## Kli Yakar on Numbers Chapter 7

###### Kli Yakar on Numbers 7:12:1
[Kli Yakar on Numbers 7:12:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Kli%20Yakar%20on%20Numbers/r/7:12:1)

**וַיְהִי הַמַּקְרִיב בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן וְגוֹ׳.** סָמַךְ פָּרָשָׁה זוֹ לְבִרְכַּת כֹּהֲנִים אֲשֶׁר חוֹתָם כָּל הַבְּרָכוֹת הַשָּׁלוֹם, כִּי אִם אֵין שָׁלוֹם אֵין כְּלוּם. לְפִיכָךְ הַשָּׁלוֹם בָּא בִּגְמַר הַחֲתִימָה וְאַחֲרוֹן חָבִיב, כִּי כָל הַקּוֹדְמִים נִרְאֶה כְּאִלּוּ עֲדַיִן הֵם חֲסֵרִים עַד בִּיאַת הַבְּרָכָה שֶׁאַחֲרֶיהָ הַבָּאָה לְמַלֹּאות מָה שֶׁחָסְרָה הַבְּרָכָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, אֲבָל הָאַחֲרוֹנָה אֵינָהּ חֲסֵרָה כְּלוּם, כִּי אֵין צֹרֶךְ עוֹד בְּשׁוּם בְּרָכָה שֶׁתָּבֹא אַחֲרֶיהָ לְמַלֹּאות חֶסְרוֹנָהּ. עַל כֵּן הַמִּדְרָשׁ מְשַׁבֵּחַ וְאוֹמֵר: גָּדוֹל הַשָּׁלוֹם שֶׁהוּא חוֹתָם כָּל הַבְּרָכוֹת, כִּי זֶה מוֹרֶה עַל חֶסְרוֹן הַבְּרָכוֹת הַקּוֹדְמִים וְעַל מַעֲלַת הַחֲתִימָה, וִיצִירַת הָאָדָם בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה יוֹכִיחַ. וְעַל כֵּן נִמְצְאוּ מִדְרָשִׁים רַבִּים הַמְדַבְּרִים מִמַּעֲלַת הַשָּׁלוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ צֹרֶךְ בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים וּבָעֶלְיוֹנִים. וְאָמְרוּ עוֹד (במ״ר יא ז): גָּדוֹל הַשָּׁלוֹם שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ הַמֵּתִים צְרִיכִין לוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית טו טו) ״וְאַתָּה תָּבוֹא אֶל אֲבֹתֶיךָ בְּשָׁלוֹם״, אֵין הַפֵּרוּשׁ שֶׁיֵּשׁ אֵיזוֹ קְטָטָה וּמְרִיבָה בֵּין הַמֵּתִים שֶׁיִּצְטָרְכוּ אֶל הַשָּׁלוֹם, אֶלָּא הַמֵּתִים צְרִיכִין שֶׁיִּהְיֶה שָׁלוֹם בֵּין הַחַיִּים, כִּי אִם אֵין שָׁלוֹם בֵּין הַחַיִּים וְהֵם מְחָרְפִים זֶה אֶת זֶה, עַד מְהֵרָה יָרוּץ דְּבָרוֹ לְחָרֵף אֶת הַחַיִּים וְאֶת הַמֵּתִים, עַד שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ לְשׁוֹכְנֵי עָפָר אֵין מְנוּחָה בַּקֶּבֶר מֵרִיב לְשׁוֹנוֹת שֶׁל הַחַיִּים, כַּמַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁל הַהִיא שֶׁהָיְתָה קְבוּרָה בְּמַחְצֶלֶת שֶׁל קָנִים (ברכות יח:), וּכְמַעֲשֶׂה בְּכָל יוֹם בְּדוֹרֵנוּ. עַל כֵּן צְרִיכִין הַמֵּתִים שֶׁיִּהְיֶה שָׁלוֹם בֵּין הַחַיִּים, וְאָז יָנוּחוּ עַל מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָם שָׁלוֹם.

**Sefaria Kli Yakar, 2026 (Claude 3.7, ed. Francis Nataf) ✧:**
**“And it was the one who offered on the first day, etc.”** This section is connected to the Priestly Blessing which concludes all blessings with peace, for if there is no peace, there is nothing. Therefore, peace comes at the final conclusion and is most beloved, because all the preceding [blessings] appear as if they are still lacking until the arrival of the blessing that follows them, which comes to fill what the first blessing was missing. But the final [blessing] lacks nothing because there is no need for any additional blessing to come after it to fill its deficiency. Therefore, the Midrash praises and says, “Great is peace for it seals all blessings,” as this indicates the deficiency of the preceding blessings and the excellence of the conclusion. The creation of man at the end proves this point, and therefore there are many midrashim that speak of the virtue of peace, which is necessary for both the lower and upper worlds.
They further said (Bamidbar Rabbah 11:7), “Great is peace, for even the dead need it, as it is said *And you shall come to your fathers in peace* (Genesis 15:15).” The explanation is not that there is some quarrel or dispute among the dead that requires peace, but rather the dead need there to be peace among the living. For if there is no peace among the living and they insult one another, their words will quickly run to insult both the living and the dead, to the point that even those who dwell in the dust have no rest in their graves due to the quarrelsome tongues of the living. This is like the incident of the woman who was buried in a reed mat (Berakhot 18b), and like what happens every day in our generation. Therefore, the dead need there to be peace among the living, and then they will rest in peace on their resting places.


###### Kli Yakar on Numbers 7:12:2
[Kli Yakar on Numbers 7:12:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Kli%20Yakar%20on%20Numbers/r/7:12:2)

וְאַחַר שֶׁהִזְכִּיר חוֹתָם כָּל הַבְּרָכוֹת וְהוּא הַשָּׁלוֹם, מִיָּד הִתְחִיל בְּפָרָשָׁה אֲשֶׁר בָּהּ רָמוּז גַּם כֵּן הַשָּׁלוֹם, כִּי מִטַּעַם זֶה נֶאֱמַר בָּרִאשׁוֹן ״וְקָרְבָּנוֹ״ בְּוָא״ו הָעִטּוּף כְּאִלּוּ קָדְמוּ אֲחֵרִים, שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה תִּפְאַרְתּוֹ לוֹמַר אֲנִי הִקְרַבְתִּי רִאשׁוֹן. גַּם לֹא הִזְכִּיר בּוֹ שֵׁם נָשִׂיא, שֶׁלֹּא יִתְנַשֵּׂא לוֹמַר אֲנִי אֶמְלוֹךְ, וְהַגַּאֲוָה סִבָּה לְכָל רִיב וּלְכָל נֶגַע. וְאָמְרוּ עוֹד (שמו״ר טו ו עיי״ש) שֶׁכָּל שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר שְׁבָטִים אֵלּוּ נִמְשְׁלוּ לִשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר מַזָּלוֹת שֶׁהוֹלְכִים כְּהוֹלֵךְ בְּסֻלָּם לַאֲחוֹרָיו, וְכֵן יִסֵּד הַפַּיָּט שֶׁל נִשּׂוּאִין: שׁוֹר לִפְנֵיהֶם וְלֹא לְאַחֲרֵיהֶם, עֲלוֹת בְּשָׁלוֹם, שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד סוֹבֵר אֲנִי רִאשׁוֹן. וּמִטַּעַם זֶה הֶאֱרִיכָה הַתּוֹרָה בְּזִכְרוֹן כָּל הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת בְּכָל שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר נְשִׂיאִים, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא לַעֲשׂוֹת שׁוּם אֶחָד טָפֵל לַחֲבֵרוֹ, וְכָל זֶה סִבַּת הַשָּׁלוֹם.

**Sefaria Kli Yakar, 2026 (Claude 3.7, ed. Francis Nataf) ✧:**
**And after mentioning the seal of all blessings, which is peace,** it immediately began with the section in which peace is also alluded to, because for this reason it says *and his offering* with the conjunctive vav [and] at the beginning [of verse 12], as if others had preceded him, so that he would not boast saying “I was the first to bring an offering.” Also, the title “prince” is not mentioned in connection with him so that he would not become haughty saying “I will rule,” and pride is the cause of all quarrels and all afflictions. They also said (Exodus Rabbah 15:6, see there) that all 12 tribes were compared to the 12 zodiac signs that move like one climbing down a ladder, and thus the liturgical poet of marriage ceremonies established [the phrase]: “The bull before them and not behind them, ascending in peace” [meaning] that each one thinks “I am first.” And for this reason the Torah elaborated in mentioning the offerings of all 12 princes in order not to make any one subordinate to his fellow, and all this is for the sake of peace.