Saadia's Tafsir on Bamidbar 9 (Parashat Beha’alotcha)

Bamidbar 9:1

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה בְמִדְבַּר-סִינַי בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית לְצֵאתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן--לֵאמֹר

. . .

And before that, God spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the second year of their departure from the land of Egypt, in the first month, saying:

Bamidbar 9:2

וְיַעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת-הַפָּסַח בְּמוֹעֲדוֹ

.

"Let the sons of Israel perform the Passover at its appointed time."

Bamidbar 9:3

בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר-יוֹם בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם תַּעֲשׂוּ אֹתוֹ--בְּמֹעֲדוֹ כְּכָל-חֻקֹּתָיו וּכְכָל-מִשְׁפָּטָיו תַּעֲשׂוּ אֹתוֹ

. . . .

"On the fourteenth day of this month, between the two sunsets, you shall perform it at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and ordinances you shall perform it."

Bamidbar 9:4

וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲשֹׂת הַפָּסַח

And Moses spoke to the sons of Israel concerning the performance of the Passover.

Bamidbar 9:5

וַיַּעֲשׂוּ אֶת-הַפֶּסַח בָּרִאשׁוֹן בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם--בְּמִדְבַּר סִינָי כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת-מֹשֶׁה--כֵּן עָשׂוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

. . . .

And they performed it in the first month, on the fourteenth day of it, between the two sunsets, in the wilderness of Sinai — according to all that God had commanded Moses; so did the sons of Israel.

Bamidbar 9:6

וַיְהִי אֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ טְמֵאִים לְנֶפֶשׁ אָדָם וְלֹא-יָכְלוּ לַעֲשֹׂת-הַפֶּסַח בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וַיִּקְרְבוּ לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה וְלִפְנֵי אַהֲרֹן--בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא

. . . .

And there were among them people who had become impure from a dead person, and it was not permitted for them to perform the Passover on that day; so they came forward regarding it, before Moses and Aaron.

Bamidbar 9:7

וַיֹּאמְרוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים הָהֵמָּה אֵלָיו אֲנַחְנוּ טְמֵאִים לְנֶפֶשׁ אָדָם לָמָּה נִגָּרַע לְבִלְתִּי הַקְרִיב אֶת-קָרְבַּן יְהוָה בְּמֹעֲדוֹ בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

. . . .

And they said: "We are impure from a dead person — why then should we be prevented from bringing the offering of God at its appointed time, among the sons of Israel?"

Bamidbar 9:8

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם מֹשֶׁה עִמְדוּ וְאֶשְׁמְעָה מַה-יְצַוֶּה יְהוָה לָכֶם

. .

And Moses said to them: "Wait, until I hear what God will command concerning you."

Bamidbar 9:9

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר

Then God spoke to Moses directly.

Bamidbar 9:10

דַּבֵּר אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר אִישׁ אִישׁ כִּי-יִהְיֶה-טָמֵא לָנֶפֶשׁ אוֹ בְדֶרֶךְ רְחֹקָה לָכֶם אוֹ לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם וְעָשָׂה פֶסַח לַיהוָה

. . . .

"Command the sons of Israel, saying: Any person who has been impure from a dead person, or is on a journey from among you, or from your generations — let him perform a Passover for God.

Bamidbar 9:11

בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם--יַעֲשׂוּ אֹתוֹ עַל-מַצּוֹת וּמְרֹרִים יֹאכְלֻהוּ

. . .

In the second month, on the fourteenth day of it, between the two sunsets, perform it at its appointed time; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.

Bamidbar 9:12

לֹא-יַשְׁאִירוּ מִמֶּנּוּ עַד-בֹּקֶר וְעֶצֶם לֹא יִשְׁבְּרוּ-בוֹ כְּכָל-חֻקַּת הַפֶּסַח יַעֲשׂוּ אֹתוֹ

. .

They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor shall they break a bone of it; and according to the rest of the statutes of the Passover they shall perform it.

Bamidbar 9:13

וְהָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר-הוּא טָהוֹר וּבְדֶרֶךְ לֹא-הָיָה וְחָדַל לַעֲשׂוֹת הַפֶּסַח--וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא מֵעַמֶּיהָ כִּי קָרְבַּן יְהוָה לֹא הִקְרִיב בְּמֹעֲדוֹ--חֶטְאוֹ יִשָּׂא הָאִישׁ הַהוּא

. . . .

But any man who is pure and was not on a journey, and refrained from performing the Passover — that person shall be cut off from among his people, since he did not bring the offering of God at its appointed time; that man has borne his guilt.

Bamidbar 9:14

וְכִי-יָגוּר אִתְּכֶם גֵּר וְעָשָׂה פֶסַח לַיהוָה--כְּחֻקַּת הַפֶּסַח וּכְמִשְׁפָּטוֹ כֵּן יַעֲשֶׂה חֻקָּה אַחַת יִהְיֶה לָכֶם וְלַגֵּר וּלְאֶזְרַח הָאָרֶץ

. . . .

And if a stranger enters among you, let him perform a Passover for God; according to the statute of the Passover and its ordinance, so shall he perform it — for one law shall there be for you, for the stranger and for the native-born of the nation."

Bamidbar 9:15

וּבְיוֹם הָקִים אֶת-הַמִּשְׁכָּן כִּסָּה הֶעָנָן אֶת-הַמִּשְׁכָּן לְאֹהֶל הָעֵדֻת וּבָעֶרֶב יִהְיֶה עַל-הַמִּשְׁכָּן כְּמַרְאֵה-אֵשׁ--עַד-בֹּקֶר

. .

And on the day of the erection of the tabernacle, the cloud covered it — over the tent of testimony; and at night it would be upon it, like the appearance of fire until the morning.

Bamidbar 9:16

כֵּן יִהְיֶה תָמִיד הֶעָנָן יְכַסֶּנּוּ וּמַרְאֵה-אֵשׁ לָיְלָה

. .

So it would be continually: the cloud covering it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.

Bamidbar 9:17

וּלְפִי הֵעָלוֹת הֶעָנָן מֵעַל הָאֹהֶל--וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יִסְעוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבִמְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁכָּן-שָׁם הֶעָנָן--שָׁם יַחֲנוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

. . .

And according to the lifting of the cloud from upon the tent, after that the sons of Israel would set out; and in the place where the cloud would settle, there the sons of Israel would encamp.

Bamidbar 9:18

עַל-פִּי יְהוָה יִסְעוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל-פִּי יְהוָה יַחֲנוּ כָּל-יְמֵי אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁכֹּן הֶעָנָן עַל-הַמִּשְׁכָּן--יַחֲנוּ

. . . .

At the word of God the sons of Israel would set out, and at His word they would encamp; all the duration of the time that the cloud dwelt upon the tabernacle, they remained encamped.

Bamidbar 9:19

וּבְהַאֲרִיךְ הֶעָנָן עַל-הַמִּשְׁכָּן יָמִים רַבִּים--וְשָׁמְרוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת-מִשְׁמֶרֶת יְהוָה וְלֹא יִסָּעוּ

. . .

And if the cloud lingered many days upon the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would observe the charge of God and not set out.

Bamidbar 9:20

וְיֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה הֶעָנָן יָמִים מִסְפָּר--עַל-הַמִּשְׁכָּן עַל-פִּי יְהוָה יַחֲנוּ וְעַל-פִּי יְהוָה יִסָּעוּ

.

And sometimes the cloud was upon the tabernacle for a number of countable days; they would encamp at the word of God, and at His word they would set out.

Bamidbar 9:21

וְיֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר-יִהְיֶה הֶעָנָן מֵעֶרֶב עַד-בֹּקֶר וְנַעֲלָה הֶעָנָן בַּבֹּקֶר וְנָסָעוּ אוֹ יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה וְנַעֲלָה הֶעָנָן וְנָסָעוּ

. . .

And sometimes the cloud was from evening until morning; then it would lift at daybreak and they would set out. Or a day and a night — then it would lift and they would set out.

Bamidbar 9:22

אוֹ-יֹמַיִם אוֹ-חֹדֶשׁ אוֹ-יָמִים בְּהַאֲרִיךְ הֶעָנָן עַל-הַמִּשְׁכָּן לִשְׁכֹּן עָלָיו יַחֲנוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא יִסָּעוּ וּבְהֵעָלֹתוֹ יִסָּעוּ

. . .

Or two days, or a month, or a full year: whenever the duration of the cloud upon the tabernacle was prolonged, to dwell upon it — the sons of Israel remained encamped and did not set out; and at its lifting they would set out.

Bamidbar 9:23

עַל-פִּי יְהוָה יַחֲנוּ וְעַל-פִּי יְהוָה יִסָּעוּ אֶת-מִשְׁמֶרֶת יְהוָה שָׁמָרוּ עַל-פִּי יְהוָה בְּיַד-מֹשֶׁה

. . .

So at the word of God they would encamp, and at His word they would set out; and they kept what He had entrusted to them to keep, of His word, by the hand of Moses.