Illustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Commentary פַּרְשָׁנוּת
After Korah’s rebellion, God reaffirms the promise to Aharon that he and his descendants will be כֹּהֲנִים (kohanim, priests) forever. God describes the service of the kohanim as עֲבֹדַת מַתָּנָה (avodat mattanah, service of a gift). What kind of gift is this? A gift from whom to whom?
בְּמַתָּנָה נְתַתִּיהָ לָכֶם:
God said, “I give the priesthood to you kohanim as a gift.”
רש"ר הירש
כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים הַנַּעֲשִׂים בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ מְקַבְּלִים אֶת בִּטּוּיָם הַמָּלֵא בַּמֻּשָּׂג "מַתָּנָה"; זוֹהִי עֲבוֹדָה שֶׁל וִתּוּר עַצְמִי, שֶׁל מְסִירוּת.
R. Samson Raphael Hirsch (Germany, 150 years ago)
All the acts performed in the mishkan reach their fullest expression in the idea of mattanah. It was a service of giving oneself up, of devotion.
- One of these פַּרְשָׁנִים (parshanim, commentators) thinks that God gave the gift of כְּהֻנָּה (kehunah, priesthood) to Aharon and his descendants. The other one thinks that it’s the kohanim who are being told to offer themselves as a gift. Which one is which?
- On the one hand: Why might it be important to remind the people in charge that their power was given to them as a gift? What does that teach us about the leadership of the kohanim?
- On the other hand: Why might it be important for the people in charge to remember that the role of leader is to give of themselves for a higher cause?
- Why might God tell this to Aharon just after Korah’s rebellion? Did Korah understand these lessons about the priesthood?
- What does it mean to give yourself over as a gift? How can you become a gift to others and to God?
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