ויאמר ה' אל אהרן “The Lord said to Aaron, etc.;” Rashi comments that we must understand this line as meaning that G-d spoke to Moses, to tell what follows to Aaron. To the question of what forced Rashi to ignore the text as written, i.e. that G-d addressed Aaron directly, we must understand what transpired as follows: The Torah, i.e. G-d, wishes the people to know that they were wrong in thinking that anyone daring to come into the vicinity of the Tabernacle would either be killed by G-d, or by a human tribunal, seeing that G-d had already said concerning Aaron: “you and your sons and your fathers, (all the priests) shall bear the iniquity of the Sanctuary;” in other words, it was the task of the priests to ensure that the boundaries would not be crossed by people who had no authority to enter the Sanctuary. G-d had said the following to Moses to convey to Aaron: “you and your sons, etc,”In other words, what Rashi was saying here is that G-d had already told Moses to tell Aaron what follows;He had done so in the portion of Bamidbar chapter 1, verse 51, etc. These instructions have been repeated here in verse 7, because a new element has been added, i.e. אתה ובניך ובית אביך, “you, your sons, and the house of your father;”Seeing that this paragraph has been written close to the people’s, especially Korach’s, complaints about the priests and the institution of hereditary priesthood, it has been positioned as a sort of introduction to the people’s gifts to the priests, seeing that these people were not landowners and depended for their livelihood on the willingness of the people to carry out all these instructions. Our author adds as his own commentary concerning Rashi’s words, that seeing that we have learned from the Sifri on 18,8 where the author quotes our verse, i.e. G-d, as speaking directly to Aaron, and in verse 8 of our chapter where we have the Torah writing again that G-d spoke to Aaron, and it certainly sounds very direct, that he had already stated on a previous occasion that every time we have the Torah writing: “G-d spoke to Aaron,” this refers to something that had first been told to Moses and he had been instructed to relay it to Aaron. In this instance also, the substance of the message was to be ultimately relayed to the Jewish people to avoid tragedy through misunderstanding. [Leviticus 10,8 also has G-d speaking (apparently) directly to Aaron, as well a verse 20 in our chapter. Ed.]

הקרב אתך, “bring near with you, etc.;” the point here is to warn the Levites charged with singing in a choir while the priests presented the offerings, that they do so on the special platform provided for them to stand on at those times. [This platform was outside the Tabernacle. Ed.] (Sifri)

וילוו עליך, “so that they may be joined to you.” The Torah writes this to remind the priests that they are not to coopt any ordinary Israelites to the Levites.

ואתה ובניך אתך לפני אהל מועד, “and you and your sons with you in front of the Tent of Testimony.” The priests were to stand inside, the Levites outside.

וזר לא יקרב אליכם, “and a stranger (non Levite or priest) shall not approach you.” We have heard the warning, but where is the penalty for violation spelled out? Look at verse 7, where the Torah spells it out, i.e. והזר הקרב יומת, “and if a stranger approaches (crosses the boundary) he is subject to execution.”

ולא יהיה עוד קצף, “so that there will no longer be a wrath;” the word עוד, “again, or in future,” is peculiar as the wrath is already in existence. We have this on the authority of Numbers 17,11: “כי יצא הקצף,” for the wrath has come forth!” [The word עוד therefore must mean: “it will not continue.” Ed.]

לכם מתנה נתונים לה, “for you the Levites, they are given as a gift for the Lord.” They are not “given” to you priests as personal servants, but to the Lord, and at the disposal of the priests in their capacity as His representative on earth. The priests may not use the Levites to perform personal chores for them.

ולמבית לפרכת, “and to that which is beyond the dividing curtain.” We learn from here that there was an area behind the dividing curtain which served as a place where the priests could be examined as to their status as priests. (Sifri)

עבודת מתנה, “a service performed voluntarily, as a “gift;” just as lots were also drawn as to which priests would be privileged to perform which part of the Temple service so accumulated gifts to the priests from the common people were distributed by lot. No one could arrogate to himself to determine his personal preference.

והזר הקרב, “and a non priest or Levite who dared to approach into the sacred domain, etc.” The Torah speaks of such a stranger presuming to perform service within the Temple. Such a stranger would also be punished, even if he had been ritually pure. Even a Levite, if he had presumed to perform Temple service would be subject to the death penalty. If you were to ask that we know that Samuel the Levite is reported to have offered sacrifice on the altar (Samuel I 7,9), this was due to an emergency, just as Gideon offered a sacrifice (Judges 6.26).

ואני הנה נתתי לך, “and as far as I am concerned, behold I have given to you, etc.;” after the institution of the hereditary priesthood had now been established by consensus, the Torah proceeds to list the gifts from the farmers that the priests and the Levites are entitled to, as well as to parts of the people’s offerings in the Temple, seeing that they have no other means of earning a livelihood, not owning any ancestral land. [No priest or Levite is permitted to demand anything personally from an individual farmer. Each farmer is at liberty to “pay” these dues to a Levite or priest of his choosing. Ed.

לכל קדשי בני ישראל, “parts of any offerings by the Jewish people tendered to G-d.”

לך נתתים, “unto you I have given them” (these “gifts.”) They are yours by right.

ולבניך אחריך, “and to your children after you.” These gifts to the priests and Levites are ancestral, just as the soil distributed by Joshua to the other tribes were hereditary

מן האש, “separated from the fire” that is, those parts of the offering which are eaten by the priests are separated from the parts which remain on the altar where they are burnt.

זה יהיה לך מקדש הקדשים, “this is what is yours (priests) of the most holy things;” the Torah proceeds to spell out which parts of the respective animal sacrifices are for the consumption of the priest (and his household). After each category of animal sacrifice and meal offering and its purpose are listed, there follow what is to be saved for the priest or priests. The only category of animal offering of which no part is permitted to be eaten is the burnt offering, olah, and sin offerings presented on the golden altar as distinct from the copper altar. After listing all the sacrifices from which the priests receive a portion, there remain only two sacrifices which are consumed entirely by the priests – these are the two-loaf meal offering that is brought on Shavuot and the weekly 12-loaves shew bread which are brought every Shabbat and remain in the Sanctuary until the following Shabbat when they are eaten by the priests.

בקדש הקדשים תאכלנו, “in a most holy place you shall consume them;” the place meant (normally) is the courtyard of the Temple. The wording here allows for these portions to be eaten by the priests even inside the Sanctuary when the Temple was under siege by infidels. The wording refers to the state of the priests while eating same, compare discussion in Sifri. It is “most holy,” compared to other sacred sites of lower rank of holiness.

תרומת מתנם, “the heave offering of their gift.” The word מתנם has a letter ת missing, and should have been מתנתם. We have parallel phenomena in Job 11,9, ארכה מארץ מדה, instead of ארוכה מארץ מדה, “its measure is longer than the earth;” A similar phenomenon is found in Zecharyah 4,2, וגלה על ראשה, which should have been וגולה על ראשה, “with a bowl above it.” Our author lists a couple more such examples.

כל פטר רחם לכל בשר, “Everything that opens the womb of all flesh;” this line has appeared in the Torah on three separate occasions. The reason is that the Torah considers the redemption of the firstborn as a most important ritual, so much so that even the firstborn of a ritually impure animal, the donkey, needs to be redeemed.

אשר יקריבו לה, “which the offer unto the Lord;” this line was added in order to exclude the need for redeeming the firstborn males of free roaming beasts. Seeing that free roaming beasts are not fit as sacrifices, there would be no point in having to redeem the first born male of them.

קדש הם. “They are holy;” but you will claim the animal itself, whose fat parts are required on the altar, something unique.

ובשרם יהיה לך, “however, their flesh is yours.” This even includes a blemished firstborn, which is donated to the priest, something we do not find elsewhere in the Torah. (Sifri)

ברית מלח עולם הוא, “it is an everlasting covenant of salt.” The word הוא has the vowel chirik, seeing that the noun ברית is a feminine noun. We find something similar in connection with David in Chronicles II 13,5: כי המלוכה לדוד ולזרעו ברית מלח, “for David’s kingship over Israel is forever, to him and his sons by a covenant of salt.”

אני חלקך, “I am your portion;” G-d is announcing that He, personally, is the priests’ “portion.” [as opposed to terrestrial earth in the Holy Land. Ed.]. Seeing that this is so, you are free, (timewise) to perform your duties in the Tabernacle/Temple once you are all settled in the Land of Israel. Seeing that you have these duties, you are relieved of the need to work for a living for six days a week, and the many difficulties that this involves. You need not engage in trade and commerce either.

ולבני לוי וגו, and as far as the Levites are concerned, etc.” in the Sifri on this verse the letter ו at the beginning of the word ולבני, is a conjunctive letter, linking the basic functions and lifestyle of the Levites to that of the priests to the extent that the special covenant of salt between G-d and the priests includes them also.

ולא יקרבו עוד בני ישראל, “and the Children of Israel shall no longer come close, etc.” the word עוד here cannot mean “still,” but must mean “again,” as they had already come near as we know from verse 5, else why was G-d described as angry there? (Sifri)

כי את מעשר בני ישראל , “but (instead) the tithes of the Children of Israel.” The reason why the word מעשר is vocalised with a patach under the letter ש instead of the usual vowel t’zeyreh, is that it is in the construct mode to the expression בני ישראל.

בנחלתכם, “as your inheritance;” in lieu of a piece of land as an inheritance. This is why you have to tithe the tithes you receive from the Israelite farmer also as if it had been your inheritance of an ancestral piece of land.

וכמלאה מן היקב, “as though it were the corn from the threshing floor.” Both wine and oil are called מלאה, seeing that the container into which it is poured cannot be filled beyond the rim. (B’chor shor)

כן תרימו, “thus you shall set apart, etc.” just as the Israelites do. [They have to set the tithes etc. apart before the remainder may be consumed or used by the farmer who grew the crop.” Ed.]

מכל מעשרותיכם, “of all your tithes;” i.e. from all the other tithes that you are obligated to give away, and which are subject to tithes from the fields which have grown for you.

מכל מתנותיכם תרימו, “out of all that has been given to you, you must set aside, etc.; this is to teach you that even what grows on the fields which have been allocated to the Levites as a kind of enlarged garden adjoining their houses, the Levites are obligated to give tithes to the priests. The Levite is not allowed to claim that he need not tithe what he has himself grown on these plots, using logic to support their argument. His logic would run as follows: “seeing that I receive from others part of what they have grown, surely I am entitled to keep what I have grown myself with the sweat of my brow.” This is why the Torah emphasises that everything that the Levite has been allocated by the Torah is in the nature of a “gift,” מתנותיכם, “a gift for you,“ you did not have to labour hard in order to obtain it. Compare the text of the Torah in Numbers 35, 2: ומגרש לערים סביבותיכם תתנו ללוים, “and open land round about of the cities inhabited by the Levites you shall give to the Levites. “

מכל חלבו את מקדשי ממנו, “of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it.” This is a reference to the t’rumah, the 2% (average) given to the priest from the gross amount of the harvest, before the tithe is set aside for the Levite.

אתם וביתכם “you and your households;” this includes the larger family, based on the patriarch of each family, who is considered the head within his tribe.

ואת קדשי בני ישראל לא תחללו ולא תמותו, “and the holy things of the Children of Israel you shall not profane so that you will not die.” Once you have set aside the tithes there is no danger of your having profaned the holy things or of your dying on account of that. All the 24 different items designated as gift to the priests are completely secular and will not be subject to the rules of holy items that have been desecrated. Of these 24 categories of “gifts,” 12 were given to the priests in Jerusalem, the other 12 in any part of the Holy Land. Our author lists all the 24 items here once more, [but I see no reason to repeat what has been spelled out by the Torah. Ed.