במדבר

וידבר ה' אל אהרן ואני הנה נתתי לך את משמרת תרומותי. כאן קיים לו הכהונה אחר שבאו עליה עוררין, ומשל למה הדבר דומה למלך שנתן שדה לאוהבו ולא כתב ולא חתם לו השטר ובא אחד וערער עליו, א"ל המלך כל הרוצה לערער יערער, הנני כותב וחותם לו. וכאן נתנו לו עשרים וארבעה מתנות כהונה. וכן דרשו רז"ל בפרק הזרוע, עשרים וארבעה מתנות כהונה הן וכלן נתנו לאהרן ולבניו בכלל ופרט וברית מלח, כל המקיימן כאלו קיים כלל ופרט וברית מלח וכל העובר עליהן כאלו עובר על כלל ופרט וברית מלח, ואלו הן, עשר מתנות בבהמ"ק ועשר בגבולים וארבע בירושלים. עשר במקדש, חטאת בהמה, וחטאת העוף, אשם ודאי, אשם תלוי, זבחי שלמי צבור, לוג שמן של מצורע, שתי הלחם, לחם הפנים, שירי מנחות, מותר העומר. ארבע בירושלים, בכור, בכורים, איל נזיר, עורות קדשים. עשר בגבולין, תרומה, תרומת מעשר, חלה, ראשית הגז, והמתנות שהן הזרוע והלחיים והקיבה, פדיון הבן, פטר חמור, שדה אחוזה, שדה חרמין, גזל הגר.

וידבר ה' אל אהרן ואני הנה נתתי לך את משמרת תרומותי, “The Lord said to Aaron: “here I have entrusted to you the minding of My gifts, etc.” At this juncture G’d reconfirms Aaron’s status as High Priest after his position had previously been challenged. You may understand why the Torah found it necessary to do this by means of a parable. A king had given a present of a field to a close friend of his without bothering to draw up a deed confirming the gift. After a while, people seeing the king’s friend treat the field as his challenged him. The king told the friend who was somewhat upset: “let whoever wants to challenge My gift challenge it.” However, I will provide you with a deed proving that you have title to the field and I will put my royal seal on it. Here we have written proof of the 24 different kinds of gifts the king (G’d) bestowed on the priests, most of which came from the pockets of the Israelites (compare Sifri 119). Chulin 133 confirms this stating: “there are 24 different kinds of gifts called מתנות כהונה, ‘gifts that the priests are entitled to.’” They are equivalent to what is called a ברית מלח, a “covenant based on salt.” Just as salt is of an enduring quality so anyone who observes this covenant is highly regarded, whereas anyone who breaches any part of this covenant (withholds any of these items from the priests) is considered as if he had violated all parts of this covenant. The reason for this is that the covenant is spelled out both in general terms, i.e. לכל קדשי בני ישראל לך נתתים, “of all the sacred donations of the Israelites I give them to you,” and is subsequently listed in detail once more. These twenty-four gifts are divided into three distinct categories. Ten of them apply to sacrificial offerings presented in the Temple and to be consumed only within the sacred precincts of the Temple Mount. Ten more apply to other parts of the Holy Land, i.e. they are to given to the priests anywhere within the Holy Land. The last four are gifts to be given to the priests within the (whole) confines of the city of Jerusalem. The ten gifts to be consumed within the confines of the sacred grounds of the Temple are: meat from sin-offerings of four-legged animals; meat from a sin-offering consisting of a bird; meat from the guilt-offering for a sin definitely performed, meat from a similar guilt offering when the sinner is not certain he has become guilty of that sin; parts of the meat of public peace-offerings, the log of oil to be offered by a person cured from the skin disease tzoraat; the two show-breads offered in the Temple each Sabbath; the breads offered on Shavuot each year (new wheat harvest); remainders of all “gift-offerings” consisting of flour and oil. The part of the Omer (annual new barley offering) not consigned to the Altar. The four gifts given to the priests for use within the confines of the city of Jerusalem are: the firstborn male animal fit for the altar; the respective first fruit (of the seven kinds of produce the land of Israel is famous for). The remains of the ram brought by the Nazarene at the end his term, and lastly, the hides of the various animals which are offered on the altar. The ten gifts which are applicable and usable by the priest throughout the Land of Israel are: a gift by the farmer before he separates the tithe from his grain harvest. Terumat-Maasser, a corres-ponding gift to the priest by the Levite of the tithe he has received from the Israelite. Challah, the first part of the dough (discussed in Numbers chapter 15,17-21); the wool of the first shearing of the sheep. The stomach, forearm and cheekbones of the average animal offered as a freely donated offering by the ordinary Israelite. The five shekel the father needs to give to the priest to redeem his son if he is the firstborn of his wife by natural birth. The lamb or money in lieu of the lamb traded in order to redeem the fistborn of a farmer’s donkey. Certain lands which belonged to proselytes who died intestate. Fields donated to the Temple Treasury and not subject to the Jubilee legislation. Property stolen from a proselyte who died without heirs before the stolen property could be returned by the thief.