Saadia · Vayikra 10
Tafsir Reader
Tap any Judeo-Arabic word for a starter gloss. Hover any phrase to see its matching Hebrew, Judeo-Arabic, and English light up together. Toggle the Arabic-script form, the Hebrew translation, or the English off if you'd rather read without crutches.
New here? Read Saadia's own preface to this book.
- Vayikra 10:1
וַיִּקְחוּ בְנֵי-אַהֲרֹן נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא אִישׁ מַחְתָּתוֹ וַיִּתְּנוּ בָהֵן אֵשׁ וַיָּשִׂימוּ עָלֶיהָ קְטֹרֶת וַיַּקְרִיבוּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֵשׁ זָרָה--אֲשֶׁר לֹא צִוָּה אֹתָם
. . . . .
Then the sons of Aaron — Nadab and Abihu — each took his fire-pan, and placed fire in them, and set incense upon them, and brought before God a strange fire which He had not commanded them.
- Vayikra 10:2
וַתֵּצֵא אֵשׁ מִלִּפְנֵי יְהוָה וַתֹּאכַל אוֹתָם וַיָּמֻתוּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה
.
And fire went forth from before God and consumed them, and they died before God.
- Vayikra 10:3
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-אַהֲרֹן הוּא אֲשֶׁר-דִּבֶּר יְהוָה לֵאמֹר בִּקְרֹבַי אֶקָּדֵשׁ וְעַל-פְּנֵי כָל-הָעָם אֶכָּבֵד וַיִּדֹּם אַהֲרֹן
.
And Moses said to Aaron: 'This is what God said — I shall be exalted through those who draw near to Me, and in the presence of all the people I shall be honored.' And Aaron was silent.
- Vayikra 10:4
וַיִּקְרָא מֹשֶׁה אֶל-מִישָׁאֵל וְאֶל אֶלְצָפָן בְּנֵי עֻזִּיאֵל דֹּד אַהֲרֹן וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם קִרְבוּ שְׂאוּ אֶת-אֲחֵיכֶם מֵאֵת פְּנֵי-הַקֹּדֶשׁ אֶל-מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה
. . . . .
Then Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them: 'Come forward, carry your brothers from before the sanctuary to outside the camp.'
- Vayikra 10:5
וַיִּקְרְבוּ וַיִּשָּׂאֻם בְּכֻתֳּנֹתָם אֶל-מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה--כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר מֹשֶׁה
. .
And they came forward and carried them in their tunics to outside the camp, as Moses had commanded.
- Vayikra 10:6
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-אַהֲרֹן וּלְאֶלְעָזָר וּלְאִיתָמָר בָּנָיו רָאשֵׁיכֶם אַל-תִּפְרָעוּ וּבִגְדֵיכֶם לֹא-תִפְרֹמוּ וְלֹא תָמֻתוּ וְעַל כָּל-הָעֵדָה יִקְצֹף וַאֲחֵיכֶם כָּל-בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל--יִבְכּוּ אֶת-הַשְּׂרֵפָה אֲשֶׁר שָׂרַף יְהוָה
. . . . . .
And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar his sons: 'Do not dishevel your heads, and do not tear your garments, lest you perish — and upon all the congregation there shall be wrath. And your brothers, all the sons of Israel, shall weep over the burning which God has struck.'
- Vayikra 10:7
וּמִפֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֹא תֵצְאוּ פֶּן-תָּמֻתוּ--כִּי-שֶׁמֶן מִשְׁחַת יְהוָה עֲלֵיכֶם וַיַּעֲשׂוּ כִּדְבַר מֹשֶׁה
. . .
And from the entrance of the tent of the assembly you shall not go out, lest you perish — for the anointing oil of God is upon you.' And they did as Moses commanded.
- Vayikra 10:8
וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל-אַהֲרֹן לֵאמֹר
Then God spoke to Aaron directly.
- Vayikra 10:9
יַיִן וְשֵׁכָר אַל-תֵּשְׁתְּ אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ אִתָּךְ בְּבֹאֲכֶם אֶל-אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד--וְלֹא תָמֻתוּ חֻקַּת עוֹלָם לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם
. . .
'Wine and strong drink you shall not drink — you and your sons with you — when you enter the tent of the assembly, lest you perish. A statute forever, throughout your generations.'
- Vayikra 10:10
וּלְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין הַקֹּדֶשׁ וּבֵין הַחֹל וּבֵין הַטָּמֵא וּבֵין הַטָּהוֹר
. .
'And that you may separate between the sacred and the profane, and between the clean and the unclean;'
- Vayikra 10:11
וּלְהוֹרֹת אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל--אֵת כָּל-הַחֻקִּים אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהוָה אֲלֵיהֶם בְּיַד-מֹשֶׁה
. .
'and that you may give rulings to the sons of Israel in all the statutes which God commanded through Moses.'
- Vayikra 10:12
וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל אֶלְעָזָר וְאֶל-אִיתָמָר בָּנָיו הַנּוֹתָרִים קְחוּ אֶת-הַמִּנְחָה הַנּוֹתֶרֶת מֵאִשֵּׁי יְהוָה וְאִכְלוּהָ מַצּוֹת אֵצֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כִּי קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים הִוא
. . . .
Then Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his two remaining sons: 'Take the gift remaining from the offerings of God, and eat it unleavened beside the altar, for it is from among the choicest of the sacred things.'
- Vayikra 10:13
וַאֲכַלְתֶּם אֹתָהּ בְּמָקוֹם קָדוֹשׁ כִּי חָקְךָ וְחָק-בָּנֶיךָ הִוא מֵאִשֵּׁי יְהוָה כִּי-כֵן צֻוֵּיתִי
. . .
'And it is permitted that you eat it in a consecrated place, for it is your provision and the provision of your sons, from the offerings of God — for thus was I commanded.'
- Vayikra 10:14
וְאֵת חֲזֵה הַתְּנוּפָה וְאֵת שׁוֹק הַתְּרוּמָה תֹּאכְלוּ בְּמָקוֹם טָהוֹר--אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ וּבְנֹתֶיךָ אִתָּךְ כִּי-חָקְךָ וְחָק-בָּנֶיךָ נִתְּנוּ מִזִּבְחֵי שַׁלְמֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
. . . .
'And the portion of the waving and the leg of the elevation-offering — eat them in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you, for they are your provision and the provision of your sons, given to you from the well-being sacrifices of the sons of Israel.'
- Vayikra 10:15
שׁוֹק הַתְּרוּמָה וַחֲזֵה הַתְּנוּפָה עַל אִשֵּׁי הַחֲלָבִים יָבִיאוּ לְהָנִיף תְּנוּפָה לִפְנֵי יְהוָה וְהָיָה לְךָ וּלְבָנֶיךָ אִתְּךָ לְחָק-עוֹלָם כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה
. . . . .
'The leg of the elevation-offering and the portion of the waving shall come together with the fat offerings — they shall wave them as a waving before God; and it shall be for you and your sons with you a statute forever, as God commanded.'
- Vayikra 10:16
וְאֵת שְׂעִיר הַחַטָּאת דָּרֹשׁ דָּרַשׁ מֹשֶׁה--וְהִנֵּה שֹׂרָף וַיִּקְצֹף עַל-אֶלְעָזָר וְעַל-אִיתָמָר בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן הַנּוֹתָרִם לֵאמֹר
. . .
And Moses sought the he-goat of the purification-offering — and behold, it had already been burned. And he was angered with Eleazar and Ithamar, the remaining sons of Aaron, saying:
- Vayikra 10:17
מַדּוּעַ לֹא-אֲכַלְתֶּם אֶת-הַחַטָּאת בִּמְקוֹם הַקֹּדֶשׁ--כִּי קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים הִוא וְאֹתָהּ נָתַן לָכֶם לָשֵׂאת אֶת-עֲוֹן הָעֵדָה לְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיהֶם לִפְנֵי יְהוָה
. . . .
'What is your concern that you did not eat the purification-offering in a consecrated place? For it is from among the choicest of the sacred things, and God has already given it to you so that you may bear the burden of the congregation's guilt and seek forgiveness for them before God.'
- Vayikra 10:18
הֵן לֹא-הוּבָא אֶת-דָּמָהּ אֶל-הַקֹּדֶשׁ פְּנִימָה אָכוֹל תֹּאכְלוּ אֹתָהּ בַּקֹּדֶשׁ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוֵּיתִי
. . .
'Also, behold — none of its blood was brought into the inner sanctuary; it was therefore obligatory that you eat it in the sacred precinct, as I commanded you.'
- Vayikra 10:19
וַיְדַבֵּר אַהֲרֹן אֶל-מֹשֶׁה הֵן הַיּוֹם הִקְרִיבוּ אֶת-חַטָּאתָם וְאֶת-עֹלָתָם לִפְנֵי יְהוָה וַתִּקְרֶאנָה אֹתִי כָּאֵלֶּה וְאָכַלְתִּי חַטָּאת הַיּוֹם הַיִּיטַב בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה
. . . . .
And Aaron said to him: 'Behold, today they brought their purification-offering and their burnt-offering before God, and such calamities as these have befallen me — and had I eaten the purification-offering today, would that have been good in God's sight?'
- Vayikra 10:20
וַיִּשְׁמַע מֹשֶׁה וַיִּיטַב בְּעֵינָיו
.
And when Moses heard this, it seemed good to him.
English is a working draft — author revising