Preparing the Sanctuary to Move

4 Adonai spoke to Moses and to Aaron saying, ² “Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families and by their ancestral households, ³ everyone from 30 years of age to 50, all who come to serve doing the work in the Tent of Meeting.

⁴ “This is the task of the sons of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting—the most holy things. ⁵ Whenever the camp is about to move out, Aaron and his sons are to take down the shielding curtain^[a] and cover the Ark of the Testimony with it. ⁶ Then they are to cover this with porpoise hide, then spread over it a cloth of solid blue. Then they are to put its poles in place.

⁷ “Then over the table of the Presence they are to spread a solid blue cloth, then lay on it the plates, ladles, bowls, and jars for the drink offering. The bread that is continually there is to remain there. ^{[b] 8} Over them they are to spread a solid scarlet cloth, cover it with a covering of porpoise hide, then install its poles.

⁹ “Then they are to take a blue cloth and cover the menorah for light, along with its lamps, tongs, snuffers and oil jars that they use to tend to it. ¹⁰ They then are to wrap it and all its accessories in a cover of porpoise hide and place it all on a carrying frame.

¹¹ “Over the golden altar they are to spread a blue cloth and cover that with a covering of porpoise hide, then put its poles in place.

¹² “They are to take all the utensils used for the service of the ministry of the Sanctuary, wrap them in a blue cloth, cover them with porpoise hide, and place them on a carrying frame.

¹³ “They are to remove the ashes from the altar, then spread over it a purple cloth. ¹⁴ They are to put onto it all the utensils with which they tend to the altar, among them the firepans, meat forks, shovels and sprinkling bowls. They are to spread over it a covering of porpoise hide and install its poles.

¹⁵ “When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the Sanctuary and all its holy implements, and when the camp is ready to move out, after this the sons of Kohath may come to do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy items or they will die. These are the task of the sons of Kohath with regard to the Tent of Meeting.

¹⁶ “Eleazar son of Aaron the kohen will have charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the regular grain offering and the anointing oil. He is to have charge of the Tabernacle and all that is in it, including its holy items and all its implements.”

¹⁷ Adonai spoke to Moses and Aaron saying, ¹⁸ “You are not to let the families of the tribe of the Kohathites be cut off from among the Levites. ¹⁹ Do this for them so that they may live and not die whenever they approach the most holy items—Aaron and his sons are to go into the Sanctuary and assign each man his job and his responsibility. ²⁰ But the Kohathites are not to go in to look at what is holy, not even momentarily, or they will die.”

Parashat Naso

²¹ Again Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ²² “Take a census also of the sons of Gershon, by their ancestral households and by their families. ²³ Count all the males from 30 to 50 years of age, everyone coming to work in the service of the Tent of Meeting. ²⁴ This is the task of the Gershonite families in working and carrying burdens. ²⁵ They are to carry the curtains of the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, its covering, the outer covering of porpoise hide, the curtains for the entrance for the Tent of Meeting, ²⁶ the curtains surrounding the courtyard and the altar, the curtain for the entrance, the ropes and all the equipment used in its operations. They are to do all that needs to be done with these things.

²⁷ The sons of the Gershonites are to do all their tasks, whether carrying or doing other work, according to the word of Aaron and his sons. You are to assign to them all that is their responsibility to carry. ²⁸ This is the duty of the families of the sons of the Gershonites regarding the Tent of Meeting. Their duty will be under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the kohen.

²⁹ Next, count the sons of Merari, according to their families and their ancestral houses, ³⁰ sons 30 years old and upward to 50, everyone coming to work in the service of the Tent of Meeting. ³¹ This is their task in the service of the Tent of Meeting: the frames of the Tabernacle, its crossbars, posts and bases, ³² as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard, plus their bases, tent pegs, ropes, and all their paraphernalia with everything related to their operation. Assign to them by name their duties and tasks. ³³ This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari as they work under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the kohen.”

³⁴ So Moses, Aaron and the princes of the community counted the sons of the Kohathites according to their families and their ancestral households. ³⁵ All the men who came to do the service of the Tent of Meeting, from 30 to 50 years of age, ³⁶ were counted by families—2,750. ³⁷ This was the total of those in the families of the Kohathites, every one serving in the Tent of Meeting—Moses and Aaron counted them according to the mouth of Adonai by Moses’s hand.

³⁸ The sons of Gershon were counted according to their families and their ancestral households. ³⁹ Males from 30 years old and upward to 50, all those coming into the work of the service of the Tent of Meeting, ⁴⁰ numbered according to their families and ancestral households 2,630. ⁴¹ These were those counted from the families of the sons of Gershon, each serving in the Tent of Meeting—Moses and Aaron counted according to the mouth of Adonai.

⁴² Those were counted from the families and ancestral households of the sons of Merari, ⁴³ from 30 years of age upward to 50, who came to the work of the service of the Tent of Meeting. ⁴⁴ Numbered by their families, they were 3,200. ⁴⁵ These were those numbered from the families of the sons of Merari by Moses and Aaron in accordance with the mouth of Adonai by Moses’s hand.

⁴⁶ Thus Moses, Aaron and the princes of Israel counted all the Levites by their families and by their ancestral houses. ⁴⁷ All the men from 30 to 50 years old who came to do the work of the service and of carrying the Tent of Meeting ⁴⁸ numbered 8,580.

⁴⁹ From the mouth of Adonai by Moses’s hand, each man was assigned his work and his burden to carry. So they were counted, as Adonai commanded Moses.

Purity in the Camp

5 Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ² “Command Bnei-Yisrael to send out from the camp everyone with tza’arat, who has some kind of discharge, or any contaminated by a dead body. ³ Whether male or female, you are to send them outside the camp so as not to defile the camp where I am dwelling among them.” ⁴ This Bnei-Yisrael did, sending them outside the camp. Just as Adonai spoke to Moses, so Bnei-Yisrael did.

⁵ Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ⁶ “Say to Bnei-Yisrael: Whenever a man or woman commits any sins against any person, thus breaking faith with Adonai, that soul bears guilt. ⁷ That person is to confess the sin he has committed, make full restitution for his wrong, add one fifth to it and give it to the one he wronged. ^{[c] 8} But if that person has no close relative to whom to pay the restitution, the restitution belongs to Adonai. It is to be given to the kohen along with the ram of atonement with which he is to make atonement for him.

⁹ “Every contribution from all the sacred things that Bnei-Yisrael brings to the kohen will belong to him. ¹⁰ Each one’s sacred holy gifts are his own, but whatever each man gives to the kohen belongs to that kohen.”

Jealousy Ritual

¹¹ Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ¹² “Speak to Bnei-Yisrael and say to them: Suppose some man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him, ¹³ and another man has sexual relations with her, but it is hidden from her husband’s eyes and her impurity is not detected. Yet there was no witness against her and she was not caught in the act. ¹⁴ Then a spirit of jealousy overcomes him and he is suspicious of his wife, when she is impure. Or a spirit of jealousy overcomes him and he suspects his wife, yet she is not impure.

¹⁵ “Then he should take his wife to the kohen. He must also bring a tenth of an ephah of barley flour as an offering for her. He is not to pour oil or put incense on it, because it is an offering for jealousy, a reminder offering drawing attention to guiltiness.

¹⁶ “The kohen is to bring her near and have her stand before Adonai. ¹⁷ Then the kohen is to take some holy water in a clay jar and take some dust from the floor of the Tabernacle and put it into the water. ¹⁸ Then the kohen will have the woman stand before Adonai, loosen the woman’s hair, put into her hands the reminder offering, the offering for jealousy, while in the kohen’s own hands are the bitter waters that bring a curse. ¹⁹ Then the kohen will have her swear under oath, then say to the woman, ‘If no man other than your husband has slept with you, and if you have not gone astray into impurity from your husband, may this bitter water that brings a curse not harm you. ²⁰ If, however, you have gone astray from your husband and if you became impure and had sexual relations with a man other than your husband’— ²¹ Then the kohen is to have the woman swear under this oath of a curse, and say to the woman—‘then let Adonai cause you to be cursed and denounced among your people when Adonai causes your thigh to rot and your belly to swell. ²² “May this water which brings a curse enter your body and cause your belly to swell and your thigh to rot.’

“The woman is to say, ‘Amen, amen!’

²³ “Then the kohen is to write these curses on a scroll and wash them into the waters of bitterness. ²⁴ The kohen will then have the woman drink the bitter water bearing curses, so that the water of the curses of bitterness enters her. ²⁵ The kohen is to take the jealousy offering from the woman’s hand, wave the offering before Adonai and bring it to the altar. ²⁶ The kohen is to take a handful of the grain offering and burn it up in smoke on the altar as a memorial offering. The kohen will then have the woman drink the water.

²⁷ “When she is made to drink the water that carries the curse, if she has defiled herself and been unfaithful to her husband, it will enter her and cause bitterness—her abdomen will swell and her thigh will waste away. She will be accursed among her people. ²⁸ If, however, the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, she will be free from guilt and be able to have children.

²⁹ “This is the Torah regarding jealousy, when a woman goes astray from her husband and defiles herself, ³⁰ or when a spirit of jealousy comes over a man and he jealously suspects his wife. The kohen is to have her stand before Adonai and apply this entire Torah to her. ³¹ The husband will be free of guilt, but that woman will bear her guilt.”

Nazirite Vows

6 Again Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ² “Speak to Bnei-Yisrael and say to them: Any man or woman who desires to vow a Nazirite vow to be separate for Adonai, ^{[d] 3} is to abstain from wine and any other fermented drink. He is not to drink any vinegar made from wine or any fermented drink, or any grape juice, or eat grapes or raisins.

⁴ “All during his days as a Nazirite he is not to eat anything from the grapevine—even the seeds or skins. ⁵ All the duration of his Nazirite vow, no razor is to come on his head until the time of his consecration to Adonai is over. He is to be holy, and the hair of his head is to grow long. ⁶ All the days of his separation to Adonai, he is not to go near a dead body. ⁷ Even if his father, mother, brother or sister should die, he is not to make himself unclean, because his consecration to God is on his head. ⁸ All the days of his separation, he is to be consecrated to Adonai.

⁹ “Now if someone should die suddenly in his presence, thereby defiling his dedicated head, he is to shave his head on the day of his purification—the seventh day. ¹⁰ Then on the eighth day, he is to bring two doves or two young pigeons to the kohen at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. ¹¹ The kohen is to offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. He is to make atonement for him because he sinned through the corpse. He must consecrate his head on the same day. ¹² He will be dedicated to Adonai for the days of his Nazirite separation. He is to bring a year-old male lamb as a guilt offering. The previous days will not count because he was contaminated during his Nazirite separation.

¹³ “Then this is the Torah of the Nazirite when his period of separation is over. He must be brought to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. ¹⁴ He is to present his offering to Adonai: a year-old male lamb without flaw as a burnt offering, a year-old female lamb without flaw as a sin offering, a flawless ram as a fellowship offering, ^{[e] 15} along with a basket of matzah cakes made of fine flour mixed with oil and matzah wafers spread with oil, along with their grain and drink offerings.

¹⁶ “The kohen will offer these before Adonai, and present his sin offering and burnt offering. ¹⁷ Then he is to sacrifice the ram as a fellowship offering to Adonai, along with the basket of matzot. The kohen will also present the grain and drink offerings. ¹⁸ The Nazirite is then to shave the hair of his dedication at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and he is to take the hair of his dedication and put it into the fire of the fellowship offering sacrifice. ¹⁹ The kohen is to take the boiled shoulder of the ram and one matzah cake and one matzah wafer from the basket, and he is to place them into the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved the hair of his dedication. ²⁰ The kohen will wave them before Adonai as a wave offering. They are holy, and belong to the kohen along with the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. Afterward, the Nazirite may drink wine.

²¹ This is the Torah regarding the Nazirite who vows his offering to Adonai with regard to his consecration, besides whatever else he can afford. He must fulfill the vow he has made, in accordance with the Torah of his consecration.’”

Aaronic Benediction

²² Again Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ²³ “Speak to Aaron and to his sons saying: Thus you are to bless Bnei-Yisrael, by saying to them:

²⁷ In this way they are to place My Name over Bnei-Yisrael, and so I will bless them.”

Offerings of Tribal Princes

7 When Moses finished setting up the Tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it and all its implements, the altar and all its utensils, and he anointed and consecrated them. ² Then the princes of Israel, heads of their ancestral houses—they were tribal princes in charge over those who were numbered—gave offerings. ³ They brought as their gift before Adonai six covered carts and twelve oxen. A cart came from every two princes and an ox from each one of them. They presented them before the Tabernacle.

⁴ Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ⁵ “Accept these from them to use in the service of the Tent of Meeting. Give them to the Levites to use as each man’s work requires.”

⁶ So Moses took the carts and the oxen and he gave them to the Levites. ⁷ He gave two carts and four oxen to the sons of Gershon, as their work required, ⁸ and four carts and eight oxen to the sons of Merari, as their work required, under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the kohen. ⁹ But to the sons of Kohath he did not give any because their responsibility was carrying the holy items on their shoulders.

¹⁰ When the altar was anointed, the princes brought their dedication offerings and presented them before Adonai. ¹¹ For Adonai had said to Moses, “Each day one of the princes is to bring his offering for the altar’s dedication.”

¹² Bringing his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab, from the tribe of Judah. ¹³ His offering was one silver plate weighing 130 shekels, one silver basin weighing 70 shekels by the shekel of the Sanctuary, both of them filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, ¹⁴ one ladle of 10 shekels of gold filled with incense, ¹⁵ one young bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old as a burnt offering, ¹⁶ one male goat as a sin offering, ¹⁷ and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs one year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.

¹⁸ On the second day, Nethanel son of Zuar, prince of Issachar, brought his offering. ¹⁹ The offering he brought was one silver plate weighing 130 shekels, one silver basin weighing 70 shekels according to the shekel of the Sanctuary, both filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, ²⁰ one gold ladle of 10 shekels filled with incense, ²¹ one young bull, one ram and one male lamb one year old for a burnt offering, ²² one male goat for a sin offering, ²³ and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs one year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar.

²⁴ On the third day was the prince of the sons of Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon. ²⁵ His offering was one silver plate weighing 130 shekels, one silver basin weighing 70 shekels, both according to the shekel of the Sanctuary, both filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, ²⁶ one ladle of 10 shekels of gold filled with incense, ²⁷ one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering, ²⁸ one male goat for a sin offering, ²⁹ two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.

³⁰ On the fourth day was the prince of the sons of Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur. ³¹ His offering was one silver plate weighing 130 shekels, one silver basin weighing 70 shekels according to the shekel of the Sanctuary, both filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, ³² one ladle of 10 shekels of gold filled with incense, ³³ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering, ³⁴ one male goat for a sin offering, ³⁵ and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur.

³⁶ On the fifth day was the prince of the sons of Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. ³⁷ His offering was one silver plate weighing 130 shekels, one silver basin weighing 70 shekels according to the shekel of the Sanctuary, both filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, ³⁸ one ladle of 10 shekels of gold filled with incense, ³⁹ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering, ⁴⁰ one male goat for a sin offering, ⁴¹ and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.

⁴² On the sixth day was the prince of the sons of Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel. ⁴³ His offering was one silver plate weighing 130 shekels, one silver basin weighing 70 shekels according to the shekel of the Sanctuary, both filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, ⁴⁴ one ladle of 10 shekels of gold filled with incense, ⁴⁵ one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering, ⁴⁶ one male goat for a sin offering, ⁴⁷ and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel.

⁴⁸ On the seventh day was the prince of the sons of Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud. ⁴⁹ His offering was one silver plate weighing 130 shekels, one silver basin weighing 70 shekels according to the shekel of the Sanctuary, both filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, ⁵⁰ one ladle of 10 shekels of gold filled with incense, ⁵¹ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering, ⁵² one male goat for a sin offering, ⁵³ and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud.

⁵⁴ On the eighth day was the prince of the sons of Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. ⁵⁵ His offering was one silver plate weighing 130 shekels, one silver basin weighing 70 shekels according to the shekel of the Sanctuary, both filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, ⁵⁶ one ladle of 10 shekels of gold filled with incense, ⁵⁷ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering, ⁵⁸ one male goat for a sin offering, ⁵⁹ and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.

⁶⁰ On the ninth day was the prince of the sons of Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni. ⁶¹ His offering was one silver plate weighing 130 shekels, one silver basin weighing 70 shekels according to the shekel of the Sanctuary, both filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, ⁶² one ladle of 10 shekels of gold filled with incense, ⁶³ one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering, ⁶⁴ one male goat for a sin offering, ⁶⁵ and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni.

⁶⁶ On the tenth day came the prince of the sons of Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. ⁶⁷ His offering was one silver plate weighing 130 shekels, one silver basin weighing 70 shekels according to the shekel of the Sanctuary, both filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, ⁶⁸ one ladle of 10 shekels of gold filled with incense, ⁶⁹ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old as a burnt offering, ⁷⁰ one male goat for a sin offering, ⁷¹ and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.

⁷² On the eleventh day came the prince of the sons of Asher, Pagiel son of Ochran. ⁷³ His offering was one silver plate weighing 130 shekels, one silver basin weighing 70 shekels according to the shekel of the Sanctuary, both filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, ⁷⁴ one ladle of 10 shekels of gold filled with incense, ⁷⁵ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old as a burnt offering, ⁷⁶ one male goat for a sin offering, ⁷⁷ and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Pagiel son of Ochran.

⁷⁸ On the twelfth day came the prince of the sons of Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan. ⁷⁹ His offering was one silver plate weighing 130 shekels, one silver basin weighing 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the Sanctuary, both filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, ⁸⁰ one ladle of 10 shekels of gold, filled with incense, ⁸¹ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering, ⁸² one male goat for a sin offering, ⁸³ and two young bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan.

⁸⁴ This was the dedication offering from the princes of Israel for the day when the altar was to be anointed: twelve silver plates, twelve silver basins, twelve gold ladles. ⁸⁵ Each silver plate was of 130 shekels, and each silver basin was of 70 shekels. Altogether, the silver utensils weighed 2,400 shekels according to the shekel of the Sanctuary.

⁸⁶ The ten gold ladles filled with incense each weighed 10 shekels, by the shekel of the Sanctuary. Altogether, the gold ladles totaled 120 shekels.

⁸⁷ The total of the livestock for the burnt offering was twelve young bulls, twelve rams, and twelve male lambs a year old, along with their grain offering. Twelve male goats were sin offerings. ⁸⁸ The total number of livestock used for sacrifice of fellowship offerings was 24 oxen, 60 rams, 60 male goats and 60 male lambs a year old. These were the dedicatory offerings for the altar after it was anointed.

⁸⁹ When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with Adonai, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the atonement cover^[g] atop the Ark of Testimony between the cheruvim. So he spoke with Him.