Chapter Previewהַקְדָּמָה
In this aliyah, Hashem instructs Moshe Rabbeinu regarding the division of Eretz Yisrael and the specific leaders who will oversee this holy task. We learn the names of the Nesi'im (chieftains) from each shevet who, along with Elazar HaKohen and Yehoshua bin Nun, are designated to apportion the land to the Bnei Yisrael.
Following the appointment of these leaders, the Torah transitions to the mitzvah of providing cities for the Levi'im. Since the Levi'im do not receive a standard inheritance in the land, the other shevatim are commanded to designate towns and surrounding pasture lands from their own portions for the Levi'im to dwell in.
All introductions, summaries, and contextual notes are the editor's commentary and are not part of the original text.אַלע הַקְדָּמוֹת, סִכּוּמִים, און הערות זענען דעם רעדאַקטאָר'ס באַמערקונגען און זענען נישט קיין טייל פונעם אָריגינעלן טעקסט.
פָּסוּק א
Pasuk 1
וַיְדַבֵּרAnd spokeיְהוָהHashemאֶלtoמֹשֶׁהMosheלֵּאמֹר׃saying
פָּסוּק ב
Pasuk 2
אֵלֶּהThese areשְׁמוֹתthe names ofהָאֲנָשִׁיםthe menאֲשֶׁרwhoיִנְחֲלוּshall inheritלָכֶםfor youאֶת—הָאָרֶץthe landאֶלְעָזָרElazarהַכֹּהֵןthe Kohenוִיהוֹשֻׁעַand Yehoshuaבִּןson ofנוּן׃Nun
פָּסוּק ג
Pasuk 3
וְנָשִׂיאand a princeאֶחָדoneנָשִׂיאa princeאֶחָדoneמִמַּטֶּהfrom a tribeתִּקְחוּyou shall takeלִנְחֹלto inheritאֶת—הָאָרֶץ׃the land
פָּסוּק ד
Pasuk 4
וְאֵלֶּהAnd these areשְׁמוֹתthe names ofהָאֲנָשִׁיםthe menלְמַטֵּהfor the tribe ofיְהוּדָהYehudahכָּלֵבKalevבֶּןson ofיְפֻנֶּה׃Yefunneh
פָּסוּק ה
Pasuk 5
וּלְמַטֵּהand for the tribe ofבְּנֵיthe children ofשִׁמְעוֹןShimonשְׁמוּאֵלShemuelבֶּןson ofעַמִּיהוּד׃Ammihud
פָּסוּק ו
Pasuk 6
לְמַטֵּהFor the tribe ofבִנְיָמִןBinyaminאֱלִידָדElidadבֶּןson ofכִּסְלוֹן׃Chislon
פָּסוּק ז
Pasuk 7
וּלְמַטֵּהand for the tribe ofבְנֵיthe children ofדָןDanנָשִׂיאa leaderבֻּקִּיBukkiבֶּןson ofיָגְלִי׃Yogli
פָּסוּק ח
Pasuk 8
לִבְנֵיFor the children ofיוֹסֵףYosefלְמַטֵּהfor the tribe ofבְנֵיthe children ofמְנַשֶּׁהMenasheנָשִׂיאa princeחַנִּיאֵלChannielבֶּןson ofאֵפֹד׃Ephod
פָּסוּק ט
Pasuk 9
וּלְמַטֵּהand for the tribe ofבְנֵיthe children ofאֶפְרַיִםEphraimנָשִׂיאa leaderקְמוּאֵלKemuelבֶּןson ofשִׁפְטָן׃Shiphtan
פָּסוּק י
Pasuk 10
וּלְמַטֵּהand for the tribe ofבְנֵיthe children ofזְבוּלֻןZevulunנָשִׂיאa leaderאֱלִיצָפָןElizaphanבֶּןson ofפַּרְנָךְ׃Parnach
פָּסוּק יא
Pasuk 11
וּלְמַטֵּהand for the tribe ofבְנֵיthe children ofיִשָׂשכָרYissacharנָשִׂיאa leaderפַּלְטִיאֵלPaltielבֶּןson ofעַזָּן׃Azzan
פָּסוּק יב
Pasuk 12
וּלְמַטֵּהand for the tribe ofבְנֵיthe children ofאָשֵׁרAsherנָשִׂיאa chieftainאֲחִיהוּדAchihudבֶּןson ofשְׁלֹמִי׃Shelomi
פָּסוּק יג
Pasuk 13
וּלְמַטֵּהand for the tribe ofבְנֵיthe children ofנַפְתָּלִיNaftaliנָשִׂיאa chieftainפְּדַהְאֵלPedahelבֶּןson ofעַמִּיהוּד׃Ammihud
פָּסוּק יד
Pasuk 14
אֵלֶּהTheseאֲשֶׁרwhomצִוָּהcommandedיְהוָהHashemלְנַחֵלto distribute inheritanceאֶת—בְּנֵיthe children ofיִשְׂרָאֵלYisraelבְּאֶרֶץin the land ofכְּנָעַן׃Kenaan
פָּסוּק טו
Pasuk 15
וַיְדַבֵּרAnd spokeיְהוָהHashemאֶלtoמֹשֶׁהMosheבְּעַרְבֹתin the plains ofמוֹאָבMoavעַלbyיַרְדֵּןthe Jordan ofיְרֵחוֹYerichoלֵאמֹר׃saying
פָּסוּק טז
Pasuk 16
צַוCommandאֶת—בְּנֵיthe children ofיִשְׂרָאֵלYisraelוְנָתְנוּand they shall giveלַלְוִיִּםto the Levi'imמִנַּחֲלַתfrom the inheritance ofאֲחֻזָּתָםtheir possessionעָרִיםcitiesלָשָׁבֶתto dwell inוּמִגְרָשׁand open spaceלֶעָרִיםfor the citiesסְבִיבֹתֵיהֶםaround themתִּתְּנוּyou shall giveלַלְוִיִּם׃to the Levi'im
פָּסוּק יז
Pasuk 17
וְהָיוּAnd they shall beהֶעָרִיםthe citiesלָהֶםfor themלָשָׁבֶתto dwellוּמִגְרְשֵׁיהֶםand their open spacesיִהְיוּshall beלִבְהֶמְתָּםfor their cattleוְלִרְכֻשָׁםand for their propertyוּלְכֹלand for allחַיָּתָם׃their beasts
פָּסוּק יח
Pasuk 18
וּמִגְרְשֵׁיAnd the open spaces ofהֶעָרִיםthe citiesאֲשֶׁרthatתִּתְּנוּyou shall giveלַלְוִיִּםto the Levitesמִקִּירfrom the wall ofהָעִירthe cityוָחוּצָהand outwardאֶלֶףone thousandאַמָּהcubitsסָבִיב׃all around
פָּסוּק יט
Pasuk 19
וּמַדֹּתֶםAnd you shall measureמִחוּץfrom outsideלָעִירto the cityאֶת—פְּאַתthe side ofקֵדְמָהeastאַלְפַּיִםtwo thousandבָּאַמָּהby the cubitוְאֶתand —פְּאַתthe side ofנֶגֶבsouthאַלְפַּיִםtwo thousandבָּאַמָּהby the cubitוְאֶתand —פְּאַתthe side ofיָםwestאַלְפַּיִםtwo thousandבָּאַמָּהby the cubitוְאֵתand —פְּאַתthe side ofצָפוֹןnorthאַלְפַּיִםtwo thousandבָּאַמָּהby the cubitוְהָעִירand the cityבַּתָּוֶךְin the middleזֶהthisיִהְיֶהshall beלָהֶםfor themמִגְרְשֵׁיthe open spaces ofהֶעָרִים׃the cities
פָּסוּק כ
Pasuk 20
וְאֵתAnd —הֶעָרִיםthe citiesאֲשֶׁרthatתִּתְּנוּyou shall giveלַלְוִיִּםto the Levitesאֵת—שֵׁשׁsixעָרֵיcities ofהַמִּקְלָטthe refugeאֲשֶׁרwhichתִּתְּנוּyou shall designateלָנֻסto fleeשָׁמָּהthereהָרֹצֵחַthe murdererוַעֲלֵיהֶםand besides themתִּתְּנוּyou shall giveאַרְבָּעִיםfortyוּשְׁתַּיִםand twoעִיר׃cities
פָּסוּק כא
Pasuk 21
כָּלAllהֶעָרִיםthe citiesאֲשֶׁרthatתִּתְּנוּyou shall giveלַלְוִיִּםto the Levitesאַרְבָּעִיםfortyוּשְׁמֹנֶהand eightעִירcitiesאֶתְהֶן— themוְאֶתand —מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶן׃their open spaces
פָּסוּק כב
Pasuk 22
וְהֶעָרִיםAnd the citiesאֲשֶׁרwhichתִּתְּנוּyou shall giveמֵאֲחֻזַּתfrom the possession ofבְּנֵיthe children ofיִשְׂרָאֵלYisraelמֵאֵתfromהָרַבthe manyתַּרְבּוּyou shall increaseוּמֵאֵתand fromהַמְעַטthe fewתַּמְעִיטוּyou shall decreaseאִישׁeachכְּפִיaccording toנַחֲלָתוֹhis inheritanceאֲשֶׁרwhichיִנְחָלוּthey inheritיִתֵּןhe shall giveמֵעָרָיוfrom his citiesלַלְוִיִּם׃to the Levites
Chapter Summaryסִכּוּם
The aliyah begins by listing the specific Nesi'im from each shevet chosen by Hashem to divide the land of Canaan. Hashem then commands Moshe to instruct the Bnei Yisrael to give the Levi'im forty-eight cities with surrounding pasture lands, measured precisely at one thousand cubits for open space and two thousand cubits for fields and vineyards. Among these forty-eight cities, six are designated as Arei Miklat (cities of refuge) for a manslayer to flee to, with each shevet contributing cities proportionally based on the size of their inheritance.
לְמַעֲשֶׂהWhat To Take Home
My dear talmid, look at how the Torah structures the cities of the Levi'im. The Levi'im did not receive a standard portion of the land; instead, they were given forty-eight specific cities scattered throughout the territories of all the other tribes. The Torah commands that those who received a larger portion of land must give more cities, and those who received less must give less. Everyone had to contribute their share to ensure the Levi'im, the spiritual teachers and guides of the nation, were settled comfortably among them.
There is a profound lesson in this for our own lives. The Levi'im represent the spiritual infrastructure of our community, the Torah institutions, the mechanchim, the kollelim, and the chessed organizations that keep our neshamas alive. Hashem did not place the burden of supporting this spiritual core on just a few wealthy individuals. Rather, He commanded that every single Yid must have a portion in supporting Torah and spirituality, each according to their own means. If Hashem blessed you with more, you are expected to give more; if your means are modest, you still give your portion. No one is exempt from bringing the light of Torah into their neighborhood.
This teaches us that we cannot live only for ourselves and our own material success. When we build our homes and establish our livelihoods, we must immediately ask: "How am I supporting the spiritual center of my community?" We must ensure that Torah has a physical place to dwell right in the midst of our daily lives.
Today, look at your own resources, whether it is your money, your time, or your talents. Identify one local Torah institution or a dedicated klei kodesh (Torah educator) and make a concrete contribution to support them, ensuring that the light of Torah remains firmly established in your own circle.