Saadia · Bamidbar 25
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- Bamidbar 25:1
וַיֵּשֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּשִּׁטִּים וַיָּחֶל הָעָם לִזְנוֹת אֶל-בְּנוֹת מוֹאָב
. .
Then Israel settled in Shittim, and the people began to commit fornication with the daughters of Moab.
- Bamidbar 25:2
וַתִּקְרֶאןָ לָעָם לְזִבְחֵי אֱלֹהֵיהֶן וַיֹּאכַל הָעָם וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לֵאלֹהֵיהֶן
. . .
And they invited the people to the sacrifices of their objects of worship, and they ate of them and bowed down to them.
- Bamidbar 25:3
וַיִּצָּמֶד יִשְׂרָאֵל לְבַעַל פְּעוֹר וַיִּחַר-אַף יְהוָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל
.
And the house of Israel attached itself to Pe'or the idol, and the anger of God intensified against them.
- Bamidbar 25:4
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה קַח אֶת-כָּל-רָאשֵׁי הָעָם וְהוֹקַע אוֹתָם לַיהוָה נֶגֶד הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְיָשֹׁב חֲרוֹן אַף-יְהוָה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל
. . .
And God said to Moses: 'Take all the chiefs of the people, and crucify them before God facing the sun — that the intensity of God's anger may turn away from the house of Israel.'
- Bamidbar 25:5
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-שֹׁפְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הִרְגוּ אִישׁ אֲנָשָׁיו הַנִּצְמָדִים לְבַעַל פְּעוֹר
. .
And Moses said to their judges: 'Let every man in his district kill whoever is attached to Pe'or the idol.'
- Bamidbar 25:6
וְהִנֵּה אִישׁ מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּא וַיַּקְרֵב אֶל-אֶחָיו אֶת-הַמִּדְיָנִית לְעֵינֵי מֹשֶׁה וּלְעֵינֵי כָּל-עֲדַת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהֵמָּה בֹכִים פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד
. . . .
And behold, a man from the sons of Israel had come forward, and brought among them a Midianite woman — in the presence of Moses and their whole assembly, who were weeping at the door of the tent of the convocation.
- Bamidbar 25:7
וַיַּרְא פִּינְחָס בֶּן-אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן-אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן וַיָּקָם מִתּוֹךְ הָעֵדָה וַיִּקַּח רֹמַח בְּיָדוֹ
. . .
And when Phinehas son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest saw, he arose from the midst of the assembly, and took a spear in his hand.
- Bamidbar 25:8
וַיָּבֹא אַחַר אִישׁ-יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל-הַקֻּבָּה וַיִּדְקֹר אֶת-שְׁנֵיהֶם--אֵת אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶת-הָאִשָּׁה אֶל-קֳבָתָהּ וַתֵּעָצַר הַמַּגֵּפָה מֵעַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
. . . .
And he went in after him into the chamber, and thrust both of them through — the man and the woman through her belly — and the pestilence was checked from the sons of Israel.
- Bamidbar 25:9
וַיִּהְיוּ הַמֵּתִים בַּמַּגֵּפָה--אַרְבָּעָה וְעֶשְׂרִים אָלֶף
.
And the number of those who died in that pestilence was twenty-four thousand.
- Bamidbar 25:10
וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר
.
Then God spoke to Moses, saying:
- Bamidbar 25:11
פִּינְחָס בֶּן-אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן-אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן הֵשִׁיב אֶת-חֲמָתִי מֵעַל בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּקַנְאוֹ אֶת-קִנְאָתִי בְּתוֹכָם וְלֹא-כִלִּיתִי אֶת-בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּקִנְאָתִי
. . .
'Phinehas son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest has turned back My wrath from the sons of Israel, in that he was zealous for My sake among them, so that I did not destroy them with My punishment.
- Bamidbar 25:12
לָכֵן אֱמֹר הִנְנִי נֹתֵן לוֹ אֶת-בְּרִיתִי שָׁלוֹם
.
Therefore say to him: Behold, I am giving him My covenant of peace.
- Bamidbar 25:13
וְהָיְתָה לּוֹ וּלְזַרְעוֹ אַחֲרָיו בְּרִית כְּהֻנַּת עוֹלָם--תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר קִנֵּא לֵאלֹהָיו וַיְכַפֵּר עַל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
. . .
And it shall be for him and for his offspring after him a covenant of everlasting priesthood — in recompense for his zeal for his Lord, whereby he made atonement for the sons of Israel.'
- Bamidbar 25:14
וְשֵׁם אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל הַמֻּכֶּה אֲשֶׁר הֻכָּה אֶת-הַמִּדְיָנִית--זִמְרִי בֶּן-סָלוּא נְשִׂיא בֵית-אָב לַשִּׁמְעֹנִי
. . .
And the name of the Israelite man who was slain, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri son of Salu, a noble of his father's house among the Simeonites.
- Bamidbar 25:15
וְשֵׁם הָאִשָּׁה הַמֻּכָּה הַמִּדְיָנִית כָּזְבִּי בַת-צוּר רֹאשׁ אֻמּוֹת בֵּית-אָב בְּמִדְיָן הוּא
. .
And the name of the slain Midianite woman was Cozbi daughter of Zur — he being the head of the people of his nation's household in Midian.
- Bamidbar 25:16
וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר
Then God spoke to Moses, saying:
- Bamidbar 25:17
צָרוֹר אֶת-הַמִּדְיָנִים וְהִכִּיתֶם אוֹתָם
.
'Besiege the Midianites until you have killed them —
- Bamidbar 25:18
כִּי צֹרְרִים הֵם לָכֶם בְּנִכְלֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר-נִכְּלוּ לָכֶם עַל-דְּבַר-פְּעוֹר וְעַל-דְּבַר כָּזְבִּי בַת-נְשִׂיא מִדְיָן אֲחֹתָם הַמֻּכָּה בְיוֹם-הַמַּגֵּפָה עַל-דְּבַר-פְּעוֹר
. . . .
for they are enemies to you, through their treachery with which they have treacherously dealt against you by reason of Pe'or, and by reason of Cozbi daughter of the noble of Midian their kinswoman, who was slain on the day of the pestilence on account of Pe'or.'
English is a working draft — author revising