TORAH
NEVI'IM
KETUVIM
I - Chapter 26
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1The divisions of the gatekeepers: Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, of the sons of Asaf.
l'-makh-l'-KOT l'-sho-a-REEM la-kor-KHEEM m'-she-lem-YA-hu ven ko-RAY min b'-NAY a-SAF
אלְמַחְלְקוֹת לְשֹׁעֲרִים לַקָּרְחִים מְשֶׁלֶמְיָהוּ בֶן־קֹרֵא מִן־בְּנֵי אָסָף׃
26:1 The divisions of the gatekeepers
Rambam (1135-1204)
In addition to their role as singers, the Leviim also served as gatekeepers; these were the two main tasks given to the Leviim in the Beit Hamikdash. Both of these jobs were considered significant and essential. The Book of Ezra lists both singers and gatekeepers among the exiles who returned to the Land of Israel to rebuild the Temple (Ezra 2:41-42). In fact, Rambam (Beit Habechira 8:1) writes that there is a positive biblical commandment to guard the Beit Hamikdash as a display of honor to the Temple, and to Hashem. He writes, “Even though there is no concern of enemies or robbers entering the Beit Hamikdash, guarding it is a show of honor. There is no comparison between a palace with guards to a palace without them.” The Temple, and by extension all of Eretz Yisrael, is the King’s palace, and we must treat it with the proper awe and respect.
2Sons of Meshelemiah: Zecharya the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth,
בוְלִמְשֶׁלֶמְיָהוּ בָּנִים זְכַרְיָהוּ הַבְּכוֹר יְדִיעֲאֵל הַשֵּׁנִי זְבַדְיָהוּ הַשְּׁלִישִׁי יַתְנִיאֵל הָרְבִיעִי׃
3Elam the fifth, Yehochanan the sixth, Eliehoenai the seventh.
געֵילָם הַחֲמִישִׁי יְהוֹחָנָן הַשִּׁשִּׁי אֶלְיְהוֹעֵינַי הַשְּׁבִיעִי׃
4Sons of Oved Edom: Shemaya the first-born, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sacar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth,
דוּלְעֹבֵד אֱדֹם בָּנִים שְׁמַעְיָה הַבְּכוֹר יְהוֹזָבָד הַשֵּׁנִי יוֹאָח הַשְּׁלִשִׁי וְשָׂכָר הָרְבִיעִי וּנְתַנְאֵל הַחֲמִישִׁי׃
5Ammiel the sixth, Yissachar the seventh, Peullethai the eighth—for Hashem had blessed him.
העַמִּיאֵל הַשִּׁשִּׁי יִשָׂשכָר הַשְּׁבִיעִי פְּעֻלְּתַי הַשְּׁמִינִי כִּי בֵרֲכוֹ אֱלֹהִים׃
6To his son Shemaya were born sons who exercised authority in their clans because they were men of substance.
ווְלִשְׁמַעְיָה בְנוֹ נוֹלַד בָּנִים הַמִּמְשָׁלִים לְבֵית אֲבִיהֶם כִּי־גִבּוֹרֵי חַיִל הֵמָּה׃
7The sons of Shemaya: Othni, Rephael, Oved, Elzabad—his brothers, men of ability, were Elihu and Semachiah.
זבְּנֵי שְׁמַעְיָה עָתְנִי וּרְפָאֵל וְעוֹבֵד אֶלְזָבָד אֶחָיו בְּנֵי־חָיִל אֱלִיהוּ וּסְמַכְיָהוּ׃
8All these, sons of Obededom; they and their sons and brothers, strong and able men for the service—62 of Obededom.
חכָּל־אֵלֶּה מִבְּנֵי עֹבֵד אֱדֹם הֵמָּה וּבְנֵיהֶם וַאֲחֵיהֶם אִישׁ־חַיִל בַּכֹּחַ לַעֲבֹדָה שִׁשִּׁים וּשְׁנַיִם לְעֹבֵד אֱדֹם׃
9Meshelemiah had sons and brothers, able men—18.
טוְלִמְשֶׁלֶמְיָהוּ בָּנִים וְאַחִים בְּנֵי־חָיִל שְׁמוֹנָה עָשָׂר׃
10Hosah of the Merarites had sons: Shimri the chief (he was not the first-born, but his father designated him chief),
יוּלְחֹסָה מִן־בְּנֵי־מְרָרִי בָּנִים שִׁמְרִי הָרֹאשׁ כִּי לֹא־הָיָה בְכוֹר וַיְשִׂימֵהוּ אָבִיהוּ לְרֹאשׁ׃
11Chilkiyahu the second, Tebaliah the third, Zecharya the fourth. All the sons and brothers of Hosah—13.
יאחִלְקִיָּהוּ הַשֵּׁנִי טְבַלְיָהוּ הַשְּׁלִשִׁי זְכַרְיָהוּ הָרְבִעִי כָּל־בָּנִים וְאַחִים לְחֹסָה שְׁלֹשָׁה עָשָׂר׃
12These are the divisions of the gatekeepers, by their chief men, [who worked in] shifts corresponding to their kinsmen, ministering in the House of Hashem.
יבלְאֵלֶּה מַחְלְקוֹת הַשֹּׁעֲרִים לְרָאשֵׁי הַגְּבָרִים מִשְׁמָרוֹת לְעֻמַּת אֲחֵיהֶם לְשָׁרֵת בְּבֵית יְהֹוָה׃
13They cast lots, small and great alike, by clans, for each gate.
יגוַיַּפִּילוּ גוֹרָלוֹת כַּקָּטֹן כַּגָּדוֹל לְבֵית אֲבוֹתָם לְשַׁעַר וָשָׁעַר׃
14The lot for the east [gate] fell to Shelemiah. Then they cast lots [for] Zecharya his son, a prudent counselor, and his lot came out to be the north [gate].
ידוַיִּפֹּל הַגּוֹרָל מִזְרָחָה לְשֶׁלֶמְיָהוּ וּזְכַרְיָהוּ בְנוֹ יוֹעֵץ בְּשֶׂכֶל הִפִּילוּ גּוֹרָלוֹת וַיֵּצֵא גוֹרָלוֹ צָפוֹנָה׃
15For Oved Edom, the south [gate], and for his sons, the vestibule.
טולְעֹבֵד אֱדֹם נֶגְבָּה וּלְבָנָיו בֵּית הָאֲסֻפִּים׃
16For Shuppim and for Hosah, the west [gate], with the Shallecheth gate on the ascending highway. Watch corresponded to watch:
טזלְשֻׁפִּים וּלְחֹסָה לַמַּעֲרָב עִם שַׁעַר שַׁלֶּכֶת בַּמְסִלָּה הָעוֹלָה מִשְׁמָר לְעֻמַּת מִשְׁמָר׃
17At the east—six Leviim; at the north—four daily; at the south—four daily; at the vestibule—two by two;
יזלַמִּזְרָח הַלְוִיִּם שִׁשָּׁה לַצָּפוֹנָה לַיּוֹם אַרְבָּעָה לַנֶּגְבָּה לַיּוֹם אַרְבָּעָה וְלָאֲסֻפִּים שְׁנַיִם שְׁנָיִם׃
18at the colonnade on the west—four at the causeway and two at the colonnade.
יחלַפַּרְבָּר לַמַּעֲרָב אַרְבָּעָה לַמְסִלָּה שְׁנַיִם לַפַּרְבָּר׃
19These were the divisions of the gatekeepers of the sons of Korach and the sons of Merari.
יטאֵלֶּה מַחְלְקוֹת הַשֹּׁעֲרִים לִבְנֵי הַקָּרְחִי וְלִבְנֵי מְרָרִי׃
20And the Leviim: Achiya over the treasuries of the House of Hashem and the treasuries of the dedicated things.
כוְהַלְוִיִּם אֲחִיָּה עַל־אוֹצְרוֹת בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים וּלְאֹצְרוֹת הַקֳּדָשִׁים׃
21The sons of Ladan: the sons of the Gershonites belonging to Ladan; the chiefs of the clans of Ladan, the Gershonite—Yechieli.
כאבְּנֵי לַעְדָּן בְּנֵי הַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּי לְלַעְדָּן רָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת לְלַעְדָּן הַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּי יְחִיאֵלִי׃
22The sons of Yechieli: Zetham and Yoel; his brother was over the treasuries of the House of Hashem.
כבבְּנֵי יְחִיאֵלִי זֵתָם וְיוֹאֵל אָחִיו עַל־אֹצְרוֹת בֵּית יְהֹוָה׃
23Of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Chevronites, the Uzzielites:
כגלַעַמְרָמִי לַיִּצְהָרִי לַחֶבְרוֹנִי לָעָזִּיאֵלִי׃
24Shebuel son of Gershom son of Moshe was the chief officer over the treasuries.
כדוּשְׁבֻאֵל בֶּן־גֵּרְשׁוֹם בֶּן־מֹשֶׁה נָגִיד עַל־הָאֹצָרוֹת׃
25And his brothers: Eliezer, his son Rehabiah, his son Jeshaiah, his son Yoram, his son Zichri, his son Shelomith—
כהוְאֶחָיו לֶאֱלִיעֶזֶר רְחַבְיָהוּ בְנוֹ וִישַׁעְיָהוּ בְנוֹ וְיֹרָם בְּנוֹ וְזִכְרִי בְנוֹ ושלמות [וּשְׁלֹמִית] בְּנוֹ׃
26that Shelomith and his brothers were over all the treasuries of dedicated things that were dedicated by King David and the chiefs of the clans, and the officers of thousands and hundreds and the other army officers;
כוהוּא שְׁלֹמוֹת וְאֶחָיו עַל כָּל־אֹצְרוֹת הַקֳּדָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר הִקְדִּישׁ דָּוִיד הַמֶּלֶךְ וְרָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת לְשָׂרֵי־הָאֲלָפִים וְהַמֵּאוֹת וְשָׂרֵי הַצָּבָא׃
27they dedicated some of the booty of the wars to maintain the House of Hashem.
כזמִן־הַמִּלְחָמוֹת וּמִן־הַשָּׁלָל הִקְדִּישׁוּ לְחַזֵּק לְבֵית יְהֹוָה׃
28All that Shmuel the seer had dedicated, and Shaul son of Keesh, and Avner son of Ner, and Yoav son of Tzeruya—or [what] any other man had dedicated, was under the charge of Shelomith and his brothers.
כחוְכֹל הַהִקְדִּישׁ שְׁמוּאֵל הָרֹאֶה וְשָׁאוּל בֶּן־קִישׁ וְאַבְנֵר בֶּן־נֵר וְיוֹאָב בֶּן־צְרוּיָה כֹּל הַמַּקְדִּישׁ עַל יַד־שְׁלֹמִית וְאֶחָיו׃
29The Izharites: Chenaniah and his sons were over Yisrael as clerks and magistrates for affairs outside [the sanctuary].
כטלַיִּצְהָרִי כְּנַנְיָהוּ וּבָנָיו לַמְּלָאכָה הַחִיצוֹנָה עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְשֹׁטְרִים וּלְשֹׁפְטִים׃
30The Chevronites: Hashabiah and his brothers, capable men, 1,700, supervising Yisrael on the west side of the Yarden in all matters of Hashem and the service of the king.
ללַחֶבְרוֹנִי חֲשַׁבְיָהוּ וְאֶחָיו בְּנֵי־חַיִל אֶלֶף וּשְׁבַע־מֵאוֹת עַל פְּקֻדַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעֵבֶר לַיַּרְדֵּן מַעְרָבָה לְכֹל מְלֶאכֶת יְהֹוָה וְלַעֲבֹדַת הַמֶּלֶךְ׃
31The Chevronites: Jeriah, the chief of the Chevronites—they were investigated in the fortieth year of David's reign by clans of all their lines, and men of substance were found among them in Jazer-gilead.
לאלַחֶבְרוֹנִי יְרִיָּה הָרֹאשׁ לַחֶבְרוֹנִי לְתֹלְדֹתָיו לְאָבוֹת בִּשְׁנַת הָאַרְבָּעִים לְמַלְכוּת דָּוִיד נִדְרָשׁוּ וַיִּמָּצֵא בָהֶם גִּבּוֹרֵי חַיִל בְּיַעְזֵיר גִּלְעָד׃
32His brothers, able men, 2,700, chiefs of clans—David put them in charge of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Menashe in all matters of Hashem and matters of the king.
לבוְאֶחָיו בְּנֵי־חַיִל אַלְפַּיִם וּשְׁבַע מֵאוֹת רָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת וַיַּפְקִידֵם דָּוִיד הַמֶּלֶךְ עַל־הָראוּבֵנִי וְהַגָּדִי וַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט הַמְנַשִּׁי לְכָל־דְּבַר הָאֱלֹהִים וּדְבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ׃