## Sforno on Numbers Chapter 7

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

**וְאֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְאֶת כָּל כֵּלָיו.** וּלְהָקִים אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְאֶת כָּל כֵּלָיו, כָּל אֶחָד בִּמְקוֹמוֹ.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ואת המזבח ואת כל כליו, and to erect the altar and all its appurtenances, each in its proper place.


###### Sforno on Numbers 7:1:2
[Sforno on Numbers 7:1:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/7:1:2)

**וַיִּמְשָׁחֵם וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אוֹתָם.** אַחַר שֶׁהֵקִים כָּל אֶחָד מֵהֶם כְּתִקּוּנוֹ.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
וימשחם ויקדש אותם, after each component had been positioned in the place assigned to it.


###### Sforno on Numbers 7:2:1
[Sforno on Numbers 7:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/7:2:1)

**הֵם נְשִׂיאֵי הַמַּטּוֹת, הֵם הָעֹמְדִים עַל הַפְּקֻדִים.** וּמִצַּד מַה שֶּׁהָיוּ כָּךְ, הִקְרִיב כָּל אֶחָד מֵהֶם בְּעַד שִׁבְטוֹ וַאֲנָשָׁיו, כִּי מִצַּד מַה שֶּׁעָמְדוּ עַל הַפְּקֻדִים הִרְגִּישׁ כָּל אֶחָד מֵהֶם בְּשִׁבְטוֹ שֶׁקְּצָתוֹ חָשׁוּד בַּעֲבֵרוֹת, וּמִצַּד מַה שֶּׁהָיוּ נְשִׂיאִים הִסְכִּימוּ לַעֲמֹד בַּפֶּרֶץ וּלְהַקְרִיב קָרְבָּנוֹת לְכַפֵּר בַּעֲדָם.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
הם נשיאי המטות, הם העומדים על הפקודים. Seeing they all occupied official positions the gift/offering each one brought was on behalf of his tribe and its members. Seeing each one was in charge of other people, he felt a sense of some members of his tribe being suspected of some misdemeanour. At the same time, seeing that they did not only represent the members of the tribes but were נשיאים, “princes” in their own right, they agreed to act as the interlocutors of their tribe in trying to obtain atonement for the errors committed by members of their tribe by offering a communal offering on their behalf.


###### Sforno on Numbers 7:3:1
[Sforno on Numbers 7:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/7:3:1)

**עֲגָלָה עַל שְׁנֵי הַנְּשִׂיאִים.** לְאוֹת אַחֲוָה בֵּינֵיהֶם, אֲשֶׁר בָּהּ יִהְיוּ רְאוּיִים שֶׁתִּשְׁרֶה שְׁכִינָה בֵּינֵיהֶם, כְּאָמְרוֹ (דברים לג:ה) ״וַיְהִי בִישֻׁרוּן מֶלֶךְ בְּהִתְאַסֵּף רָאשֵׁי עָם יַחַד״, עַל הֵפֶךְ (הושע י:ב) ״חָלַק לִבָּם עַתָּה יֶאְשָׁמוּ״.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
עגלה על שני הנשיאים. The reason that they shared a cart each was not that they were stingy, but that they wanted to demonstrate that there was no rivalry between them, but that, on the contrary, they felt like brothers one toward the other. Such sentiments have been recorded in the Torah in Deuteronomy 33,5 ויהי בישורון מלך בהתאסף ראשי עם, יחד, “Moses was king in Yeshurun when all the people gathered together;” [a king is not someone aloof, in an ivory tower, but his distinction becomes relevant only in his being part of his people, יחד, together.” The opposite is reported in Hoseah 10,2 חלק לבם עתה יאשמו, “when its collective heart is divided, this is they their guilt.”


###### Sforno on Numbers 7:5:1
[Sforno on Numbers 7:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/7:5:1)

**קַח מֵאִתָּם.** כִּי חָשַׁב מֹשֶׁה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה כָּל מַשָּׂא הַלְוִיִּם בַּכָּתֵף, כְּמוֹ הָעִנְיָן בְּמַשָּׂא בְּנֵי קְהָת (במדבר ז:ט).

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
קח מאתם, Moses had thought that anything that the Levites would carry had to be carried on their shoulders, as the Torah had spelled out in connection with how the Kehatites were to perform their tasks (verse 9).


###### Sforno on Numbers 7:9:1
[Sforno on Numbers 7:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/7:9:1)

**וְלִבְנֵי קְהָת לֹא נָתָן כִּי עֲבוֹדַת הַקֹּדֶשׁ עֲלֵיהֶם.** וְלֹא עֲבוֹדַת אֹהֶל, אֲבָל עֲבוֹדַת הַמִּקְדָּשׁ. וְהִנֵּה הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ אָמַר עַל הָעֲגָלוֹת שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לַעֲבוֹדַת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, שֶׁהָיָה מַשָּׂא בְּנֵי גֵרְשׁוֹן וּבְנֵי מְרָרִי. אֲבָל בְּמַשָּׂא בְּנֵי קְהָת לֹא הָיָה שׁוּם דָּבָר מִכָּל בִּנְיַן אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, אֲבָל הָיָה מַשָּׂאָם כְּלֵי קֹדֶשׁ שֶׁהָיוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ, שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ מִקְדָּשׁ, כְּאָמְרוֹ ״וְנָסְעוּ הַקְּהָתִים נֹשְׂאֵי הַמִּקְדָּשׁ״ (במדבר י:כא).

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ולבני קהת לא נתן כי עבודת הקודש עליהם, as opposed to what was called עבודת אהל מועד. G’d had commanded concerning these carts that they would form part of what was called עבודת אהל מועד, the task of the members of the family of Gershon and that of the family of Merari. The Kehatites did not transport anything which was part of the actual structure called משכן. They only transported furnishings which were part of the Tabernacle. Those were referred to as מקדש for short. (compare Numbers 10,21 ונשאו הקהתים נושאי המקדש.)


###### Sforno on Numbers 7:10:1
[Sforno on Numbers 7:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/7:10:1)

**וַיַּקְרִיבוּ הַנְּשִׂיאִים אֵת חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ.** הִקְדִּישׁוּהָ.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ויקריבו הנשיאים את חנכת המזבח, they sanctified it.


###### Sforno on Numbers 7:10:2
[Sforno on Numbers 7:10:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/7:10:2)

**וַיַּקְרִיבוּ הַנְּשִׂיאִים אֶת קָרְבָּנָם לִפְנֵי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ.** אַחַר שֶׁהִקְדִּישׁוּ הַקָּרְבָּן, הִגִּישׁוּהוּ לִפְנֵי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ויקריבו הנשיאים את קרבנם לפני המזבח, after they had sanctified it as a sacrifice the brought it before the altar.


###### Sforno on Numbers 7:13:1
[Sforno on Numbers 7:13:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/7:13:1)

**וְקָרְבָּנוֹ קַעֲרַת כֶּסֶף אַחַת.** הִנֵּה כָּל אֶחָד מֵהֶם הִקְרִיב כָּל מִינֵי הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת, וְהֵם עוֹלָה וּמִנְחָה, חַטָּאת וּשְׁלָמִים, וּקְטֹרֶת, לַחֲנֹךְ הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וּמְשָׁרְתָיו בְּכָל מִינֵי הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת, חוּץ מִן הָאָשָׁם, כִּי הַחַטָּאת וְהָאָשָׁם תּוֹרָה אַחַת לָהֶם. וְסִפֵּר קָרְבַּן כָּל אֶחָד מֵהֶם לְבַדּוֹ, לְהוֹרוֹת שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד מֵהֶם כִּוֵּן לְכַפֵּר עַל פְּרָטֵי חֲטָאִים שֶׁיִּרְבּוּ בְּשִׁבְטוֹ, וְזֶה בְּכָל אֶחָד מִפְּרָטֵי קָרְבָּנוֹ לְרָצוֹן לָהֶם לִפְנֵי ה׳. וְסָמַךְ וְנִצַּב עֲלֵיהֶם בְּעַד שִׁבְטוֹ, כְּעִנְיַן הַמַּעֲמָדוֹת בְּקָרְבְּנוֹת צִבּוּר.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
'וקרבנו קערת כסף אחת, וגו; each one of the princes offered all these components as part of his offering. They comprised: a burnt offering, עולה, a gift offering, מנחה, a sin offering, חטאת, as well as peace offerings, שלמים, and incense, קטורת. The reason why the Torah does not simply lump all these offerings together but tells us separately, 12 times what each prince’s offering consisted of, is that each one had intended thereby to atone for all the sins he was aware of that members of his tribe had committed, had been guilty of. Each prince performed the סמיכה, the act of placing all his weight on the animal becoming the sin offering on behalf of the members of his tribe guilty of sins requiring such a sin offering to atone for their sins. This was a regular procedure when communal offerings were being brought.


###### Sforno on Numbers 7:84:1
[Sforno on Numbers 7:84:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/7:84:1)

**זֹאת חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ.** הִנֵּה חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אָז הָיְתָה בֵּין הַכֹּל דָּבָר מוּעָט בְּעֵרֶךְ אֶל חֲנֻכַּת בַּיִת רִאשׁוֹן בְּרִבּוּי הַכֵּלִים וְעׇשְׁרָם וְרֹב הַזְּבָחִים (מלכים א ח).

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
זאת חנכת המזבח, when we compare the consecration of the altar of the Tabernacle to that of the consecration of Solomon’s Temple, this appears as so insignificant as to be hardly worth mentioning. (compare Kings I chapter 8)


###### Sforno on Numbers 7:89:1
[Sforno on Numbers 7:89:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/7:89:1)

**וּבְבֹא מֹשֶׁה אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ וַיִּשְׁמַע אֶת הַקּוֹל.** וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָיָה הַדָּבָר מוּעָט מְאֹד בְּעֵרֶךְ אֶל חֲנֻכַּת שְׁלֹמֹה, מִכָּל מָקוֹם בְּבוֹא מֹשֶׁה אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד הָיָה שׁוֹמֵעַ אוֹתוֹ הַקּוֹל שֶׁשָּׁמַע קֹדֶם מַעֲשֵׂה הָעֵגֶל, וְזֶה לֹא קָרָה בְּבַיִת רִאשׁוֹן, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן בְּבַיִת שֵׁנִי שֶׁלֹּא הָלַךְ אֶל הַמִּקְדָּשׁ נָבִיא לְהִתְנַבֵּא בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁיַּשִּׂיג הַנְּבוּאָה תֵּיכֶף. וְזֶה כִּי הָיְתָה לְרָצוֹן הַחֲנֻכָּה הַזֹּאת וּמַקְרִיבֶיהָ וּמֹשֶׁה שֶׁהָיָה רוֹעֶה.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ובבא משה אל אהל מועד לדבר אתו וישמע את הקול, even though in physical terms the Tabernacle was insignificant compared to the magnificent structure Solomon had built, in terms of spiritual achievement the Tabernacle far outranked Solomon’s Temple, which in turn outranked the second Temple. During the entire period of the second Temple (420 years) not a single prophet had been able to enter the Temple and there to hear the voice of G’d at any given moment. If at this point Moses was able to do this it proved that G’d had approved the consecration and had drawn near Moses as the shepherd of the Jewish people. In spite of all this spiritual grandeur of the Tabernacle in the desert and the clear manifestation of G’d’s presence over it or in it, even this was a far cry from the presence of G’d in the Israelite camp during the period of the revelation at Mount Sinai, and the 40 days before the sin of the golden calf. Once Moses entered the Tabernacle he was able to hear the voice of G’d, something he had been able to hear all the time before the sin of the golden calf, and without the benefit of the Tabernacle and the hallowed ground it stood on.


###### Sforno on Numbers 7:89:2
[Sforno on Numbers 7:89:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/7:89:2)

**מִדַּבֵּר.** בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין עַצְמוֹ, כִּי ״כָּל פָּעַל ה׳ לְמַעֲנֵהוּ״ (משלי טז:ד), וּבְהַשְׂכִּילוֹ אֶת עַצְמוֹ וּבָזֶה יֵדַע וְיֵיטִיב לְזוּלָתוֹ בִּנְדִיבוּת הַשְׁפָּעָה שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ כִּלְיוֹת, וְיֵרָאֶה פְעוּלָּה בַּמִּתְפָּעֵל כְּפִי הֲכָנָתוֹ. וּבָזֶה פֵּרַשׁ אֹפֶן כָּל דִּבּוּר הָאָמוּר בַּתּוֹרָה בְּאָמְרוֹ ״וַיְדַבֵּר ה׳״.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
מדבר, read “mi-dabber,” talking to Himself. [According to Moreh Nevuchim 1,68 and in accordance with Aristotele’s concept of G’d, there is no division between subject and predicate in the sphere of understanding something, defining it, actively or passively when we speak of G’d, as is the case when we speak of His creatures. A creature, by definition is subjective vis-à-vis itself, G’d is never subjective, always objective. Having said this you will understand that the translation of G’d “speaking to Himself,” i.e. being both at the receiving end and at the initiating end at the same time is not a contradiction in terms.” Ed.] Proverbs 16,4 כל פעל ה' למענהו, reveals that in the final analysis, all that G’d does has an intelligent purpose known to Him and approved by Him, so much so that the fact that He has seen fit to do it automatically means that it is beneficial for His universe and those in it. We need to keep this in mind whenever we read a line such as וידבר ה'. It is as if the Torah reminded us that the One described as מדבר