Bamidbar
Book 4: Numbers
KORACH
Chapter 16
Verse 1: Korach took,
[Korach], the son of Yitzhar
the son of Kehos, the son of Levi,
and Dasan and Aviram the
sons of Eliav,
and On
the son of Peles, the sons of Reuvein.
Verse 2: They rose up before Moshe
with men from Bnei Yisroel
[numbering] two hundred and fifty,
who were the leaders of the congregation,
those who were called to meetings,
men of [prominent] name.
Verse 3: They gathered against Moshe and Aharon,
and they said to them:
"You have [taken] too much for yourselves
[and] since the entire congregation are all holy
and Ad-noy is in their midst,
why do you raise
yourselves
above the assembly of Ad-noy"?
Verse 4: Moshe heard, and he fell upon his face.
Verse 5: He spoke to Korach
and to his entire congregation, saying:
"[In the] morning, Ad-noy will make known
who is [qualified to be] His, and who is holy,
He will bring close to Him;
and whoever He chooses,
He will bring near to Him.
Verse 6: Do this:
Take, for yourselves, fire pans,
Korach and his entire congregation,
Verse 7: and place fire in
them
and put incense upon them
before Ad-noy, tomorrow;
and it will be
that the man who will be chosen by Ad-noy,
he is the holy one;
[you have taken]
too much upon yourselves,
sons of Levi."
Verse 8: Moshe said to Korach,
"Please listen sons of Levi,
Verse 9: is it but a pittance for yourselves
that the G-d of Israel has separated you
from the [rest of the] congregation of Israel
to bring you closer to Him
to perform the services
of the Mishkan of Ad-noy,
and to stand
before the congregation
to serve them?
Verse 10: He brought you near
with all of your bretheren
the sons of Levi with you,
and yet you ask to be kohanim as well?
Verse 11: Therefore, you and your entire congregation
who are gathered against Ad-noy;
and what is Aharon that you rail against him"?
Verse 12: Moshe sent to call for Dasan and Avirom
the sons of Eliav
and they said,
"We will not go up.
Verse 13: Is it but a pittance
that you have brought us up
from a land flowing with milk and honey
to kill us in the desert,
that you must excercise power over us
to make yourself powerful as well?
Sheini (Second Aliyah)
Verse 14: Even into a land flowing with milk and honey
you have not brought us,
and [not] given us an inheritance
of fields and
vineyards
if you put those people's eyes out,
[even then] we would not go up."
Verse 15: Moshe was extremely distressed,
and said to Ad-noy:
"Do not turn to their offering;
not a donkey
did I sequester from any one of them
nor have I done ill to any one of them."
Verse 16: Moshe said to Korach:
"You and your entire congregation
will be before Ad-noy,
you, and they, and Aharon, tomorrow.
Verse 17: Each man will take his firepan
and place incense in them
and you will offer before Ad-noy
each man his firepan,
two hundred and fifty firepans,
and you and Aharon
will each take his own firepan."
Verse 18: Each man took his firepan
and they placed
fire in them
and they put incense in them
and they stood
at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting
along with Moshe and Aharon.
Verse 19: Korach congregated against them,
the entire congregation
at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting,
and the glory of Ad-noy appeared
to the entire congregation.
Sh'lishi (Third Aliyah)
Verse 20: Ad-noy spoke to Moshe
and to Aharon, saying:
Verse 21: "Separate yourselves
from among this congregation,
and I will annihilate them in an instant."
Verse 22: They fell upon their faces, and they said:
"Almighty, the G-d of the spirits of all flesh;
if one man sins
shall You be angry with the entire congregation"?
Verse 23: Ad-noy spoke to Moshe, saying:
Verse 24: Speak to the congregation, saying:
"Depart from the vicinity
of the dwelling of Korach, Dasan and Avirom."
Verse 25: Moshe rose up and went
to Dasan and Avirom
and the elders of Israel went along after him.
Verse 26: He spoke to the congregation, saying:
"Please get away
from the tents of these evil men,
and do not
touch anything belonging to them,
lest you be swept away
in all their transgressions."
Verse 27: They withdraw from the dwelling
of Korach, Dasan and Avirom,
and all around;
and Dasan and Avirom went out,
and stood at the door of their tents
with their wives, children and infants.
Verse 28: Moshe said: "This is how you will know
that Ad-noy has sent me
to perform all of these deeds,
for, I did not
devise them myself.
Verse 29: If as all men die
will these men meet their deaths,
and the reckoning (fate) of all men
will be reckoned upon them,
then Ad-noy has not sent me.
Verse 30: If Ad-noy will create a [new] creation
and the ground will open its mouth
and swallow them
along with all of their belongings,
and they will go down alive to the grave,
then you will know
that these men have angered Ad-noy."
Verse 31: As he
was finishing speaking
all these words
the ground beneath them split.
Verse 32: The earth opened its mouth
and swallowed them and their houses
and all the people belonging to Korach
and all of the possessions.
Verse 33: They, and all belonging to them, went down
alive to the grave,
and the earth covered them
and they perished from among the assembly.
Verse 34: All of Yisroel who were around them
fled from their uproar,
for they said, perhaps the earth will swallow us.
Verse 35: A fire came forth from Ad-noy
and consumed the two hundred and fifty men
who were bringing the incense.
Chapter 17
Verse 1: Ad-noy spoke to Moshe, saying;
Verse 2: "Say to Elazar the son of Aharon, the kohein
and have him lift up the firepans
from the inferno,
and you, scatter
the fire yonder,
for, they were sanctified;
Verse 3: [These] firepans of these sinners
[who paid] with their souls,
and make them into hammered sheets
to overlay the altar,
for they were brought in offering before Ad-noy
and they were sanctified;
and they shall be for a sign for Bnei Yisroel.
Verse 4: Elazar the
kohein, took the copper firepans,
those that the fire victims brought
and hammered them into a covering for the altar,
Verse 5: to be a reminder for Bnei Yisroel
so that a commoner shall never offer,
one who is not a descendant of Aharon,
to burn incense before Ad-noy;
so as not to be like Korach
and his congregation;
as Ad-noy spoke to him, through Moshe.
Verse 6: They
complained---
the entire congregation of Bnei Yisroel---
on the next day
against Moshe and Aharon, saying:
"You have killed the people of Ad-noy"
Verse 7: When the congregation assembled
against Moshe and Aharon,
they turned to the Tent of Meeting
and behold! The cloud covered it,
and the Glory of Ad-noy appeared.
Verse 8: Moshe and Aharon came
to the front of the Tent of Meeting.
Revi'i (Fourth Aliyah)
Verse 9: Ad-noy spoke to Moshe, saying:
Verse 10: "Remove yourselves from this congregation
and I shall annihilate them in an instant,"
and they fell upon their faces.
Verse 11: Moshe said to Aharon:
"Take the firepan
and put fire from atop the altar on it
and place incense on it,
and go quickly to the congregation
and atone for them,
for anger has
come forth from before Ad-noy;
the plague has commenced."
Verse 12: Aharon took, just as Moshe spoke,
and he ran to the middle of the assembly
and behold!
The plague had commenced among the people.
He put on incense and he atoned for the people.
Verse 13: He stood between the dead
and between the living
and the plague was halted.
Verse 14: The dead in the plague totaled
fourteen thousand seven hundred,
excluding those who died
due to Korach's rebellion.
Verse 15: Aharon
returned to Moshe
to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting
and the plague was halted.
Chamishi (Fifth Aliyah)
Verse 16: Ad-noy spoke to Moshe, saying:
Verse 17: "Speak to Bnei Yisroel
and take from among them a staff,
a staff for each father's [tribal] house,
from all the leaders
according to their fathers' houses, twelve staffs;
and you shall write each man's name on his staff.
Verse 18: You shall write the name of Aharon
on the staff of Levi,
for, [there is] one staff
for the head of their fathers' house.
Verse 19: You shall
leave them
inside the Tent of Meeting
before the testimony
where there I meet you.
Verse 20: It shall be that the man whom I choose,
his staff shall blossom;
and I will abate from Myself
the complaints of Bnei Yisroel
that they complain against you."
Verse 21: Moshe spoke to Bnei Yisroel
and all the leaders gave to him
a staff for each leader;
a staff for each leader,
according to their fathers' house, twelve staffs,
and the staff of Aharon [was]
among their staffs.
Verse 22: Moshe placed the staffs before Ad-noy
in the Tent of the Testimony.
Verse 23: It was on the next day,
Moshe came inside
the Tent of the Testimony,
and behold! The
staff of Aharon blossomed
for the house of Levi,
a blossom came forth, and bloomed buds
and bore ripe almonds.
Verse 24: Moshe then brought out all the staffs
from before Ad-noy to all Bnei Yisroel,
and each (man) saw, and retrieved his staff.
Shishi (Sixth Aliyah)
Verse 25: Ad-noy said to Moshe,
"Return the staff of Aharon
before the (Ark of) Testimony
to be preserved as a symbol
to the
rebellious people,
so that their complaint against me will end
and they not die."
Verse 26: Moshe did (this),
as Ad-noy commanded him---
so he did.
Verse 27: Bnei Yisroel said [the following] to Moshe:
"Behold, we perish, we are lost---
we are all lost.
Verse 28: Anyone approaching, who comes close
to the
Mishkon of Ad-noy will die---
have we been consigned to die?"
Chapter 18
Verse 1: Ad-noy said to Aharon:
"You, your sons, and your father's house with you
will bear the sin of the Sanctuary,
and you, and your sons with you
will bear the sin of your kehunah.
Verse 2: Also, your
brothers, the tribe of Levi---
the tribe of your father---
bring to you, and they shall join you,
and serve you,
you and your sons with you,
before the Tent of Testimony.
Verse 3: They shall guard their duties to you
and all the duties of the Tent,
but to the holy furniture or to the Altar
they must not approach,
that neither they, nor you, shall die.
Verse 4: They shall join you
and guard the duties
of the Tent of Meeting---
all the service of the Tent,
but a commoner, [a non-kohein]
should not approach you.
Verse 5: You
shall discharge the sacred duties
and the duties of the Altar,
so that there will be no more wrath
on Bnei Yisroel.
Verse 6: Behold, I have brought your brothers the Levites
from among Bnei Yisroel,
given to you as a gift---for Ad-noy---
to perform the work of the Tent of Meeting.
Verse 7: You and your sons with you
shall guard your kehunah [duties]
regarding the Altar
and all that is within the Curtain---
you shall serve---
the service, as a gift,
I give the kehunah to you,
and the commoner who approaches shall be killed."
Verse 8: Ad-noy spoke to
Aharon:
"Behold I have given you
the guarding of my terumah-gifts,
and all the hallowed things of Bnei Yisroel,
to you
and your children I give them for consecration,
as a portion forever.
Verse 9: This is yours
from the most holy
from the fire,
[of] all their sacrifices---
their minchah-offerings, their sin-offerings
and their guilt-offerings
which they return to Me
shall be most holy to you and your sons.
Verse 10: You shall eat it in the supremely holy (place),
every male may
eat it---
it shall be holy to you.
Verse 11: Their terumah-gift is yours,
of all of the wave-offerings of Bnei Yisroel
I give to you
and to your sons and daughters that are with you
as an everlasting portion;
all those ritually pure in your house
may eat it.
Verse 12: The best of the oil,
and the best of the wine and grain---
their terumah-gift that they present to Ad-noy---
I have given to you.
Verse 13: The first fruits of all that is in their land,
which they bring before Ad-noy,
shall be yours;
all those
ritually pure in your house
may eat it.
Verse 14: Everything consecrated in Israel
shall be yours.
Verse 15: Every firstling of every being
which they offer before Ad-noy---
man or beast---shall be yours;
but you must redeem the firstborn of man
and redeem the firstborn of unclean beasts.
Verse 16: Its redemption---
from a month old you should redeem them---
the valuation is five silver sela'im
of holy silver shekalim
which is twenty gerah.
Verse 17: However, a firstborn ox,
a firstborn sheep or firstborn goat
do not redeem because they are holy;
sprinkle their blood on the altar
and burn their fats as a fire-offering
as a pleasing fragrance to Ad-noy.
Verse 18: Their flesh is yours;
like the breast which is waved
and like the right thigh---
it shall be
yours.
Verse 19: All of the sacred terumah-gifts
that Bnei Yisroel offer to Ad-noy,
I have given to you,
your sons and daughters with you
as an everlasting portion;
an eternal covenant of salt before Ad-noy
to you and your children that are with you."
Verse 20: Ad-noy said
to Aharon:
"You will have no inheritance in their land,
and you will not have a share among them;
I am your inheritance and portion
among Bnei Yisroel.
Shevi'i (Seventh Aliyah)
Verse 21: Behold, I have given to the sons of Levi
all the tithes in Israel for an inheritance
in return for their service which they perform---
the service of the Tent of Meeting.
Verse 22: Bnei Yisroel shall no longer approach
the Tent of Meeting,
to become guilty and die.
Verse 23: The Levi[tes]---[they] shall perform
the service of the Tent of Meeting
and they will bear their guilt;
it is an everlasting decree---
throughout your generations---
among Bnei Yisroel
they (the Levites) shall have no inheritance.
Verse 24: For the
tithe of Bnei Yisroel
which they must set aside to Ad-noy
as a terumah-gift
I gave to the Levites as an inheritance;
therefore, I told them:
'among Bnei Yisroel
they shall have no inheritance.' "
Verse 25: Ad-noy spoke to Moshe, saying:
Verse 26: "Speak to the Levites and say to them:
'When you take the tithe from Bnei Yisroel,
which I gave you from them
for your inheritance,
set aside from it the terumah-gift of Ad-noy,
a tithe of the tithe.
Verse 27: Your terumah-gift will be considered
the same as grain from the granary
and [wine and
oil of] fully ripened fruit
from the cistern.
Verse 28: So must you, too, set aside
the terumah-gift of Ad-noy
from all your tithes
which you take from Bnei Yisroel;
give from them the terumah-gift of Ad-noy
to Aharon the kohein.
Verse 29: From all your gifts you must set aside
all of the terumah-gifts of Ad-noy;
from each
thing---its finest part---
the part that is to be consecrated.'
Maftir
Verse 30: Say to them:
'When you set aside the finest part of it,
it will be considered for the Levites
like the produce of the granary
and the produce of the cistern.
Verse 31: You may
consume it anywhere---
you and your household;
since it is the reward for your service
in the Tent of Meeting.
Verse 32: You will not bear a sin because of it,
when you separate its best part;
but sacred things of Bnei Yisroel
you must not profane,
and you will not die.' "
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