ספר דברים - פרשת שופטים - יח:א-ה - שלישי

The verse says: "The Kohanim, the Leviim, the entire tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. The fire-offerings of Hashem and His inheritance they shall eat." This means that the tribe of Levi, including both Kohanim and Leviim, do not receive a portion of land or inheritance like the other tribes of Israel. Instead, their sustenance comes from the offerings brought to Hashem and from the gifts that are considered His inheritance. The Torah is emphasizing that their livelihood is not from the land, but from the holy things that are brought as offerings, and from the gifts that the people are obligated to give them. This applies to all members of the tribe, regardless of whether they are Kohanim or Leviim, and regardless of whether they are physically whole or have blemishes.

Rashi explains on the words "Kol Shevet Levi"—the entire tribe of Levi—that this includes both those who are whole-bodied and those who are blemished. In other words, whether a Levi is physically unblemished or has a blemish, he is included in this rule and does not receive a portion or inheritance in the land. This is to clarify that the rule applies to all members of the tribe, without distinction based on physical condition.

On the word "Chelek"—portion—Rashi explains that this refers to the spoils, meaning the tribe of Levi does not receive a share in the spoils of war. When the land was conquered and the spoils were divided among the tribes, the tribe of Levi did not receive a portion in those spoils.

On the word "VeNachala"—inheritance—Rashi explains that this refers to the land itself. The tribe of Levi does not receive an inheritance in the land of Israel. So, not only do they not get a share in the spoils, but they also do not get a portion of the land when it is divided among the tribes.

The phrase "Ishei Hashem"—the fire-offerings of Hashem—refers to the holy sacrifices of the Temple, specifically the most sacred offerings. These are the offerings that are brought in the Beis HaMikdash, and from which the Kohanim receive their sustenance. The verse is teaching that instead of land or spoils, the Kohanim eat from these holy offerings.

Rashi explains on "VeNachalaso"—His inheritance—that these are the holy things of the boundaries, meaning the gifts that are eaten throughout the entire land, not just in the Temple. This includes terumos and ma'asros, the gifts of produce that are separated and given to the Kohanim and Leviim. However, Rashi adds that they do not have a complete inheritance among their brothers, meaning they do not receive a full share of land like the other tribes. Rashi further elaborates, quoting from the Sifri, that the phrase "VeNachala lo yiheyeh lo b'kerev echav"—he shall have no inheritance among his brothers—refers to the inheritance of the remainder, and he says, "I do not know what this is." Rashi then suggests that perhaps it refers to the land of Canaan, which is the part that you pass over the Jordan to enter, the land of the five nations, as opposed to the land of Sichon and Og, which is called the land of the two nations. Rashi discusses the division of the land and the distinction between the inheritance of the five and the seven nations, explaining that the Leviim do not receive a portion in either. He also brings a different version from Rabbi Kalonymus, which refers to the inheritance of the seven nations. Rashi explains that the division of the land was done in two stages: Moshe gave inheritance to Reuven, Gad, and half of Menashe (two and a half tribes), and Yehoshua gave to Yehuda, Ephraim, and the other half of Menashe (another two and a half tribes), totaling five. The other seven tribes took their portions after Yehoshua died. This is why the Torah mentions the five and the seven separately, to teach that the Leviim do not receive a portion in any of these inheritances.

This verse says, "He shall have no inheritance among his brothers; Hashem is his inheritance, as He spoke to him." The teacher explains that this means the tribe of Levi does not receive a portion of land among the other tribes of Israel. Instead, their inheritance is Hashem Himself, as was promised to them. The teacher points out that the verse repeats the idea of not having an inheritance, and then adds that Hashem is their inheritance, emphasizing that the Leviim's portion is spiritual rather than material. The teacher also notes that Rashi will explain the reason for this repetition and what it comes to teach us.

Rashi comments on the phrase "he shall have no inheritance among his brothers" and explains, quoting the Sifri, that this refers to the inheritance of the remainder, and "among his brothers" refers to the inheritance of the five. Rashi says, "I do not know what this is." The teacher elaborates that Rashi is trying to clarify what is meant by these different inheritances. Rashi suggests that the land of Canaan, which is beyond the Jordan, is called the land of the five nations, and the land of Sichon and Og, which is on this side of the Jordan, is called the land of the two nations, the Emori and the Canaani. The phrase "inheritance of the remainder" comes to include the Keni, Kenizi, and Kadmoni. The teacher explains that the Torah is warning that even when the Jewish people expand into these lands, the tribe of Levi still does not receive a portion there.

Rashi continues, citing a different version from Rabbi Kalonymus, that the Sifri actually says, "he shall have no inheritance" refers to the inheritance of the five, and "among his brothers" refers to the inheritance of the seven. The teacher explains that the division of the land of Israel was done by Moshe and Yehoshua to five tribes: Moshe gave to Reuven, Gad, and half of Menashe, and Yehoshua gave to Yehuda, Ephraim, and the other half of Menashe. The other seven tribes took their portions on their own after Yehoshua died. That is why the verse mentions five and seven separately, to indicate the different ways the land was distributed and to emphasize that the Leviim did not receive a portion in either group.

Rashi explains the phrase "as He spoke to him" refers to what Hashem said to Aharon: "In their land you shall not inherit... I am your portion" (from Bamidbar 18:20). The teacher notes that this is a direct reference to Hashem's promise to Aharon that the Kohanim and Leviim will not have a land inheritance, but rather Hashem Himself is their portion.

This verse discusses the gifts that the Kohanim receive from the people. It says, "And this shall be the judgment for the Kohanim from the people, from those who slaughter an offering, whether an ox or a sheep: he shall give to the Kohen the foreleg, the jaws, and the stomach." The teacher explains that whenever someone slaughters an animal as a korban, they are required to give these specific parts to the Kohen. The foreleg, the jaws, and the stomach are the designated gifts. The teacher also notes that these gifts are not given from the Kohanim themselves when they slaughter, but only from the rest of the people. The teacher further elaborates that these gifts are symbolic, and later Rashi will explain the reason for each of these gifts.

Rashi comments on the words "from the people" and explains that this excludes the Kohanim themselves. In other words, when a Kohen slaughters an animal, he does not have to give these gifts to another Kohen. The obligation is only on the rest of the people, not on the Kohanim.

The phrase "whether an ox or a sheep" is interpreted by the teacher, following Rashi, to exclude a chaya, a non-domesticated animal. The gifts to the Kohen are only given from domesticated animals like oxen and sheep, not from wild animals.

Rashi explains that the "foreleg" (zeroa) refers to the part of the leg from the joint of the knee down to the palm of the hand, which is called the ashpaladon (the bone of the shoulder blade). The teacher clarifies that this is the specific part that must be given to the Kohen as one of the gifts.

Rashi explains that the lecha'yayim—the jaws—are given to the Kohen together with the tongue. Those who interpret the symbolism of the Torah say that the zeroa—the foreleg—is given as a reward for the hand, as it says, "Vayikach romach beyado"—Pinchas took the spear in his hand. The lecha'yayim—the jaws—are given in place of prayer, which is done with the mouth, as it says, "Vaya'amod Pinchas vayifalel"—Pinchas stood up and prayed. So the Torah is hinting that these gifts correspond to the actions of the Kohen: the hand for the spear, the mouth for prayer.

Rashi continues and says that the keiva—the stomach—is given as a reward for what Pinchas did, as it says, "ha'isha el kevasa"—the woman to her stomach. This refers to the act of Pinchas, who pierced the woman through her stomach, and therefore the Kohen receives the stomach as a gift.

This unit is just a reference to the sources in Chullin 134b and the Rambam's Sefer Hamitzvos, mitzvah 143. The teacher does not elaborate on this unit, so there is nothing further to add.

The verse says: "Reishis deganecha tiroshcha veyitzharecha, vereishis gez tzonecha titen lo"—the first of your grain, your wine, and your oil, and the first of the shearing of your sheep, you shall give to him. The teacher explains that this means you have to give the first of your produce and the first of your sheep's wool to the Kohen. This is a mitzvah to separate these gifts and give them to the Kohen as part of the support for the tribe of Levi, since they do not have a portion in the land.

Rashi explains that "reishis deganecha"—the first of your grain—refers to teruma, the separation that is given to the Kohen. The Torah does not specify an exact amount for teruma, but our teachers, Chazal, gave a measurement for it. The teacher elaborates that the Torah left it open, but the sages established a standard for how much should be given.

The teacher explains the different measures for teruma: a generous eye—ayin yafeh—is one out of forty; a stingy eye—ayin ra'ah—is one out of sixty; and the average is one out of fifty. The sages based the minimum amount, not less than one out of sixty, on the verse in Yechezkel: "v'shishisam ha'eifah mechomer hase'orim"—you shall give a sixth of an eifah from a chomer of barley. A sixth of an eifah is half a se'ah. If you give half a se'ah for a kur, which is a chomer, then you have one sixtieth, since a kur is thirty se'ah. This is the source that the sages used to establish that a person should not give less than one sixtieth for teruma.

Rashi explains that "reishis gez tzonecha"—the first of the shearing of your sheep—means that when you shear your sheep each year, you should give from it the first to the Kohen. The Torah does not specify an amount, but our teachers gave a measure: one out of sixty. The teacher continues that the sages also established how many sheep are required to be obligated in this mitzvah: five sheep. As it says, "chamesh tzon asuyos"—five sheep made. Rabbi Akiva says that the phrase "reishis gez" counts as two, "gez tzonecha" as four, and "titen lo" makes five. So the obligation is when you have five sheep, you must give the first of the fleece to the Kohen.

This unit is just a reference to the Rambam's Sefer Hamitzvos, mitzvah 144. The teacher does not elaborate on this unit, so there is nothing further to add.

The verse says, "Because in him Hashem your God has chosen from all your tribes to stand and serve in the name of Hashem, he and his sons all the days." The teacher explains that this means Hashem chose the Kohanim from all the tribes to stand up and serve in the name of Hashem, and this applies to him and his sons for all time. The focus here is on the idea of standing up to serve, which the teacher will elaborate on further with Rashi's explanation.

Rashi comments on the phrase "La'amod Le'shareis"—to stand up and serve. From here, Rashi says, we learn that the service in the Beis HaMikdash, the holy work, must be done while standing. The teacher explains that this is the source for the halacha that the avodah, the service in the place of the Mikdash, has to be performed while standing up. It is not valid if done sitting or in any other position; it must be done standing, as derived from this verse.

This is a reference to the Talmud in Chullin 138a, which is the source for the halacha that the service must be done standing. The teacher notes that this is where the Gemara discusses and derives this law, connecting it back to the verse and Rashi's comment.