I GIVE YOU THE PRIESTHOOD AS A SERVICE OF GIFT. “[This means that] it shall be to you as a gift.” This is Rashi’s language, and his intention thereby is to state that it is given to you as a complete gift, [to such an extent] that [as the verse continues], a non-priest who draws near [to do the service] will be liable to be put to death [by the hand of Heaven]. The correct interpretation appears to me to be that He is saying: “and you shall perform the service of the priesthood, but it is not to be regarded by you as a burdensome task, like that imposed upon the servants of kings, but I have given you the service of a great gift through it, for glory and for splendor¹⁹⁷, 28:2. from Me.” This is similar to the interpretation of the Rabbis:¹⁹⁸ “L’moshchah¹⁹⁹ — as a distinction, [so that gifts given to the priests from the offerings are to be eaten by them] in the way that kings eat.”²⁰⁰

footnotes: ¹⁹⁷ Ibid. ¹⁹⁸ Sotah 15a. ¹⁹⁹ Further, Verse 8. ²⁰⁰ I.e., roasted in fire and eaten with mustard (Chullin 132b).

B’KODESH HAKODASHIM’ (IN THE MOST HOLY PLACE) SHALT THOU EAT IT. “This teaches us that the most holy offerings may only be eaten in the Sanctuary Court, and only by male priests.” But I have not understood this, because the Kodesh Hakodashim (Holy of Holies) is not the right place for eating the offerings; for Scripture states, in a holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the Tent of Meeting,²⁰¹ whereas the Kodesh Hakodashim is the place where the ark is, within the Veil, as it is written, and the Veil shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.²⁰² It is furthermore written, and thou shalt put the ark-cover upon the ark of the covenant in the most holy place,²⁰³, Verse 34. and there can be no eating and drinking there, since no one may enter it except for the High Priest on the Day of Atonement! Now I have seen the following text in the Sifre:²⁰⁴ 117. “Rabbi Yehudah the son of B’theira says: Whence do we know that if the Sanctuary Court is surrounded by gentiles [besieging it], the holy offerings may be eaten even in the Sanctuary proper? From the verse, In the most holy place thou shalt eat it.” Thus Rabbi Yehudah the son of B’theirah noted [the implication of] this verse, and explained it as applying to a time of emergency, and [therefore] he mentioned it in trepidation, by saying: “may be eaten in the Sanctuary,” when he ought to have said: “may be eaten even in ‘the innermost part’” [of the Sanctuary, i.e., the Holy of Holies], if the enemy besieged the Sanctuary. According to the plain meaning of Scripture, we must explain the verse ‘b’kodesh hakodashim’ thou shalt eat it as meaning: “you shall eat it in a manner befitting the sanctity of the most holy offerings.” For at first He had said, they²⁰⁵ are most holy for thee and for thy sons,²⁰⁶ meaning that you should not treat them²⁰⁵ as you treat the lesser holy offerings, but should regard them as most holy. He then continued and explained: in a most holy [manner] thou shalt eat it, meaning that your eating thereof should be in a manner befitting the strictest degree of sanctity. And since He had already explained [in the Book of Leviticus] with reference to the meal-offering and the sin-offering what are the stricter rules concerning eating them, over and above those applying to the lesser holy offerings, in respect of place and of time,²⁰⁷ He did not have to treat this subject here at length, but only said that they²⁰⁵ must all be eaten as most holy offerings, meaning that the eating thereof must be with the stricter degree of holiness, not that of the lesser holy offerings. The [examples of] usage of the letter beth [as in the word b’kodesh] are many, for the prepositional beth, in addition to denoting place and time, can also signify manner [thus meaning here: “in a most holy manner thou shalt eat it”]. Similarly, ‘b’itzavon’ shalt thou eat it²⁰⁸ [means: “in a manner of toil shalt thou eat it”].

footnotes: ²⁰¹ Leviticus 6:19. ²⁰² Exodus 26:33. Nobody could even enter therein except for the High Priest on the Day of Atonement, let alone eat the offerings there! (see Ramban further). ²⁰³ Ibid. ²⁰⁴ Sifre Korach ²⁰⁵ I.e., the most holy offerings which are specifically mentioned here in the first part of the verse, namely: the meal-offering, the sin-offering, and the guilt-offering. See (Leviticus), Vol. III, p. 71, Note 55 for a fuller discussion of the terms “most holy offerings,” and “lesser holy offerings.” See also further, Note 207. ²⁰⁶ Verse 9. ²⁰⁵ I.e., the most holy offerings which are specifically mentioned here in the first part of the verse, namely: the meal-offering, the sin-offering, and the guilt-offering. See (Leviticus), Vol. III, p. 71, Note 55 for a fuller discussion of the terms “most holy offerings,” and “lesser holy offerings.” See also further, Note 207. ²⁰⁷ The most holy offerings may be eaten only in the Sanctuary Court, and only on the day that they were offered up and the following night, until midnight. These offerings may be eaten only by male priests. The lesser holy offerings may be eaten in the whole city of Jerusalem, for two days and the intervening night, and the portion given to the priests may be eaten by their wives, children, and slaves. ²⁰⁵ I.e., the most holy offerings which are specifically mentioned here in the first part of the verse, namely: the meal-offering, the sin-offering, and the guilt-offering. See (Leviticus), Vol. III, p. 71, Note 55 for a fuller discussion of the terms “most holy offerings,” and “lesser holy offerings.” See also further, Note 207. ²⁰⁸ Genesis 3:17.

THOU [Aaron] SHALT HAVE NO INHERITANCE IN THEIR LAND. This means that you [Aaron] will not inherit a share amongst any one of all the tribes of Israel.²⁰⁹ Neither shalt thou have [even] a small portion in their land at all, for the cities which were given to them [the Levites] were [also] cities of refuge, and were used by the rest of Israel. Now this admonition applies to the priests, and afterwards He mentioned with respect to the Levites: among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance,²¹⁰ just as He had admonished the priests. And our Rabbis interpreted the verse:²¹¹ 118. “Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, as referring to the time when the Land was divided up [amongst the tribes]. Neither shalt thou have any portion among them, that is, a portion of the spoil [taken from a defeated enemy]. I am thy portion — you eat at My table.”²¹² Chukath

footnotes: ²⁰⁹ Thus they were excluded not only from having a central tribal land of their own but even from having smaller pieces of land throughout the other tribes. ²¹⁰ Verse 23. ²¹¹ Sifre Korach ²¹² In other words, while all Israel lives upon the yield of the land, the priests acquire their gifts directly from “the Table” of the Most High. See also “The Commandments,” Vol. II, pp. 163-166.