Arise,
0 Lord, and let Thine enemies be scattered, and Thine adversaries be driven
away before Thee; and upon it shall be set forth the figure of a
young lion. And the Rabba of the Beni Jehudah shall be Nachshon bar Amminadab.
And the sum of the hosts of that tribe was seventy‑four thousand six
hundred.
And they who encamp
next by him shall be the tribe of Issakar, and the Rabba appointed over the
host of the Beni Issakar, Nathaniel bar Zuar: and the sum of the host of the
tribe fifty‑four thousand four hundred. The tribe of Zebulon,--the Rabba,
Eliab bar Chelon; the number, fifty‑seven thousand four hundred. All the
numbered ones of the camp of Jehudah, one hundred and eighty‑six thousand
four hundred, by their hosts; they shall go forward in front.
(By) the standard of
the camp of Reuben they, shall encamp southward by their hosts, spreading over
four miles. And his standard shall be of silk, of three colours, corresponding
with (those of) the precious stones that are in the breastplate, azmorad,
sapphire, and adamant: on it shall be expressed and set forth the names of the
three tribes of Reuben, Shemeon, Gad; and in the midst of it be written, Hear,
Israel, the Lord our God is One; and upon it shall be set forth the figure
of a stag. Some would have thought there should have been upon it the figure of
a young ox; but Mosheh the prophet altered it, that the sin of the calf might
not be remembered against them. And the Rabba set over the host of the tribe
Reuben was Elizur bar Shedeur. And his host and the numbered of his tribe were
fifty‑nine thousand three hundred. The tribe of Gad: the Rabba set over
the host of the tribe of the Beni Gad was Eljasaph bar Dehuel. And his host and
the number of his tribe, forty‑five thousand six hundred. All the sum of
the numbered ones of the camp of Reuben, one hundred and fifty one thousand
four hundred and fifty by their hosts; and they went forward secondly,
But the tabernacle
shall go with the host of the Levites, in the midst of their host; and their
camp spreadeth over four miles, in the midst are they to be: as they encamp, so
shall they go, every man going in his appointed place, by their standard.
The camp of Ephraim by
the standard of their hosts shall pitch on the west; their camp spreadeth over
four miles; and their standard is of silk of three colours, corresponding with
the precious stones in the breastplate, ligure, agate, and amethyst; and upon
it expressed and set forth the names of the three tribes, Ephraim, Menasheh and
Benjamin, having written in the midst, And the Cloud of the Lord was over
them, in the going forward of the host; and upon it was set forth the
figure of a young man. And the Rabba set over the tribe of Ephraim, Elishama
bar Ammihud; and the sum of his host, forty thousand five hundred. And next to
him were the tribe of Menasheh: the Rabba, Gamliel bar Pedashur; their number,
thirty‑two thousand two hundred. Of the tribe of Benjamin the Rabba was
Abidan bar Gideoni, and the number of his host thirty-five thousand four
hundred. The Sum of the camp of Ephraim was one hundred and eight thousand one
hundred; and they went forward thirdly.
The standard of the
camp of Dan shall be to the north with their hosts; and the space of their camp
shall spread over four miles. His standard shall be of silk of three colours,
corresponding with the stones in the breastplate, chrysolite, beryl, and
jasper; in it shall be expressed and set forth the names of the three tribes,
Dan, Naphtali, and Asher; and upon it shall be expressed: And in his
encampment shall he say, Return, 0 Lord, and dwell in Thy glory in the midst of
the myriads of Israel; and upon it shall also be set forth the figure of a
basilisk serpent. (Gen. xlix. 17.) The Rabba set over the hosts of Dan was
Achiezer bar Aminishaddai, and the number of his tribe sixty‑two thousand
seven hundred. They who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher; the
Rabbi was Paghiel bar Achran, and the numbers forty‑one thousand five
hundred. Of the tribe Naphtali, the Rabba, Achira bar Enan; and the numbers,
fifty‑three thousand four hundred. The sum of the hosts of Dan was one
hundred and fifty-seven thousand six hundred: and these went forward last with
their ensigns.
This is the amount of
the numbers of the Beni Israel, according to the house of their fathers; all
the sums of the camps by their hosts were six hundred and three thousand five
hundred and fifty. But the Levites were not numbered among the sons of Israel,
as the Lord commanded Mosheh. And the sons of Israel did according to all that
the Lord commanded Mosheh; so did they encamp by their standards, and so went
they forward, every man with his family by the house of his fathers.
III. These are the generations
of Aharon and Mosheb, who were genealogized in the day that the Lord spake with
Mosheh in the mountain of Sinai. And these are the names of the Beni Aharon the
priests, the disciples of Moses, the Rabbi of Israel; and they were called by
his name in the day that they were anointed to minister in offering their
oblations. But Nadab and Abihu died by the flaming fire at the time of their
offering the strange fire from their own tents; and they had no children. And
Elazar and Ithamar ministered before Aharon their father.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Bring the tribe of Levi near, and appoint them before
Aharon the priest to minister with him, (or, to do him service;) and let them
be divided into twenty and four parties, and they shall keep his charge, and
the charge of all the congregation before the tabernacle of ordinance, to
perform the work of the tabernacle; and they shall have charge of all the
vessels of the tabernacle of ordinance, and the charge of the sons of Israel to
do the service of the tabernacle. And I have given the Levites unto Aharon and
his sons; a gift are they given and delivered to him from among the sons of
Israel; and number thou Aharon and his soils, that they may keep their
priesthood; and the stranger who cometh near shall be slain by the flame from.
before the Lord.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: And I, behold, I have brought nigh the Levites from among
the sons of Israel, instead of all the first‑born who open the womb among
the sons of Israel; and the Levites shall minister before Me. For every first‑born
among the sons of Israel is Mine, from the day when. I slew every first-born in
the land of Mizraim; I have sanctified before Me every first‑born in
Israel; from man to animal, they are Mine: I am the Lord.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh in the wilderness of Sinai, saying: Number the sons of Levi
according to the house of their fathers and their families; every male from a
month old and upward shalt thou number them. Moses therefore numbered them
according to the mouth of the Word of the Lord, as he had been commanded. And
these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kehath, and Merari. And
these are the names of the Beni Gershon, according to their families, Libni and
Shemei. And the Beni Kehath by their families, Amram, Jizhar, Hebron, and
Uzziel. And the Beni Merari by their families, Machli, and Mushi: these are the
families of the Levites after the house of their fathers.
Of Gershon, the family
of Libni, and the family of Shemei; these are the families of Gershon. The sum
of them, by the numbers of all the males from a month old and upward, seven
thousand five hundred. The two families who spring from Gershon shall encamp
after the tabernacle westward; and the Rab of the house of the fathers set over
the two families shall be Eljasaph bar Lael. And the charge of the Beni Gershon
in the tabernacle of ordinance shall be the tent, and the covering that
overspreadeth, and the hanging of the door of the tabernacle of ordinance, and
the curtains of the court, and the hanging which is at the gate of the court by
the tabernacle, and the altar round about, and the cords of it, for all the
service thereof.
Of Kehath was the
family of Amram, and the family of Izbar, and of Hebron, and Uzziel: these are
the families of Kehath, the numbers eight thousand six hundred, keeping the
charge of the sanctuary. The four families that spring from Kehath shall encamp
by the south side of the tabernacle; the Rab shall be Elizaphan bar Uzziel, and
their charge, the ark, the table, the candelabrum, the altars, the vessels of
the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the veil, and that which pertaineth
to its service. And the Amarkol set over the chiefs of the Levites shall be
Elazar bar Aharon the priest, who inquireth by Uraya and Thumaya; and under his
hand shall they be appointed who keep the charge of the sanctuary.
Of Merari, the
families of Machli and Mushi, their number six thousand two hundred, and the
Rab Zeruel bar Abichael: they shall encamp by the tabernacle northward; and
that delivered to their charge shall be the boards of the tabernacle, its bars,
pillars, and sockets, and all (that pertains to) the service thereof. The
pillars of the court also round about, their sockets, pins, and cords.
But they who encamp
before the tabernacle of ordinance eastward (shall be) Mosheh and Aharon, and
his sons; keeping charge of the sanctuary and of Israel; and the stranger who
draweth near shall be slain by flaming fire from before the Lord. The sum of the
Levites whom Mosheh and Aharon numbered by the mouth of the Word of the Lord
was twenty‑two thousand.
And the Lord said unto
Mosheh, Number all the first‑bon males among the sons of Israel, from a
month old and upward, and take the number of their names. And bring near the
Levites before me--I am the Lord--instead of all the firstborn among the sons
of Israel, and all the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstling
cattle of the children of Israel. And Mosheh numbered, as the Lord commanded
him, all the firstborn of the sons of Israel: the sum of their number was
twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy‑three.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Bring near the Levites instead of every first‑born
among Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle, that the
Levites may minister before me: I am the Lord. And for the redemption of the
two hundred and seventy and three of the first‑born of the Beni Israel,
who are more (than the number of) the Levites, thou shalt take of each five
shekels by poll, in the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take, twenty mahin
to the shekel. And thou shalt give the Shekel unto Aharon, and to his sons, as
the redemption of them who are more than they. Arid Mosheh took the redemption
(money) of them who were above those who were released by the Levites, one
thousand three hundred and sixty‑five shekels; and Mosheh gave the
redemption silver to Aharon, and to his sons, according to the mouth of the
Word of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Mosheh.
IV. And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Take the account of the sons of Kehath from among the Beni
Levi, from thirty years and upwards to fifty years, every one who cometh by the
band to do the work in the tabernacle of ordinance. This is the service of the
Beni Kehath, in the tabernacle of ordinance (with) the most holy things. But
whenever the camp is to be removed, Aharon and his sons shall enter, and
unloose the veil that is spread, and cover up the Ark of the Testimony, and put
over it the covering of hyacinthine skin, and overspread it with a wrapper of
twined work, and inset its staves. And over the table of the presence bread
they shall spread a wrapper of purple, and set upon it the vials, and the
spoons, and the vases, [JERUSALEM. Vials,] and the libation cups; but the bread
shall be upon it evermore. And they shall spread upon it a wrapper of scarlet,
and cover it with a covering of hyacinthine skin, and inset its staves. And
they shall take a purple wrapper, and cover the candelabrum that lighteth, and
its lamps, its tongs, its snuff‑dishes, and all the vessels of service by
which they attend it. [JERUSALEM. Snuffers.] And they shall put it and all its
vessels in a covering of hyacinthine skin, and place it upon a rest.
[JERUSALEM. Upon a beam.] And upon the golden altar they shall spread a purple
vest, and cover it with a covering of hyacinthine skin, and inset its staves.
And they shall take all the vessels, of the service with which they minister in
the sanctuary, and wrap them in a covering of hyacinthine skins, and place it
upon a beam.
And they shall remove
the cinders from the altar, and overspread it with a covering of crimson.
[JERUSALEM. And they shall take away from the altar,] and put upon it all its
vessels with which it is served, the cinder‑holders, flesh‑hooks,
prongs, and basins, even all the vessels of the altar, and spread upon it a
covering of hyacinthine skin, and inset its staves.
And after Aharon and
his sons have completed to cover the sanctuary, and all the vessels thereof,
when the camp is to go forward, then the sons of Kehath may enter in to carry:
but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die by the flaming fire.
This is the burden of the sons of Kehath in the tabernacle of ordinance. And
that delivered to Elazar bar Aharon the priest shall be the oil for the light,
the aromatic incense, the perpetual mincha, the oil of anointing, and the
custody of all the tabernacle, and whatever is in it in the sanctuary and its
vessels.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Thou shalt not give occasion for the tribe of the family
of Kehath to perish among the Levites. But this appointment make thou for them,
that they may live the life of the just, and die not by the flaming fire; they
shall turn away their eyes from the Most Holy Place at the time they approach
thither. Aharon and his sons shall enter, and appoint them man by man to his
service and his burden. But they shall not go in to gaze, when the priests go
in to cover the vessels of the sanctuary, that they die not by the flaming
fire. [JERUSALEM. And the Levites shall not go in to gaze when the priests
cover the vessels of the holy house, lest they die.]
Pgs. 351-362
Ch. 4-7
SECTION XXXV.
NASA.
AND the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Take the account of the Beni Gershon also, from thirty
years to fifty years, of all who come by bands to do the work of the tabernacle
of ordinance. And this is the service of the family of Gershon, to serve and to
carry. They shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of
ordinance, its covering, and the hyacinth covering which is upon it above; and
the hanging of the gate of the tabernacle of ordinance; and the curtains of the
court, and the hanging for the gate of the court which is by the tabernacle round
about, and their cords and all the vessels of their service, and all that is
delivered to them to serve with. Upon the word of Aharon and his sons shall be
all the service of the Beni Gershon, for all their burdens and service, and of
their whole work shalt thou ordain the charge upon them. This is the ministry
of the family of the Beni Gershon, in the tabernacle of ordinance; and the care
of them shall be in the hand of Ithamar bar Aharon the priest.
The sons of Merari
shalt thou number, from thirty years to fifty years, everyone who cometh with
the band to minister in the work of the tabernacle of ordinance. And this shall
be the charge of the burdens of all their service in the tabernacle of
ordinance, the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, pillars, and bases; the
pillars of the court also round about, their pins and their cords, with all the
instruments of their whole service, and all those of the charge of their
burdens, thou shalt number by their names. This is the work of the family of
Merari, according to all their service in the tabernacle of ordinance, under
the hand of Ithamar bar Aharon the priest.
And Mosheh arid Aharon
numbered the sons of Kehath by their families, and by the house of their
fathers, from thirty years to fifty years; every one who came with the band to
serve in the tabernacle of ordinance; and the sums of them were two thousand
seven hundred and fifty. These are the numbers of the family of Kehath, of all
who ministered in the tabernacle of ordinance; whom Mosheh and Aharon numbered
upon the mouth of the Word of the Lord by Mosheh.
The numbers of the
Beni Gershon, after the families of their father's house from thirty years to
fifty years, every one who who came with the band to serve in the tabernacle of
ordinance; the sums of them were two thousand six hundred and thirty. These are
the numbers of the Beni Gershon, of all who ministered in the tabernacle of
ordinance, whom Mosheh arid Aharon numbered upon the mouth of the Word of the
Lord by Mosheh.
And the numbers of the
Beni Merari, by the families of their father's house, from thirty to fifty
years, every one who came with the band to the service of the tabernacle of
ordinance, were three thousand two hundred. These are the numbers of the Beni
Merari, whom Mosheh and Aharon numbered upon the mouth of the Word of the Lord
by Mosheh.
The whole sum of the
Levites whom Mosheh arid Aharon and the princes of Israel numbered, from thirty
to fifty years, all coming by bands to fulfil the charge and service of the
porterage of the tabernacle of ordinance, was eight thousand five hundred arid
eighty. By the mouth of the Word of the Lord were they numbered by Mosheh,
every man according to his service and burden; and the numbering of them was as
the Lord commanded Mosheh.
V. And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Command the sons of Israel to send away from the camp
every one who is leprous, or who hath an issue, or is unclean by having defiled
himself (by touching) the dead. From a male to a female thou shalt send them
away, and separate them without the camp, that they may not defile their tents;
for the Shekinah of My Holiness dwelleth among you. And the sons of Israel did
so, and sent them away from the camp; as the Lord had commanded Mosheh, so did
the sons of Israel.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Say to the children of Israel: A man or a woman who
committeth any human sin, in acting perversely before the Lord, and hath become
guilty; they shall make confession of their sins which they have committed. If
he hath extorted money from his neighbour, he shall restore (the amount of) his
sin in the principal thereof, and add to it a fifth of its value, and give
(both) principal and fifth to him against whom be hath sinned. And if the man
(hath died and) hath no kinsman to whom the debt may be rendered, the debt to
be restored (shall he render) before the Lord; he shall give it to the priest,
besides the ram for his atonement, by which atonement is to be made for him.
And every separation of all consecrated things of the children of Israel which
they bring to the priest shall be his. The consecrated tithe, also, of any man
shall be his, that his substance may not fail; whatever a man giveth unto the
priest shall be his.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Speak with the sons of Israel, and say to them: If the
wife of any man go astray and commit wrongness against him, and another man lie
with her, and it be hidden from her husband's eyes, and be concealed, and she
be contaminated: or, if the testimony be not clear which is witnessed against
her, and she be not convicted; or, if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and
he be jealous of his wife, that she hath been defiled, or the spirit of
jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, though she hath not been
defiled; and though that man may have not brought separation or tythe, there is
constraint upon him to bring his wife unto the priest. Now, because she may
have brought delicacies to the adulterer, she ought to bring an appointed
oblation of her own, a tenth of three sata of barley flour, that being the food
of beasts: he shall not pour oil, nor put frankincense thereon; for it is a
mincha (on account) of jealousy, a mincha of a memorial which calleth guilt to mind.
And the priest shall
bring her near, and cause her to stand before the Lord.
And the priest shall
take holy water from the laver with an ewer, and pour it into an earthen
vessel; because she may have brought the adulterer sweet wine to drink in precious
vases; and he shall take of the dust that is upon the ground of the
tabernacle,-because the end of all flesh is dust,- and put it into the water.
And the priest shall cause the woman to stand before the Lord, and bind a cord
over her loins and upon her breast,- because she should have bound her loins
with a girdle; and he shall uncover the woman's head, because she had tied a
fillet upon her hair.
And he shall put the
mincha of memorial, the mincha of jealousy, into her hand; while in the hand of
the priest shall be the bitter water of the trial.
And the priest shall
adjure her by the adjuration of the Great and Glorious Name, and shall say to
the woman:
If thou hast not
turned aside, to defile thyself by acting against the right of thy husband, be
thou unhurt by these bitter waters of trial. [JERUSALEM. Be thou made innocent
by these waters of trial by their probation.] But if thou hast turned aside
against the right of thy husband, and art defiled in having shared the bed with
a man against thy husband's right:-Then shall the priest adjure the woman by
the oath of malediction, and say to the woman,-The Lord make thee a curse and
an execration among the children of thy people, in causing thy thigh to
corrupt, and thy belly to swell;. and may these waters of trial enter into thy
bowels, to cause thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to corrupt.
And the woman shall
answer and say: Amen, if I was polluted when betrothed; Amen, if I have been
polluted since my marriage. [JERUSALEM. And the woman shall answer, Amen,
because I have not been unclean; Amen, if ever I shall have wrought
uncleanness.]
And the priest shall
write these maledictions upon a parchment, and wash it out with the water of
trial, and cause the woman to drink the bitter trial water: the trial water of
malediction shall be received by her. But the priest shall (first) take from
the woman's hand the mincha of jealousy, and uplift the mincha before the Lord,
and lay it on the side of the altar. And the priest shall take a handful of the
portion for its memorial, and burn it at the altar; and after that the woman
shall drink the water.
And when he hath
caused her to drink the water, it will be that if she hath been defiled by
adultery, and hath acted with wrongness against her husband, those proving
waters will enter into her with a curse, and her belly will swell, and her
thigh become corrupt, and the woman will be an execration among the children of
her people. The adulterer as well will be detected by these waters of
probation, in whatever place he may be. But if the woman hath not been defiled
by adultery, but is innocent, they will enter without harm, and her brightness
will shine forth, and she will find affection before her husband, and become
the mother of a son.
This is the
declaration of the law of jealousy, when a woman hath fallen away from the
right of her husband, and become defiled by adultery; or when the spirit of
jealousy cometh upon a man, that he be so jealous of his wife as to make her
stand before the Lord, then shall the priest perform all this law. But if the
man be innocent of transgressions, then let that woman bear her iniquity.
VI. And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Speak with the children of Israel, and say to them: When a
man or, woman, seeing her who had gone astray in her corruption, shall (resolve
to) become abstinent from wine, or for any other cause shall make the vow of a
Nazir in separating one'- self unto the Name of the Lord, he shall abstain from
wine, new and old, he shall drink neither vinegar of old wine or new; neither
may he drink liquor in which grapes have been crushed, nor eat of grapes either
fresh or dried. [JERUSALEM. From wine, new or old, be shall abstain, (keep
apart,) and vinegar of old wine he may not drink, nor any liquor. of grapes.]
All the days of his vow he shall not eat of the tree which maketh wine, from
the husks of grapes even to the kernels within them. All the days of his nazir‑vow
the razor shall not pass upon his head until the time when the days of his
separation to the Name of the Lord be fulfilled; he shall be consecrate,
letting the hair of his head grow. All the days of his separation to the Name
of the Lord he shall not go in where there is a dead man. For his father, or
his mother, his brother, or his sister, he shall not make himself unclean
through their decease; for the crown of Eloah is upon his head; all the days in
which he is a Nazir lie shall be sacred before the Lord.
But if a person die
near him suddenly, and he unawares defile the head of his vow, let him shave
his head on the day of his purification; on the seventh day let him shave it.
And on the eighth day let him bring two turtle doves, or two young pigeons,
unto the priest at the door of the tabernacle of ordinance. And the priest
shall make one a sin offering, and one a burnt offering, and atone for him on
account of that in which be hath sinned, in defiling himself by the dead: and
he shall consecrate his head on that day. And let him dedicate before the Lord
the days of his nazirate (afresh), and bring a lamb of the year for a trespass
offering; but the former days will have been in vain, because he had defiled
his nazirate.
And this is the law of
the Nazir on the day when his separation days are fulfilled: Let him present himself
at the door of the tabernacle of ordinance, and bring his oblation before the
Lord, one lamb of the year unblemished for a burnt offering, and one ewe Iamb
of the year unblemished for a sin offering, and one ram unblemished for the
consecrated oblation; and a basket of unleavened cakes of flour with olive oil,
and unleavened wafers anointed with olive oil, their minchas and libations. And
the priest shall offer before the Lord,
and perform the sin offering, and the burnt sacrifice; and make the ram a
consecrated victim (peace offering) before the Lord, with the basket of
unleavened; and the priest shall make its mincha and its libation. And the
Nazir shall shave his consecrated head, without, after the offering of the holy oblations at the door of the tabernacle of ordinance, and take
the hair of his consecrated head,
and lay it on the fire that is under the cauldron of the peace offering. And
the priest shall take the shoulder that is boiled, entire from the ram, and one
unleavened cake from the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and put upon the
hands of the Nazirite, after he hath shaved his head of the consecration. And
the priest shall uplift them for an elevation. It is sacred; it belongeth to
the priest, with the breast of the elevation, and the separated shoulder. And
after that the Nazirite may drink wine.
This is the
declaration of the law of the Nazir who shall have vowed his oblation before
the Lord for his separation, besides what may come into his hand according to
the rule (or measure) of his vow, to bring that which he had vowed; so shall he
do according to the law of his nazirate.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Speak with Aharon and his sons, saying: Thus shall you
bless the children of Israel, while spreading forth the hands from the high
place;[1] in this tongue.[2] The Lord bless thee and keep
thee. The Lord make His face to shine upon thee, and gracious unto thee. The
Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and grant thee peace. The Lord bless
thee in all thy business, and keep) thee from demons[3]
of the night, and things that cause terror, and from demons of the noon[4]
and of the morning, and from malignant spirits arid phantoms. The Lord make His
face to shine upon thee, when occupied in the law, and reveal to thee its
secrets, and be merciful unto thee. The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee
in thy prayer, and grant thee peace in thy end. And they shall bestow the
benediction of My Name upon the children of Israel, and I, by My Word, will
bless them.
VII. And it was on the
day which begins the month of Nisan, when Mosheh had finished to uprear the
tabernacle, he took it not in pieces again, but anointed and consecrated it and
all its vessels, the altar and all the vessels thereof, and he anointed them
and hallowed them; then the leaders of Israel, who were the chiefs of the house
of their fathers, brought their offerings. These were they who had been
appointed in Mizraim chiefs over the numbered, and they brought their offering
before the Lord; six waggons covered and fitted up, and twelve oxen; one waggon
for two princes and one ox for each. [JERUSALEM. Six waggons yoked.] But Mosheh
was not willing to receive them, and they brought them before the tabernacle.
And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying: Take them, and let them be used for the
need of the appointed (work), and let the oxen and the waggons be for the work
of the service of the tabernacle of ordinance, and give them to the Levites, to
each according to the measure of his work. And Mosheh took the waggons and the
oxen, and gave them to the Levites. Two waggons and four oxen he gave to the
sons of Gershon, according to the amount of their service, and four waggons and
eight oxen gave be to the sons of Merari, according to the measure of their
service, by the band of Ithamar bar Aharon the priest. But to the sons of
Kehath he gave neither waggons nor oxen, because on them was laid the service
of the sanctuary, to be carried on their shoulders. And the princes offered at
the dedication of the altar by anointing, on the day that he anointed it did
the princes present their oblations before the altar. And the Lord said unto Mosheh, Let the princes offer each,
one prince on one day, their oblations at the dedication of the altar by anointing.
He who on the first
day presented his oblation was Nachshon bar Amminadab, prince of the house of
the fathers of the tribe Jehudah: and his oblation which he offered was one
silver bow, thickly embossed, (or, crusted,) in weight one hundred and thirty
shekels, in shekels of the sanctuary; one silver vase, slightly embossed, of
seventy shekels, in shekels of the sanctuary; both of these vessels he brought
filled with flour of the separation, sprinkled with olive oil for a mincha; one
pan (censer) weighing ten silver shekels, but it was itself of good gold; and
he brought it full of good sweet incense of the separation; one young bullock
of three years, one ram of two years, and one lamb of the year. These three did
the chief of the tribe Jehudah bring for a burnt offering; one kid of the goats
he brought for a sin offering; and for consecrated victims, two oxen, five
rams, five goats, lambs of the year five: this is the order of the oblation
which Nachshon bar Amminadab offered of his wealth. [JERUSALEM. And the
oblation which he offered was one silver dish, &c., in the same words as
above.]
On the second day,
Nethanel bar Zuar, chief of the house of the fathers of the tribe Issakar,
brought his oblation. He brought his oblation after Jehudah by commandment of
the Holy: one silver dish thickly embossed, one hundred and thirty shekels,
&c., as the first.[5]
On the third day,
Eliab bar Helon, prince of the Beni Zebulon, offered. On the fourth, Elizur bar
Shedeur, prince of the Beni Reuben; on the fifth, Shelumiel bar Zurishaddai,
prince of Shemeon; on the sixth, Eljasaph bar Dehuel, prince of the Beni Gad;
on the seventh, Elishama bar Ammihud, prince of the Beni Ephraim; on the
eighth, Gamaliel bar Pedazur, prince of Menasheh; on the ninth, Abidan bar
Gideoni, prince of Benjamin; on the tenth, Achiezer bar Amishaddai, prince of
the Beni Dan; on the eleventh, Pagiel bar Achran, prince of Asher; and on the
twelfth day, Achira bar Enan, prince of the Beni Naphtali, offered.
This is the oblation
at the anointing of the altar, on the day that they anointed it, from the
riches of the princes of Israel: twelve silver bowls, answering to the twelve
tribes; twelve silver vases, answering to the twelve princes of the Beni
Israel; twelve golden pans, answering to the twelve signs (mazalia[6]).
One hundred and thirty shekels was the weight of each silver bowl, answering to
the years of Jokebed when she bare Mosheh; and seventy shekels was the weight
of each vase, answering to the seventy elders of the great Sanhedrin: all the
silver vessels, two thousand four hundred shekels, in shekels of the sanctuary.
The golden pans were twelve, answering to the princes of Israel, full of good
sweet incense; the weight of ten shekels was the weight of each pan, answering
to the Ten Words; all the gold of the pans, one hundred and and twenty
(shekels), answering to the years lived by Mosheh the prophet. All the bullocks
for the burnt offering, twelve, a bullock for a prince of the house of the
fathers; twelve rams, because the twelve princes of Ishmael would perish;
twelve lambs of the year, because the twelve princes of Persia would perish;
and their minchas, that famine might be removed from the world; and twelve kids
of the goats for the sin offering, to atone for the sins of the twelve tribes.
And all the oxen for consecrated
victims, twenty‑four, answering to the twenty‑four orders (of the
priests); the rams, sixty, answering, to the sixty years which Izhak had lived
when he begat Jakob; the goats, sixty, answering to the sixty letters in the
benediction of the priests; lambs of the year, sixty, to atone for the sixty
myriads of Israel. This was the dedication of the altar by anointment on the
day that they anointed it.
And when Mosheh
entered into the tabernacle of ordinance to speak with Him, he heard the voice
of the Spirit who spake with him descending from the heaven of heavens upon the
Mercy Seat which was upon the Ark of the Testimony between the two Cherubim,
and from thence was the Oracle speaking with him.
Pgs. 362-380
Ch. 8-13
SECTION XXXVI.
VIII. And the Lord
spake with Mosheh, saying: Speak with Aharon, and say to him: At the time when
thou dost kindle the lamps upon the candelabrum, (all) the seven lamps shall be
alight; three on the western side, and three on the eastern side, and the
seventh in the midst. And Aharon did so; at the face of the candelabrum he lit
the lamps thereof, as the Lord commanded Mosheh. And this was the work
delabrum, which was of beaten gold, from its foundations unto its lilies, the
work of the artificer, with the hammer was it wrought: according to the vision
which the Lord had showed Mosheh, so did Bezalel make the candelabrum.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Bring, the Levites out from among the sons of Israel, and purify them. And this shalt thou do
to purify them. Sprinkle upon them the water for uncleanness through sin (chattatha),
and let the razor pass over all their flesh, and let them wash their
raiment, and wash themselves in forty savan of water. And they shall take a
young bullock, and his mincha of flour sprinkled with olive oil; and take thou
a second young bullock for a sin offering. And thou shalt bring the Levites
before the tabernacle of ordinance, and gather together also all the
congregation of the sons of Israel. Thou shalt bring the Levites before the
Lord, and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands upon the Levites. And Aharon
shall present the Levites, (as) an elevation before the Lord from the sons of
Israel, and they shall be for the work of the service of the Lord. And the
Levites shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullocks, and make one a sin
offering and one a burnt offering before the Lord, to atone for the Levites.
And thou shalt place the Levites before Aharon and his sons, and present them
(as) an elevation before the Lord; and thus shalt thou separate the Levites
from among the sons of Israel, that the Levites may be ministers before Me. And
afterward the Levites may enter to fulfil the service of the tabernacle of
ordinance, when thou shalt have purified them and presented them (as) an
elevation; for separated they are separate before Me from among the sons of
Israel, instead of every one who openeth the womb; the first‑born of all
who are of the sons of Israel have I taken (to be) before Me. For every first‑born
of the sons of Israel is Mine, whether of man or of beast: in the day that I
slew all the first‑born in the land of Mizraim, I sanctified them before
Me; and I have taken the Levites instead of all the first‑born of the
sons of Israel, and have given the Levites (as) gifts unto Aharon and to his
sons from among the sons of Israel, to minister the service of the children of
Israel in the tabernacle of ordinance, and to atone for the children of Israel,
lest there be mortality among the children of Israel at the time when they
approach the sanctuary.
And Mosheh and Aharon
and all the congregation of the Beni Israel did unto the Levites according to
all that the Lord had commanded Mosheh concerning the Levites, so did the sons
of Israel to them. And the Levites were purified, and they washed their
raiment; and Aharon presented them as an elevation before the Lord. And Aharon
made atonement for them to purify them. And afterward the Levites went in to
fulfil their ministry in the tabernacle of ordinance, before Aharon and his
sons: as the Lord had commanded Mosheh concerning the Levites, so did they unto
them.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: This is the instruction for the Levites who are not
disqualified (profaned) by their blemishes: from one of twenty‑five years
and upward, he shall come, according to his company, to the service of the
tabernacle of ordinance and from fifty years of age he shall return from the
band of the service, and serve no more. Yet he may minister with his brethren
at the tabernacle of ordinance in keeping the watch; but he shall not do any of
the service. So shall the Levites act in their charge.
IX. And the Lord spake
with Mosheh in the wilderness of Sinai, in the second year from the time of
their going forth from the land of Mizraim, in the first month, saying: Let the
children of Israel perform the sacrifice of the Pascha between the suns at its
time. On the fourteenth day of this mouth, between the suns, they shall perform
it in its time; according to all its rites and all its statutes shall they do
it. And Mosheh spake with the children of Israel to perform the sacrifice of
the Pascha. They performed the Pascha, therefore, on the fourteenth day of the
month, between the suns in the wilderness of Sinai; after all that the Lord had
commanded Mosheh, so did the children of Israel.
But certain men, who
were unclean, having been defiled by the body of a man who had died near them
suddenly; as the commandment (of the Pascha) came upon them, could not perform
it on that day, which was the seventh of their uncleanness. And they came
before Mosheh and Aharon on that day; and these men said to him, We are
unclean, on account of a man who died with us: therefore we are hindered from killing
the Pascha, and shedding the blood of the Lord's oblation upon the altar at its
time, that we may eat its flesh, being clean, among the children of Israel.
This is one of four
matters of judgment brought before Mosheh the prophet, which he decided according
to the Word of the Holy One: in some of which Mosheh was deliberate, because
they were judgments about life; but in the others Mosheh was prompt, they being
(only) judgments concerning money: but in those (the former) Mosheh said, I
have not heard; that he might teach the princes of the Sanhedrin who should
arise after him to be deliberate in judgements regarding life, but prompt in
judgments about money; and not to be ashamed to ask counsel in things too hard
for them, inasmuch as Mosheh himself, the Rabbi of Israel, had need to say, I
have not yet heard. Therefore, said Mosheh to them, Wait until I have heard
what will be commanded from before the Lord concerning your case. [JERUSALEM.
This is one of four matters of judgment brought before Mosheh, in two of which
Mosheh was prompt, and in two was he slower. Concerning the unclean who could
not perform the Pascha in its time, and concerning
the daughters of Zelophehad, was Mosheh prompt, because the [latter] judgment
was about money; but concerning the blasphemer who had reviled the sacred Name,
and the gatherer of wood, who wickedly profaned the Sabbath, Mosheh was
deliberate, they being decisions involving life; and in them he said, I have
not heard; that he might teach the judges who were to come after Mosheh to be
prompt in cases of mammon, but deliberate in those of life; and not to be
ashamed to say, I have not heard, because Mosheh our Rabbi himself said, I have
not heard. Therefore, spake he, Arise, and listen to what the Word of the Lord
will prescribe to you.]
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Speak with the sons of Israel, saying: A man, whether
young or old, when unclean by defilement from the dead, or an issue, or the
leprosy, or who is hindered in the way of the world by the accidents of the
night, or who shall be at a distance from the threshold of his house: if such
things happen to you, or to your generations, then may he defer to perform the
Pascha before the Lord. But in the second month, which is the month of Ijar, on
the fourteenth day of the month, between the suns they shall perform it; with
unleavened bread and with bitters they shall eat it. They shall not leave of it
till the morning, and a bone in it shall not be broken; according to every
instruction in the decree of the Pascha in Nisan, they shall perform it. In the
Pascha of Nisan (such persons) may eat unleavened bread, but not perform the
oblation of the Pascha on account of their defilement; but in the Pascha of
Ijar being purified they shall offer it. But the man who, being clean and
undefiled by the way of the world, and not at a distance from the threshold of
his home, neglecteth to perform the oblation of the Pascha of Nisan, that man
shall be cut off from his people, because he hath not offered the Lord's oblation
in its season; that man shall bear his sin. And if the stranger who is
sojourning with you will perform the Pascha before the Lord, he shall do it
after the proper manner of the Paschal decree, according to its form so shall
he do it. You shall have one statute, both for the sojourner and for the native
of the land.
And on the day on
which the tabernacle was reared the Cloud of Glory covered the Tabernacle; it
overspread the Tabernacle of Testimony by day, and at evening, it was over the
Tabernacle like a vision of Fire until the morning. So was it continually, a
Cloud of Glory covering it by day, and a vision of Fire by night. And what time
the Cloud of Glory was uplifted from the Tabernacle, then the children of
Israel went forward; and at the place where the Cloud rested, there did the
children of Israel rest. By the mouth of the Word of the Lord the children of
Israel went forward, and by the Word of the Lord they rested. All the days that
the Cloud of Glory abode upon the Tabernacle, (so long) did they abide. And if
the Cloud tarried over the Tabernacle many days the children of Israel observed
the watch of the Word of the Lord, and did not proceed. If for the time of a
number of days, suppose the seven days of the week, the Cloud of Glory was upon
the Tabernacle, by the mouth of the Word of the Lord they rested, and by the
mouth of the Word of the Lord they went forward. Or, if the Cloud of Glory
(rested only) from evening until morning, and was uplifted in the morning, then
went they onward; whether by day or by night, when the Cloud was lifted up they
went forward; whether it was two days, or a month, or a year complete, while
the Cloud of Glory made stay over the Tabernacle, abiding on it, the children
of Israel abode, and journeyed not, and at the time of its uplifting they went
forward. By the mouth of the Word of the Lord they encamped, and by it they journeyed; they kept the observance
of the Word of the Lord, by the mouth of the Word of the Lord through Mosheh.
X. And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Make for thee, of thine, two trumpets of silver of solid
material, the work of the artificer shalt thou make them; and let them be
thine, with which to convoke the assembly, and for the removing of the camps.
And thou shalt blow upon them, and bring together to thee all the congregation
at the door of the tabernacle of ordinance. If they blow upon one (only), the
princes of the heads of the thousands of Israel shall assemble to thee. But
when you blow an alarm, then the camps which are on the east are to go forward;
and when they blow a second alarm, the camps on the south shall go forward;
they shall blow the alarm for their journeys. And at the time of assembling the
congregation you shall blow, but not an alarm. The sons of Aharon, the priests
only, shall blow with the trumpets, which shall be to you, for a perpetual
statute for your generations.
And when you enter
upon the order of the line of battle for your country, with oppressors who
oppress you, then shall you blow the alarm on the trumpets, that the
remembrance of you may come up for good before the Lord your God, that you may
be delivered from your enemies. And in the day of your rejoicings, and in your
solemnities, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow with the
trumpets over your burnt offerings and your consecrated victims, and they shall
be for a good memorial to you before the Lord your God; for Satana shall be
troubled at the sound of your jubel notes: I am the Lord your God.
And it was in the
second year, the second month, which is the month of Ijar, the twentieth day of
the month, that the Cloud of Glory was uplifted from above the Tabernacle of
Testimony; and the children of Israel went forward upon their journeys from the
wilderness of Sinai, and the Cloud of Glory rested in the wilderness of Pharan.
And they went forth at the first by the mouth of the Word of the Lord through
Mosheh.
The standard of the
camps of the Beni Jehudah went forward by their hosts, and the Rabba who was
appointed over the host of the tribe of the Beni Jehudah was Nachshon bar
Amminadab; the Rabba of the Beni Issakar was Nethanel Dar Zuar; and the Rabba
of the Beni Zebulon, Eliab bar Chelon. And the tabernacle was taken down, and
the sons of Gershon and of Merari went forward, carrying the tabernacle.
The standard of the
camps of Reuben went forward by their hosts. The Rabba set over the hosts of
the tribe of the Beni Reuben was Elizur bar Shedeur; the Rabba of the Beni
Shemeon, Shelumiel bar Zurishaddai; and the Rabba of the Beni Gad, Eljasaph bar
Dehuel.
And the family of
Kehath went forward, carrying the sanctuary; and they (the men of Gershon)
reared up the tabernacle against their coming.
The standard of the
camps of the Beni Ephraim went forward by their hosts: the Rabba set over the
host of the tribe of Ephraim was Elishama bar Ammihud; the Rabba of that of
Menasheh, Gamaliel bar Pedazur; and the Rabba of Benjamin, Abidan bar Gideoni.
And the standard of
the camps of the Beni Dan went forward, completing all the camps according to
their hosts; and the Rabba set over his host was Ahiezer bar Ammishaddai; the
Rabba of the tribe of Asher, Pagiel bar Achran; and the Rabba of the Beni
Naphtali, Ahira bar Enan. These are the journeys of the children of Israel by
their hosts; the Cloud of Glory was lifted up from above the tabernacle, and they went forward.
And Mosheh said unto
Hobab bar Reuel the Midianite,
father‑in‑law of Mosheh, We are journeying from hence to the place
of which the Lord hath said, I will give it
to you: come with us,
and we will do thee good; for the Lord hath spoken to do good unto the
sojourner with Israel. But he answered him, I will not go (with you) but to my
(own) land and to my kindred will I go. But he said, Do not now leave us; for
when we were encamped in the wilderness, thou knewest how to judge, and didst
teach us the method (or business) of judgment, and thou art dear to us as the
apple of our eyes. And it shall be that if thou wilt go on with us, with the
good that the Lord shall benefit us will we benefit thee, in the division of
the land.
And they went forward
from the glory of the Shekinah of the Lord had been revealed, going three days;
and the Ark of the Lord's covenant went before them. Thirty and six miles it
went that day; it preceded the camp of Israel, going three days, to provide for
them a place to encamp in. And the Cloud of the Lord's Shekinah overshadowed
them by day in their going out from the encampment. And it was when the ark
should go forward, the Cloud gathered itself together and stood still, not
going on, until Mosheh, standing in prayer, prayed and supplicated mercy from
before the Lord, and thus spake: Let the Word of the Lord be now revealed in
the power of Thy anger, that the adversaries of Thy people maybe scattered; and
let not the banner of those who hate them be uplifted before Thee. But when the
ark should rest, the Cloud gathered itself to ether and stood, but did not
overspread, until Mosheh, standing in prayer, prayed and besought mercy from before
the Lord, thus speaking: Return now, Thou Word of the Lord,[1] in the goodness of Thy mercy,
and lead Thy people Israel, and let the glory of Thy Shekinah dwell among them,
and (Thy) mercy with the myriads of the house of Jakob, and with the multitudes
of the thousands of Israel. [JERUSALEM. It was when the ark went forward.
Mosheh stood, with bands (outstretched) in prayer, and said, Arise now, O Word
of the Lord, in the power of Thy might, and let the adversaries of Thy people
be scattered, and make Thine enemies flee before Thee. But when the ark rested,
Mosheh lifted his hands in prayer, and said, O Word of the Lord, turn from the
strength of Thy anger, and return unto us in the goodness of Thy mercy, and
bless the myriads and multiply the thousands of the children of Israel.
XI. But there were
wicked men of the people, who, being discontent, devised and imagined evil
before the Lord; and it was heard before the Lord, whose displeasure was moved;
and a flaming fire was kindled among them from the Lord, which destroyed some
of the wicked in the outskirts of the house of Dan, with whom was a graven
image. And the people cried to Mosheh to pray for them; and Mosheh did pray
before the Lord, and the fire was extinguished where it was. And he called the
name of that place Enkindlement, because the flaming fire had been enkindled
there from before the Lord.
And the strangers who
had gathered together among them demanded with demand, and they turned and
wept; and the sons of Israel said, Who will give us flesh to eat? We remember
the fish which we had to eat in Mizraim freely, without (being restricted by
prohibitory) precept, the cucumbers and melons, the leeks, onions, and
potherbs. [JERUSALEM. We remember
the fish that we ate freely in Mizraim, the cucumbers and melons, leeks,
onions, and potherbs.] But now our life is dried up; there is not anything; we
see only the manna, as the pauper who looks upon a morsel (bestowed) by the
hands. Alas for the people whose food is bread from the heavens! And so
murmured they, because the manna was like coriander‑seed, round, when it
came down from the heavens, and when it had been sanctified its appearance was
as the likeness of Bedilcha. And the wicked people looked about, and collected,
and ground it in the mill. But he who would, bruised it in the mortar, or
dressed it in the pot, or made cakes of it; and the taste of it was like the
taste of cream covered with oil. [JERUSALEM. And the people were scattered
abroad, and collected and ground it in mills, or crushed it in the mortar, or
dressed it in the pan, and made cakes of it. And the taste of it was like the
taste of pastry with honey.] And when the dew came down on the camp by night,
the manna descended upon it.
And Mosheh heard the
people lamenting with their neighbours, who had gathered every man at the gate
of his tent and the displeasure of the Lord was strongly moved, and in the eyes
of Mosheh it was evil; and Mosheh said before the Lord, Why hast Thou done ill
with Thy servant, or I have not found mercy before Thee, that Thou shouldst
have laid the toil of this people upon me? Have I made or borne all this people
as from the womb? are they my children, that Thou saidst to me in Mizraim, Bear
the toil of them with thy strength, as the instructor of youth beareth, until
they be carried into the land which Thou hast sworn unto their fathers?
[JERUSALEM. Have I made all this people, have I begotten them, that Thou hast
said to me, Carry them in thy bosom, as the nurse[2] carrieth the sucklings, unto
the land which thou didst swear unto their fathers?] Whence am I to find meat
to give all this people? for they are cry crying to me, say saying Give us
flesh that we may eat. I am not able to bear all this people, for it is too
weighty for me. But if Thou do this with me, to leave all the labour of them
upon me, let me now die with the death in which the just have repose, if I have
found mercy before Thee, that I may not see mine evil. [JERUSALEM. That I may
not see the evil of them who are Thy people.] Then spake the Lord unto Mosheh,
Gather together in My name seventy righteous men of the elders of Israel, whom
thou knowest to be elders of the people, and who were set over them in Mizraim,
and bring them to the taberncle to stand there with thee. And I will be
revealed in the glory of My Shekinah, and will speak with thee there, and will
amplify the spirit of prophecy that is upon thee, and bestow it upon them; and
they shall sustain with thee the burden of the people, that thou mayest not
bear it alone. And say thou to the people, Make ready against the morrow that
you may eat flesh; because you have lamented before the Lord, saying, Who will
give us flesh to eat? for it was better with us in Mizraim. The Lord therefore
will give yon flesh that you may eat. You shall not eat it one day, nor two
days, nor five, nor ten, nor twenty days; for a month of days, until the smell
of it cometh forth from your nostrils, and it become a loathing to you; because
you have been contemptuous against the Word of the Lord, whose glorious
Shekinah dwelleth among you, and because you have wept before Him, saying, Why
should we have come out from Mizraim?
But Mosheh said, Six
hundred thousand footmen are the people among whom I dwell, and Thou hast said,
I will give them flesh to eat for a month of days! Shall the flocks of Araby or
the cattle of Nabatea be killed for them to satisfy them, or all the fishes of
the Great Sea be collected, that
they may have enough? And the Lord said to
Mosheh, Can any thing fail before the Lord? Now shalt thou see whether what
I have said to thee shall come to pass or not. Then Mosheh went forth from the
tabernacle, the house of the Shekinah, and told the people the words of the
Lord. And he called together the seventy men, the elders of Israel, and placed
them around the tabernacle. And the Lord was revealed in the glorious Cloud of
the Shekinah, and spake with him. And He made enlargement of the (Spirit of)
prophecy that was upon him, so that Mosheh lost nothing thereof, but He gave
unto the seventy men, the elders: and it was that when the Spirit of prophecy
rested upon them, they prophesied, and ceased not.
But two
men had remained in the camp; the name of the one Eldad, and the name of the
second Medad, the sons of Elizaphan bar Parnak, whom Jokebed the daughter of
Levi bare to him when Amram her husband had put her away; and to whom she had
been espoused before she gave birth to Mosheh. And the Spirit of prophecy
resting upon them, Eldad prophesied, and said: Behold, Mosheh shall be
gathered from the world; and Jehoshua bar Nun, the minister of the camps, will
be established after him, and will lead the people of the house of Israel into
the land of Kenaan, and make it their inheritance.
Medad prophesied, and
said: Behold, quails come up from the sea, and cover all the camp of Israel;
but they will be to the people (a cause of) an offence. And both of them
prophesied together, and said: Behold, a king will arise from the land of
Magog, at the end of the days, and will assemble kings crowned with crowns, and
captains wearing armour, and him will all nations obey. And they will set
battle in array in the land of Israel against the children of the captivity;
but already is it provided that in the hour of distresses all of them shall
perish by the burning blast of the flame that cometh forth from beneath the Throne of Glory; and their
carcases shall fall upon the mountains of the land of Israel, and the wild
beasts of the field and the fowls of the sky shall come and consume their dead
bodies. And afterward will all the dead of Israel live (again), and be feasted
from the ox which hath been set apart for them from the beginning, and they
shall receive the reward of their works.
And they were of the
elders who stood in the registers among them; but they had not gone forth to
the tabernacle, but had hidden to escape from the dignity; yet they prophesied
in the camp. [JERUSALEM. And there
remained two men in the camp: the name of one of them Eldad, the name of the
second Medad, upon whom rested the Holy Spirit. Eldad prophesied, and said: Lo,
Mosheh, the prophet, the scribe of Israel, will be gathered from the world, and
Jehoshua bar Nun, his disciple, minister of the camps, will succeed. Medad
prophesied, and said: Behold, quails come up from the sea; but they will be an
offence to the children of Israel. Both of them prophesied together, and said:
At the end, the end of the days, will Gog and Magog and his host come up
against Jerusalem; but by the hand of the King Meshiha they will fall, and
seven years of days will the children of Israel kindle their fire with their
weapons of war, not going into the wilderness, nor cutting down the trees. And
they were of the seventy sages, who went not from the tabernacle, while Eldad
and Medad prophesied in the camp.]
And a certain young
man ran, and told to Mosheh, and said: Eldad and Medad are prophesying thus in
the camp. And Jehoshua bar Nun, the minister of Mosheh, answered and said:
Ribboni Mosheh, pray for mercy before the Lord, that the Spirit of prophecy may
be withheld from them. But Mosheh said to him, Because they prophesy concerning
me that I am to be gathered from the world, and that thou art to minister after
me, art thou jealous for my sake? I would that all the Lord's people were
prophets, and that He would bestow the Spirit of prophecy upon them.
And Mosheh proceeded
to the camp, he and all the elders of Israel. And the wind of a tempest went
forth, and came violently from before the Lord, so as to have swept the world
away, but for the righteousness of Mosheh and Aharon: and it blew over the
Great Sea, and made the quails fly from the Great Sea, and settle wherever
there was place in the camp, as a day's journey northward and southward, and at
the height as of two cubits; they flew upon the face of the ground, and went
upon their bellies, so that (the people) were not wearied while they collected
them. And they who had been wanting in faith arose: and all that day, and all
the night, and all the day that followed, they gathered the quails; even he who
was lame and infirm gathered ten korin, [JERUSALEM. Ten korin,] and they spread
them abroad round about the camps.
The wicked ate of the
flesh, yet offered no thanksgiving to Him who had given it to them: but while
the flesh was between their teeth, and not consumed, the anger of the Lord
waxed strong against the evil people, and the Lord slew the people with a very
great mortality. And he called the name of that place, The Graves of the
Desirers of Flesh; for there they buried the people who had desired flesh. And
from the Graves of the Desirers the people journeyed to Hatseroth, and they
were in Hatseroth.
XII. And Miriam and
Aharon spake against Mosheh words that were not becoming with respect to the
Kushaitha whom the Kushaee had caused Mosheh to take when he had fled from
Pharoh, but whom he had sent away because they had given him the queen of Kush,
and he had sent her away. [JERUSALEM. And Miriam and Aharon spake against
Mosheh about the Kushaitha whom he had taken. But observe, the Kushite wife was
not Zipporah, the wife of Mosheh, but a certain Kushaitha, of a flesh different
from every creature: whereas Zipporah, the wife of Mosheh, was of a comely form
and beautiful countenance, and more abundant in good works than all the women
of her age.] And they said, Hath the Lord spoken only with Mosheh, that he
should be separated from the married life? Hath He not spoken with us also? And
it was heard before the Lord. But the man Mosheh was more bowed down in his
mind than all the children of men upon the face of the earth; neither cared he
for their words.
And the Lord said to
Mosheh, to Aharon, and to Miriam, Come forth, you three, to the tabernacle. And
those three went forth. And the Glory of the Lord was revealed in the Cloud of
Glory, and He stood at the door of the tabernacle, and called Aharon and
Miriam: and those two came forth. And He said, Hear now My words, while I
speak. Have any of the prophets who have arisen from the days of old been
spoken with as Mosheh hath been? To those (prophets) the Word of the Lord hath
been revealed in apparition, speaking with them in a dream. Not so is the way
with Mosheh My servant; in all the house of Israel My people he is faithful.
[JERUSALEM. Not so is My servant Mosheh among all the company (of the
prophets), the chief of the chiefs of My court, faithful is he.] Speaker with
speaker have I spoken with him, who hath separated himself from the married
life; but in vision, and not with mystery, revealed I Myself to him at the
bush, and he beheld the likeness of My Shekinah. And why have you not feared to
speak such words of My servant Mosheh? And the glory of the Lord's Shekinah
ascended, and went. And the glorious Cloud of the Lord's Shekinah went up from
above the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam was seized with the leprosy. And
Aharon looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she had been smitten with leprosy. And
Aharon said to Mosheh, I beseech of thee, my lord, not to lay upon us the sin
we have foolishly committed, and by which we have transgressed. I entreat thee
that Miriam, our sister, may not be defiled with leprosy in the tent, as the
dead, for it is with her as with the infant[3] which, having well fulfilled
the time of the womb, perishes at the birth: so Miriam was with us in the land
of Mizraim, seeing us in our captivity, our dispersion, our servitude; but now,
when the time hath come for our going forth to possess the land of Israel
behold she is kept back from us. I entreat thee, my lord, to pray for her, that
her righteousness may not come to nought among the congregation. [JERUSALEM.
11. That we have sinned. 12. Let not Miriam, our sister, be a leper, polluted
in the tent as one dead. For it is with her as with the infant who hath passed
nine months in its mother's womb, in water and in heat, without injury, but
which after all perishes at the birth. So was Miriam, our sister, carried away
with us into the desert, and with us in our trouble; but now the time hath come
that we may enter into the land of Israel, why should she be kept from us? Pray
now for the dead body that it may live, and that her righteousness may not
fail.] And Mosheh did pray, and seek mercy before the Lord, saying: I pray
through the compassions of the merciful God, O Eloha, who hast power over the
life of all flesh, heal her, I beseech thee. [JERUSALEM. O Eloha, who healest
all flesh, heal her.] And the Lord said to Mosheh, If her father had corrected
her, would she not have been disgraced, and secluded seven days? But to‑day,
when I correct her, much more right is it that she should be dishonoured
fourteen days: yet shall it suffice to seclude her seven days without the camp;
and for thy righteousness will I make the Cloud of My Glory, the tabernacle,
the ark, and all Israel, tarry until the time that she is healed, and then re‑admitted.
And Miriam was kept apart without the camp for seven days, and the people went
not forward until the time that Miriam was healed.
XIII. But though
Miriam the prophetess had made herself liable to be stricken with leprosy in
this world, the doctrine is ample that in the world to come (there remaineth a
reward) for the just, and for them who keep the commandments of the law. And
because Miriam the prophetess had watched for a little hour to know what would
be the fate of Mosheh; (Exod. i.;) for the sake of that merit all Israel,
numbering sixty myriads, being eighty legions, and the Cloud of Glory, the
tabernacle, and the well, went not, nor proceeded, till the time that she was
healed: and afterward the people journeyed from Hatseroth, and encamped in the
wilderness of Pharan. [JERUSALEM. But though Miriam the prophetess had become
liable to leprosy, we have ample doctrine that by keeping the commandments and
precepts a man who doeth even a little shall receive a great reward. Thus,
because Miriam the prophetess had stood on the river bank for a little hour, to
know what would be the end of Mosheh, the sons of Israel, being sixty myriads,
and eighty legions in number, and the Cloud of Glory and the well, now moved
not, nor went forward from their place, till the time that she was healed of
her leprosy; but after she was healed the people journeyed from Hatseroth, and
encamped in the wilderness of Pharan.
Pgs. 380-391
Ch. 13-15
SECTION XXVII.
SHALACH.
AND the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Send thou keen‑sighted men who may explore the land
of Kenaan, which I will give to the children of Israel; one man for each tribe
of their fathers, thou shalt send from the presence of all their leaders. And
Mosheh sent them from the wilderness of Pharan, according to the mouth of the
Word of the Lord; all of them acute men, who had been appointed heads over the
sons of Israel. And these are the names of the twelve men, the explorers: the
messenger of the tribe of Reuben, Shamua bar Zakkur; of the tribe of Shemeon,
Shaphat bar Hori; for Jehudah, Kaleb bar Jephunneh; for Issakar, Yiggeal bar
Joseph; for Ephraim, Hoshea bar Nun; for Benjamin, Palti bar Raphu; for
Zebulon, Gadiel bar Zodi; for Menasheh, Gaddi bar Susi; for Dan, Ammiel bar
Gemmalli; for Asher, Sether bar Michael; for Naphtali, Nachbi bar Vaphsi; and
for Gad, Geuel bar Machi. These are the names of the men whom Mosheh sent to
explore the land; and when Mosheh saw his humility, he called Hoshea bar Nun
Jehoshua.
And Mosheh sent them
to survey the land of Kenaan, and said to them, Go up on this side by the
south, and ascend the mountain, and survey the country, what it is, and the
people who dwell in it; whether they be strong or weak, few or many; what the
land is in which they dwell, whether good or bad; what cities they inhabit,
whether they live in towns that are open or walled; and what the reputation of
the land, whether its productions are rich or poor, and the trees of it
fruitful or not. And do valiantly, and bring back some of the fruit of the
land. [JERUSALEM. And what the land is, whether the fruits of it are rich: or
trees.]
And the day on which
they went was the nineteenth of the month of Sivan, (about) the days of the
first grapes. They went up, therefore, and explored the country, from the
wilderness of Zin, unto the roads by which thou comest unto Antiochia. They
went up from the side of the south and came to Hebron, where were Achiman, Sheshai,
and Talmai, sons of Anak the giant Now Hebron was built seven years before
Tanis in Mizraim. They came then to the stream of the grapes (or bunches, ethkala),
and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and carried
it on a staff on the shoulders of two of them, and also took they of the
pomegranates and the figs. [JERUSALEM. And they came to the stream of the grape
clusters, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and
carried it on a rod between two men; and also of the pomegranates and of the
figs.] Now that place they call the stream of the cluster, from the branch
which the sons of Israel cut down there; and wine was dropping from it like a
stream.
And they returned from
exploring the land on the eighth day of the month Ab, at the end of forty days.
And they came to Mosheh and Aharon, and all the congregation of the children of
Israel in the wilderness of Pharan, at Rekem, and returned them word, to them
and the whole congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land.
And they recounted to
him, and said: We went into the country to which thou didst send us; and it
indeed produceth milk and honey, and this is the fruit of it. But the people
who inhabit the country are strong, and the fortified cities they inhabit very
great; and we saw also there the sons of Anak the giant. The Amalekites dwell
in the south, the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites in the mountains; but the
Kenaanites dwell by the sea, and by the bank of the Jordan.
And Kaleb stilled the
people, and made them listen to Mosheh, and said: Let us go up and possess it,
for we are able to take it. [JERUSALEM. And he stilled.] But the men who had
gone up with him said, We are not able to go up to the people, for they are
stronger than we. And they brought out an evil report about the land which they
had surveyed, to the sons of Israel, saying, The country through which we have
passed to explore it is a land that killeth its inhabitants with diseases; and
all the people who are in it are giants, masters of evil ways. And there we saw
the giants, the sons of Anak, of the race of the giants; and we appeared to
ourselves to be as locusts; and so we appeared to them.
XIV. And all the
congregation lifted up and gave forth their voice, and the people wept that
night: and it was confirmed (as a punishment) that they should weep on that
night[1] in their generations. And all
the sons of Israel murmured against Mosheh and Aharon, and said: Would that we
had died in the land of Mizraim, or that we may die in this wilderness! Why is
the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword of the Kenaanaah, and
our wives and little ones to become a prey? Will it not be better to return
into Mizraim? And one man said to his brother, Let us appoint a king over us
for a chief, and return to Mizraim. [JERUSALEM. Let us set a king over us, and
go round to Mizraim.]
And Mosheh and Aharon
bowed upon their faces before all the congregation of the sons of Israel; and
Jehoshua bar Nun and Kaleb bar Jephunneh of the explorers of the land rent
their clothes, and spake to the congregation, saying: The land we went to see
is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord hath pleasure in us, He will bring us
into this land, and give it us, a land producing milk and honey. Only do not
rebel against the commandments of the Lord, and you need not fear the people of
the land, for they are delivered into our hands; the strength of their power
hath failed from them, but the Word of the Lord will be our helper; fear them
not. But all the congregation said they would stone them with stones.
And the glorious
Shekinah of the Lord was revealed in bright clouds at the tabernacle. And the
Lord said to Mosheh, How long will this people provoke Me to anger? How long
will they disbelieve in My Word, for all the signs I have wrought among them? I
will strike them with deadly plague and destroy them, and will appoint thee for
a people greater and stronger than they. But Mosheh said, The children of the
Mizraee, whom Thou didst drown in the sea, will hear that Thou didst bring up
this people from among them by Thy power, and will say with exultation to the
people of this land, who have heard that Thou art the Lord, whose Shekinah
dwelleth among this people, in whose eyes, O Lord, the Glory of Thy Shekinah
appeared on the mountain of Sinai, and who there received Thy law; Thy Cloud
hath shadowed, that neither heat nor rain might hurt them; and whom in the
pillar of the Cloud Thou hast led on by day, that the mountains and hills
might be brought low, and the valleys lifted up, and hast guided in the pillar
of Fire by night: and after all of these miracles wilt Thou kill this people as
one man? Then the nations who have heard the fame and of Thy power will speak saying: Because there was no (more)
strength with the Lord to bring this people into the land which swearing He a
promised to them, He hath killed them in the wilderness! And now, I beseech
Thee, magnify Thy power, O Lord, and let mercies be fulfilled upon us, and
appoint me for (this) great people, as Thou hast spoken, saying: The Lord is
long suffering, and nigh in mercy, forgiving sins and covering transgressions,
justifying such as return to His law though them who turn not He will not
absolve, but will visit the sins of wicked fathers upon rebellious children
unto the third and fourth generation. [JERUSALEM. The Lord is long‑suffering,
far from anger, near in mercy, multiplying the exercise of goodness and truth;
though the Lord will not justify sinners, but will remember, in the day of
judgment, the guilt of wicked fathers upon rebellious children.] Pardon now the
sin of this people according to Thy great goodness, even as Thou hast forgiven
them from the time that they came out from Mizraim until now. And the Lord
said, I have forgiven, according to thy word. [JERUSALEM. And the Word of the
Lord said, Behold, I have absolved and pardoned, according to thy word.]
Nevertheless, by oath have I sworn that the whole earth shall be filled with
the glory of the Lord. Because all the men who have beheld My glory, and My
signs, which I have wrought in Mizraim and in the Desert, have tempted Me now
ten times, and have not obeyed My Word: by oath have I said this, That they
shall not see the land which I covenanted to their fathers; and the generation
which have been provokeful before me shall not behold it. [JERUSALEM. For I
have uplifted My hand with an oath.] But My servant, Kaleb, because there is in
him another spirit, and he hath entirely followed (in) My fear, him will I
bring into the land to which he went, and his children shall possess it. But
the Amalekites and Kenaanites dwell in the valley: to‑morrow turn you and
go into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh and Aharon, saying: How long (shall I bear with) this evil
congregation who gather together against Me? The murmurs of the sons of Israel
which they murmur against Me are heard before Me. Say to them, By oath I decree
that according to (what) you have spoken, so will I do to you. In this
wilderness your carcasses shall fall, the whole number of all who were counted
from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against Me. By a fast oath
(have I sworn) that you shall not enter into the land which I covenanted in My
Word to give you to inhabit, except Kaleb bar Jephunneh and Jehoshua bar Nun.
But your children, who you said would be a prey, them will I bring in, and they
shall know the land which you rejected; but your carcasses shall fall in this
wilderness. Yet your children will have to wander in this wilderness forty
years, and bear your sins until the time that your carcasses are consumed in
the wilderness. According to the number of the days in which you were exploring
the land, forty days, a day for a year, a day for a year, you shall receive for
your sins, forty years, and shall know (the consequence) of your murmuring
against Me. I the Lord have decreed in My Word,‑if I have not made a
decree in My Word against all this evil congregation who have gathered a rebel
against Me in this wilderness, that they shall be consumed and die there.
But the men whom
Mosheh had sent to explore the land, and who returning had made the whole
congregation murmur against him, by bringing forth an evil report of the land,
(even those) men who had brought forth the evil of the report of the land died,
on the seventh day of the month of Elul, with worms coming from their navels,
and with worms devouring their tongues; and were buried in death from before
the Lord. Only Jehoshua bar Nun and Kaleb bar Jephunneh survived of those men
who had gone to explore the land.
And Mosheh spake these
words with all the sons of Israel, and the people mourned greatly. And they
arose in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain., saying: Behold,
we will go up to the place of which the Lord hath spoken; for we have sinned.
But Mosheh said, Why will you act against the decree of the Word of the Lord?
But it will not prosper with you. Go not up, for the Lord's Shekinah dwelleth
not among you; and the ark, the tabernacle, and the Cloud of Glory proceed not;
and be not crushed before your enemies. For the Amalekites and Kenaanites are
there prepared for you, and you will fall slaughtered by the sword. For,
because you have turned away from the service of the Lord, the Word of the Lord
will not be your Helper. But they armed themselves in the dark before the
morning to go up to the height of the mountain: but the ark, in which was the
covenant of the Lord, and Mosheh, stirred not from the midst of the camp. And
the Amalekites and Kenaanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and
slaughtered and destroyed them, and drave them hard to destruction.
XV. And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Speak with the sons of Israel, and say to them: When you
have entered into the land of your habitation which I will give you, and you
may make an oblation upon the altar before the Lord, burnt offering or
consecrated sacrifice for release of
a vow, or by free‑will offering; or at the time of your feasts you offer
what is acceptable to the Lord of
the world, to be received with approval before the Lord from the herd or from
the flock: let the man who offers his oblation before the Lord bring a mincha
of a tenth of flour mingled with the fourth of a hina of olive oil; and wine of
grapes for a libation, the fourth of a hina, to be made upon the burnt offering
or hallowed sacrifice‑for one lamb. Or for a ram, let him perform a
mincha of two tenths of flour mingled with the third of a hin of olive oil, and
wine of grapes let him offer in a vase for the libation, the third of a hin, to
be received with acceptance before the Lord. But when he maketh a bullock a
burnt offering, or a sacrifice for release from a vow, or a hallowed sacrifice
before the Lord, let him bring for the bullock a mincha of three tenths of
flour mixed with half of a hin of olive oil, and wine of grapes half a hin, for
a libation to be received with acceptance before the Lord. So let him do with
each bullock, with each ram, and each lamb, whether it be from the lambs or the
kids: according to the number of the bullocks or lambs or goats with which the
oblation is made so shall you do, each according to their number. All who are
native born in Israel, and not of the sons of the Gentiles, shall so make these
libations in offering an oblation to be received with acceptance before the
Lord. And when a sojourner who sojourneth with you, or whoever is among you
now, or in your generations, will bring an oblation to be received with favour
before the Lord, as you do so shall he. For the whole congregation there is one
statute, for you and the sojourner who sojourneth; it is an everlasting statute
for your generations; as with you, so shall it be with the sojourner before the
Lord. One law and one judgment shall be for you and for the sojourner who
sojourneth with you.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Speak with the sons of Israel, and say to them: When you
have entered the land into which I will bring you, and you eat the bread of the
produce of it, (not rice, nor millet, nor pulse,) you shall set apart a
separation before the Lord. Of the first of your dough one cake of twenty‑four
you shall set apart as a separation for the priest; as with the separation from
the threshing floor, so shall you set it apart. Of the first of your dough you
shall give a separation before the Lord in your generations. [JERUSALEM. Of the
first of your dough you shall give a separation unto the Name of the Lord.]
And should you have
erred, and not performed some one of all these commandments which the Lord hath
spoken with Mosheh; whatsoever the Lord hath commanded you by Mosheh from the
day He commanded it, and thenceforth unto your generations‑if without the
knowledge of the congregation sin hath been committed through ignorance, let
all the congregation make one young bullock a burnt offering to be received
with acceptance before the Lord, with his mincha and libation. as are proper;
and one kid of the goats without mixture for a sin offering; and let the priest
make atonement for all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and it shall be
forgiven them; for it was an error, and they have brought their oblation, an
offering before the Lord, even an offering for their sin have they presented
before the Lord for their error; and all the congregation of Israel shall be
forgiven before the Lord, and the sojourners who sojourn among them; for an
error hath occurred to the people.
And if any one man sin
through ignorance, let him bring one goat of the year without mixture for a sin
offering, and let the priest make atonement for the man who hath erred in
sinning through ignorance before the Lord to atone for him, that it may be
forgiven him; as well for the native‑born of the children of Israel, and
for the strangers who sojourn among you, there shall be one law for him who
transgresseth through ignorance: but
a man who transgresseth. with presumption, whether of the native‑born or
strangers, and who turneth. not away from his sin before the Lord,‑he
causeth anger, and that man shall perish from among his people; for, the primal
word which the Lord commanded on Sinai he hath despised, and hath made the
commandment of circumcision vain; with destruction in this world shall that man
be destroyed; in the world that cometh shall he give account of his sin at the
great day of judgment. [JERUSALEM. Because he hath despised the Word of the Lord,
and broken His commandments, that soul shall perish, and shall bear his sin.]
And while the sons of
Israel were dwelling in the wilderness, the decree of the Sabbath was known to
them, but the punishment (for the profanation) of the Sabbath was not known.
And there arose a man of the house of Joseph, and said with himself:[2] I will go and pull up wood on
the Sabbath day; and witnesses saw it, and told Mosheh; and Mosheh sought
instructtion from the presence of the Lord, that he might teach me judgment,
and make known the discipline of all the house of Israel. And the witnesses of
the man who pulled up and collected wood came, and, after they had monished
him, and he had wounded the witnesses who had found him pulling up wood,
[JERUSALEM. Stealing wood,] brought him to Mosheh and Aharon, and all the
congregation. This is one of four judgments which were brought before Mosheh
the prophet, which he adjudged according to the Word of the Holy. Of these
judgments some related to money, and some to life. In the judgments regarding
money Mosheh was prompt, but in those affecting life he was deliberate, and in
each he said, I have not heard,‑to teach the princes of the future
Sanhedrin to be prompt in decisions on mammon, and deliberate in those that
involved life, nor to be ashamed to inquire for counsel in what may be
difficult, forasmuch as Mosheh the Rabbi of Israel himself had need to say, I
have not heard. Therefore put they him in confinement, because they had not yet
heard the explanation of the judgment they should execute upon him. [JERUSALEM.
This is one of four cases which are written above, on that of the blasphemer,
and they who were defiled by the dead. And they put him in ward till the time
when it should be plainly showed to them from before the Lord, with what
judgment they were to deal with him.]
And the Lord said to
Mosheh: The man shall be surely put to death; the whole congregation shall
stone him with stones without the camp; and the congregation led him forth
without the camp, and stoned him with stones that he died, as the Lord had
commanded Mosheh.
And the Lord said unto
Mosheh: Speak with the sons of Israel, and bid them make for themselves
fringes,[3] not of threads, nor of yarns,
nor of fibres, but after a manner of their own (lesumhon) shall they
make them, and shall cut off the heads of their filaments, and suspend by five
ligatures, four in the midst of three,[4] upon the four corners of their
garment in which they enwrap themselves, unto their generations; and they shall
put upon the edge of their robes an embroidery of hyacinth (shezir de‑thikela).
[JERUSALEM. And let them make to themselves fringes for the edges of their
robes, throughout their generations, and put upon the fringes of their robes an
embroidery of hyacinth.] And this shall be to you a precept for fringes, that
you may look upon them at the time when you dress yourselves daily, and
remember all My commandments to do them, and not go aside to wander after the
imaginations of your heart and the sight of your eyes, after which you have
gone astray. To the end that you may remember and perform all My precepts, and
be holy, like the angels who minister before the Lord your God. I am the Lord
your God who have delivered and brought you free out of the land of Mizraim, to
be to you Eloha. I am the Lord your God.
Pgs. 391-402
Ch. 16-18
SECTION XXXVIII.
KORACH.
XVI. But Korach bar
Tizhar bar Kehath, bar Levi, with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On
bar Peleth, of the Beni‑Reuben, took his robe which was all of hyacinth,
and rose up boldly, and in the face of Mosheh appointed a (different)
observance in the matter of the hyacinth. [JERUSALEM. And Korach took counsel,
and made division.] Mosheh had said, I have heard from the mouth of the Holy
One, whose Name be Blessed, that the fringes are to be of white, with one
filament of hyacinth; O but Korach and his companions made garments with their
fringes altogether of hyacinth, which the Lord had not commanded; and two
hundred and fifty men of the sons of Israel, who had been made leaders of the
congregation at the time when the journeys and encampments were appointed, by
expression of their names, supported him. And they gathered together against
Mosheh and Aharon, and said to them: Let the authority you have (hitherto had)
suffice you, for all the congregation are holy, and the Lord's Shekinah
dwelleth among them; and why should you be magnified over the church of the
Lord?
And Mosheh heard, as
if every one of them was jealous of his wife, and would have them drink of the
trial‑water on account of Mosheh; and he fell on his face for shame. And
he spake with Korach and all the company who supported him, saying: In the
morning the Lord will make known him whom He hath approved, and hath
consecrated to approach unto His service, and who it hath pleased Him should
come nigh in ministering, unto Him. Do this: Let Korach and all the company of
his helpers take censers, put fire in them, and lay incense upon them before
the Lord, to‑morrow; and the man whom the Lord shall make known, he it is
who is consecrated. Let it suffice to you, sons of Levi.
And Mosheh said to
Korach and his kindred: Hear now, ye sons of Levi: Is it too little For you
that the God of Israel hath set you apart from the congregation of Israel to
draw near to do His service to fulfil the ministry of the Lord's tabernacle,
and to stand before the congregation to minister to them? But so hath he
brought nigh thee and all the sons of Levi with thee and now do ye demand the
high‑priesthood also? Therefore art thou and all the company of thy
helpers gathered together against the Word of the Lord: and Aharon, what is he,
that you murmur against him?
And Mosheh sent men to
summon Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, to the house of the great
judgment; but they said, We will not come up. Is it a little thing, that thou
hast brought us from Mizraim, a land that produceth milk and honey, to kill us
in the wilderness, that ruling thou mayest domineer over us? Neither hast thou
brought us into the land producing milk and honey to give us an inheritance of
fields and vineyards. Wilt thou blind the eyes of the men of that land, that
thou mayest overcome them? We shall not go up thither. And Mosheh was very
wroth, and said before the Lord: I beseech thee, look not upon their offering,
the portion of their hands; for not an ass have I taken from one of them, nor
to any of them done an injury, [JERUSALEM. And it was very grievous to Mosheh,
and he said before the Lord: Regard not the portion of their hands; for not an
ass have I taken from one of them, nor to one of them done wrong.]
And Mosheh said to
Korach, Thou, and all the company of thy helpers, come together to the house
of judgment before the Lord to‑morrow, thou, they, and Aharon. And take
every one his censer, and put incense upon them; and let each offer his censer
before the Lord, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aharon, each man
his censer. And they took every one his censer, and put fire in them and sweet
incense with it, and stood at the door of the tabernacle of ordinance on one
side; but Mosheh and Aharon on the other side. And Korach gathered to them the
whole congregation at the door of the tabernacle. And he had brought
forth, from his riches, two treasures which he had found among the treasures of
Joseph filled with silver and gold, and sought with them to drive the riches of
Mosheh and Aharon out of the world; but the glory of the Lord revealed itself
to all the congregation.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh and Aharon, saying: Separate yourselves from among this
congregation, that I may destroy them quickly. But they bowed down upon their
faces in prayer, and said: El Eloha, who hast put the spirit of life in the
bodies of the children of men, and from whom is given the spirit of all flesh,‑if
one man hath sinned, wilt Thou be angry with all the congregation [JERUSALEM.
And they bowed on their faces, and said: O God, who rulest over the spirit of
all flesh,‑if one man hath sinned, wilt Thou be wroth against all the
people:] And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying: I have accepted thy prayer for
the congregation. Now speak thou with them, saying: Remove away from the tents
of Korach, Dathan, and Abiram.
And Mosheh arose, and
went to remonstrate with Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed.
And he said to the congregation, Remove now away from the tents of these men of
sin, who have been worthy of death from (the days of) their youth in Mizraim,
for they betrayed my secret when I slew the Mizraite; they provoked the Lord at
the sea; at Alush they profaned the Sabbath, and now are they gathered together
against the Word of the Lord; and therefore is it fit that their wealth should
be scattered abroad and destroyed. Touch not, then, anything that is theirs,
nor be smitten on account of their sins. And they went apart from the tents of
Korach, Dathan, and Abiram round about. But Dathan and Abiram came out, with
reviling words, and arose and provoked Mosheh at the door of their tents, with
their wives, their sons, and their little ones.
And Mosheh said, By
this you shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works, and that
(I do them) not from the thoughts of my heart. If these men die after the
manner of dying in which all men die, and the (common) account of all men be
accounted upon them, the Lord hath not sent me. [JERUSALEM. For not with my own
heart have I devised them. If these die by the death with which the sons of men
die, and the account of all men be accounted upon them, the Lord hath not sent
me.] But if a death which hath not been created since the days of the world be
now created for them, and if a mouth for the earth, which hath not been made
from the beginning, be created now, and the earth open her mouth and swallow
them and all they have, and they go down alive into Sheul, you will understand
that these men have provoked the Lord to anger.
And it came to pass,
when he had finished speaking these words, the earth beneath them clave
asunder; and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and the men of
their houses, and all the men who adhered to Korach, and all their substance.
And they went down with all that they had alive into Sheul; and the earth
closed upon them, and they perished from the midst of the congregation. And all
Israel who were round about them fled from the terror of their voice, as they
cried and said, Righteous is the Lord, and His judgment is truth, and the words
of His servant Mosheh are truth; but we are wicked who have rebelled against
him: and the children of Israel fled when they heard; for they said, Lest the
earth swallow us up. And a fire came out in wrath from before the Lord, and
devoured the two hundred and fifty men who offered the incense.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Bid Elazar bar Aharon the priest to take away the censers
from among the burnings, and scatter the fire hither and thither; for the
censers of these guilty men who have been punished by the destruction of their
lives are consecrated; and make of them broad plates for the covering of the
altar, because they bare them before the Lord, therefore they are consecrate;
and they shall be for a sign to the children of Israel. [JERUSALEM. For a
sign.] And Elazar the priest took the brasen censers which they who had been
burned had carried, and beat them out for a covering for the body of the altar,
as they had before used them for the service of the altar: for a memorial to
the sons of Israel, that no common man, who is not of the sons of Aharon, may
offer incense before the Lord; and that no man should behave himself factiously
to obtain the priesthood, as did Korach and the company of his helpers; and
whose end would be to perish, not (indeed) with a death like that of Korach and
his company, by being burned by fire, and being swallowed up by the earth, but
punished with leprosy:[1] as when the Lord said to
Mosheh, Put thy hand into thy bosom, and his hand was stricken with leprosy; so
would it be with him.
But on the following
day the whole congregation murmured against Mosheh and Aharon, saying: You have
been the occasion of the judgment of death against the people of the Lord. And
it was, that when the congregation had gathered against Mosheh and Aharon to
kill them, they looked towards the Tabernacle of Ordinance, and, behold, the
Cloud of the Glory of the Shekinah covered it, and the Glory of the Lord was
revealed there. And Mosheh and Aharon went from the congregation to the door of
the tabernacle.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Separate from the midst of this congregation, and I will
consume them at once. But they bowed themselves on their faces in prayer.
[JERUSALEM. Separate from the people of this congregation, and I will destroy
them in a brief moment. But they bowed down on their faces in prayer.]
And Mosheh said to
Aharon, Take the censer, put fire in it from the altar, and sweet incense on
the fire; bear it quickly into the congregation, and make atonement for them:
for a destruction like that which consumed them in Horeb, whose name is
Burning, hath begun by commandment to kill, from the presence of the Lord. And
Aharon took, as Mosheh had said, and ran into the midst of the congregation,
and, behold the destructive burning had begun to destroy the people: but he put
on incense, and made atonement for the people. And Aharon stood in the midst,
between the dead and the living with the censer, and interceded in prayer; and
the plague was restrained. But the number who had died by the plague was
fourteeen thousand and seven hundred, beside those who had died in the schism
of Korach. And Aharon returned to Mosheh at the door of the tabernacle; and the
plague was stayed.
XVII. And the Lord
spake with Mosheh, saying: Speak with the sons of Israel, and take of them
severally a rod, according to the house of their fathers; twelve rods; and upon
each rod thou shalt inscribe its (tribe) name. But on the rod of Levi thou
shalt write the name of Aharon: for there is but one rod for each head of their father's house. And
thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle before the testimony, where My Word is
appointed to meet you. And the man whose rod germinateth shall be he whom I
approve to minister before Me; and I will make the murmurings of the sons of
Israel with which they have murmured against you to cease from Me.
Mosheh spake,
therefore, with the sons of Israel, and the chiefs of them gave him severally
their rods, according to the house of their fathers, twelve rods; and Aharon's
rod was among theirs. And Mosheh laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle
of ordinance. And it came to pass, the day after, when Mosheh went into the
tabernacle of the testimony, that, behold, the rod of Aharon had germinated; it
had shot forth branches, blossomed with flowers, and, in the same night,
produced and ripened almonds. [JERUSALEM. And the day following Mosheh went
into the tabernacle of testimony, and, behold, the rod of Aharon, of his house
of Levi, had germinated, put forth buds, bloomed with flowers, and ripened
almonds, the fruit of the almond.]
And Mosheh brought out
all the rods from before the Lord to all the sons of Israel, who recognised and
took severally their rods. And the Lord said to Mosheh, Take back the rod of
Aharon, before the testimony, to be kept for a sign for the rebellious children,
that their murmurings may cease from before Me, lest they die. And Mosheh did
so; as the Lord commanded so did he.
And the sons of Israel
spake with Mosheh, saying: Behold, some of us have been
consumed with the
flaming fire; some of us have been swallowed up by the earth, and have
perished! Behold, we are accounted as if all of us are to be destroyed. Any one
who approaches the tabernacle must die: are we not doomed to destruction?
[JERUSALEM. And the sons of Israel spake, saying: Behold, we are consumed, and
are all of us as if destroyed. Some of us have died of the plague, and some of
us the earth, opening her mouth, hath swallowed up.]
XVIII. And the Lord
said unto Aharon, Thou, and thy sons, and the house of thy fathers with thee,
shall bear the iniquity of the consecrated things, when you nave not been
heedful in offering them; and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the
iniquity of your priesthood, when you have not been heedful of their
separations. And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, who are called by the
name of Amram thy father, shalt thou bring near to thee, that they may
consociate with and minister to thee. But thou, and thy sons with thee, (only)
shall stand before the tabernacle of the testimony And they shall keep thy
charge, and have charge of all the tabernacle; yet to the vessels of the
sanctuary and to the altar they are not to come near, lest both they and you
die. And they shall have appointment from thee without, and keep charge of the
tabernacle of ordinance for all its service; and a stranger shall not come near
you. And you shall keep the charge of the sanctuary and of the altar, that
there may be no more the wrath that hath been upon the children of Israel. And,
behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the sons of Israel;
to you they are given, a gift before the Lord, to perform the work of the
tabernacle of ordinance. But thou, and thy sons with thee, shall keep the
charge of your priesthood in all things that pertain to the altar, and (those)
within the veil, and shall minister by lots, according to the service. So,
provision of food have I given you, on account of the anointing of your
priesthood; and the stranger who cometh near shall die.
And the Lord said to
Aharon, And I have been pleased to give you the charge of My separated
offerings; the cakes of the firstfruits, and all the consecrated things of the
children of Israel, to thee have I given them, on account of the anointing, and
to thy sons, by an everlasting statute. They shall be to thee most sacred;
whatsoever remaineth of the sheep offered by fire, all their oblations, of all
their minchas, of all their sin offerings, and of all their trespass offerings
which they present before Me, they are most sacred for thee and for thy sons.
Thou mayest eat it in the sanctuary; every male may eat thereof; on account of
the holy anointing it shall be thine. And this is what I have set apart to thee
of their separated minchas, and of all the uplifted things of the sons of
Israel, to thee have I given them, and to thy sons and thy daughters with thee
by an everlasting statute. Whoever is clean in thy house may eat of it. All the
best of the olive oil, of the grape wine, and of the wheat of their firstfruits
which they present before the Lord, I have given unto thee. [JERUSALEM. All the
best of the wheat, of the wine, and of the oil of their firstfruits.] The
firsts of all the trees of their ground which they present before the Lord
shall be thine; every one who is clean in thy house may eat them. Every devoted
thin, in Israel shall be thine. Whatever openeth the womb, of all flesh among
animals which they offer before the Lord, as the regulation concerning men, so
the regulation concerning cattle, it is to be thine: only thou art to redeem
the firstborn of man by the five shekels, and the firstlings of the unclean
animal thou shalt redeem with lambs. And the redemption of a man child of a
month old thou shalt make, according to thy estimation of him, by five shekels
of silver in the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty meahs. But the
firstlings of oxen, of sheep, or of goats thou mayest not redeem, for they are
sacred; but thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and burn their fat
for an oblation to be accepted before, the Lord. And their flesh shall be
thine, for food; as the breast of the elevation, and as the right shoulder, it
shall be thine. Every thing set apart of the sacred things which the sons of
Israel consecrate to the Lord have I given to thee, to thy sons and thy
daughters with thee, by a perpetual statute not to be abolished; as the salt
which seasoneth the flesh of the oblation, because it is an everlasting statute
before the Lord, so shall it be for thee and for thy children.
And the Lord said to
Aharon, Thou wilt not receive a possession in their land as the rest of the
tribes, nor wilt thou have a portion among them: I am thy Portion and thy
Inheritance in the midst of the children of Israel. And, behold, I have given
to the sons of Levi all the tenths in Israel for a possession, on account of
their service with which they serve in the work of the tabernacle of ordinance.
And the sons of Israel shall no more come near the tabernacle to incur the sin
unto death; but the Levites shall minister in the work of the tabernacle, and
shall bear their sin if they be not diligent in their work. It is an
everlasting statute for your generations; but among the sons of Israel they
shall have no possession. Therefore the tenths of the children of Israel, which
they set apart for a separation before the Lord, have I given to the Levites
for a possession, because I have said to them that among the sons of Israel
they shall possess no inheritance.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Speak to the Levites, and bid them take from the sons of
Israel the tenth which I have given them for their possession; and (then) shall
you separate from it a separation before the Lord, a tenth from the tenth; and
your separation shall be reckoned to you as the corn from the threshing floor,
and as the wine from the fulness of the winepress: so shall you set apart your
separation before the Lord from all your tenths, which you may receive from the
sons of Israel, and give thereof a separation before the Lord unto Aharon the
priest. Of all your gifts you shall set apart a separation before the Lord, of
all the finest and the best therein. And say thou to the priests, When you have
set apart the finest and the best of it and in it, then shall it be reckoned to
the Levites as the setting apart of corn from the threshing‑floor, and of
wine from the wine‑press. And you may eat it, you, the priests, in any
place, you and the men of your house; for it is your remuneration for your
service in the tabernacle of ordinance. And you shall not contract guilt by it,
at what time you set apart the finest and best of it, by any one eating of it
who is unclean; neither shall you profane the consecrated things of the
children of Israel, lest you die.
Pgs. 402-417
Ch. 19-22
SECTION XXXIX.
HUKKATH.
XIX. AND the Lord
spake with Mosheh and Aharon, saying: This is the decree, the publication of
the law which the Lord hath commanded, saying; Speak to the sons of Israel,
that they bring to thee from the separation of the fold a red heifer, two years
old, in which there is neither spot nor white hair, on which no male hath come,
nor the burden of any work been imposed, neither hurt by the thong, nor grieved
by the goad or prick, nor collar (band) or any like yoke. And thou shalt give
her unto Elazar, the chief of the priests, who shall lead her alone without the
camp, and set round about her a railing (border) of the branches of fig trees;
and another priest shall slay her with the two signs before him, after the
manner of other animals, and examine her by the eighteen kinds of divisions.
And Elazar, in his priestly dress, shall take of her blood with the finger of
his right hand, without (first) containing it in a vessel, and shall sprinkle
the border of fig branches, and (afterwards) from the midst of a vessel on one
side towards the tabernacle of ordinance, with one dipping, seven times (shall
he sprinkle). And they shall bring her out from the midst of the railing and
another priest, while Elazar looketh on, shall burn the heifer, her skin,
flesh, and blood, with her dung shall he burn. And another priest shall take a
piece of cedar wood and hyssop, and (wool) whose colour hath been changed to
scarlet, and throw them into the midst of the burning of the heifer; and he
shall enlarge the burning, that the ashes may be increased. [JERUSALEM. And
throw into the midst of the ashes of the burning heifer.] And the priest who
slew the heifer shall wash his dress in forty satas of water, and afterwards he
may go into the camp; but the priest before his ablution shall be unclean until
the evening And the priest who was employed in the burning shall wash his dress
in forty satas of water, and his flesh in forty satas, and before his ablution
shall be unclean until the evening
And a man, a priest
who is clean, shall gather up the ashes of the heifer in an earthenware
receptacle, its opening covered round about with clay; and shall divide the
ashes into three portions, of which one shall be placed within the wall (of
Jerusalem), another in the Mount of Olives, and the third portion be in the
custody of the Levites; and it shall be for the congregation of Israel, for the
Water of Sprinkling: it is the heifer (immolated) for the remission of sins.
And the priest who
gathered up the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and before his
ablution be unclean till the evening. And this shall be for the cleansing of
the children of Israel, a statute for ever.
Whoever toucheth the
body of a dead man, or of a child of some months old, either his body or his
blood, shall be unclean seven days. He shall sprinkle himself with this water
of the ashes on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean. But if
he sprinkle not himself on the third day, his uncleanness will remain upon him,
and he will not be clean on the seventh day. Whoever hath touched the body of a
dead man, or of a child nine months
old, either the body or the blood, and will not sprinkle himself, he hath
defiled the tabernacle of the Lord, and that man shall be cut off from Israel;
forasmuch as the water of sprinkling is not sprinkled upon him, he is unclean,
his uncleanness is yet on him, until he shall sprinkle himself; yet may he
sprinkle and make ablution on the seventh evening. This is the indication of
the law concerning a man when he hath died under the outspread tent every one
who entereth into the tent by the way of the door, but not from its side, when
its door is open, (or when one hath opened its door,) and whatever is in the
tent, its floor, stone, wood, and vessels, shall be unclean seven days. And
every earthen vessel which hath no covering fastened upon its mouth, which
would have kept it separate from the uncleanness, is defiled by the uncleanness
of the air which toucheth its mouth, and its interior, and not the outside of
it (only). [JERUSALEM. And every open vessel which hath no covering of stone
upon it shall be unclean.] And whoever shall touch not one who hath died in his
mother's womb, but who hath been slain with the sword on the face of the field,
or the sword with which he was slain, or the dead man himself, or a bone of
his, or the hair, or the bone of a living man which hath been separated from
him, or a grave, or a shroud, or the bier, shall be unclean seven days. And for
him who is unclean, they shall take of the ashes of the burnt sin offering, and
put spring water upon them in an earthen vessel. And let a man, a priest, who
is clean, take three branches of hyssop bound. together, and dip (them) in the
water at the time of receiving the uncleanness, and sprinkle the tent and all
its vessels, and the men who are in it, or upon him who hath touched the bone
of a living man that hath been severed from him, and hath fallen, or him who
hath. been slain with the sword, or hath died by the plague, or a grave, or a
wrapper, or a bier. And the priest who is clean shall sprinkle upon the unclean
man on the, third day, and on the seventh day, and shall make him clean on the
seventh day; and he shall sprinkle his clothes, and wash himself with water,
and at eventide be clean.
But the unclean man
who will not be sprinkled, that man shall be cut off from among the
congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the Lord; the water of
sprinkling hath not been sprinkled upon him, he is unclean. And it shall be
unto you an everlasting statute. The priest, also, who sprinkleth the water of
sprinkling shall sprinkle his clothes, and he who toucheth the water of
sprinkling shall be unclean until evening. And whatever the unclean person hath
touched, though he carry it not, shall be unclean; and the clean man who
toucheth him shall be unclean till evening.
XX. And the whole
congregation of the children of Israel came to the desert of Zin on the tenth
day of the month Nisan. And Miriam died there, and was buried there. And as on
account of the innocency of Miriam a well had been given, so when she died the
well was hidden, and the congregation had no water. And they gathered against
Mosheh and Aharon, and the people contended with Mosheh, and said, Would that
we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! And why hast thou brought
the congregation of the Lord into this desert, that we and our cattle may die
here? And why didst thou make us come up out of Mizraim., to bring us to this
evil place, a place which is not fit for sowing, or for planting fig trees, or
vines, or pomegranates, and where there is no water to drink? And Mosheh and Aharon went from the
face of the murmuring congregation to the door of the tabernacle of ordinance,
and bowed upon their faces, and the Glory of the Lord's Shekinah was revealed
to them.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Take the rod of the miracles, and gather the congregation,
thou, and Aharon thy brother, and both of you adjure the rock, by the Great and
manifested Name, while they look on, and it shall give forth its waters: but if
it refuse to bring forth, smite thou it once with the rod that is in thy hand,
and thou wilt bring out water for them from the rock, that the congregation and
their cattle may drink.
And Mosheh took the
rod of the miracles from before the Lord, as he had commanded him. And Mosheh
and Aharon gathered the congregation together before the rock. And Mosheh said
to them, Hear now, rebels: is it possible for us to bring forth water for you
from this rock? And Mosheh lifted up [JERUSALEM. And Mosheh lifted up] his
hand, and with his rod struck the rock two times: at the first time it dropped
blood; but at the second time there came forth a multitude of waters. And the
congregation and their cattle drank.
But the Lord spake to
Mosheh and Aharon with the oath, Because ye have not believed in My Word,[1] to sanctify Me in the sight of
the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation into
the land that I will give them. These are the Waters of Contention, where the
sons of Israel contended before the Lord on account of the well that had been
hidden; and He was sanctified in them, in Mosheh and Aharon, when (the waters)
were given to them.
Then Mosheh sent
messengers from Rekem unto the king of Edom, saying, Thus saith thy brother
Israel. Thou hast known all the trouble that hath found us; that our fathers
went down into Mizraim and dwelt in Mizraim many days, and the Mizraee
afflicted us and our fathers. And we prayed before the Lord, who heard our
prayers, and sent one of the ministering angels to lead us out of Mizraim: and,
behold, we are in Rekem, a city built on the side of thy border. Let us now
pass through thy land: we will not seduce virgins, nor carry off the betrothed,
nor commit adultery: on the king's highway, under the heavens, we will go
forward, and turn not to the right or to the left, to do any injury in the
public way while we pass through thy border. [JERUSALEM. Let us now pass
through thy country. We will do no kind of mischief, neither seduce virgins nor
seek the wives of the men; by the highway of the king we will proceed, nor turn
to the right or the left till we have passed through thy coast.] But Edomea
answered him, You shall not go through my coast, lest I come to meet thee with
the unsheathed sword. And Israel said to him, We would go by the king's
highway; if we drink thy waters, I and my cattle, I will give thee the price of
their value. I will only pass through, without doing wrong. But he said, You
shall not pass through. And Edomea came out to meet him with a large army and
with a strong hand. So Edomea would not suffer Israel to pass through his
coast; and Israel turned away from him, because it was commanded from before
the Word of the Heavens that they should not set battle in array against them,
forasmuch as the time was not yet come when the punishment of Edom should be
given into their hands. [JERUSALEM. And Israel turned away from them; for so was the commandment of their Father who is
in heaven, that they should not set against
them the array of war.]
And the whole congregation
of the children of Israel journeyed from Rekem, and came unto Mount Umanom. And
the Lord spake unto Mosheh in the Mount Umanom, on the coast of the land of
Edom, saying: Aharon shall be gathered unto his people; for he shall not enter
into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because you were
rebels against My Word at the Waters of Contention. Take Aharon and Elazar his
son, and make them come up to Mount Umanom. And thou shalt strip Aharon of his
vestments, the adornment (glory) of the priesthood, and put them on Elazar his
son; but Aharon shall be gathered, and die there. And Mosheh did as the Lord
commanded him.
And they ascended
Mount Umanom, in the view of all the congregation. And Mosheh stripped Aharon
of his vestments, [JERUSALEM. And Mosheh drew off from Aharon] the priestly
decoration, and put them on Elazar his son; and Aharon died there on the summit
of the mountain and Mosheh and Elazar came down from the mount.
And when the soul of
Aharon was at rest, the Cloud of Glory was lifted up on the first day of the
month Ab; and all the congregation beheld Mosheh come down from the mountain
with rent garments; and he wept and said, Woe unto me, for thee, my brother
Aharon, the pillar of Israel's prayers! And they too wept for Aharon thirty
days, the men and the women of Israel. [JERUSALEM. And all the congregation
beheld Mosheh come down from the height of the mountain, with garments rent and
dust upon his head, weeping and saying, Woe unto me, for thee, my brother
Aharon, the pillar of the prayers of the sons of Israel, who madest atonement
for them once every year! In that hour the sons of Israel believed that Aharon
was dead; and all the congregation of the children of Israel wept for Aharon thirty days.]
XXI. And Amalek, who
had dwelt in the south, and changed, and came and reigned in Arad, heard that
the soul of Aharon was at rest, that the pillar of the Cloud which for his sake
had led the people of the house of Israel had been taken up, and that Israel
was coming by the way of the explorers to the place where they had rebelled
against the Lord of the world. For, when the explorers had returned, the
children of Israel abode in Rekem, but afterward returned from Rekem to
Motseroth, in six encampments during forty years, when they journeyed from
Motseroth, and returned to Rekem by the way of the explorers, and came unto
Mount Umanom, where Aharon died; (and,) behold, he came and arrayed battle
against Israel, and captured some of them with a great captivity. [JERUSALEM. And
when the Kenaanite, king Arad, who dwelt in the south, heard that Aharon was
dead, that holy man on account of whose merit the Cloud of Glory had protected
Israel; that the pillar of the Cloud had been taken up; and that the prophetess
Mizraim was dead, on whose account the well had flowed, but had (since) been
hidden; he answered and said, Ye servants of war, come and let us set battle in
line against Israel; for we shall find the way by which the explorers came up.
Therefore they set battle in line against Israel, and carried away some of them
with a great captivity.]
And Israel vowed a vow
before the Lord and said, If Thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand,
I will destroy their cities. And the Lord heard Israel's prayer, and delivered
up the Kenaanites, and he destroyed them and their cities. And he called the
name of the place Hormah.[2]
And they journeyed
from Mount Umanom, by the way of the Sea of Suph, that they might compass the
land of Edom; and the soul of the people was wearied in the way. And the people
thought (wickedly) in their heart, and talked against the Word of the Lord, and
contended with Mosheh, saying: Why didst thou bring us up from Mizraim to die
in the wilderness; for there is neither bread nor water, and our soul is weary
of manna, this light food?
And the bath-kol fell
from the high heaven, and thus spake: Come, all men, and see all the benefits
which I have done to the people whom I brought up free out of Mizraim. I made
manna come down for them from heaven, yet now turn they and murmur against Me.
Yet, behold, the serpent, whom, in the days of the beginning of the world, I doomed
to have dust for his food, hath not murmured against me: but My people are
murmuring about their food. Now shall the serpents who have not complained of
their food come and bite the people who complain. Therefore did the Word of the
Lord send the basilisk serpents, and they bit the people, and a great multitude
of the people of Israel died. [JERUSALEM. The bath‑kol came forth from
the midst of the earth, and a voice was heard from the heights, See, all men,
and listen and hear, all ye children of flesh. The serpent, whom I cursed at
the beginning, and said to him, Dust shall be thy food, hath not complained
about his food. I led forth My people from Mizraim free, and caused the manna
to descend for them from heaven; I made the quails to come over to them, and
the well to spring up from the deep; yet now they again complain before Me on
account of the manna, saying, Our soul is aggrieved by this light bread:
therefore shall the serpent who hath not complained of his food come and bite
this people who have murmured about their food. So the Word of the Lord sent
fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and a great multitude of Israel died.]
And the people came to
Mosheh, and said: We have sinned, in thinking and speaking against the glory of
the Lord's Shekinah, and in contending with thee. Pray before the Lord to
remove the plague of serpents from us. And Mosheh prayed for the people.
And the Lord said to
Mosheh, Make thee a serpent of brass, and set it upon a place aloft;[3] and it shall be that when a
serpent hath bitten any one, if he behold it, then shall he live, if his heart
be directed to the Name of the Word of the Lord. And Mosheh made a serpent of
brass, and set it upon a place aloft; and it was, when a serpent had bitten a
man, and the serpent of brass was gazed at, and his heart was intent upon the
Name of the Word of the Lord, he lived. [JERUSALEM. And Mosheh made a serpent
of brass, and set it upon a high place; and it was that when any one had been
bitten by a serpent, and his face was uplifted in prayer unto his Father who is
in heaven, and he looked upon the brasen serpent, he lived.]
And the children of
Israel journeyed from thence, and pitched in Oboth; and they journeyed from
Oboth, and encamped in the plain of Megistha, in a desert place which looketh
toward Moab from the rising of the sun. Thence they journeyed and encamped in a
valley abounding in reeds, osiers, and mandrakes.[4] And they journeyed from
thence, and encamped beyond the Arnon, in a passage of the desert that
stretcheth from the coast of the Amoraah; for Arnon is the border of Moab,
situate between Moab and the Amoraah; and therein dwelt a priesthood of the
worshippers of idols. Therefore it is said in the book of the Law, where are
recorded the wars of the Lord: Eth and Heb, who had been smitten with the blast
of the leprosy, and had been banished beyond the confine of the camp, made
known. to Israel that Edom and Moab were concealed among the mountains in
ambush, to destroy the people of the house of Israel. But the Lord of the world
made a sign to the mountains, which pressed one to another so that they died:
and their blood flowed through a valley on the brink of the Arnon (or, a valley
adjoining Arnon). And the effusion of the streams of their blood flowed to the
habitations of Lechaiath, which were, however, delivered from this destruction,
because they had not been in their counsels; and, behold, it was unto the
confine of Moab.
And from thence was
given to them (the Israelites) the living well, the well concerning which the
Lord said to Mosheh, Assemble the people and give them water. Then, behold,
Israel sang the thanksgiving of this song, at the time that the well which had
been hidden was restored to them through the merit of Miriam: Spring up, O
well, spring up, O well ! sang they to it, and it sprang up: the well which the
fathers of the world, Abraham Izhak, and Jakob digged: the princes who were of
old digged it, the chiefs of the people: Mosheh and Aharon, the scribes of
Israel, found it with their rods; and from the desert it was given to them for
a gift.
[JERUSALEM. Therefore
it is said in the Book of the Law of the Lord, which is likened to a Book of
Wars: The miracles and mighty acts which the Lord wrought for His people, the
sons of Israel, when they stood by the Red Sea, so did He with them when they
were at the fords of the vale of Arnona. When the children of Israel were
passing through the vale of Arnona, the Moabites were hidden in the caverns of
the valley, saying: When the Beni Israel are coming through, we will go forth
to prevent them, and will slay them. But the Lord of all the world, the Lord,
who knew what was in their hearts, for before Him that which is within the
reins is manifest,‑the Lord signed to the mountains, and their heads here
and there were brought together, and the chiefs of their mighty ones were
crushed, and the valleys were overflowed with the blood of the slain. But
Israel walked above upon on the top of the hills, and knew not the miracle and
mighty act which the Lord was doing for them in the valley of Arnon. But
Lechaiath, the city which took no part in their counsel, was delivered from
them; and, behold, it is by the confines of the Moabites. 17. Behold then sang
Israel this song of praise: Spring up, O well! they sang to it, and it sprang
up: the well which Abraham, Izhak, and Jakob, the princes of the world, at the
beginning did see, the sages of the world, the Sanhedrin the seventy wise men
who were appointed by name beheld it: Mosheh and Aharon, the scribes of Israel,
found it with their rods, and from the desert it was given to them as a gift.]
And from thence it was
given to them in Mattana; turning, it went up with them to the high mountains,
and from the high mountains it went down with them to the hills surrounding all
the camp of Israel, and giving them drink, every one at the door of his tent.
And from the high mountains it descended with them to the lower hills, but was
hidden from them on the borders of Moab, at the summit of the hill looking
toward Bethjeshimon, because there they neglected the words of the Law.
[JERUSALEM. And from thence the well was given to them at Mattana, turning it
became strong overflowing streams, and again it ascended to the top of the
mountains, and went down with them to the ancient valleys; but the well was
hidden from them when on the borders of Moab, on the head of the height which
overlooketh toward Abeth Jeshimon.]
Then sent Israel
messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying: I would pass through thy
country. We will not carry off the betrothed, nor seduce virgins, nor have to
do with the wives of men; by the highway of the King who is in the heavens we
will go, until we have passed through thy border. But Sihon would not permit
Israel to pass through his limit, but constrained all his people, and came out
to Jahaz, and made war against Israel. And Israel smote him with the anathema
of the Lord, that he would destroy (him) with the edge of the sword; and he
took possession of his country, from Arnon unto the Jabbok, unto the border of
the children of Ammon; because Rabbath, which is the limit of the children of
Ammon, was strong; and so far was their boundary.
And Israel took all
those cities, and dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in
all her villages. For Heshbon was the city of Sihon, king of the Amorites; for
he had beforetime made war with the King of Moab, and had taken all his country
from his hand unto the Arnon. Therefore, say the young men, (or the chosen
ones,) using proverbs: The righteous who rule their passions say, Come let us
reckon (Heshbon) the strength[5] of a good work by the
recompense, and the recompense of an evil work by the strength for whoso is
watchful and diligent[6] in the law is builded up and
perfected; for mighty words like fire go forth from the lips of the righteous,
the masters of such thought, (calculation, heshbona,) and
powerful merit like flames from those who are read and devoted in the law:
their fire devoureth the foe and the adversary, who are reckoned before them as
the worshippers of the idol altars in the valley of Arnona. Woe to you, ye
haters of the just! ye have perished, ye people of Kemosh, haters of the words
of the law, in whom there is no righteousness, unless he waste you to bring you
captive unto the place where they teach. the law, and their sons and daughters
be removed by captivity of the sword to be near them who consult in its
counsels the instructors and those anointed with the law. The wicked have said,
In all this there is nothing lofty to the sight; but your numbers shall perish
until the falsehood of your souls be ended, and the Lord of the world destroy
them till their lives have expired, and they have come to nothing, as the
cities of the Amorites have perished, and the palaces of their princes from the
great gate of the house of the kingdom to the street of the smiths which is
nigh to Medeba.
[JERUSALEM. 27.
Therefore say they who speak in proverbs, Ascend. 28. Because the men of their
people like fire come out of Heshbon, making war as flames of fire from the
city of Sihon: the kings of the Amoraee are slain, the villages of the Moabite
cities are destroyed, and the priests are slaughtered who sacrificed before the
idols of Arnona. Woe to you of Moab! ye are consumed, destroyed, O worshippers
of the idol of Kemosh; your sons and daughters bound by the collar are carried
into the captivity of Sihon, king of the Amorites. And the kingdom hath ceased
from Heshbon, and the ruler from Dibon, and his ways are made desolate unto the
smithies which are nigh to Medaba.]
And Israel, after they
had destroyed Sihon, dwelt in the land of the Amorites. And Mosheh sent Kaleb
and Phineas to examine Makbar, and they subdued the villages, and destroyed the
Amorites who were there. Then they turned, and went up by the way of Mathnan;
and Og, the king of Mathnan, came out to meet us, he and all his people, to
give battle at Edrei. And it was, when Mosheh saw Og, he trembled before him,
stricken with fear: but he (soon) answered and said, This is Og the Wicked, who
taunted Abraham our father and Sarah, saying: You are like trees planted by the
water channels, but bring forth no fruit: therefore hath the Holy One, blessed
be He, spared him to live through generations, that he might see the great multitude
of their children, and be delivered into our hands. Then spake the Lord unto
Mosheh: Fear him not, for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his
people and country; and thou shalt do to him as thou hast done to Sihon, king
of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon.
Now it was, after Og
the Wicked had seen the camp of Israel spreading over six miles he said with
himself, I will make war against this people, that they may not do to me as
they have done to Sihon: so went he and tare up a mountain six miles in size,
and brought it upon his head to hurl it upon them. But the Word of the Lord
forthwith prepared a reptile[7]
which ate into the mountain and perforated it, and his head was swallowed up
within it; and he sought to withdraw it, but could not, because his back teeth
and his front ones were drawn hither and thither. And Mosheh went and took an
axe of ten cubits, and sprang ten cubits, and struck him on the ankle of his
foot, and he fell, and died beyond the camp of Israel. Thus it is written. And
they smote him and his sons and daughters, and all his people, till none of
them remained to escape; and they took possession of his land. [JERUSALEM. And
Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. And Mosheh sent to explore Makvar,
and they took the villages, and destroyed the Amorites who were there. 34. And
when Mosheh saw Og, he said, Is not this Og the Wicked, who taunted Abraham and
Sarah, and said, They are like fair trees by fountain of water, but give no
fruit ? Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, hath kept him alive for many
years, till the time that he should see their children and children's children,
and fall by their hands. Therefore the Lord said to Mosheh, Fear him not, for I
have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and all his land; and
thou shalt do to him as thou hast done to Sichon, king of the Amorites, who
dwelt in Heshbon.]
XXII. And the children
of Israel journeyed, and encamped in the plains of Moab, near the passage of
the Jordan (toward) Jerhico.
Pgs. 417-435
Ch. 22-25
SECTION XL.
BALAK.
AND Balak bar Zippor
saw what Israel had done to the Amoraee. And the Moabaee feared before the
people greatly because they were many, and they were distressed in their life
before the sons of Israel. And they said to the elders of the Midianee, for the
people had been one and the kingdom one unto that day: Now will this
congregation consume all that is about them, as the ox eateth up the grass of
the field. And Balak bar Zippor, a Midianite, was the king of Moab at that
time; without (a Midianite) being such at another time; for so was the
tradition among them, to have kings from this people and from that, by turns.
And he sent unto Laban
the Aramite, who was Bileam, (so called because he it was) who sought (Biluva)
to swallow up (Amma) the people of the house of Israel: the son of Beor,
who was insane[1] from the vastness of his
knowledge; and would not spare Israel, the descendants of his sons and
daughters: and the house of his habitation in Padan was at Pethor, a name
signifying an interpreter of dreams. It was built in Aram upon the Phrat, in a
land where the children of the people worshipped and adored him. (To him did
Balak send) to call him, saying: Behold, a people hath come out of Mizraim,
and, lo, they cover the face of the earth, and are encamped over against me.
But now, I entreat, come, curse this people for me, for they are stronger than
I, if I may but be able to meet them, though smaller than they, and drive them
from the land. For I know that he whom thou dost bless is blessed, and he whom
thou dost curse is cursed.
And the elders of Moab
and of Midian went, with the price of divinations sealed up in their hands, and
came to Bileam, and told him the words of Balak. [JERUSALEM. And the sages of
the Moabites and of the Midianites went, with sealed letters in their hands,
and came to Bileam, and spake with him the words of Balak.] And he said to
them, Abide here to‑night, and I will return you word as the Lord shall
speak with me. And the princes of Moab stayed with Bileam. And the Word from
before the Lord came to Bileam, and He said, What men are these who are now
lodging with thee? And Bileam said before the Lord, Balak bar Zippor, king of
the Moabaee, hath sent messengers to me, saying: Behold, a people hath come out
of Mizraim, and cover the face of the land: now therefore, come, curse them for
me, so that I may be able to fight and drive them away. And the Lord said unto
Bileam, Thou shalt not go with them, nor curse the people, for they are blessed
of Me from the day of their fathers. And Bileam rose up early, and said to the
princes of Moab, Go unto your country, for it is not pleasing before the Lord to permit me to journey with you.
And the princes of Moab arose and came to Balak, and said, Bileam hath refused
to come with us.
But Balak added to
send (other) princes more, and nobler than they; and they came to Bileam, and
said to him: Thus saith Balak bar Zippor, Let not anything hinder thee from
coming to me; for honouring I will honour thee greatly, and whatever thou
biddest me I will do. Come therefore now, and curse this people for me. And
Bileam answered the servants of Balak, and said, If Balak would give me out of
his treasury a house full of silver and gold, I have no power to transgress the
decree of the Word of the Lord my God, to fabricate a word either small or
great. But I entreat you to remain here this night also, that I may know what
the Word of the Lord may yet speak with me.
And the Word came from
before the Lord[2] unto Bileam in the night, and
said to him, If these men come to call thee, arise, go with them; only, the
word that I will speak with thee, that shalt thou do.
And Bileam, arose in
the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
[JERUSALEM. And Bileam arose in the morning, and made ready his ass, and went
with the princes of Moab.] But the anger of the Lord was provoked, because he
would go (that he might) curse them; and the angel of the Lord stood in the way
to be an adversary to him. But he sat upon his ass, and his two young men,
Jannes and Jambres, were with him. And the ass discerned the angel of the Lord
standing in the way with a drawn sword in his hand, and the ass turned aside
out of the road, to go into the field. And Bileam smote the ass to make her
return unto the way. And the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path that was
in the midst between vineyards, [JERUSALEM. And the angel of the Lord stood
between the vineyards, a hedge (being) on this and on that side,] in the place
where Jacob and Laban raised the mound, the pillar on this side and the
observatory on that side,[3] which they raised, that
neither should pass that limit to do evil (to the other). And the ass discerned
the angel of the Lord, and thrust herself against the hedge, and bruised
Bileam's foot by the hedge, and he smote her again; for the angel was invisible
to him. And the angel of the Lord yet passed on, and stood in a distant place,
where there was no way to turn either to the right or left. And the ass saw the
angel of the Lord, and fell under Bileam; and Bileam's wrath was strong, so
that he smote the ass with his staff.‑Ten things were created after the
world had been founded at the coming in of the Sabbath between the suns,‑the
manna, the well, the rod of Mosheh, the diamond, the rainbow, the cloud of
glory, the mouth of the earth, the writing of the tables of the covenant, the
demons, and the speaking ass. And in that hour the Word of the Lord opened her
mouth, and fitted her to speak: and she said to Bileam. What have I done to
thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? And Bileam said to the ass,
Because thou hast been false to me; if there was now but a sword in in hand, I
would kill thee. And the ass said to Bileam, Woe to thee, Bileam, thou wanting‑in‑mind
when me, an unclean beast, who am to die in this world, and not to enter the
world to come, thou art not able to curse; how much less (canst thou harm) the
children of Abraham, Izhak, and Jakob, on account of whom the world hath been
created, but whom thou art going to curse! So hast thou deceived these people,
and hast said, This is not my ass, she is a loan in, my hand, and my horses
remain in the pasture. But am I not thine ass upon whom thou hast ridden from
thy youth unto this day? and have I been used to do thus with thee? And he
said, No. [JERUSALEM. And the ass said to Bileam, Woe to thee, Bileam the
wicked, wanting in understanding and wisdom! Behold, me, an unclean beast, who
am to die in this world and not to enter the world to come, thou hast not power
with all thy skill to curse; how much less the children of Abraham, Izhak, and
Jakob, on whose account the world was created at the beginning! And why art
thou going to curse them? For thou hast deceived the people, saying to them,
This is not my ass: she is a loan in my hand. But am I not thy ass, upon whom
thou hast ridden from thy youth unto this day? Did I indeed intend to do thus
with thee? And he said to her, No.] And the Lord unveiled the eyes of Bileam,
and he beheld the angel of the Lord standing in the way, his sword unsheathed
in his hand; and he bowed, and worshipped on his face.
And the angel of the
Lord said to him, why hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? Behold, I
have come out to withstand thee; and the ass, fearing, saw, and turned from the
way. It is known before me that thou seekest to go to curse the people, a thing
that is not pleasing to me. But the ass discerned me, and turned away from me
these three times: had she not turned from me, surely now I should have slain
thee, and spared her alive. And Bileam said to the angel of the Lord, I have
sinned, because I knew not that thou wast standing against me in the way. But
now, if it displease thee, I will go back. But the angel of the Lord said to
Bileam, Go with these men; but the word that I will tell thee that thou shalt
speak. And Bileam went with the princes of Balak.
And Balak heard that
Bileam was coming, and came out to meet him at a city of Moab on the border of
Arnon, which is on the side of the frontier. And Balak said to Bileam, Did I
not send to call thee? Why camest thou not to me? Didst thou not indeed say
that I could not do thee honour? And Bileam said to Balak, Behold, I have come
to thee; yet now am I able to say any thing to thee? But the word that the Lord
shall ordain for my mouth, that I must speak. And Bileam went with Balak, and
they came to a city surrounded with walls, to the streets of the great city,
the city of Sihon, which is Berosha. And Balak slew oxen and sheep, and sent to
Bileam and the princes, and those who were with them. And at the time of the
morning Balak took Bileam, and brought him up to the high place of the idol
Peor; and be saw from thence the camp of Dan, which went at the rear of the
people; and they were discovered under the Cloud of Glory.
XXIII. And Bileam, as
he looked upon them, knew that strange worship was among them, and rejoiced in
his heart; and he said to Balak, Build here seven altars, and prepare me here
seven bullocks and seven rams. And Balak did as Bileam had said, and Balak and
Bileam offered a bullock and a ram upon an altar. And Bileam said to Balak,
Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go, if preadventure the word of the
Lord may come to meet me; and the word that shall be discovered to me, that I
will declare to thee. And he went, bending as a serpent. [JERUSALEM. And Bileam
went with a humbled heart.]
And the Word from
before the Lord met with Bileam, who said before Him, The seven altars I have
set in order, and have offered a bullock and a ram upon every altar. And the
Lord put a word in Bileam's mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus speak.
And he returned to him, and, behold, he was standing by his burnt‑offering,
he and all the nobles of Moab. And he took up the parable of his prophecy, and said:
From Aram on Euphrates
hath Balak king of the Moabaee brought me; from the mountains of the east come,
curse for me the house of Jakob; come, for me make Israel small. [JERUSALEM.
And he took up the parable of his prophecy, and said: Balak, the king of the
Moabaee, hath brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east: Come, curse
for me the house of Jakob, come, diminish for me the tribes of the house of
Israel.] How shall I curse, (while) the Word of the Lord blesseth them? and
whom shall I diminish, when the Word of the Lord increaseth them? For, said
Bileam the wicked, I look on this people who are led on for the sake of their
righteous fathers, who are like the mountains, and of their mothers, who are
like the hills: behold, this people alone are to possess the world, because
they are not led by the laws of the nations. And when Bileam the sinner beheld
the house of Israel, a circumcised people, hidden in the dust of the desert, he
said, Who can number the merits of these strong ones, or count the good works
of one of the four camps of Israel? Bileam the wicked said: If the house of
Israel kill me with the sword, then, it is made known to me, I shall have no
portion in the world to come: nevertheless if I may but die the death of the
true! O that my last end may be as the least among them! [JERUSALEM. Wherewith
shall I curse the house of Jakob, when the Word of the Lord blesseth them? and
how shall I diminish the house of Israel, when the Word of the Lord doth
multiply them? I see this people, who are conducted through the merit of their
righteous fathers, Abraham, Izhak, and Jakob, who are like the mountains, and
of their four mothers, Sarah, Rivekah, Rahel, and Leah: behold, this people
shall dwell alone, and not be mixed with the laws of the Gentiles. Who can
number the youth of the house of Jakob, of whom it is said, They are to be like
the stars of the skies? Bileam the wicked said, in the parable of his prophecy,
If Israel do kill him with the sword Bileam himself declareth that he hath no
portion in the world to come: but if Bileam may die as the faithful die, may
his last end be as one of the least among them.]
And Balak said to
Bileam, What hast thou done to me? I brought thee to curse my enemies, and,
behold, blessing, thou hast blessed them. But he answered and said, That which
the Lord hath put in my mouth shall I not be careful to speak? And Balak said
to him, Come now with me where thou mayest see him from another place. Thou
shalt see only the camp that goeth in his rear, but not all their camps; and
curse him for me there. And he brought him to the field of the observatory on
the top of the hill, and builded seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram
on every altar. And he said to Balak, Stand thou here by thy burnt offering and
I will meet (Him) yonder. And the Word from before the Lord met Bileam, and put
a word in his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus speak. And he came to
him, and, behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of
Moab with him. And Balak said to him, What hath the Lord spoken? And he took up
the parable of his prophecy, and said:
Arise, Balak, and
hear; listen to my words, Bar Zippor. The Word of the living God is not as the
words of men for the Lord, the Ruler of all worlds, is the unchangeable (but)
man speaketh and denieth. Neither are His works like the works of the children
of flesh, who consult, and then repent them of what they had decreed. But when
the Lord of all worlds hath said, I will multiply this people as the stars of
the heavens, and will give them to possess the land of the Kenaanites, is He
not able to perform what He hath spoken? and what He hath said, can He not
confirm it? Behold, from the mouth of the Holy Word I have received the
benediction, and their appointed benediction I cannot restrain from them.
[JERUSALEAL 15. And I with My Word will honour thee. 19. Not as the word of the
sons of men is the or of the living God, nor are the works of God as the works
of men. Men say, and do not; they decree, but do not confirm; but God saith and
performeth, He maketh decree and confirmeth it, and His decrees are established
forever. Behold, I have received to bless Israel, and I cannot restrain the
blessings from them.]
Bileam the wicked
said, I see not among them of the house of Jakob such as worship idols: they
who serve false idols are not established among the tribes of the sons of Israel.
The Word of the Lord their God is their help, and the trumpets of the King
Meshiha resound among them: Unto Eloha, who redeemed and led them out of
Mizraim free, belong power and exaltation, glorification and greatness. They of
the house of Jakob who use divination are not establisbed, nor the enchanters,
who enchant among the greatness (multitudes) of Israel. At this time it is said
to the house of Jakob and Israel, How glorious are the miracles and wonder‑works
which God hath wrought! This people reposeth alone, and dwelleth strong as a
lion, and reareth himself as an old lion. They sleep not till with great
slaughter they have slain their adversaries, and taken the spoils of the
slain.[JERUSALEM. I have not seen the worshippers of a lie, nor those who offer
strange service, among the tribes of the sons of Israel. The Word of the Lord
is with them, and the trumpet of their glorious King protecteth them. Unto God
who redeemed, and brought them out from Mizraim free, belong power, and praise,
and exaltation. For I see not those who perform divination in the house of
Jakob, nor them who enchant with enebantments among the tribes of Israel. At
this time it is said to Jakob, What bounties and comforts are prepared of the
Lord to bestow upon you of the house of Jakob! Then said he in the parable of
his prophecy, O happy saints, how goodly is the reward prepared for you by your
Father in heaven, in the world to come! Behold, these people dwell as a lion,
like the strong lion; as the lion resteth not, nor is quiet, until he hath
taken and eaten flesh and drunk up blood, so this people will rest not, nor be
in quiet, till they have slain their enemies, and have shed the blood of their
slaughtered foes like water.]
And Balak said to
Bileam, Neither curse them nor bless them. But Bileam answered and said to
Balak, Did I not tell thee at the beginning, Whatsoever the Lord speaketh, that
must I do? And Balak said to Bileam, Come, and I will now take thee to another
place, if so be it may be pleasing before the Lord, that thou mayest curse him
for me from thence. And Balak led Bileam to the high place of the prospect
which looketh toward Beth Jeshimoth. And Bileam said to Balak, Erect here for
me seven altars, and prepare me seven bullocks and seven rams. And Balak did as
Bileam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram upon every altar.
XXIV. And Bileam,
seeing that it was good before the Lord to bless Israel, went not, as once and
again before, in quest of divinations, but set his face toward the wilderness,
to recall to memory the work of the calf which they had there committed. And
Bileam lifted up his eyes, but beheld Israel dwelling together by their tribes
in their schools, and (saw) that their doors were arranged so as not to
overlook the doors of their companions: and the Spirit of prophecy from before
the Lord rested upon him. [JERUSALEM. And Bileam saw that it was pleasing
before‑the Lord to bless Israel, so that he went not, as he had gone from
time to time, to seek for divinations, or to provide enchantments; but went and
set his face toward the wilderness to recall to memory their work of the calf,
(still) being desirous to curse Israel.] But he took up the parable of his
prophecy, and said:
Bileam, son of Beor,
speaketh; the man speaketh who is more honourable than his father, (because)
the dark mysteries hidden from the prophets have been revealed to him; and who,
because he was not circumcised, fell upon his face when the angel stood over
against him: he hath said who heard the Word from before the living God; who beheld
the vision before God the Almighty, and, seeking that it might be discovered to
him, fell upon his face, and the secret mysteries hidden from the prophets were
revealed to him.
How beautiful your
houses of instruction, in the tabernacle where Jakob your father ministered;
and how beautiful this tabernacle of ordinance which is found among you, and
the tents that surround it, O house of Israel! As tides of waters, so are the
house of Israel, dwelling like flocks made strong by the doctrine of the law;
and as gardens planted by the flowing streams, so are their disciples in the
fellowships of their schools. The light of their faces shineth as the
brightness of the firmament which the Lord created on the second day of the
creation of the world, and outspread for the glory of the Shekinah. They are
exalted and lifted up above all the nations, like cedars of Lebanon planted by
fountains of waters. From them their King shall arise, and their Redeemer be of
them and among them, and the seed of the children of Jakob shall rule over many
nations. The first who will reign over them will make war with the house of
Amalek, and will be exalted above Agag their king; but because he had spared
him his kingdom will be taken from him. Unto Eloha, who brought them out free
from Mizraim, belong might, and exaltation, and glory, and power. He will
destroy the nations of their adversaries, and break down their strength and
will send forth the plague‑arrows of His vengeance among them, and
destroy them. They shall repose and dwell as a lion, and as an old lion, that
sleeping who will (dare to) awake? They who bless them are blessed, as Mosheh
the prophet, the scribe of Israel; and they who curse them are accursed, as
Bileam son of Beor.
And Balak's wrath grew
strong against Bileam, and, smiting his hands, Balak said to Bileam, I brought
thee to curse my enemies, and, behold, in blessing thou hast blessed them these
three times. [JERUSALEM. 3. And he took up in parable his prophecy and said:
Bileam the son of Beor saith; the man saith who is more honourable than his
father, for what hath been hidden from all prophets is revealed to him; the man
saith who heard the Word from before the Lord, and who saw the vision before
the Almighty; when, inquiring, prostrate on his face, the mysteries of prophecy
were disclosed to him, and of himself he did prophesy that he shall fall by the
sword, a prophecy to be confirmed at the end!
How goodly were the
tabernacles in which Jakob their father did pray; and the tabernacle of
ordinance which you have made to My name, and your own tabernacles, O house of
Israel! As torrents that prevail, so shall Israel overpower their adversaries;
and as gardens planted by fountains of water, so shall be their cities, giving
forth scribes and teachers of the law; and as the heavens which the Memra of
the Lord spread forth for the dwelling of His Shekinah, so shall Israel live,
and endure unto eternity, beautiful and renowned as cedars by the waters which
grow up oil high. Their King will arise from among their children, and their
Redeemer will be of them and among them; and He will gather their captives from
the cities of their adversaries, and their children shall have rule among the
peoples. And the kingdom of the King Meshiha shall be made great: stronger is
He than Shaul who vanquished Agag the kill of the Amalkaab. Unto God who
redeemed, and brought them out free from the land of Mizraim, belong power, and
praise, and exaltation. The sons of Israel will prevail over their enemies,
will divide their cities, slay their heroes, and disperse their residue.
Behold, these people will dwell as a lion, and be as the strong lions. He who
blesseth you, O Israel, shall be blessed, as Mosheh the prophet, the scribe of
Israel; and he who curseth you will be accursed, as Bileam, the son of Beor.
And Balak's anger grew
strong against Bileam, and Balak smote his hands, and said to Bileam, I brought
thee to curse my enemies, and thou hast only blessed.] And now flee to thy
place. I had said that honouring I would honour thee; but, behold, the Lord
hath kept back Bileam from honour. But Bileam said to Balak, Did I not tell thy
messengers whom thou. sentest to me, saying, If Balak would give me the fulness
of his treasures of silver and gold, I have no power to transgress the decree
of the Word of the Lord to do good or evil of my own will: what the Lord saith
shall I not speak.
And now, behold, I
return to go to my people. Come, I will give thee counsel: Go, furnish tavern
houses, and employ seductive women to sell food and drinks cheaply, and to
bring this people together to eat and drink, and commit whoredom with them,
that they may deny their God; then in a brief time will they be delivered into
thy hand, and many of them fall. Nevertheless, after this they will still have
dominion over thy people at the end of the days.
And he took up the
parable of his prophecy, and said Bileam the son of Beor speaketh; the man
speaketh who is more honourable than his father, because the mysteries hidden
from prophets have been revealed to him; he speaketh who heard the Word from
before the Lord, and who knoweth the hour when the Most High God will be wroth
with him; (he speaketh) who saw the vision before the Almighty, seeking,
prostrate on his face, that it should be revealed to him; the secret, concealed
from the prophets, was disclosed unto him.
I shall see Him, but
not now; I shall behold Him, but it is not near. When the mighty King of
Jakob's house shall reign, and the Meshiha, the Power‑sceptre of Israel,
be anointed, He will slay the princes of the Moabaee, and bring to nothing all
the children of Sheth, the armies of Gog who will do battle against Israel and
all their carcases shall fall before Him. And the Edomaee will be utterly
driven out, even the sons of Gabela from before Israel their foes, and Israel
will be strengthened with their riches and possess them. And a prince of the
house of Jakob will arise and destroy and consume the remnant that have escaped
from Constantina the guilty city, and will lay waste and ruin the rebellious
city, even Kaiserin the strong city of the Gentiles.
And he looked on the
house of Amalek, and took up the parable of his prophecy, and said: The first
of the nations who made war with the house of Israel were those of the house of
Amalek; and they at last, in the days of the King Meshiha, with all the
children of the east, will make war against Israel; but all of them together
will have eternal destruction in their end.
And he looked upon
Jethro, who had been made proselyte, and took up the parable of his prophecy,
and said: How strong is thy habitation, who hast set thy dwelling in the clefts
of the rocks! Yet so is it decreed that the children of the Shalmaia must be
despoiled, but not until Sancherib the king of Athur shall come and make thee
captive.
[JERUSALEM. And now,
behold, I go to my people. Come now, I will counsel thee how thou art to act
with this people. Lead them into sin; for else thou canst have power against
them to prevail over thy people at the end of the days. And he took up the
parable of his prophecy, and said:
Bileam the son of Beor
saith; the man who is more honourable than his father saith, for what hath been
hid from all the prophets is revealed unto me: the man speaketh who heard the Word
from before the Lord, and learned knowledge from the Most High; who saw the
vision in the presence of the Almighty, seeking prostrate on his face, when the
visions of prophecy were disclosed to him, and he was made to foreknow of
himself that he will fall by the sword, but that his prophecy will be
confirmed.
I shall see Him, but
not now; I shall behold Him, but He is not nigh. A King is to arise from the
house of Jakob, and a Redeemer and Ruler from the house of Israel, who will
slay the strong ones of the Moabaee, and bring to nothing and consume all the
children of the east. And Edom may inherit Mount Gabela from their enemies but
Israel will be stronger with a mighty host. A King will arise from the house of
Jakob, and destroy what shall remain of the strong city. And he beheld the
Amalkaah, and took up the parable of his prophecy and said: The house of Amalek
was the first of the peoples to make war with Israel, and at last in the end of the days they will array battle
against them; but their end is to perish, and their destruction to be for ever.
And when he looked upon the Shalmaia, taking up the parable of his prophecy, he
said, How strong is thy abode, who hast set the house of thy dwelling in the
clefts of the rock! But the Shalmaia will not be spoiled, until Athuria shall
arise, and take thee captive.]
And he took up the
parable of his prophecy, and said, Woe to them who are alive at the time when
the Word of the Lord shall be revealed, to give the good reward to the
righteous, and to take vengeance on the wicked, to smite the nations and the
kings, and bring these things upon them! And ships (lit., sails) armed for war
will come forth with urreat armies from Lombarnia, and from the land of Italia,[4] conjoined with the legions
that will come forth from Constantina, and will afflict the Athuraee, and bring
into captivity all the sons of Eber;[5] nevertheless the end of these
and of those is to fall by the hand of the King Meshiha, and be brought to
everlasting destruction: [JERUSALEM. Woe to him who is alive when the Word of
the Lord setteth Himself to give the good reward to the just, and to take
vengeance on the wicked! And great hosts in Livernia will come from the great
city, and will conjoin with them many legions of the Romaee, and subjugate Athuria,
and afflict all the children beyond the river. Nevertheless the end of these
and of those is to perish, and the destruction to be everlasting. And Bileam
rose up and went to return to his place; and Balak also.]
And Bileam rose up and
went to return to his place, and Balak also went upon his way, and appointed
the daughters of the Midianites for the tavern booths at Beth Jeshimotb, by the
snow mountain, where they sold sweetmeats
cheaper than their price, after the counsel of Bileam the wicked, at the dividing
of the way.
XXV. And Israel dwelt
in the place which is called Shittim, on account of the (Shetutha) foolishness[6] and depravity which were among
them. And the people began to profane their holiness, and to strip their bodies
to the image of Peor, and commit fornication with. the daughters of the
Moabites, who brought out the image of Peor, concealed under their bundles. And
they invited the people to the sacrifices of their idols; and the people ate in
their feasts, and bowed themselves to their idols. And the people of the house
of Israel joined themselves to Baala‑Peor, like the nail in the wood,
which is not separated but by breaking up the wood (or, with the splinters).
And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.
And the Lord said to
Mosheh, Take all the chiefs of the people, and appoint them for judges, and let
them give judgment to put to death the people who have gone astray after Peor,
and hang them before the word of the Lord upon the wood over against the
morning sun, and at the departure of the sun take them down and bury them and
turn away the strong anger of the Lord from Israel. And Mosheh said to the
judges of Israel, Slay every one a man of his tribe of those who have joined
themselves to the idol of Peor. [JERUSALEM.
And Israel abode in Shittim; and the people began to commit fornication
with the daughters of the Moabites. And they invited the people to the
sacrifices of their idols. And Israel were united with the worshippers of the
idol of Peor; and the anger of the Lord was strong against Israel. And the Word
of the Lord said to Mosheh, Take all the chiefs of the people and set them for
a Sanhedrin before the Lord, and let them bang all who are worthy of death; and
at sunset take down their bodies and bury them, that so may be averted the
strong anger of the Lord from Israel. And Mosheh said to the princes of Israel,
Slay each one a man of his house of them who have joined themselves to the idol
of Peor.]
And behold, a man of
the sons of Israel came, holding a Midianitess, and brought her to his
brethren, in the sight of Mosheh and all the congregation of the children of
Israel. He answered and said to Mosheh, What is it (that is wrong) to have
company with her? If thou sayest, It is forbidden, didst thou not thyseIf take
a Midianitess, the daughter of Jethro? When Mosheh heard, he trembled and
swooned. But they wept, and cried, Listen! And they stood at the door of the
tabernacle of ordinance. And Phinehas bar Elazar‑bar Aharon, the priest,
saw, and, remembering the ordination, answered, and said: He who ought to kill,
let him kill! Where are the lions of the tribe of Jehudah? When they saw, they
were quiet. And he arose from among his Sanhedrin, and took a lance in his
hand. [JERUSALEM. And, behold, a man of the sons of Israel came and brought to
his brethren a Midianitha, before Mosheh and all the congregation of the
children of Israel; and, behold, they were weeping at the door of the
tabernacle. And Phinehas bar Elazar bar Aharon, the high priest, saw, and arose
from among the assembly, and took a lance.]
Twelve miracles were
wrought for Phinehas at the time that he went in after the man of Israel with
the Midianitha. The first sign was, He would have parted them but could not. 2.
Their mouth was closed, that they could not cry out; for had they cried out,
they would have been rescued. 3. He drave the lance through both of them. 4.
The lance remained fixed in the wound. 5. When he bare them aloft, the lintel
was uplifted for him until he had gone forth. 6. He carried them through the
whole camp, six miles, without fatigue. 7. He held them up by his right arm, in
sight of their kindred, who had no power to hurt him. 8. The lance was made
strong so as not to be broken with the load. 9. The iron transpierced them, but
was not withdrawn. 10. An angel came and made bare their corpses in sight of
the people. 11. They lingered alive till they had been carried through the
entire camp, lest the priest in the tabernacle should be defiled by the dead.
12. Their blood thickened so as not to flow upon him; but when he had borne
them through the camp, it brake forth, and they died.
Answering, he said
before the Lord of the world, Can it be that, on account of these, twenty and
four thousands of Israel shall die? Immediately the compassions of Heaven were
moved, and the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. [JERUSALEM. And
he went in after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them, the
man and the woman, through the body; and the plague was stayed from the
children of Israel.] And the number who died by the pestilence was twenty and
four thousand. [JERUSALEM. And those who died by that plague were twenty and
four thousand.]
Pgs. 435-449
Ch. 25-30
SECTION XLI.
PHINEHAS.
AND the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Phinehas the zealous, the son of Elazar bar Aharon, the
priest, hath turned away mine anger from the children of Israel, in that, when
zealous with My zeal, he hath slain the sinners who were among them; and for
his sake I have not destroyed the children of Israel in My indignation.
Swearing by My Name, I say to him, Behold, I decree to him My covenant of
peace, and will make him an angel of the covenant, that he may ever live, to announce
the Redemption at the end of the days. [JERUSALEM. With the oath went Mosheh,
and said unto Phinehas, Behold, I give to him.] And because they defamed him,
saying, Is he not the son of Phuti, the Midianite? behold, I will make him to
possess the high priesthood; and because he took the lance with his arm, and
struck the Midianitess in her body, and prayed with his mouth for the people of
the house of Israel, the priests shall be held worthy of the three gifts of the
shoulder, the cheek‑bone, and the inwards; and it shall be to him, and to
his sons after him, an everlasting covenant of consecration, because he was
zealous for the Lord, and propitiated for the children of Israel. Now the name
of the man of Israel who was slain with the Midianitha was Zimri bar Salu, a
chief of the house of his fathers of the tribe of Shemeon. And the name of the
Midianite woman who was killed was Kosbi, daughter of Zur, who was called
Shelonae, a daughter of Balak, the prince of the people of Moab, whose dwelling‑place
was in Midian.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Trouble the Midianites and slay them, because they
troubled you by their deceitful counsels when they beguiled you in the matter
of Peor, and of Kosbi their sister, daughter of the prince of Midian, who was
slain in the day of the plague for the matter of Peor. [JERUSALEM. For their
false dealings.]
XXVI. And it came to
pass after the plague, that the compassions of the heavens were turned to
avenge His people with judgment. And the Lord spake to Mosheh and Elazar bar
Aharon the priest, saying: Take the sum of the account of the whole
congregation of the Beni Israel, from twenty years old and upward, according to
the house of their fathers, of every one who goeth forth with the host in
Israel. And Mosheh and Elazar the priest spake with the leaders, and commanded
that they should number them in the plain of Moab, by the Jordan (over against)
Jericho, saying (You are to number them) from a son of twenty years and upward,
as the Lord commanded Mosheh and the sons of Israel when they came out of the
land of Mizraim.
Reuben, the first‑born
of Israel: the sons of Reuben, Hanok, the family of Hanok; of Phallu, the
family of Phallu; of Hezron, the family of Hezron; of Karmi, the family of
Karmi. These are the families of Reuben, and their numbers were forty‑three
thousand seven hundred and thirty. And the sons of Phallu Eliab; the sons of
Eliab, Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. The same were Dathan and Abiram who
brought together the congregation that gathered and made the division against
Mosheh and Aharon in the congregation of Korach, when they gathered together
and made division against the Lord, and the earth opened her mouth and
swallowed them and Korach, when the congrergation of the wicked died, when the
fire devoured the two hundred and fifty men, and they were made an example. But
the sons of Korach were not in the counsel of their father, but followed the
doctrine of Mosheh the prophet; and therefore they died not by the plague, nor
were smitten by the fire, nor engulphed in the yawning of the earth.
[JERUSALEM. But the sons of Korach, who were not in the counsel of their father
did not die.]
The Beni Shemeon,[1] Nemuel, Jamin, Jakin, Zerach,
Shaul, with their families, twenty‑two thousand two hundred.
Of Gad, the families
of Zephon, Haggi, Suni, Ozni, Heri, Arod, Areli, forty thousand five hundred.
Of Jehudah, Her and
Onan. But Her and Onan died, on account of their sins, in the land of Kenaan.
Of the Beni Jehudah, the families of Shela, Pherez, Zerach. The sons of Pherez,
Hezron, Amul. The numbers of the families of Jehudah, seventy‑six
thousand five hundred.
Of Issakar, the
families of Thola, Puah, Jashub, Shimron, sixty‑four thousand three
hundred. Of Zebulon, the families of Sered, Elon, Jahleel, sixty thousand five
hundred. Of Joseph, the Beni Menasheh, Makir, Gilead, Thezar, Helek, Asriel,
Shekem, Shemida, Hepher. But Zelophehad bar Hepher had no sons, but daughters
only; and the names of the daughters of Zelophebad were, Mahelah, Nohah,
Hogelah, Milchah, and Thirzah. These are the families of Menasheh, and their
number fifty‑two thousand seven hundred.
The Beni Ephraim,
Shuthelah, Bekir, Tachan, Heran the son of Shuthelah, their numbers thirty‑two
thousand five hundred.
The families of
Benjamin, Bela, Ashbel, Abiram, Shephuphia, (the sons of Bela, Ared and
Naaman,) forty‑five thousand six hundred.
The Beni Dan, the
families of Shuham, sixty‑four thousand four hundred.
Those of Asher,
Jimnah, Jishvah, Beriah, and of the sons of Beriah, Heber and Malkiel. The name
of the daughter of Asher was Sarach, who was conducted by six myriads of
angels, and taken into the Garden of Eden alive, because she bad made known to
Jacob that Joseph was living. The numbers of Asher, fiftythree thousand four
hundred. The Beni Naphtali, according to their families, Jaczeel, Guni, Jezer,
Shillem, forty‑five thousand four hundred. These are the numbers of the
sons of Israel, six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Unto these tribes shall the land be divided by
inheritances according to their names. To that tribe whose people are many thou
shalt make their inheritance large, and to the tribe whose people are few thou
shalt give a smaller inheritance; to each his heritage shall be given according
to the number of his names. Yet the land shall be divided by lots; according to
the names of their fathers tribes they shall inherit. Their heritage shall be
divided by lots, whether great or small.
But these are the
names of the Levites after their families, the families of Gershon, Kehath,
Merari. These are the families of the Levites: the family of Lebni, Hebron,
Maheli, Mushi, Korach. And Kehath begat Amram; and the Dame of Amram's wife was
Jokebed, a daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi when they had come into
Mizraim, within the walls; and she bare to Amram Aharon, and Mushe, and Miriam
their sister. And to Aharon were born Nadab and Abihu, Elazar and Ithamar. But
Nadab and Abihu died when they offered the strange fire from the hearth‑pots
before the Lord. And the number of them (the Levites) was twenty‑three
thousand, every male from a month old, and upward; for they were not reckoned
among the children of Israel, as no possession was given them among the sons of
Israel. These are the numbers when Mosheh and Elazar the priest numbered the
sons of Israel in the plains of Moab, by Jordan, (over against) Jericho. And
among them was not a man of the numbers when Mosheh and Aharon the priest took
the sum of the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai, because the Lord
had said that dying they should die in the wilderness; and none of them
remained except Kaleb bar Jephunneh, and Jehoshua bar Nun.
XXVII. And the
daughters of Zelophehad bar Hepher, bar Gilead, bar Makir, bar Menasheh, of the family of Menasheh bar Joseph, when
they heard that the land was to be divided to the males, came to the beth din,
trusting in the compassions of the Lord of the world. And these are the names
of the daughters, Mahelah, Nohah, Hogela, Milchah, and Thirzah. And they stood
before Mosheh, after that they had stood before Elazar the priest, the princes,
and all the congregation, at the door of the tabernacle of ordinance, saying:
Our father died in the wilderness, but he was not among the congregation who
murmured and gathered to rebel against the Lord in the congregation of Korach,
but died for his own sin; nor made he others to sin; but he had no male
children. Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family
because he had not a male child? if we are not reckoned as a son, and our
mother claim (or observe) the Jebam,[2] our mother will take the
portion of our father and of our father's brother. But if we be reckoned as a
son, give us an inheritance among our father's brethren.
This is one of the
four cases of judgment brought before Mosheh the prophet, and which he resolved
in the manner above said. Of them some were judgments, &c.[3] And Mosheh brought their cause
before the Lord.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: The daughters of Zelophehad have fitly spoken: this hath
been written before Me: but they are worthy that it be said of them, Give them
possession and inheritance among the brethren of their father, and make over
their father's possession unto them. And when a son of Israel shall speak, and
say, A man hath died without having a male child, then you shall make over his
inheritance to his daughter: if he have no daughter, you shall give his
possession to his brothers: if he have no brothers, you shall give his
possession to the brethren of his fattier: but if his father had no brothers,
then you shall give his possession to his kinsman who is nearest to him of his
father's family to inherit. And this shall be the publication of a decree of
judgment to the children of Israel, as the Lord hath commanded Mosheh.
And the Lord said to
Mosheh, Go up to this mount, of Abaraee, and survey the land which I have given
to the children of Israel. And thou shalt see it, but thou thyself self shalt
be gathered to thy people, as Aharon thy brother hath been gathered: because
you were disobedient against My Word in the desert of Zin, in the congregation
at the Waters of Strife, to sanctify Me at the waters in their sight: these are
the Waters of Strife in the desert of Zin.
And Mosheh spake
before the Lord, saying May the Word of the Lord, who ruleth over the souls of
men, and by whom hath been given the inspiration of the spirit of all flesh,
appoint a faithful man over the congregation, [JERUSALEM. The Word of the Lord
the God who ruleth over the spirit of all flesh, appoint a praiseworthy man
over the people of the conaregation,] who may go out before them to set battle
in array, and may come in before them from the he battle who may bring them out
from the bands of their enemies, and bring them into the land of Israel; that
the congregation of the Lord may not be without the wise, nor go astray among
the nations as sheep who go astray, having no shepherd. And the Lord said to
Mosheh, Take to thee Jehoshua bar Nun, a man upon whom abideth the Spirit of
prophecy from before the Lord, and lay thy hand upon him, and make him stand
before Elazar the priest and the whole congregation, and instruct him in their
presence. And thou shalt confer a ray of thy brightness upon him, that all the
congregation of the sons of Israel may be obedient to him. And he shall minister
before Elazar the priest; and when any matter is hidden from him, he shall
inquire for him before the Lord by Uraia. According to the word of Elazar the
priest they shall go forth to battle, and come in to do judgment be and all the
sons of Israel with him, even all the congregation. And Mosheh did as the Lord
commanded him, and took Jehoshua and caused him to stand before Elazar the
priest and all the congregation; and he laid his hands upon him and instructed
him, as the Lord commanded Mosheh.
XXVIII. And the Lord
spake with Mosheh, saying: Instruct the children of Israel, and say to them:
The priests may eat of My oblation the bread of the order of My table; but that
which you offer upon My altar may no man eat. Is there not a fire that will consume
it? And it shall be accepted before Me as a pleasant smell. Sons of Israel, My
people, be admonished to offer it from the firstlings on the Sabbath, an
oblation before Me in its time. [JERUSALEM. Instruct the children of Israel,
and say to them, My oblation, the bread of the order of My table. That which
you offer upon the altar. Is there not a fire that will consume it? To be
received from you before Me for a pleasant smell. Sons of Israel, My people, be
admonished to offer it before Me in its season.]
And say to them: This
is the order of the oblations you
shall offer before the Lord; two lambs of the year, unblemished, daily, a
perpetual burnt offering. The one lamb thou shalt perform in the morning to
make atonement for the sins of the night; and the second lamb thou shalt
perform between the suns to atone for the sins of the day; and the tenth of
three seahs of wheaten flour as a mincha mingled with beaten olive oil, the
fourth of a hin. It is a perpetual burnt offering, such as was (ordained to be)
offered at Mount Sinai, to be received with favour as an oblation before the
Lord. And its libation shall be the fourth of a hin for one lamb; from the
vessels of the house of the sanctuary shall it be outpoured, a libation of old
wine. [JERUSALEM. From the vessels of the house of holiness, it shall be poured
out a libation of choice wine unto the Name of the Lord.] But if old wine may
not be found, bring wine of forty days to pour out before the Lord. And the
second lamb thou shalt perform between the suns, according to the presentation
of the morning, and according to its oblation shalt thou make the offering,
that it may be accepted with favour before the Lord but on the day of Shabbatha
two lambs of the year without blemish, and two‑tenths of flour mixed with
olive oil for the mincha and its libation. On the Sabbath thou shalt make a
Sabbath burnt sacrifice in addition to the perpetual burnt sacrifice and its
libation.
And at the beginning
of your months you shall offer a burnt sacrifice before the Lord; two young
bullocks, without mixture, one ram, lambs of the year seven, unblemished; and
three tenths of flour mingled with oil for the mincha for one bullock; two
tenths of flour with olive oil for the mincha of the one ram; and one tenth of
flour with olive oil for the mincha for each lamb of the burnt offering, an
oblation to be received with favour before the Lord. And for their libation to
be offered with them, the half of a bin for a bullock, the third of a bin for
the ram, and the fourth of a hin for a lamb, of the wine of grapes. This burnt
sacrifice shall be offered at the beginning of every month in the time of the
removal of the beginning of every month in the year; and one kid of the goats,
for a sin offering before the Lord at the disappearing (failure) of the moon,
with the perpetual burnt sacrifice shalt thou perform with its libation.
And in the month of
Nisan, on the fourteenth day of the month, is the sacrifice of the Pascha
before the Lord. On the fifteenth day of this month is a festival; seven days
shall unleavened be eaten. On the first day of the festival a holy convocation;
no servile work shall ye do; but offer an oblation of a burnt sacrifice before
the Lord, two young bullocks, one ram, and seven lambs of the year, unblemished,
shall you have. And their minchas of wheat flour, mingled with olive oil, three
tenths for each bullock, two tenths for the ram, and for a single lamb a tenth,
so for the seven; and one kid of the goats, to make an atonement for you:
beside the burnt sacrifice of the morning, the perpetual burnt sacrifice, you
shall make these offerings. According to these oblations of the first day you
shall do daily through the seven days of the festival. It is the bread of the
oblation which is received with favour before the Lord; it shall be made beside
the perpetual burnt offering, with its libation. And on the seventh day you
shall have a holy convocation; no servile work shall you do.
Likewise on the day of
your firstlings, when you offer the gift from the new produce before the Lord
in your ingatherings, after the seven weeks are completed, you shall have a
holy convocation, no servile work shall you do; but offer a burnt sacrifice to
be received with favour before the Lord, two young bullocks, one ram, seven lambs
of the year; also their mincha of
wheaten flour mingled with olive oil, three tenths for each bullock, two tenths
for the ram, a tenth to a lamb; so
for the seven lambs one kid of the goats to make an atonement for you; beside
the perpetual burnt offering you shall make these; they shall be unblemished,
with their libation of wine.
XXIX. And in the
seventh month, the month of Tishri, on the first of the month you shall have a
holy convocation, you may not do any servile work; it shall be to you a day for
the sounding of the trumpet, that by the voice of your trumpets you may disturb
Satana who cometh to accuse you. And you shall make a burnt sacrifice to be
received with favour before the Lord; one young bullock, one ram, lambs of the
year seven, unblemished; and their mincha of wheaten flour mingled with olive
oil, three tenths for the bullock, two tenths for the ram, and one tenth for
each of the seven lambs; and one kid of the goats for a sin offering to make an
atonement for you; besides the sacrifice for the beginning of the month and its
mincha, and the perpetual sacrifice and its mincha; and their libations
according to the order of their appointments, an oblation to be received with
favour before the Lord.
And on the tenth of
the seventh month, the month of Tishri, you shall have a holy convocation, and
chasten your souls (by abstaining) from food and drink, the bath, friction,
sandals, and the marriage bed; and you shall do no servile labour, but offer a
sacrifice before the Lord to be received with favour; one young bullock, one
ram, lambs of the year seven, unblemished, shall you have; and their mincha of
wheat flour mingled with olive oil, three tenths for the bullock, two tenths
for one ram, a singIe tenth for a lamb, so for the seven lambs one kid of the
goats for a sin offering; beside the sin offering of the expiations, (Lev.
xvi.,) and the perpetual sacrifice and their minchas, and the wine of their
libations.
And on the fifth day
of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation, no servile work shall
you do; but shall celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles before the Lord seven
days, and offer a sacrifice, an oblation to be received with favour before the
Lord: thirteen young bullocks proceeding daily and diminishing their number,
(in all) seventy for the seventy nations, and offering them by thirteen orders;[4] two rams, which you shall
offer by two orders; lambs of the year fourteen, unblemished, to be offered by
eight orders, offering six of them, by two and two, and two of them one by one,
they shall be perfect. Their mincha also of wheat flour, with olive oil, three
tenths for each bullock of the thirteen, two tenths for each ram, a single
tenth for each of the fourteen lambs, and one kid of the goats for a sin
offering, which shall be offered by one order, beside the perpetual sacrifice,
the wheat flour for the mincha, and the wine of the libation.
On the second day of
the Feast of Tabernacles you shall offer twelve young bullocks, by twelve
orders; two rams, by two orders; fourteen lambs of the year unblemished by nine
orders, five of them shall offer two by two, and four of them one by one. And their
mincha of wheat flour, and the wine of their libation which shall be offered
with the bullocks, rams, and lambs, by their number according to the order of
their appointment; and one ram by one order, a sin offering, beside the
perpetual sacrifice, and the wheat flour of their minchas, and their libations
of wine.
On the third day of
the Feast of Tabernacles you shall
offer twelve bullocks by twelve
orders; two rams by two orders, fourteen unblemished lambs of the year, by ten
orders; four of them shall offer two and two, and six of them one by one; and
their mincha of wheat flour, and their libations of wine, you shall offer with
the bullocks, rams, and lambs, by the number in their appointed order; and one
kid of the goats for a sin offering by one order; beside the perpetual
sacrifice the wheat flour for the mincha, and its libation of wine.
On the fourth day of
the Feast of Tabernacles, ten young bullocks by ten orders; two rams by two
orders; fourteen unblemished lambs of the year by twelve orders; three of them
shall be offered at two times, and eight of them singly; their mincha of
wheaten flour, and their libations of wine, which you shall offer with the the
bullocks, rams, and lambs by their number, after their appointed order, and one
kid for a sin offering, by one order; beside the perpetual sacrifice, the wheat
flour for the mincha, and its libation of wine.
On the fifth day of
the Feast of Tabernacles, nine young bullocks by nine orders; two rams by two
orders lambs of the year fourteen, perfect by twelve orders two of them in a
pair, twelve singly; and the wheat flour for their mincha, and the libation
wine for the bullocks, the rams, and lambs by their number after the order of
their appointment; and one kid for a sin offering by one order; beside the
perpetual sacrifice and the wheat flour for the mincha, and the wine of its
libation.
On the sixth day of
the Feast of Tabernacles, eight young bullocks by eight orders; two rams by two
orders; fourteen unblemished lambs of the year by thirteen orders; a pair of
them together, and twelve of them singly. Their mincha of wheat flour, and
their libation of wine you shall offer with the bullocks, rams, and lambs, by
their number in the order appointed; Land
one kid for a sin offering by one order, besides the perpetual sacrifice,
the wheat flour for the mincha, the wine of its libation, and a vase of water
to be outpoured on the day of the Feast of Tabernacles in grateful
acknowledgment (for a good memorial) of the showers of rain.
On the seventh day of
the Feast of Tabernacles you shall offer seven bullocks by seven orders; two
rams by two orders; fourteen unblemished lambs of the year by fourteen orders:
the number of all these lambs ninety‑eight, to make atonement against the
ninety‑eight male dictions. And their mincha of wheat flour and libations
of wine you shall offer with the bullocks, rains, and lambs, by their number,
according to the order appointed one kid by one order, beside the perpetual
sacrifice, the wheat flour for the mincha, and its libation of wine.
And on the eighth day
you shall gather together joyfully from your tabernacles, in your houses, a
gladsome company, a festal day, and a holy convocation shall you have, no
servile work shall you do but offer a sacrifice an oblation to be received with
favour before the Lord; light oblations; one bullock before the one God, one
ram for the one people, lambs of the year unblemished, seven, for the joy of
the seven days. Their mincha of wheat flour, and their libations of wine which
you shall offer with the bullocks, rams, and Iambs, by their number, After the
order of their appointment; land one kid for a sin offering, beside the
perpetual sacrifice, the flour for its mincha, and the wine for its libation.
These you shall offer before the Lord in the time of your festivals, beside
your vows which you vow at the festival, and which you shall bring on the day
of the feast, with your free‑will oblation for your burnt sacrifice, your
mincha, libations, and consecrated victims.
XXX. And Mosheh spake
to the sons of Israel, according to all that the Lord had commanded Mosheh.
Pgs. 449-459
Ch, 30-32
SECTION XLII
MATTOTH.
AND Mosheh spake with
the chiefs of the Tribes of the Beni Israel, saying: This is the Word which the Lord hath spoken, saying: A man, a son
of thirteen when he shall have vowed a vow before the Lord, or have sworn an
oath, saying, I will withhold from such a thing which is permitted to me, shall
not be allowed to relax his word (at his own will): nevertheless, the house of
judgment (beth dina) can absolve him; but if they absolve him not, whatsoever
hath gone out of his mouth he shall perform.
And a female who hath
not passed twelve years when she hath vowed a vow before the Lord, and hath
bound herself in her father's house until her thirteenth year; and her father
hear her vow, and whatever bond she hath bound upon her soul, and her father be
acquiescent, and speak not to her; then every vow and every bond which she hath
bound upon her soul shall be confirmed. But if her father prohibit her on the
day that he heareth, or, not being prepared to confirm, annulleth after he hath
heard, (then) no vow or bond that she hath bound upon her soul shall be
confirmed; but is remitted and forgiven her before the Lord, because her father
hath made her free from the authority of the vow, (or, nullified to her the
power of the vow.) And if when she hath been taken by a husband a vow be upon
her, or her lips have expressed that which is binding upon her soul while in
her father's house, and her father had not absolved her while unmarried, then,
when she hath been married, it shall be confirmed. But if after she is married
she make a vow, and her husband hear it, and on the day that he heareth it he
is minded to confirm it, and is silent to her, then the vow and the bond which
she hath bound upon her soul shall be ratified. But if her husband prohibit her
on the day that he heareth, then the vow which is upon her, and the utterance
of her lips which bound her soul, are remitted and forgiven her. Yet the vow of
a widow, or a divorced, whatever hath bound her soul, shall be confirmed upon
her. But if, while she was in her husband's house, or while she had not
attained to marriage years, she had vowed, or bound her soul with the bond of
an oath which her husband had heard of, and had neither spoken nor prohibited
her, or had died before she was married, then all her vows shall be confirmed,
and all the obligations with which she had bound her soul be ratified, and her
father shall have no power to absolve her. But if her husband released her
[JERUSALEM. Her husband released her] on the day that he heard, then, whatever
her lips had pronounced to be a vow, or a bond upon her soul, shall not be
confirmed; and if her husband had annulled them, [JERUSALEM. Her husband had
released them,] and she, not knowing, had performed, it shall be forgiven her
before the Lord. Every vow, every oath‑bond to chasten the soul, her
husband may ratify or annul. But if her husband was silent and consented when
he heard from one day to the next, then all her vows and all the bonds upon her
are ratified; by his silence he hath confirmed them; for be was silent to her
on the day, and consented, and absolved her not on the day that he heard. But
if, absolving, he would absolve her one day after he had heard, there is no
force in the absolution; and if he then nullify the word, her husband or her
father shall bear her sin. These are the publications of the statutes which the
Lord commanded Mosheh (on these matters) between a man and his wife, and a
father and his daughter in the day of her youth in her father's house;
[JERUSALEM. In the time of her youth in her father's house;] but not in the
time of her youth, and she be in the house of her husband.
XXXI. And the Lord
spake with Mosheh, saying: Take retribution for the children of Israel from the
Midianites; and afterward thou shalt be gathered to thy people. And Moses spake
with the people, saying: Arm of you men, [JERUSALEM. Arm of you,] for the host
to make war against Midian, to give the people of the Lord avengement upon
Midian; a thousand of each tribe of all the tribes of Israel send ye to the
war. And of the thousands of Israel fit men were chosen who gave up themselves,
a thousand of a tribe, twelve thousand, armed for the war. And Mosheh sent
them, a thousand of each tribe to the war, them and Phinehas bar Elazar the
priest unto the war, with the Uraia and Thummaia consecrated to inquire for
them, and the Jubilee trumpets in his hand for assembling, encamping, and
ordering forward the host of Israel. And they warred against Midian,
circumventing them from three corners, as the Lord had instructed Mosheh, and
they killed every male; and they slew the kings of the Midianites with the
slain of their armies, Evi, Rekem, Zur, who is Balak, and Hur and Reba, five
kings of Midian; and Bileam bar Beor they killed with the sword. And it was
when Bileam the guilty saw Phinehas the priest pursuing him, he made use of his
magical arts, (lit., made words of enchantment,) and flew in the air of the
heavens; but Phinehas forthwith pronounced the Great and Holy Name, and flew
after him, and seized him by his head, and bringing him down drew the sword,
and sought to kill him; but he opened his mouth with words of deprecation, and
said to Phinehas: If thou wilt spare my life, I swear to thee that all the days
I live I will not curse thy people. He answered him, and said: Art thou not
Laban the Amarite who didst seek to destroy Jakob our father, who wentest down
into Mizraim, to destroy his children, and, after they had come out of Mizraim,
didst send the wicked Amalek against them; and hast thou not now been sent to
curse them? But after thou hadst seen that thy works did not prosper, and that
the Word of the Lord would not hear thee, thou didst give the evil counsel to
Balak to set his daughters in the way to make them go wrong, when there fell of
them twentyfour thousand. Therefore, it cannot be that thy life may be spared;
and at once he drew the sword and slew him.
And the sons of Israel
led captive the wives of the Midianites, their children, their cattle, and all
their flocks, and destroyed all their goods; and all their towns, the houses,
of their rulers, and the high places of their houses of worship, they burned
with fire; but they took all the spoil and the prey both of men and beasts, and
brought to Mosheh, Elazar the priest, and all the congregation of Israel, the captives,
the prey, and the spoils, at the camp in the fields of Moab, by the Jordan,
near Jericho.
And Mosheh and Elazar
the priest, with all the heads of the congregation, went forth to meet them
without the camp. But Mosheh was angry with the leaders appointed over the
host, the chiefs of thousands and of hundreds who came from the war with the
host; and Mosheh said to them, Why have you spared all the women? These are
they who caused the offence of the sons of Israel, by the counsel of Bileam, to
do wrongly before the Lord in the matter of Peor, so that pestilence came upon
the congregation of the Lord. Now, therefore, slay every male among the
children, and every woman who hath known a man; but every female child you
shall stand before the Crown of Holiness, (the priest's tiara,) and look upon
her: she who is not a virgin will be pallid in the face, but she who is a
virgin child will blush in the face, like fire; them you shall spare. But as
for you, abide without the camp seven days; whoever hath slain a man, or
touched the dead, you shall sprinkle on the third; and on the seventh day both
you and your captives, and every garment, and whatever is made of skin, goats'
hair, horn, or bone, and every vessel of wood, you shall sprinkle.
And Elazar the priest
said to the men of the host who had returned from the war: This is the
manifestation of the decree of the law which the Lord hath commanded to Mosheh.
Nevertheless, these (articles) without their rust, the gold, silver, brass,
iron, tin, and lead, [JERUSALEM. Tin and lead,] their vessels, but not the
unformed and simple (metals), every thing whose nature it is to abide the fire,
of the pans, pots, spits, and gridirons, you shall make to pass through fire to
purify them, and afterward (sprinkle them) with water such as is used to purify
the unclean; but whatever will not abide the fire coverlids, cups flagons, and
utensils, you shall make to pass through forty sata of water; and you shall
wash your raiment on the seventh day to be clean, and afterwards come into the
camp.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh saying: Take the sum of the prey of the captives, both of man and
beast, and take their amount, thou and Elazar the priest, and the chiefs of the
fathers of the congregation; and divide the spoil between the men of war who
took the spoil in the conflict of battle, having gone forth with the host, and
between all the congregation; and separate that which is to be given up to the
Name of the Lord by the men of war who went forth with the host: one woman out of
five hundred; so, likewise, of oxen, asses, and sheep. From their half, the
portion of the men of war, shalt thou take them, and give to Elazar the priest,
as a separation unto the Name of the Lord; but of the half (falling to) the
children of Israel thou shalt take one out of fifty of the women, and of the
oxen, the asses, and of all the cattle, and give them to the Levites who keep
charge of the Lord's tabernacle; and Mosheh and Elazar the priest did as the
Lord commanded Mosheh.
And the amount of the prey,
the rest of the spoil which had been taken by the people who went forth in the
host,‑the number of the sheep was six hundred and seventy‑five
thousand; oxen, seventy‑two thousand; asses, sixty‑one thousand;
persons, the women who had not known man, all the persons thirty‑two
thousand. And the half of the portion for the men who had gone to the war, the
number of the sheep was three hundred and thirty‑seven thousand five
hundred; and the amount of that brought up for the Name of the Lord was of
sheep six hundred and seventy‑five; oxen thirty‑six thousand, those
for the Name of the Lord seventy‑two; asses thirty thousand five hundred,
for the Name of the Lord sixty‑one; persons sixteen thousand, for the
Name of the Lord thirty‑two. And Mosheh gave the number separated to the
Name of the Lord unto Elazar the priest, as the Lord commanded Mosheh. And the
half part for the children of Israel which Mosheh divided from the men's who
went forth to the war, the amount was three hundred and thirty‑seven
thousand five hundred sheep, thirty‑six thousand oxen, thirty thousand
five hundred asses, and sixteen thousand women. And Mosheh took from the half
part for the children of Israel of that which bad been captured, one out of
fifty, whether of man or beast, and gave it to the Levites who kept charge of
the tabernacle of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Mosheh.
And the officers who
had been appointed over the thousands of the host, the captains of thousands
and of hundreds, drew near to Mosheh, and they said to Mosheh, Thy servants
have taken the account of the men of war who have been with us, and not any of
them are wanting. And we have brought a gift unto the Name of the Lord,
forasmuch as the Lord hath delivered the Midianites into our hands, and we have
been able to subdue their land and their cities. And we entered into their
chambers, and there saw their daughters, fair, tender, and delicate; and every
man who found on them jewels of gold, loosened the coronets from their heads,
the earrings from their ears, the necklaces from their necks, the bracelets
from their arms, the rings from their fingers, and the brooches from their
bosoms;‑but in all this we abstained from lifting our eyes upon
themselves, or gazing on one of them, lest we should sin with any one of them,
and die the death which the wicked die in the world to come. And may this be
had in memorial for us in the day of the great judgment, to make propitiation
for our souls before the Lord. [JERUSALEM. And we have brought the oblation of
the Lord. When we entered into the houses of the Midianite kings, and into
their sleeping‑chambers, and saw there the fair and delicate daughters of
the Midianite kings, we took from their beads their golden coronets, the
earrings from their ears, the rings from their fingers, the bracelets from
their arms, and the jewels from their bosoms; yet, Mosheh our master! far was
it from us,‑not one of us was united with any one of them, neither will
he be companion with her in Gehinnom. In the world to come may it stand to us,
in the day of the great judgment, to propitiate for our souls before the Lord.]
And Mosheh and Elazar
the priest took the gold from them, every article fabricated; and the sum of
all the gold of the separation which they had separated unto the Name of the
Lord was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels, from the captains of
thousands and of hundreds. For the men of the host had taken spoil, every man
for himself. And Mosheh and Elazar the priest took the gold from the captains
of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of ordinance,
a good memorial of the sons of Israel before the Lord.
XXXII. Now the sons of
Reuben and of Gad possessed much cattle, exceeding much: and they surveyed the
land of Mikvar and of Gilead, and, behold, it was a region suitable for cattle
folds. [JERUSALEM. And they saw the land of Mikvar and of Gilead, and, behold,
it was a place of wealth.] And the sons of Gad and Reuben came and spoke to
Mosheh, Elazar, and the princes of the congregation, saying: Makelta,
Madbeshta, Mikvar, Beth Nimre, Beth Hoshbane, Maalath Meda, Shiran, Beth
Kebureth, de Moshe, and Behon, [JERUSALEM. Makalta, Madbeshta, Mikvar, Beth
Nimrin, Heshbon, Elhala, Shebam, Nebo, and Behan,] the land which the Lord hath
subdued, and whose inhabitants he hath smitten before the congregation of
Israel, is a land suitable for cattle, and thy servants have cattle.
[JERUSALEM. Wealth.] They said therefore, If we have found grace before thee,
let this land be given to thy servants for a possession, and let us not pass
over Jordan.
But Mosheh said to the
sons of Gad and Reuben, Shall your brethren go to the war, and you sit down
here? And why should you enfeeble [JERUSALEM. And why do you break] the will of
the sons of Israel from going over to the land which the Lord hath given to
them? So did your fathers when I sent them from Rekem Giah to survey the land:
they went up to the brook of Ethkela, and saw the land, [JERUSALEM. They went
unto Segola, and saw the land,] but enfeebled the will of Israel's heart, that
they would not enter into the land which the Lord had given to them. And the
anger of the Lord was that day moved, and He sware, saying If these men who
came out of Mizraim from twenty years old and up ard shall see the land which I
covenanted to Abraham, Izhak, and Jakob, because they have not fully (walked)
according to My fear; except Kaleb bar Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Jehoshua bar
Nun, for they have fully (walked) after the fear of the Lord. And the anger of
the Lord was moved against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness
forty years, until all that generation which did evil before the Lord have been
consumed. And, behold, you are risen up after your fathers, disciples of wicked
men, to increase yet the anger of the Lord against Israel. [JERUSALEM. You have
multiplied the men of sin yet to increase the strength of His displeasure.] For
if you go back from fearing Him, He will still make them abide in the
wilderness, and so will you destroy all this people.
And they drew near to
him, and said, We will build sheepfolds for our flocks, and towns for our
families; but we will go armed among the sons of Israel until we have brought
them into their place: but our families shall dwell in towns defended against
the inhabitants of the land. [JERUSALEM. In cities fortified against the
(former) masters of the land.] We will not return to our homes until the sons
of Israel possess every one his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them
over the Jordan and beyond; for our inheritance cometh to us beyond Jordan
eastward.
And Mosheh said to
them, If you will perform this thing; if you will go forth armed before the
people of the Lord to the war, if some of you armed will pass over Jordan
before the Lord's people to go on with the war until He hath driven out the
enemy before Him, and the land be subdued before the people of the Lord, then
afterwards you shall return, and be acquitted before the Lord and by Israel;
and this land shall be yours for an inheritance before the Lord. But if you
will not perform this, behold, ye will have sinned before the Lord your God,
and know that your sin will meet you. Build (then) cities for your little ones
and folds for your sheep, and do that which hath proceeded from your mouth.
[JERUSALEM. Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do
that which hath come out of your mouth.]
And the sons of Gad
and Reuben spake to Mosheh with one consent, saying, Thy servants will do
whatever my lord hath commanded: our children, wives, flocks, and all our
cattle shall be here in the cities of Gilead; but thy servants will go over,
every one armed for the host, before the people of the Lord to the war, as my
lord hath said.
And Mosheh commanded
concerning them Elazar the priest, and Jehoshua bar Nun, and the heads of the
tribes of the Beni Israel, and said to them: If the sons of Gad and of Reuben
go over the Jordan with you, every one armed for the war, before the people of
the Lord, and the land be subdued before you, then shall you give to them the
land of Gilead for a possession. But if they will not pass over armed with you,
then they shall receive an inheritance among you in the land of Kenaan. But the
sons of Gad and Reuben answered and said: Whatsoever the Lord hath spoken to
thy servants so will we do. We will go over armed before the Lord's people into
the land of Kenaan, that our inheritance may be on this side the Jordan.
And Mosheh gave to
them, the sons of Gad and of Reuben, and to the half tribe of Menasheh bar Joseph,
the kingdom. of Sihon king of the Amoraee, and the kingdom of Og king of
Mathnan, the land with its cities by the limits of the cities of the land round
about. And the sons of Gad built (rebuilt) Madbashta and Maklalta and
Lechaiath, [JERUSALEM. And the sons of Gad built Debeshta, and Maklalta, and
Lechaiath,] and Maklelath, Shophena, and Mikvar Geramatha, [JERUSALEM. And
Maklalta of Shophan, and Makvar, and Jegbeha,] and the strong city of Beth
Nimrin, and Beth Haran, fenced cities (with) folds for sheep. And the sons of
Reuben built (rebuilt) Beth Heshbon and Mahalath Mera, and the city of the two
streets paved with marble which is Beresha, and the place of the sepulchre of
Mosheh, and (rebuilt) the city of Balak, destroying out of it the idol of Peor,
in the house of his high places, and the city whose walls surrounded it,
inscribed with the names of his heroes, and Shiran. And after they had built
them they called their names after the names of the men who had built them.
And the sons of Makir
bar Menasheh went to Gilead and subdued it, and drave out the Amoraee who were
therein. And Mosheh gave Gilead to Makir bar Menasheh, and he dwelt in it. And
Jair bar Menasheh went and subdued their villages, and called them the villages
of Jair. And Nobach went and subdued Kenath and its villages, and called it
Nobach, after his own name.
Pgs. 459-471
Ch. 33-36
SECTION XLIII.
MASEY.
XXXIII. These are the
journeys of the Beni Israel who came out from Mizraim by
their hosts, after the
miracles bad been wrought for them by the hand of Mosheh and Aharon. And Mosheh
recorded their outgoings by their journeys by the Word of the Lord; and these
are their journeys by their goings forth.
They departed from
Pelusin in the mouth of Nisan, on the fifteenth day of the month; after they
had eaten the sacrifice of the Pascha did the children of Israel go forth, with
uncovered head, in sight of all the Mizraee. [JERUSALEM. And they went out from
Pelusin in the first month.] And the Mizraee buried those whom the Lord had
killed among them, even all the first‑born; and upon their idols did the
Word of the Lord do judgments; their molten idols were dissolved, their idols
of stone were mutilated, their idols of earthenware broken in pieces, their
wooden idols turned to ashes, and their cattle gods were slain with death.
And the sons of Israel
went forth from Pelusin, and encamped in Sukkoth, a place where they were
protected by seven glorious clouds. And they removed from Sukkoth, and encamped
in Etham, on the side of the wilderness. They removed from Etham, and returned
unto Pumey Hiratha, which lie in front of the idol of Zephon, and encamped
before Migdol. [JERUSALEM. And removing from Etham. they returned to the
caravansaries of Hiratha, which are in front of the idols.] Arid from the
caravansaries of Hiratha they removed, and passed through the midst of the sea,
and went upon the shore of the sea, collecting onyx stones and pearls.
Afterwards they proceeded three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham, and
encamped in Marah. Lind they removed from Marah, and came to Elim; in Elim were
twelve fountains of water for the twelve tribes, and seventy palm trees,
answering to the seventy sages; and they encamped there by the waters.
[JERUSALEM And they removed from Marah and came to Elim: in Elim were twelve
fountains of water, answering to the twelve tribes of Israel, and seventy palm
trees, answering to the seventy elders of the Sanhedrin of Israel; and they
encamped there.] And they removed from Elim, and camped on the banks of the Sea
of Suph; and they removed from the banks of the sea, and encamped in the
wilderness of Sin; thence[1] to Dopheka, Kerak Takiph (the
strong tower), Rephidim, where, because their hands were (raphin) neglectful
of the words of the law, there was no water for the people to drink; thence to
the Graves of those who desired flesh; thence to Hazeroth, where Miriam the
prophetess was struck, with leprosy; thence to Rithema, the place of many
juniper trees; thence to Rumana, whose fruit is hard;[2] thence to Libnah, whose
borders are built of bricks (Iibnetha); thence to Beth Rissa; thence to
Kebelath, where Korach and his companions banded together against Mosheh and
Aharon; thence to the mountain whose fruit is good; thence to Harada, where
they were confounded by the evil plague; thence to Makheloth, the place of
congregation; thence to the lower Makheloth; thence to Tharach, and Muka, whose
waters were sweet; thence to Hasmona; thence to Meredotha, the place of
rebellion (or chastisement); thence to Bere‑Haktha, Gudgad, at the Rocks,
Jotebath, a good and quiet place; thence to the Fords; thence to Tarnegolla,
the tower of the cock; thence to the wilderness of Zin; at the Iron Mount,
which is Rekem; thence to Mount Umano, on the borders of the Land of Edom. And
Aharon the priest went up to Mount Umano by the Word of the Lord, and died there,
in the fortieth year from the going out of the children of Israel from Mizraim,
in the fifth month, on the first of the month. And Aharon was one hundred and
twenty‑three years old when he died on Mount Umano.
And Amalek the wicked,
who was combined with the Kenaanites, and reigned in Arad,‑the house of
his abode was in the land of the south,‑heard that the sons of Israel
were coming to wage war against them, and utterly to destroy their cities.
And they removed from
Mount Umano, and encamped in Zalmona, a place of thorns, and narrow (or
squalid), in the land of the Edomaee; and there the soul of the people was
distressed on account of the way; thence to Punon, where the Lord sent burning
serpents among them, and their cry went up to heaven. And they removed to
Oboth; thence to the passage of the Fords, on the border of the Moabaee; thence
to Dibon, the place of fortune;[3] thence to Almon Diblathaimah,
where the well was hidden from them, because they had forsaken the words of the
law, which are as delicious as figs (diblatha); thence to the Mount
Ibraee, in front of the place of the burial of Mosheh; thence they removed and
encamped in the fields of Moab, by Jordan, near Jericho; and they encamped by
the Jordan, from Bethjeshimon unto the plain of Sillan in the fields of Moab.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, in the fields of Moab, at the Jordan, by Jericho, saying: Speak
with the sons of Israel, and say to them: When you have passed over the Jordan
into the land of Kenaan, you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the country
from before you, and lay waste all
the houses of their worship, destroy all their molten images, and overthrow all
their high places. [JERUSALEM. You shall destroy all the inhabitants of the
land from before you, make an end of all their idols, break their molten
images, and overthrow all their high places.] And you shall drive out the
inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein, for I have given you the land to
possess it. And you shall inherit the land by lots, according to your families;
to the tribe whose people are many you shall enlarge, and to the tribe whose
people are few, you shall diminish. According to the place where one's lot
falleth, there shall his place be; you shall inherit by the tribes of your
fathers.
But if you will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, it
will be that the residue whom you have spared looking at you with an evil eye
will surround you as shields (terisin) on your sides, and afflict you in
the land wherein you dwell; and it shall be that as I had thought to do to them
I will do to you.
XXXIV. And the Lord
spake with Mosheh, saying: Command the sons of Israel, and say to them: When
you have entered into the land of Kenaan, this shall be the land that shall be
divided to you for an inheritance, the land of Kenaan by its limits. Your south
border (shall be) from the Wilderness of Palms, by the iron mountain, at the
confines of Edom, even the south border at the extremities of the Sea of Salt,
eastward. And your border shall turn from the south to the ascent of Akrabbith,
and pass on to the palms of the mountain of iron, and the going forth thereof shall
be southward of Rekem Giah, and shall go onward to the tower of Adar, and pass
over to Kesam. And the border shall wind round from Kesam unto Nilos, of the
Mizraee, and its outgoings shall be to the west.
And for the western
border you shall have the Great Ocean Sea;
its limits are the waters of the beginning[4] with the waters of old which
are in its depth; its capes and havens, its creeks and its cities, its islands
and ports, its ships and its recesses:[5] this shall be your border
westward.
And this shall be your
northern border;‑from the Great Sea you shall appoint to you unto Mount
Umanis.[6] From Mount Umanis you shall
appoint to you (a line) as thou goest up to the entrance of Tebaria, and the
outgoings of the border at its two sides, unto Kadkor Of Bar Zahama, and to
Kadkol of Bar Sanigora, and Divakinos and Tarnegola unto Kesarin, where thou
goest up to Abelas of Cilicia. And the border shall go on unto Keren Zekutha,
and to Gibra Hatmona, and its outgoings shall be at Keria Bethsekel, and to the
midst of the great court (darela rabtha), which is at Mizeha, between
the towers of Hinvetha and Darmeshek: this shall be your northern limit.
And you shall appoint
your eastern border from the of Hinvetba unto Apamea; and the border shall
descend from Apamea to Dophne, eastward of Hinvetha; thence the border shall go
down to the cavern of Panias, and from the cavern of Panias to the mountain of
snow, and from the mountain of snow to Henan, and from Henan the border shall
go down and encompass the plain of the river of Arnon, and arrive at the
wilderness and the palms of the mountain of iron, take in the Waters of
Contention, and rest at Ginesar, a city of the kings of the Edomites, the
inheritance of the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Menasheh;
and the border shall descend and encompass the Sea of Genesar on the east.
[JERUSALEM. And your
border shall be southward, from the wilderness of Rekem, over against the
frontier of the Edomaee, and southward shall it be to you unto the extremity of
the Sea of Salt, eastward. And your South border shall go round from the ascent
of Akrabim, which passeth over by the mountain of iron, and its outgoings shall
be from the south unto Rekem Giah, and proceed to the buildings of the
threshing floors, and pass on to Kesam. And the border shall wind round from Kesam
unto Nilos Mizraim,[7] and the going out of it shall
be at the sea.
And the (west) border
shall be the Great Ocean Sea; its isles, ports, and ships, with the ancient
waters that are in it, the waters of the beginning; this shall be your western
border.
And this shall be your
northern limit: from the Great Sea you shall appoint to you unto Mount Manos.
From Mount Manos you shall extend to the entrance of Antiochia, and the
outgoing shall be unto Abelas of the Cilicians; and the border shall go to
Zapherin, and its outgoing be at the dwellings of Hainutha, unto Apamea, unto
Dopline, east of Hainutha, and shall descend and come down upon the Sea of
Ginesar at the west.] And the border shall descend to the Jordan, and its
outgoing be at the Sea of Salt. Rekem Giah on the south, Mount Umanos on the
north, the Great Sea on the west, the Sea of Salt on the east,‑this shall
be your country, the Land of Israel, by the extent of its borders round about.
[JERUSALEM. And it shall descend to Jordan, and have its outgoings at the Sea
of Salt. This shall be your land by its limits round about.] And Mosheh
commanded the sons of Israel, saying: This is the land which you are to inherit
by lot, which the Lord hath commanded to give to the nine tribes and the half
tribe. For the tribe of the children of Reuben, according to the house of their
fathers, and tribe of Gad, and the half tribe of Menasheh have received their
inheritance beyond the Jordan on the eastern side. [JERUSALEM. The two tribes
and the half tribe have received their inheritance beyond Jordan‑Jericho
first. Their border goeth forth on the east from the plain of the Salt Sea to
Kinnereth, the city of the kingdom of the Amorites, and thence to the mountain
of snow, and to Hamatha of Lebanon; thence to Hoba, on the northern side of
Hainutha, of Damasek, and from Hoba to Divakinos, at the snowy mount of
Kisarion, eastward of (the town of) Dan, on the west, and from thence to the
Great River, the river Phrat, upon which is the order of the victories of the
wars of the Lord, which are to be wrought there. And from the Great River, the
Phrat, their border goeth forth to the cities of Zavatha, beyond all the Tarkon
(Trechonites), unto Zimra, the royal house of Sihon, king of the Amoraee, and
the royal house of Og, king of Mathnan, going to Raphiach and to Shokmezai,
until thou comest to the shore of the Salt Sea. This is the portion of the two tribes
and the half tribe.]
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: These are the names of the men who shall make to you the
inheritance of the land: Elazar the priest, and Jehoshua bar Nun, and one
prince from each of the tribes you shall choose to give you the inheritance of
the land. And these are the names of the men. Of the tribe of Jehudah, Kaleb
bar Jephunneh; for Shemeon, Shemuel bar Ammihud; Benjamin, Elidad
bar Kiselon; Dan, Buki bar Jageli; Joseph,J1enasheh, Haniel bar
Ephod; Ephraim, Kemuel bar Shipbtan; Zebulon, Elizaphan bar
Parnak; Issakar, Paltiel bar Azan; Asher, Abihud bar Shelomi; Naphtali,
Pedahael bar Ammihud. These are they whom the Lord commanded to divide the
inheritance of the land of Kenaan to the children of Israel.
XXXV. And the Lord
spake with Mosheh in the plains of Moab, by Jordan‑Jericho, saying:
Command the sons of Israel that they give to the Levites from their inheritance
cities to dwell in, and suburbs (open spaces) to the cities round about shall
you give to the Levites. [JERUSALEM. And suburbs to the cities round about them
shall you give to the Levites.] And the cities shall be for them to dwell in,
and the suburbs for their cattle, their property, and all their needful things.
But of the cities which you give to the Levites the suburbs round the city
shalt be one thousand cubits without the city round about. [JERUSALEM. But the
suburbs.] And you shall measure outside the city, on the east side, two
thousand cubits; on the South two thousatid, on the west two thousand, and on
the north two thousand cubits, with the city in the midst; these shall be to
you the suburbs of the cities. And of the cities you give to the Levites, six
shall be for refuges to manslayers, that the manslayer may escape thither.
Beside these you shall give them forty‑two other cities. All the cities
that you give to the Levites shall be fortyeiaht cities with their suburbs. But
when you give the cities from the inheritance of the Beni Israel, from the
tribe wbose people are many you shall give many, and from the tribe whose
people are few you shall diminish; every one shall give of his cities to the
Levites, according to the inheritance he possesses.
And the Lord spake
with Mosheh, saying: Speak with the sons of Israel, and say to them, When you
have passed over Jordan unto the land of Kenaan, you shall provide you cities
with streets and houses of living (boarding houses), cities of refuge shall
they be to you, that thither the maiislayer may flee who hath killed a man
inadvertently. And they shall be to you for cities of refuge for the manslayer
from the avenger of blood, that the man may not be put to death till he shall
have stood before the congregation for judgment. And these cities which yougive
shall be six cities of refuge for the manslayer; three you shall appoint beyond
Jordan, and three in the land of Kenaan; cities of refuge shall they be. For
the sons of Israel and the sojourners among you shall be these six cities of
refuge, that thither whoever hath killed a man through ignorance may flee.
But if he smote him
with an instrument of iron and killed him, he is a murderer; and the murderer
shall be surely put to death. Or if, filling his hand with a stone large enough
to kill any one, he struck him, and killed him, he is a murderer, and the
murderer dying shall die. Or if, filling his hand with an instrument of wood
sufficient to kill any one, he struck him, and killed him, he is a murderer;
the murderer shall be put to death. The avenger of blood may himself kill the
manslayer, if he meet him outside of these cities; he may kill him in judgment.
But if (the manslayer)
had assaulted in enmity and intentionally with a club or staff, or thrown
stones upon him with purpose of heart, and killed him; or cherishing enmity had
struck him with his hand and killed him; he is a murderer; dying he shall die.
The avenger of blood may slay the homicide when he hath been condemned. But if
in ignorance, without keeping of malice, he let any thing fall upon him, having
no intention to kill; or if without intention he let a stone sufficient to kill
any one, or any other thing, fall upon him, and kill him, without having hated,
or purposed to do him harm, then the congregation shall judge between him who
had smitten him, and the avenger of blood, according to these judgments; and
the congregation shall release the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of
blood, and make him return to his city of refuge whither he had fled; and he
shall dwell there until the time that the high priest die, whom the multitude (sagia)
had anointed with the oil of anointing;‑because he did not pray on the
Day of Atonement in the Holy of Holies concerning the three great
transgressions, that the people of the house of Israel might not be smitten for
strange worship, or impure connexions, or the shedding of innocent blood, when
it was in his power to obviate them by his prayer, and he prayed not, therefore
hath he been condemned to die in that year.
But if, while the high
priest is yet alive, the manslayer goeth out indeed from the bounds, of his
city of refuge whither he had fled, and the avenger of blood find him without
the bounds of his city of refuge, he may kill the manslayer, without being
guilty of death, for he should have abode in his city of refuge until the death
of the high priest; but after the high priest is dead he may return to the land
of his inheritance.
And these indications
shall be to you a decree of judgment for your generations in all your
dwellings: Whosoever killeth a man, according to the word of witnesses fit to
give testimony against him, the avenger of blood, or the house of judgment,
shall put him to death. But one witness only shall not testify against a man to
put him to death. You may not take a ransom for the release of a murderer who
is guilty of death, for dying he shall die. Neither may you take ransom for him
who hath fled to his city of refuge, so as that he may return to dwell in the
land before the time of the high priest's decease. Nor contaminate ye the land
in which you are, because innocent blood which hath not been avenged will
overflow the land, and there is no atonement made for the land upon which
innocent blood hath been shed, but by the shedding of the blood of him who shed it. Therefore defile not the land
in which you are; for My Shekinah dwelleth in the midst of it; for I am the
Lord whose Shekinah dwelleth among the children of Israel.
XXXVI. And the heads
of the fathers of the family of the Beni Gilead bar Makir bar Menasheh, even
the family of the Beni Gilead bar Joseph, came to the house of judgment, and
spake before Mosheh and the princes, the chief fathers of the Beni Israel, and
said: The Lord commanded Rabboni to give the land an inheritance by lot to the
children of Israel, and Rabboni was commanded before the Lord to give the
inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. But if these marry into
any of the tribes of the children of Israel, their inheritance will be
withdrawn from that of our fathers, and will be added to the inheritance of the
tribe which will have become theirs, and our lot will be diminished. And at the
Jubilee of the Beni Israel their inheritance will be added to that of their
tribe in which they will be; and their possession will have been withdrawn from
the inheritance of our father's tribe.
Then Mosheh commanded
the children of Israel by the Word of the Lord, saying: The tribe of the Beni
Joseph have said well. This is the thing which the Lord hath cornmanded,‑not
for the generations that shall arise after the division of the land, but for
the daughters of Zelophehad, saying: They may be the wives of them who are
proper in their eyes, only such must be of the families of their father's
tribe. That the inheritance of the children of Israel may not pass about from
one tribe to another: for the children of Israel shall every one keep to the
inheritance of their father's tribe. (Verses 9 and 10 are wanting.) As the Lord
commanded Mosheh, so did the daughters of Zelophehad; and Mahalah, Thirzah,
Hogelab, Milchah and Nohah, the daughters of Zelophehad, became wives of sons
of their kindred; of the family of the children of Menasheh bar Joseph were
they wives, and their inheritance was with the tribe of their father's family.
These are the
commandments and orders of judgmengts which the Lord commanded the children of
Israel, by Mosheh, in the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho.
END OF THE PALESTINIAN
TARGUM ON THE
SEPHER BEMIDBAR.
[1] The expression
"and they removed from" such a place occurs in the recital of all
these stages. I have henceforward omitted it, and given only the place of each
encampment in succession.
[1] The expression "and they
removed from" such a place occurs in the recital of all these stages. I
have henceforward omitted it, and given only the place of each encampment in
succession.
[2] From rimmon, "a
pomegranante." (?)
[3] Beth Mazala, "the house
of the planet."
[4] Or, "the creation
[5] Or , "interior."
[6] This name is here given to
Mount Lebanon.
[7] Not the Nile, but a small
river falling into the Mediterranean, a little below Gaza. Compare Joshua xv.
47.
[1] I have omitted the form of the
words recited under the name of the first tribe, and repeated it in the other
eleven, and have given the names and numbers without it.
[2] Vide Glossary, p. 69.
[3] The same words as recited
before p. 389
[4] Mattata: thirteen of
the twenty-four orders or classes of priests. Vide Mishna, Succah, 5,6.
[1] Or, "gross."
[2] Glossary, p. 16.
[3] Gen. xxxi. 51.
[4] Vulgate, Venient in
trieribus de Italia.
[5] Peschito, "and subjugate
all the Hebrews."
[6] Shoteh, in Chaldee is,
"a fool or sot." The above derivation seems fanciful. The place took
its name probably from the Acacia trees which may have abounded there; the
Shittah, Mimosa Nilotica.
[1] From this expression some of
the Jewish commentators consider the sin of Moses to have lain his doubting
whether the water would come from the rock at the word spoken, though God had
said it would.
[2] "Destruction."
[3] Or, "a place of
suspension."
[4] Or, "lilies."
[5] Or, "the weapon,
instrument."
[6] Or, "devoted;"
literally, "anointed."
[7]
"Grasshopper," zechila. The Targumist here draws the long bow
of the Hagadistic method of paraphrase.
[1] Compare the case
of King Uzziah.
[1] The ninth of Ab, a day
remarkable for a succession of calamities in the history of the Jews.
[2] Be memrieh, "in his
word,--his inmost self, or personality."
[3] Tsitsith, either a
fringe or a tassel, probably the latter. Tsits sometimes means a flower.
In the similar precept, Deut. xxii. 12, the word employed is gedilim,
tufts or tassels of a conical form, like a flower bud. Onkelos has keruspidin,
"borderings."
[4] Arbea bego telatha.
(Query.)
[1] Observe Moses prays to the
Memra. Compare to the Glossary, pp. 14-17.
[2] Or, "the conductor of
children."
[3] I have translated freely just
here.
[1] Or, "place of
speaking."
[2] The Hebrew, which the
Targumist gives textually, and then paraphrases in Chaldee. See Glossary.
[3] Lihths
[4] Psalm
xci. 6. Vulg. et Sept.
[5] The
oblation of each of the twelve tribes was precisely the same. I have therefore
omitteds the details after the first, and given only the name of the offerer.
The Targumist abridges here, also.
[6] Signs
of the Zodiac.
[1] Amarkol.
See Glossary
[2] The
same form of words is given with each tribe; in the remaining ones I have
omitted the preamble, and rendered the numbers only