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Or HaChaim on Numbers 18:1

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1 โ€Ž[1] ** ืืชื” ื•ื‘ื ื™ืš ื•ื‘ื™ืช ืื‘ื™ืš, "you and your sons, and your father's family."** I believe the words ื•ื‘ื™ืช ืื‘ื™ืš refer to Moses, who was also a descendant of Aaron's father, to warn him to observe all the strictures i.e. to prevent unauthorised people from entering the Temple (Tabernacle) precincts. If the word was meant to apply to the Kehatites, in what way were these different from all the other Israelites when it came to entering the Tabernacle? Furthermore, the next verse addresses itself specifically to the Levites which proves that the Torah did not address the Levites in the previous verse. The reason the Torah had to warn Moses was because we learned in *Zevachim* 102 that the priesthood was never taken away from Moses [after he had performed the sacrificial rites during the first seven days of the Tabernacle's inauguration. Ed.]. Even according to the view that Moses' appointment as a priest was limited to these seven days, I do not believe that he had been forbidden **to enter** the areas reserved for the priests. Our sages in the *Sifri* write as follows: "The words ื‘ื™ืช ืื‘ื™ืš refer to the Levites; this means that the Levites were instructed by the priests." I believe that this is an halachic exegesis, ืžื“ืจืฉ ื”ืœื›ื”, an attempt to anchor the rules that have been handed down from Sinai in the text somehow.

โ€Ž[2] **ืืชืš, "with you."** In view of the fact that the Torah already mentioned Aaron by name, why did the Torah have to write the word ืืชืš? Perhaps the Torah wanted to indicate that Moses and Aaron had a joint responsibility in this regard at all times. We should not think that Moses and Aaron as well as his sons rotated the times of their responsibility in this regard. The word ืืชืš defines that each party concerned bore round the clock reponsibility in ensuring that the sanctity of the Tabernacle be preserved at all times.

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Version: Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk

Source: http://www.urimpublications.com/or-hachayim-commentary-on-the-torah-5-vols.html

License: CC-BY

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