TheBibleNet: Numbers 29:1-39 (continuing to Numbers 30:1)

Numbers 1 2 3 4a 4b 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 25b 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

Continuing the laws of sacrifice given in chapter 28; all of them, as noted there, already having been given previously.

29:1 U VA CHODESH HA SHEVIYI BE ECHAD LA CHODESH MIKRA KODESH YIHEYEH LACHEM KOL MELECHET AVODAH LO TA'ASU YOM TERU'AH YIHEYEH LACHEM

וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם כָּל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ יוֹם תְּרוּעָה יִהְיֶה לָכֶם

KJ (King James translation): And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you.

BN (BibleNet translation): And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall hold a holy convocation: you shall do no manner of servile work; it is Yom Teru'ah, the day of blowing the horn, to you.

YOM TERU'AH: Not a name that most Jews are likely to know, even those who keep the festivals observantly; Rosh ha Shanah or New Year is the common name today, though it is sometimes called, when combined with Yom Kippur ten days later, the "Days of Awe". See the reference to Pesach in the last chapter for the change of the start of the new year (and note that actually there are four new years: this Tishrey festival, but also the 15th of Shevat, which is the New Year for Trees, the 1st of Nisan, which commemorates the Exodus, and has the Passover on the full moon, and the 1st of Elul, which is the Biblical tax year).

But if the Ezraic text is placing Rosh ha Shanah in the 7th month, then this must either be a re-writing of the Mosaic original for the benefit of the listeners of his day, or a creation by Ezra himself.

29:2 VE ASIYTEM OLAH LE REYACH NICHO'ACH LA YHVH PAR BEN BAKAR ECHAD AYIL ECHAD KEVASIM BENEY SHANAH SHIVAH TEMIYMIM

וַעֲשִׂיתֶם עֹלָה לְרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַיהוָה פַּר בֶּן בָּקָר אֶחָד אַיִל אֶחָד כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה שִׁבְעָה תְּמִימִם

KJ: And ye shall offer a burnt offering for a sweet savour unto the LORD; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish:

BN: And you shall prepare a burnt-offering with a sweet savour for YHVH: one young bullock, one ram, seven yearling he-lambs without blemish.

29:3 U MINCHATAM SOLET BE LULAH VA SHEMEN SHELOSHAH ESRONIM LA PAR SHENEY ESRONIM LA AYIL

וּמִנְחָתָם סֹלֶת בְּלוּלָה בַשָּׁמֶן שְׁלֹשָׁה עֶשְׂרֹנִים לַפָּר שְׁנֵי עֶשְׂרֹנִים לָאָיִל

KJ: And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram,

BN: And their meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil, three tenth parts for the bullock, two tenth parts for the ram.

29:4 VE ISARON LA KEVES HA ECHAD LE SHIVAT HA KEVASIM

וְעִשָּׂרוֹן אֶחָד לַכֶּבֶשׂ הָאֶחָד לְשִׁבְעַת הַכְּבָשִׂים

KJ: And one tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs:

BN: And a tenth of a tenth part for each of the seven lambs.

ISARON ISARON: see my note to Numbers 28:13.

29:5 U SE'IR IZIM ECHAD CHAT'AT LECHAPER ALEYCHEM

וּשְׂעִיר עִזִּים אֶחָד חַטָּאת לְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם

KJ: And one kid of the goats for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you:

BN: And one billy-goat for a sin-offering, to make atonement for you.

29:6 MILVAD OLAT HA CHODESH U MINCHATAH VE OLAT HA TAMID U MINCHATAH VE NISKEYHEM KE MISHPATAM LE REYACH NICHO'ACH ISHEH LA YHVH

מִלְּבַד עֹלַת הַחֹדֶשׁ וּמִנְחָתָהּ וְעֹלַת הַתָּמִיד וּמִנְחָתָהּ וְנִסְכֵּיהֶם כְּמִשְׁפָּטָם לְרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ אִשֶּׁה לַיהוָה

KJ: Beside the burnt offering of the month, and his meat offering, and the daily burnt offering, and his meat offering, and their drink offerings, according unto their manner, for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD.

BN: Beside the burnt-offering for the new moon, and its meal-offering, and the continual burnt-offering and its meal-offering, and their drink-offerings, according to their ordinance, for a sweet savour, a fire-offering to YHVH.

KE MISHPATAM (KA MISHPAT in several verses further on): Meaning "according to the instructions that I have already given you". The full list of those instructions can be found here.

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29:7 U VE ASOR LA CHODESH HA SHEVIYI HA ZEH MIKRA KODESH YIHEYEH LACHEM VE INIYTEM ET NAPHSHOTEYCHEM KOL MELACHAH LO TA'ASU

וּבֶעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי הַזֶּה מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם וְעִנִּיתֶם אֶת נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם כָּל מְלָאכָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ

KJ: And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month an holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work therein:

BN: And on the tenth day of this seventh month you shall hold a holy convocation; and you shall afflict your souls; you shall do no manner of work.

No explanation is offered as to what to do in order to afflict one's soul. The word TSOM is normally used for fasting, and it is not used here, so in fact there is no reason to assume that self-affliction on Yom Kippur involved fasting - though it is highly likely that it did. Later, in Talmudic times, the event became known, and the liturgy includes the phrase on just one occasion, as Yom Tsom Kippur, which is ungrammatical, and feels like an artificial inclusion to try to formally validate the act of fasting. Might it have involved self-flagellation? Possibly. Might the fact that fasting accompanied all these sacrifices, and especially the cooking of the meat on the Temple barbecue (see the next verse), have been the real source of "affliction": Tantalus in Judaism!

29:8 VE HIKRAVTEM OLAH LA YHVH REYACH NICHO'ACH PAR BEN BAKAR ECHAD AYIL ECHAD KEVASIM BENEY SHANAH SHIVAH TEMIMIM YIHEYU LACHEM

וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם עֹלָה לַיהוָה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ פַּר בֶּן בָּקָר אֶחָד אַיִל אֶחָד כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה שִׁבְעָה תְּמִימִם יִהְיוּ לָכֶם

KJ: But ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD for a sweet savour; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year; they shall be unto you without blemish:

BN: But you shall present a burnt-offering to YHVH with a sweet aroma: one young bullock, one ram, seven yearling he-lambs; they shall be to you without blemish.

Notice that in Biblical times Yom Kippur, regardless of whether or not it was a fast day, there was still much sacrificing of animals. Presumably to ensure a good breaking of the fas, but oh that sweet aroma, before you have even reached Ne'ilah!

29:9 U MINCHATAM SOLET BE LULAH VA SHEMEN SHELOSHAH ESRONIM LE PAR SHENEY ESRONIM LA AYIL AH ECHAD

וּמִנְחָתָם סֹלֶת בְּלוּלָה בַשָּׁמֶן שְׁלֹשָׁה עֶשְׂרֹנִים לַפָּר שְׁנֵי עֶשְׂרֹנִים לָאַיִל הָאֶחָד

KJ: And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals to a bullock, and two tenth deals to one ram,

BN: And their meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil, three tenth parts for the bullock, two tenth parts for the one ram.

29:10 ISARON ISARON LA KEVES HA ECHAD LE SHIVAT HA KEVASIM

עִשָּׂרוֹן עִשָּׂרוֹן לַכֶּבֶשׂ הָאֶחָד לְשִׁבְעַת הַכְּבָשִׂים

KJ: A several tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs:

BN: A tenth part of a tenth part for each of the seven lambs.

The KJ translation continues to surprise me, for its apparent flippancy (I allow myself flippancy al the time, but these are the oficials of the King James translation!) in translating this in this way - or did "deal" mean something different in the early 1600s?

29:11 SE'IR IZIM ECHAD CHAT'AT MILVAD CHAT'AT HA KIPURIM VE OLAT HA TAMID U MINCHATAH VE NISKEYHEM

שְׂעִיר עִזִּים אֶחָד חַטָּאת מִלְּבַד חַטַּאת הַכִּפֻּרִים וְעֹלַת הַתָּמִיד וּמִנְחָתָהּ וְנִסְכֵּיהֶם

KJ: One kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering of it, and their drink offerings.

BN: One he-goat for a sin-offering; beside the sin-offering of atonement, and the continual burnt-offering, and its meal-offering, and their drink-offerings.

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29:12 U VA CHAMISHAH ASAR YOM LA CHODESH HA SHEVIYI MIKRA KODESH YIHEYEH LACHEM KOL MELECHET AVODAH LO TA'ASU VE CHAGOTEM CHAG LA YHVH SHIVAT YAMIM

וּבַחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם כָּל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ וְחַגֹּתֶם חַג לַיהוָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים

KJ: And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days:

BN: And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall hold a holy convocation: you shall do no manner of servile work, and you shall keep a feast to YHVH for seven days.

CHAG: Some of these are called CHAGIM but others not; am I right in saying it is just the three harvest festivals which are correctly named CHAG? The word is the same as the Arabic Hajj, and means "pilgrimage", whence the three principal harvest festivals - Pesach, Shavu'ot and Sukot - are also known as the Pilgrim Festivals, because these were the three occasions when Yehudim were expected to make the chag to Yeru-Shalayim and make Hakafot, the seven circumambulations, of the black rock of Mor-Yah, which was at the base of the altar in the Temple and now stands beneath the Shrine of Omar between the Western Wall and the al-Axar Mosque.

29:13 VE HIKRAVTEM OLAH ISHEH REYACH NICHO'ACH LA YHVH PARIM BENEY BAKAR SHELOSHAH ASAR EYLIM SHENAYIM KEVASIM BENEY SHANAH ARBA'AH ASAR TEMIYMIM YIHEYU

וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם עֹלָה אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַיהוָה פָּרִים בְּנֵי בָקָר שְׁלֹשָׁה עָשָׂר אֵילִם שְׁנָיִם כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר תְּמִימִם יִהְיוּ

KJ: And ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD; thirteen young bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year; they shall be without blemish:

BN: And you shall present a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour to YHVH: thirteen young bullocks, two rams, fourteen yearling he-lambs; they shall be without blemish;

13 bullocks, 2 rams, 14 he-lambs: why these numbers? 13 I take to be 12+1 - one for each of the constellations, plus 1 for the deity (but see verse 17). 2 is simply division, probably the male and female deities on this occasion. 14 is not really a significant number in the Yisra-Eli world, unless you double the sacred seven, which never happens. But in ancient Egypt it was one of the most significant of all numbers, for Osher's body was cut into 14 pieces when Set dismembered him - and each of these pilgrim festivals has its origins in Egypt, as we witnessed when they were first presented in the text. The pilgrim festivals are all harvest-related, and it was precisely the division of winter and summer in the fertility cycle which is mythologised in the struggle between Osher and Set.

29:14 U MINCHATAM SOLET BE LULAH VA SHEMEN SHELOSHAH ESRONIM LE PAR HA ECHAD LI SHELOSHAH ASAR PARIM SHENEY ESRONIM LA AYIL HA ECHAD LI SHNEY HA EYLIM

וּמִנְחָתָם סֹלֶת בְּלוּלָה בַשָּׁמֶן שְׁלֹשָׁה עֶשְׂרֹנִים לַפָּר הָאֶחָד לִשְׁלֹשָׁה עָשָׂר פָּרִים שְׁנֵי עֶשְׂרֹנִים לָאַיִל הָאֶחָד לִשְׁנֵי הָאֵילִם

KJ: And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals unto every bullock of the thirteen bullocks, two tenth deals to each ram of the two rams,

BN: And their meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil, three tenth parts for each of the thirteen bullocks, two tenth parts for each of the two rams.

29:15 VE ISARON ISARON LA KEVES HA ECHAD LE ARBA'AH ASAR KEVASIM

וְעִשָּׂרוֹן עִשָּׂרוֹן לַכֶּבֶשׂ הָאֶחָד לְאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר כְּבָשִׂים

KJ: And a several tenth deal to each lamb of the fourteen lambs:

BN: And a tenth part of a tenth part for each of the fourteen lambs.

29:16 U SE'IR IZIM ECHAD CHAT'AT MILVAD OLAT HA TAMID MINCHATAH VE NISKAH

וּשְׂעִיר עִזִּים אֶחָד חַטָּאת מִלְּבַד עֹלַת הַתָּמִיד מִנְחָתָהּ וְנִסְכָּהּ

KJ: And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.

BN: And one billy-goat for a sin-offering beside the continual burnt-offering, its meal-offering, and its drink-offering.

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29:17 U VA YOM HA SHENI PARIM BENEY VAKAR SHENEYM ASAR EYLIM SHENAYIM KEVASIM BENEY SHANAH ARBA'AH ASAR TEMIYMIM

וּבַיּוֹם הַשֵּׁנִי פָּרִים בְּנֵי בָקָר שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר אֵילִם שְׁנָיִם כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר תְּמִימִם

KJ: And on the second day ye shall offer twelve young bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without spot:

BN: And on the second day you shall present twelve young bullocks, two rams, fourteen yearling he-lambs without blemish.

In verse 14, which was the first day, thirteen bullocks, and I suggested there that one was for the sun deity, and twelve for the constellations. If that is correct, can we conclude that, having been so honoured at the start of the first day, the sun is happy to leave the heavens to his juniors, whence there are only twelve required today? Probably not - if the festival were thirteen days long, yes, but it is only seven days long, and the number will continue to reduce until we reach the sacred seven on the seventh day.

29:18 U MINCHATAM VE NISKEYHEM LA PARIM LA EYLIM VE LA KEVASIM BE MISPARAM KA MISHPAT

וּמִנְחָתָם וְנִסְכֵּיהֶם לַפָּרִים לָאֵילִם וְלַכְּבָשִׂים בְּמִסְפָּרָם כַּמִּשְׁפָּט

29:19 U SE'IR IZIM ECHAD CHAT'AT MILVAD OLAT HA TAMID U MINCHATAH VE NISKEYHEM

וּשְׂעִיר עִזִּים אֶחָד חַטָּאת מִלְּבַד עֹלַת הַתָּמִיד וּמִנְחָתָהּ וְנִסְכֵּיהֶם

KJ: And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering thereof, and their drink offerings.

BN: And one billy-goat for a sin-offering; beside the continual burnt-offering, and its meal-offering, and their drink-offerings.

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29:20 U VA YOM HA SHELISHI PARIM ASHTEY ASAR EYLIM SHENAYIM KEVASIM BENEY SHANAH ARBA'AH ASAR TEMIYMIM

וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי פָּרִים עַשְׁתֵּי עָשָׂר אֵילִם שְׁנָיִם כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר תְּמִימִם

KJ: And on the third day eleven bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish;

BN: And on the third day eleven bullocks, two rams, fourteen yearling he-lambs without blemish.

I can almost feel an idea for a festival song coming on: On the third day of Pesach the Kohen gave to me, eleven sturdy bullocks, two tupping rams, fourteen yearling he-lambs, and a partridge... hobbled as a respresentation of the initation rites of the sacred king. Maybe. Maybe. See my notes to Genesis 41:46 anyway.

29:21 U MINCHATAM VE NISKEYHEM LA PARIM LA EYLIM VE LA KEVASIM BE MISPARAM KA MISHPAT

וּמִנְחָתָם וְנִסְכֵּיהֶם לַפָּרִים לָאֵילִם וְלַכְּבָשִׂים בְּמִסְפָּרָם כַּמִּשְׁפָּט

29:22 U SE'IR CHAT'AT ECHAD MILVAD OLAT HA TAMID U MINCHATAH VE NISKAH

וּשְׂעִיר חַטָּאת אֶחָד מִלְּבַד עֹלַת הַתָּמִיד וּמִנְחָתָהּ וְנִסְכָּהּ

KJ: And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.

BN: And one he-goat for a sin-offering; beside the continual burnt-offering, and its meal-offering, and its drink-offering.

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29:23 U VA YOM HA REVIY'I PARIM ASARAH EYLIM SHENAYIM KEVASIM BENEY SHANAH ARBA'AH ASAR TEMIYMIM

וּבַיּוֹם הָרְבִיעִי פָּרִים עֲשָׂרָה אֵילִם שְׁנָיִם כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר תְּמִימִם

KJ: And on the fourth day ten bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish:

BN: And on the fourth day ten bullocks, two rams, fourteen yearling he-lambs without blemish.

The number of bullocks per day is reducing, but not the other animals; 12 + 1 at the start was one more than 14, so perhaps the reduction is as I described it, but it is the fourteen aspects of Osher, and not the sun and the twelve constellations, which are being honoured here.

And is this the total number required to feed everybody - because there are two million people, and even at half a slice each this isn't enough meat for a Bar Mitzvah lunch. Or, no, of course, they can make up the shortfall with quails and manna.

29:24 MINCHATAM VE NISKEYHEM LA PARIM LA EYLIM VE LA KEVASIM BE MISPARAM KA MISHPAT

מִנְחָתָם וְנִסְכֵּיהֶם לַפָּרִים לָאֵילִם וְלַכְּבָשִׂים בְּמִסְפָּרָם כַּמִּשְׁפָּט

KJ: Their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:

BN: Their meal-offering and their drink-offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance.

29:25 U SE'IR IZIM ECHAD CHAT'AT MILVAD OLAD HA TAMID MINCHATAH VE NISKAH

וּשְׂעִיר עִזִּים אֶחָד חַטָּאת מִלְּבַד עֹלַת הַתָּמִיד מִנְחָתָהּ וְנִסְכָּהּ

KJ: And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.

BN: And one billy-goat for a sin-offering; beside the continual burnt-offering, its meal-offering, and its drink-offering.

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29:26 U VA YOM HA CHAMISHI PARIM TISH'AH EYLIM SHENAYIM KEVASIM BENEY SHANAH ARBA'AH ASAR TEMIYMIM

וּבַיּוֹם הַחֲמִישִׁי פָּרִים תִּשְׁעָה אֵילִם שְׁנָיִם כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר תְּמִימִם

KJ: And on the fifth day nine bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without spot:

BN: And on the fifth day nine bullocks, two rams, fourteen yearling he-lambs without blemish.

29:27 U MINCHATAM VE NISKEYHEM LA PARIM LA EYLIM VE LA KEVASIM BE MISPARAM KE MISHPAT

וּמִנְחָתָם וְנִסְכֵּיהֶם לַפָּרִים לָאֵילִם וְלַכְּבָשִׂים בְּמִסְפָּרָם כַּמִּשְׁפָּט

KJ: And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:

BN: And their meal-offering and their drink-offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance.

The utterly unnecessary repetition of the detail becomes annoying after a while - bad literature, why do it this way? But perhaps the repetition is the point. The repetition of the giving of the instruction, in order to ensure it is carried out. The repetition of the sacrifices, day by day, even with their variations, establishing a convention that even the illiterate and innumerate can remember. The repetition of the verses, as liturgy, reciting them in order to learn the instructions off by heart, reciting them in order to give musical background to the action, and to make the event personal to the otherwise merely observing and therefore passive participants. Maybe.

29:28 U SE'IR CHAT'AT ECHAD MILVAD OLAT HA TAMID U MINCHATAH VE NISKAH

וּשְׂעִיר חַטָּאת אֶחָד מִלְּבַד עֹלַת הַתָּמִיד וּמִנְחָתָהּ וְנִסְכָּהּ

KJ: And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.

BN: And one goat for a sin-offering; beside the continual burnt-offering, and its meal-offering, and its drink-offering.

IZIM: on this occasion the text gives the "se'ir" but not the "izim". Error? Or does it infer a change in the rules: this could be an older billy-goat, or even a nanny-goat, where the se'ir izim must always be a yearling male?

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29:29 U VA YOM HA SHISHI PARIM SHEMONAH EYLIM SHENAYIM KEVASIM BENEY SHANAH ARBA'AH ASAR TEMIYMIM

וּבַיּוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי פָּרִים שְׁמֹנָה אֵילִם שְׁנָיִם כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר תְּמִימִם

KJ: And on the sixth day eight bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish:

BN: And on the sixth day eight bullocks, two rams, fourteen yearling he-lambs without blemish.

29:30 U MINCHATAM VE NISKEYHEM LA PARIM LA EYLIM VE LA KEVASIM BE MISPARAM KA MISHPAT

וּמִנְחָתָם וְנִסְכֵּיהֶם לַפָּרִים לָאֵילִם וְלַכְּבָשִׂים בְּמִסְפָּרָם כַּמִּשְׁפָּט

וּשְׂעִיר חַטָּאת אֶחָד מִלְּבַד עֹלַת הַתָּמִיד מִנְחָתָהּ וּנְסָכֶיהָ

KJ: And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.

BN: And one goat for a sin-offering; beside the continual burnt-offering, its meal-offering, and its drink-offerings.

Again the se'ir without the izim.

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29:32 U VA YOM HA SHEVIYI PARIM SHIVAH EYLIM SHENAYIM KEVASIM BENEY SHANAH ARBA'AH ASAR TEMIYMIM

וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי פָּרִים שִׁבְעָה אֵילִם שְׁנָיִם כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר תְּמִימִם

KJ: And on the seventh day seven bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish:

BN: And on the seventh day seven bullocks, two rams, fourteen yearling he-lambs without blemish.

I noted earlier that the number of bullocks reduced each day, and wondered why; now we know; the seventh day is obviously the most important (we tend to think the first day is the most important, but 7 is YHVH's number, 7 is the Shabat equivalent within the week-long festival, even if it is not actually Yom Shabat/Saturday), and so on the 7th day there must be 7 bullocks, because El is a bull-god... wait a moment, did I just write that El is a bull-god? Buy YHVH is not a bull-god; and the astrological calendar (click here for the background to this) had moved out of Taurus the Bull and into Aries the Ram by the time of the First Temple, let alone the Second Temple. And yet the bull-rites continued. Another PhD thesis here waiting to be written.

29:33 U MINCHATAM VE NISKEYHEM LA PARIM LA EYLIM VE LA KEVASIM BE MISPARAM KE MISHPATAM

וּמִנְחָתָם וְנִסְכֵּהֶם לַפָּרִים לָאֵילִם וְלַכְּבָשִׂים בְּמִסְפָּרָם כְּמִשְׁפָּטָם

וּשְׂעִיר חַטָּאת אֶחָד מִלְּבַד עֹלַת הַתָּמִיד מִנְחָתָהּ וְנִסְכָּהּ

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29:35 BA YOM HA SHEMINI ATSERET TIHEYEH LACHEM KOL MELECHET AVODAH LO TA'ASU

בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם כָּל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ

KJ: On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly: ye shall do no servile work therein:

BN: On the eighth day you shall hold a solemn assembly: you shall do no manner of servile work.

BA YOM HA SHEMINI ATSERET: It is most unusual in Yisra-Elite practice for the 8th day to be consecrated, other than as an extra day in the Diaspora just in case there was a calendrical error; Chanukah is the only other example (keeping the 8th day in the diaspora is a pragmatism, not an ordinance). Like the bullocks, does it belong to Elite practice and found itself continued on this occasion? Or is it in fact a completely separate festival, which just happens to become the 8th day of this one? Unlikely, given the phrasing; if it were, the text would phrase it very differently. Having said which, modern Reform Judaism regards Simchat Torah, which falls on the same day, as separate, but celebrates it on the same day, where orthodox communities hold Simchat Torah (which is a post-Biblical festival) on the 9th - click here.

KOL MELECHET AVODAH LO TA'ASU: Each time this phrase recurs I find myself wondering, but have not until now written the thought down: why is this presented as a double negative, rather than a single positive? It does not say "you shall do no work", servile or otherwise. It says "all of your work you shall not do".

SHEMINI ATSERET: a "solemn assembly", where previously the instruction was to hold a "holy convocation". What changed? Was there music in the one but not in the other? Did the tone of the Avodah alter? Were the congregation free to roam during the one, but asked to stay in their seats for the other? We simply don't know.

And now that we know that this is Shemini Atseret, can we read the whole of what came before it in this chapter as Sukot?

29:36 VE HIKRAVTEM OLAH ISHEH REYACH NICHO'ACH LA YHVH PAR ECHAD AYIL ECHAD KEVASIM BENEY SHANAH SHIV'AH TEMIYMIM

וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם עֹלָה אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַיהוָה פַּר אֶחָד אַיִל אֶחָד כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה שִׁבְעָה תְּמִימִם

KJ: But ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: one bullock, one ram, seven lambs of the first year without blemish:

BN: But you shall present a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour to YHVH: one bullock, one ram, seven yearling he-lambs without blemish.

Only one bullock now - because the seventh day is past, and the need for seven therefore passed.

29:37 MINCHATAM VE NISKEYHEM LA PAR LA AYIL VE LA KEVASIM BE MISPARAM KA MISHPAT

מִנְחָתָם וְנִסְכֵּיהֶם לַפָּר לָאַיִל וְלַכְּבָשִׂים בְּמִסְפָּרָם כַּמִּשְׁפָּט

KJ: Their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullock, for the ram, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:

BN: Their meal-offering and their drink-offerings for the bullock, for the ram, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the ordinance.

29:38 U SE'IR CHAT'AT ECHAD MILVAD OLAT HA TAMID U MINCHATAH VE NISKAH

וּשְׂעִיר חַטָּאת אֶחָד מִלְּבַד עֹלַת הַתָּמִיד וּמִנְחָתָהּ וְנִסְכָּהּ

KJ: And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.

BN: And one goat for a sin-offering; beside the continual burnt-offering, and its meal-offering, and its drink-offering thereof.

29:39 ELEH TA'ASU LA YHVH BE MO'ADEYCHEM LEVAD MI NIDREYCHEM VE NIDVOTEYCHEM LE OLOTEYCHEM U LE MINCHOTEYCHEM U LE NISKEYCHEM U LE SHALMEYCHEM

אֵלֶּה תַּעֲשׂוּ לַיהוָה בְּמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם לְבַד מִנִּדְרֵיכֶם וְנִדְבֹתֵיכֶם לְעֹלֹתֵיכֶם וּלְמִנְחֹתֵיכֶם וּלְנִסְכֵּיכֶם וּלְשַׁלְמֵיכֶם

KJ: These things ye shall do unto the LORD in your set feasts, beside your vows, and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your meat offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings.

BN: These you shall offer to YHVH in your appointed seasons, beside your vows, and your freewill-offerings, whether they be your burnt-offerings, or your meal-offerings, or your drink-offerings, or your peace-offerings.

What is chapter 30, verse 1 in some versions, including the Yehudit, is chapter 29, verse 40 in the King James. KJ then begins chapter 30 at what is 30:2 in most other versions. I have included this overlapping verse both here and on the next page.

Chapter 30:1 VA YOMER MOSHEH EL BENEY YISRA-EL KE CHOL ASHER TSIVAH YHVH ET MOSHEH

וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת מֹשֶׁה

KJ (29:40): And Moses told the children of Israel according to all that the LORD commanded Moses.

BN: And Mosheh told the Beney Yisra-El everything that YHVH instructed Mosheh.

Odd the repetition of MOSHEH; why not OTO - "him"?

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Sedra Matot begins at verse 2. As noted above, for the convenience of readers and students, I have nonetheless repeated verse 1 at the beginning of the next section.

SurfTheSite

Numbers 1 2 3 4a 4b 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 25b 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

The Argaman Press

TheBibleNet

Numbers 29:1-39 (continuing to Numbers 30:1)

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