Parashat Naso

יהוה spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:
Take a [separate] census of the Kohathites among the Levites, by the clans of their ancestral house,
from the age of thirty years up to the age of fifty, all who are subject to service, to perform tasks for the Tent of Meeting.
This is the responsibility of the Kohathites in the Tent of Meeting: the most sacred objects.
At the breaking of camp, Aaron and his sons shall go in and take down the screening curtain and cover the Ark of the Pact with it.
They shall lay a covering of dolphin^*dolphin Or “dugong”; meaning of Hebrew taḥash uncertain. skin over it and spread a cloth of pure blue on top; and they shall put its poles in place.
Over the table of display they shall spread a blue cloth; they shall place upon it the bowls, the ladles, the jars, and the libation jugs; and the regular bread shall rest upon it.
They shall spread over these a crimson cloth which they shall cover with a covering of dolphin skin; and they shall put the poles in place.
Then they shall take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand for lighting, with its lamps, its tongs, and its fire pans, as well as all the oil vessels that are used in its service.
They shall put it and all its furnishings into a covering of dolphin skin, which they shall then place on a carrying frame.
Next they shall spread a blue cloth over the altar of gold and cover it with a covering of dolphin skin; and they shall put its poles in place.
They shall take all the service vessels with which the service in the sanctuary is performed, put them into a blue cloth and cover them with a covering of dolphin skin, which they shall then place on a carrying frame.
They shall remove the ashes from the [copper] altar and spread a purple cloth over it.
Upon it they shall place all the vessels that are used in its service: the fire pans, the flesh hooks, the scrapers, and the basins—all the vessels of the altar—and over it they shall spread a covering of dolphin skin; and they shall put its poles in place.
^*Continuing v. 4. When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sacred objects and all the furnishings of the sacred objects at the breaking of camp, only then shall the Kohathites come and lift them, so that they do not come in contact with the sacred objects and die. These things in the Tent of Meeting shall be the porterage of the Kohathites.
Responsibility shall rest with Eleazar son of Aaron the priest for the lighting oil, the aromatic incense, the regular meal offering, and the anointing oil—responsibility for the whole Tabernacle and for everything consecrated that is in it or in its vessels.
יהוה spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:
Do not let the group of Kohathite clans be cut off from the Levites.
Do this with them, that they may live and not die when they approach the most sacred objects: let Aaron and his sons go in and assign each of them to his duties and to his porterage.
But let not [the Kohathites] go inside and witness the dismantling of the sanctuary,^*witness the dismantling of the sanctuary Others “look at the sacred objects even for a moment.” lest they die.
יהוה spoke to Moses:
Take a census of the Gershonites also, by their ancestral house and by their clans.
Record them from the age of thirty years up to the age of fifty, all who are subject to service in the performance of tasks for the Tent of Meeting.
These are the duties of the Gershonite clans as to labor and porterage:
they shall carry the cloths of the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting with its covering, the covering of dolphin skin that is on top of it, and the screen for the entrance of the Tent of Meeting;
the hangings of the enclosure, the screen at the entrance of the gate of the enclosure that surrounds the Tabernacle, the cords thereof, and the altar, and all their service equipment and all their accessories; and they shall perform the service.
All the duties of the Gershonites, all their porterage and all their service, shall be performed on orders from Aaron and his sons; you shall make them responsible for attending to all their porterage.
Those are the duties of the Gershonite clans for the Tent of Meeting; they shall attend to them under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.
As for the Merarites, you shall record them by the clans of their ancestral house;
you shall record them from the age of thirty years up to the age of fifty, all who are subject to service in the performance of the duties for the Tent of Meeting.
These are their porterage tasks in connection with their various duties for the Tent of Meeting: the planks, the bars, the posts, and the sockets of the Tabernacle;
the posts around the enclosure and their sockets, pegs, and cords—all these furnishings and their service: you shall list by name the objects that are their porterage tasks.
Those are the duties of the Merarite clans, pertaining to their various duties in the Tent of Meeting under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.
So Moses, Aaron, and the chieftains of the community recorded the Kohathites by the clans of their ancestral house,
from the age of thirty years up to the age of fifty, all who were subject to service for work relating to the Tent of Meeting.
Those recorded by their clans came to 2,750.
That was the enrollment of the Kohathite clans, all those who performed duties relating to the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron recorded at the command of יהוה through Moses.
The Gershonites who were recorded by the clans of their ancestral house,
from the age of thirty years up to the age of fifty, all who were subject to service for work relating to the Tent of Meeting—
those recorded by the clans of their ancestral house came to 2,630.
That was the enrollment of the Gershonite clans, all those performing duties relating to the Tent of Meeting whom Moses and Aaron recorded at the command of יהוה.
The enrollment of the Merarite clans by the clans of their ancestral house,
from the age of thirty years up to the age of fifty, all who were subject to service for work relating to the Tent of Meeting—
those recorded by their clans came to 3,200.
That was the enrollment of the Merarite clans which Moses and Aaron recorded at the command of יהוה through Moses.
All the Levites whom Moses, Aaron, and the chieftains of Israel recorded by the clans of their ancestral houses,
from the age of thirty years up to the age of fifty, all who were subject to duties of service and porterage relating to the Tent of Meeting—
those recorded came to 8,580.
Each one was given responsibility for his service and porterage at the command of יהוה through Moses, and each was recorded as יהוה had commanded Moses.
יהוה spoke to Moses, saying:
Instruct the Israelites to remove from camp anyone with an eruption or a discharge^*an eruption or a discharge See Leviticus chapters 13 and 15, respectively. and anyone defiled by a corpse.
Remove male and female alike; put them outside the camp so that they do not defile the camp of those in whose midst I dwell.
The Israelites did so, putting them outside the camp; as יהוה had spoken to Moses, so the Israelites did.
יהוה spoke to Moses, saying:
Speak to the Israelites: When men or women individually commit any wrong toward a fellow human being, thus breaking faith with יהוה, and they realize their guilt,
they shall confess the wrong that they have done. They shall make restitution in the principal amount and add one-fifth to it, giving it to the one who was wronged.
If that party [is deceased and] has no kin^*kin Lit. “redeemer.” to whom restitution can be made, the amount repaid shall go to יהוה for the priest—in addition to the ram of expiation with which expiation is made on their behalf.^*in addition to … on their behalf Cf. Lev. 5.15 f.
So, too, any gift among the sacred donations that the Israelites offer shall be the priest’s.
And each shall retain his sacred donations: each priest shall keep what is given to him.
יהוה spoke to Moses, saying:
Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: Any party whose wife has gone astray and broken faith with him,
in that another man^*another man Lit. “a participant whose involvement defines the depicted situation.” See the Dictionary under ’ish. has had carnal relations with her unbeknown to her husband, and she keeps secret the fact that she has defiled herself without being forced, and there is no witness against her,
but a fit of jealousy comes over him and he is wrought up about the wife who has defiled herself—or if a fit of jealousy comes over him and he is wrought up about his wife although she has not defiled herself—
that party shall bring his wife to the priest. And he shall bring as an offering for her one-tenth of an ephah of barley flour. No oil shall be poured upon it and no frankincense shall be laid on it, for it is a meal offering of jealousy, a meal offering of remembrance which recalls wrongdoing.
The priest shall bring her forward and have her stand before יהוה.
The priest shall take sacral water in an earthen vessel and, taking some of the earth that is on the floor of the Tabernacle, the priest shall put it into the water.
After he has made the woman^*the woman Lit. “the (womanly) participant whose involvement defines the depicted situation,” namely the ritual proceeding. Labeling her as “woman” in this passage means that she is construed mainly as a party to the proceeding, rather than as her husband’s wife. See the Dictionary under ’ish. stand before יהוה, the priest shall bare the woman’s head^*bare the woman’s head Or “dishevel the woman’s hair”; cf. Lev. 10.6. and place upon her hands the meal offering of remembrance, which is a meal offering of jealousy. And in the priest’s hands shall be the water of bitterness that induces the spell.^*that induces the spell Meaning of Heb. ha-me’arerim uncertain.
The priest shall adjure the woman, saying to her, “If no other party has lain with you, if you have not gone astray in defilement while living in your husband’s household,^*living in your husband’s household More precisely, “under [the jurisdiction of] your [marriage] partner.” NJPS “while married to your husband.” See the Dictionary under “householder,” “marriage,” and ’ish. be immune to harm from this water of bitterness that induces the spell.
But if you have gone astray while living in your husband’s household^*living in your husband’s household See note at v. 19. and have defiled yourself, if any party other than your husband has had carnal relations with you”—
here the priest shall administer the curse of adjuration to the woman, as the priest goes on to say to the woman—“may יהוה make you a curse and an imprecation among your people, as יהוה causes your thigh to sag and your belly to distend;^*distend Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
may this water that induces the spell enter your body, causing the belly to distend and the thigh to sag.” And the woman shall say, “Amen, amen!”
The priest shall put these curses down in writing and rub it off into the water of bitterness.
He is to make the woman drink the water of bitterness that induces the spell, so that the spell-inducing water may enter into her to bring on bitterness.
Then the priest shall take from the woman’s hand the meal offering of jealousy, elevate the meal offering before יהוה, and present it on the altar.
The priest shall scoop out of the meal offering a token part of it and turn it into smoke on the altar. Last, he shall make the woman drink the water.
Once he has made her drink the water—if she has defiled herself by breaking faith with her husband, the spell-inducing water shall enter into her to bring on bitterness, so that her belly shall distend and her thigh shall sag; and the wife shall become a curse among her people.
But if the woman has not defiled herself and is pure, she shall be unharmed and able to retain seed.
This is the ritual in cases of jealousy, when a woman goes astray while living in her husband’s household,^*living in her husband’s household Cf. note at v. 19. and defiles herself,
or when a fit of jealousy comes over a husband and he is wrought up over his wife: the woman shall be made to stand before יהוה and the priest shall carry out all this ritual with her.
The man^*man More precisely, the “party” who initiated the proceeding (v. 15). See the Dictionary under ’ish. shall be clear of guilt; but that woman^*that woman I.e., the guilty one in the initial case. See the first note at v. 18. shall suffer for her guilt.
יהוה spoke to Moses, saying:
Speak to the Israelites and say to them: If any men or women^*any men or women Lit. “a participant or a (specifically) womanly participant whose involvement defines the depicted situation.” Co-references are likewise rendered in the plural, per the explicitly gender-inclusive intent. explicitly^*explicitly See note at Lev. 22.21. utter a nazirite’s vow, to set themselves apart for יהוה,
they shall abstain from wine and any other intoxicant; they shall not drink vinegar of wine or of any other intoxicant, neither shall they drink anything in which grapes have been steeped, nor eat grapes fresh or dried.
Throughout their term as nazirite, they may not eat anything that is obtained from the grapevine, even seeds or skin.^*seeds or skin Meaning of Heb. ḥarṣannim and zag uncertain.
Throughout the term of their vow as nazirite, no razor shall touch their head; it shall remain consecrated until the completion of their term as nazirite of יהוה, the hair of their head being left to grow untrimmed.
Throughout the term that they have set apart for יהוה, they shall not go in where there is a dead person.
Even if their father or mother, or their brother or sister should die, they must not become defiled for any of them, since hair set apart for their God^*hair set apart for their God Others “his consecration unto God.” is upon their head:
throughout their term as nazirite they are consecrated to יהוה.
If someone dies suddenly nearby,^*nearby Cf. Num. 19.14–16. defiling the consecrated hair, the [nazirite] shall shave the head at the time of becoming pure, shaving it on the seventh day.
On the eighth day that person shall bring two turtledoves or two pigeons to the priest, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.
The priest shall offer one as a sin offering^*sin offering So traditionally; more precisely, “offering of purgation.” and the other as a burnt offering, and make expiation on the person’s behalf for the guilt incurred through the corpse. That same day the head shall be reconsecrated;
and that person shall rededicate to יהוה the term as nazirite, bringing a lamb in its first year as a penalty offering. The previous period shall be void, since the consecrated hair was defiled.
This is the ritual for the nazirite: On the day that the term as nazirite is completed, the person^*the person Or “it,” i.e., the consecrated hair; cf. v. 19. shall be brought to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.
As an offering to יהוה that person shall present: one male lamb in its first year, without blemish, for a burnt offering; one ewe lamb in its first year, without blemish, for a sin offering; one ram without blemish for an offering of well-being;
a basket of unleavened cakes of choice flour with oil mixed in, and unleavened wafers spread with oil; and the proper meal offerings and libations.
The priest shall present them before יהוה and offer the sin offering and the burnt offering.
He shall offer the ram as a sacrifice of well-being to יהוה, together with the basket of unleavened cakes; the priest shall also offer the meal offerings and the libations.
The nazirite shall then shave the consecrated hair, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and take those locks of consecrated hair and put them on the fire that is under the sacrifice of well-being.
The priest shall take the shoulder of the ram when it has been boiled, one unleavened cake from the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and place them on the hands of the nazirite after the consecrated hair has been shaved.
The priest shall elevate them as an elevation offering before יהוה; and this shall be a sacred donation for the priest, in addition to the breast of the elevation offering and the thigh of gift offering. After that the nazirite may drink wine.
Such is the obligation of a nazirite; except that those who vow an offering to יהוה of what they can afford, beyond their nazirite requirements, must do exactly according to the vow that they have made beyond their obligation as nazirites.
יהוה spoke to Moses:
Speak to Aaron and his sons: Thus shall you bless the people of Israel. Say to them:

יהוה bless you and protect you!

יהוה deal kindly and graciously with you!^*deal kindly and graciously with you Others “make His face to shine upon thee and be gracious to thee.”

יהוה bestow [divine] favor^*bestow [divine] favor Others “lift up His countenance.” upon you and grant you peace!^*peace Or “friendship.”
Thus they shall link My name with the people of Israel, and I will bless them.
On the day that Moses finished setting up the Tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings, as well as the altar and its utensils. When he had anointed and consecrated them,
the chieftains of Israel, the heads of ancestral houses, namely, the chieftains of the tribes, those who were in charge of enrollment, drew near^*drew near Cf. Exod. 14.10.
and brought their offering before יהוה: six draught carts and twelve oxen, a cart for every two chieftains and an ox for each one. When they had brought them before the Tabernacle,
יהוה said to Moses:
Accept these from them for use in the service of the Tent of Meeting, and give them to the Levites according to their respective services.
Moses took the carts and the oxen and gave them to the Levites.
Two carts and four oxen he gave to the Gershonites, as required for their service,
and four carts and eight oxen he gave to the Merarites, as required for their service—under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.
But to the Kohathites he did not give any; since theirs was the service of the [most] sacred objects, their porterage was by shoulder.
The chieftains also brought the dedication offering for the altar upon its being anointed. As the chieftains were presenting their offerings before the altar,
יהוה said to Moses: Let them present their offerings for the dedication of the altar, one chieftain each day.
The one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab of the tribe of Judah.
His offering: one silver bowl weighing 130 shekels and one silver basin of 70 shekels by the sanctuary weight, both filled with choice flour with oil mixed in, for a meal offering;
one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;
one bull of the herd, one ram, and one lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering;
one goat for a sin offering;
and for his sacrifice of well-being: two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs. That was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.
On the second day, Nethanel son of Zuar, chieftain of Issachar, made his offering.
He presented as his offering: one silver bowl weighing 130 shekels and one silver basin of 70 shekels by the sanctuary weight, both filled with choice flour with oil mixed in, for a meal offering;
one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;
one bull of the herd, one ram, and one lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering;
one goat for a sin offering;
and for his sacrifice of well-being: two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs. That was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar.
On the third day, it was the chieftain of the Zebulunites, Eliab son of Helon.
His offering: one silver bowl weighing 130 shekels and one silver basin of 70 shekels by the sanctuary weight, both filled with choice flour with oil mixed in, for a meal offering;
one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;
one bull of the herd, one ram, and one lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering;
one goat for a sin offering;
and for his sacrifice of well-being: two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs. That was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.
On the fourth day, it was the chieftain of the Reubenites, Elizur son of Shedeur.
His offering: one silver bowl weighing 130 shekels and one silver basin of 70 shekels by the sanctuary weight, both filled with choice flour with oil mixed in, for a meal offering;
one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;
one bull of the herd, one ram, and one lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering;
one goat for a sin offering;
and for his sacrifice of well-being: two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs. That was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur.
On the fifth day, it was the chieftain of the Simeonites, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
His offering: one silver bowl weighing 130 shekels and one silver basin of 70 shekels by the sanctuary weight, both filled with choice flour with oil mixed in, for a meal offering;
one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;
one bull of the herd, one ram, and one lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering;
one goat for a sin offering;
and for his sacrifice of well-being: two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs. That was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
On the sixth day, it was the chieftain of the Gadites, Eliasaph son of Deuel.
His offering: one silver bowl weighing 130 shekels and one silver basin of 70 shekels by the sanctuary weight, both filled with choice flour with oil mixed in, for a meal offering;
one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;
one bull of the herd, one ram, and one lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering;
one goat for a sin offering;
and for his sacrifice of well-being: two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs. That was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel.
On the seventh day, it was the chieftain of the Ephraimites, Elishama son of Ammihud.
His offering: one silver bowl weighing 130 shekels and one silver basin of 70 shekels by the sanctuary weight, both filled with choice flour with oil mixed in, for a meal offering;
one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;
one bull of the herd, one ram, and one lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering;
one goat for a sin offering;
and for his sacrifice of well-being: two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs. That was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud.
On the eighth day, it was the chieftain of the Manassites, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.
His offering: one silver bowl weighing 130 shekels and one silver basin of 70 shekels by the sanctuary weight, both filled with choice flour with oil mixed in, for a meal offering;
one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;
one bull of the herd, one ram, and one lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering;
one goat for a sin offering;
and for his sacrifice of well-being: two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs. That was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.
On the ninth day, it was the chieftain of the Benjaminites, Abidan son of Gideoni.
His offering: one silver bowl weighing 130 shekels and one silver basin of 70 shekels by the sanctuary weight, both filled with choice flour with oil mixed in, for a meal offering;
one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;
one bull of the herd, one ram, and one lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering;
one goat for a sin offering;
and for his sacrifice of well-being: two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs. That was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni.
On the tenth day, it was the chieftain of the Danites, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.
His offering: one silver bowl weighing 130 shekels and one silver basin of 70 shekels by the sanctuary weight, both filled with choice flour with oil mixed in, for a meal offering;
one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;
one bull of the herd, one ram, and one lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering;
one goat for a sin offering;
and for his sacrifice of well-being: two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs. That was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.
On the eleventh day, it was the chieftain of the Asherites, Pagiel son of Ochran.
His offering: one silver bowl weighing 130 shekels and one silver basin of 70 shekels by the sanctuary weight, both filled with choice flour with oil mixed in, for a meal offering;
one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;
one bull of the herd, one ram, and one lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering;
one goat for a sin offering;
and for his sacrifice of well-being: two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs. That was the offering of Pagiel son of Ochran.
On the twelfth day, it was the chieftain of the Naphtalites, Ahira son of Enan.
His offering: one silver bowl weighing 130 shekels and one silver basin of 70 shekels by the sanctuary weight, both filled with choice flour with oil mixed in, for a meal offering;
one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense;
one bull of the herd, one ram, and one lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering;
one goat for a sin offering;
and for his sacrifice of well-being: two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs. That was the offering of Ahira son of Enan.
This was the dedication offering for the altar from the chieftains of Israel upon its being anointed: silver bowls, 12; silver basins, 12; gold ladles, 12.
Silver per bowl, 130; per basin, 70. Total silver of vessels, 2,400 sanctuary shekels.
The 12 gold ladles filled with incense—10 sanctuary shekels per ladle—total gold of the ladles, 120.
Total of herd animals for burnt offerings, 12 bulls; of rams, 12; of yearling lambs, 12—with their proper meal offerings; of goats for sin offerings, 12.
Total of herd animals for sacrifices of well-being, 24 bulls; of rams, 60; of he-goats, 60; of yearling lambs, 60. That was the dedication offering for the altar after its anointing.
When Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with [God], he would hear the Voice addressing him from above the cover that was on top of the Ark of the Pact between the two cherubim; thus [God] spoke to him.