TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
II - Chapter 31
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1When all this was finished, all Yisrael who were present went out into the towns of Yehuda and smashed the pillars, cut down the sacred posts, demolished the shrines and altars throughout Yehuda and Binyamin, and throughout Efraim and Menashe, to the very last one. Then all the Israelites returned to their towns, each to his possession.
אוּכְכַלּוֹת כָּל־זֹאת יָצְאוּ כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנִּמְצְאִים לְעָרֵי יְהוּדָה וַיְשַׁבְּרוּ הַמַּצֵּבוֹת וַיְגַדְּעוּ הָאֲשֵׁרִים וַיְנַתְּצוּ אֶת־הַבָּמוֹת וְאֶת־הַמִּזְבְּחֹת מִכָּל־יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן וּבְאֶפְרַיִם וּמְנַשֶּׁה עַד־לְכַלֵּה וַיָּשׁוּבוּ כָּל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אִישׁ לַאֲחֻזָּתוֹ לְעָרֵיהֶם׃
2Chizkiyahu reconstituted the divisions of the Kohanim and Leviim, each man of the Kohanim and Leviim according to his office, for the burnt offerings, the offerings of well-being, to minister, and to sing hymns and praises in the gates of the courts of Hashem;
בוַיַּעֲמֵד יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ אֶת־מַחְלְקוֹת הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם עַל־מַחְלְקוֹתָם אִישׁ כְּפִי עֲבֹדָתוֹ לַכֹּהֲנִים וְלַלְוִיִּם לְעֹלָה וְלִשְׁלָמִים לְשָׁרֵת וּלְהֹדוֹת וּלְהַלֵּל בְּשַׁעֲרֵי מַחֲנוֹת יְהֹוָה׃
3also the king's portion, from his property, for the burnt offerings—the morning and evening burnt offering, and the burnt offerings for Shabbatot, and new moons, and festivals, as prescribed in the Teaching of Hashem.
גוּמְנָת הַמֶּלֶךְ מִן־רְכוּשׁוֹ לָעֹלוֹת לְעֹלוֹת הַבֹּקֶר וְהָעֶרֶב וְהָעֹלוֹת לַשַּׁבָּתוֹת וְלֶחֳדָשִׁים וְלַמֹּעֲדִים כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרַת יְהֹוָה׃
4He ordered the people, the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, to deliver the portions of the Kohanim and the Leviim, so that they might devote themselves to the Teaching of Hashem.
דוַיֹּאמֶר לָעָם לְיוֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלַ ִם לָתֵת מְנָת הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם לְמַעַן יֶחֶזְקוּ בְּתוֹרַת יְהֹוָה׃
5When the word spread, the Israelites brought large quantities of grain, wine, oil, honey, and all kinds of agricultural produce, and tithes of all, in large amounts.
v'-khif-ROTZ ha-da-VAR hir-BU v'-NAY yis-ra-AYL ray-SHEET da-GAN tee-ROSH v'-yitz-HAR ud-VASH v'-KHOL t'-vu-AT sa-DEH u-ma-SAR ha-KOL la-ROV hay-VEE-u
הוְכִפְרֹץ הַדָּבָר הִרְבּוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל רֵאשִׁית דָּגָן תִּירוֹשׁ וְיִצְהָר וּדְבַשׁ וְכֹל תְּבוּאַת שָׂדֶה וּמַעְשַׂר הַכֹּל לָרֹב הֵבִיאוּ׃
31:5 And tithes of all, in large amounts
The gifts and tithes brought to the Beit Hamikdash and presented to the Kohanim and Leviim are examples of biblical commandments that apply only in the Land of Israel. A portion of the crops grown in the land is dedicated to the Creator before we eat from them ourselves, to remind us that no matter how hard we work the land, and despite the tremendous human effort required to produce it, our crops are really a gift from Hashem. Additionally, gifts are given to the religious leaders of Israel, to provide physical sustenance in exchange for the spiritual nourishment they offer the people. Since they have no portion of land of their own, the Kohanim and Leviim are dependent on the rest of the nation for their physical nourishment. In return, their contribution elevates everyone else’s existence in the land. Such is life in Eretz Yisrael – the physical and spiritual are continuously intertwined.
6The men of Yisrael and Yehuda living in the towns of Yehuda—they too brought tithes of cattle and sheep and tithes of sacred things consecrated to Hashem their God, piling them in heaps.
ווּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה הַיּוֹשְׁבִים בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה גַּם־הֵם מַעְשַׂר בָּקָר וָצֹאן וּמַעְשַׂר קָדָשִׁים הַמְקֻדָּשִׁים לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם הֵבִיאוּ וַיִּתְּנוּ עֲרֵמוֹת עֲרֵמוֹת׃
7In the third month the heaps began to accumulate, and were finished in the seventh month.
זבַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁלִשִׁי הֵחֵלּוּ הָעֲרֵמוֹת לְיִסּוֹד וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי כִּלּוּ׃
8When Chizkiyahu and the officers came and saw the heaps, they blessed Hashem and his people Yisrael.
חוַיָּבֹאוּ יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ וְהַשָּׂרִים וַיִּרְאוּ אֶת־הָעֲרֵמוֹת וַיְבָרֲכוּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה וְאֵת עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
9Chizkiyahu asked the Kohanim and Leviim about the heaps.
טוַיִּדְרֹשׁ יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ עַל־הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם עַל־הָעֲרֵמוֹת׃
10The chief kohen Azarya, of the house of Tzadok, replied to him, saying, “Ever since the gifts began to be brought to the House of Hashem, people have been eating to satiety and leaving over in great amounts, for Hashem has blessed His people; this huge amount is left over!”
יוַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו עֲזַרְיָהוּ הַכֹּהֵן הָרֹאשׁ לְבֵית צָדוֹק וַיֹּאמֶר מֵהָחֵל הַתְּרוּמָה לָבִיא בֵית־יְהֹוָה אָכוֹל וְשָׂבוֹעַ וְהוֹתֵר עַד־לָרוֹב כִּי יְהֹוָה בֵּרַךְ אֶת־עַמּוֹ וְהַנּוֹתָר אֶת־הֶהָמוֹן הַזֶּה׃
11Chizkiyahu then gave orders to prepare store-chambers in the House of Hashem; and they were prepared.
יאוַיֹּאמֶר יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ לְהָכִין לְשָׁכוֹת בְּבֵית יְהֹוָה וַיָּכִינוּ׃
12They brought in the gifts and the tithes and the sacred things faithfully. Their supervisor was Conaniah the Levi, and Shim'i his brother was second in rank.
יבוַיָּבִיאוּ אֶת־הַתְּרוּמָה וְהַמַּעֲשֵׂר וְהַקֳּדָשִׁים בֶּאֱמוּנָה וַעֲלֵיהֶם נָגִיד כונניהו [כָּנַנְיָהוּ] הַלֵּוִי וְשִׁמְעִי אָחִיהוּ מִשְׁנֶה׃
13Yechiel and Azaziah and Nahath and Asael and Jerimoth and Yozavad and Eliel and Ismachiah and Mahath and Benaiah were commissioners under Conaniah and Shim'i his brother by appointment of King Chizkiyahu; Azarya was supervisor of the House of Hashem.
יגוִיחִיאֵל וַעֲזַזְיָהוּ וְנַחַת וַעֲשָׂהאֵל וִירִימוֹת וְיוֹזָבָד וֶאֱלִיאֵל וְיִסְמַכְיָהוּ וּמַחַת וּבְנָיָהוּ פְּקִידִים מִיַּד כונניהו [כָּנַנְיָהוּ] וְשִׁמְעִי אָחִיו בְּמִפְקַד יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ וַעֲזַרְיָהוּ נְגִיד בֵּית־הָאֱלֹהִים׃
14Kore son of Imnah the Levi, the keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the freewill offerings to Hashem, of the allocation of gifts to Hashem, and the most sacred things.
ידוְקוֹרֵא בֶן־יִמְנָה הַלֵּוִי הַשּׁוֹעֵר לַמִּזְרָחָה עַל נִדְבוֹת הָאֱלֹהִים לָתֵת תְּרוּמַת יְהֹוָה וְקָדְשֵׁי הַקֳּדָשִׁים׃
15Under him were Eden, Miniamin, Yeshua, Shemaya, Amariah, and Shechanya, in offices of trust in the priestly towns, making allocation to their brothers by divisions, to great and small alike;
טווְעַל־יָדוֹ עֵדֶן וּמִנְיָמִן וְיֵשׁוּעַ וּשְׁמַעְיָהוּ אֲמַרְיָהוּ וּשְׁכַנְיָהוּ בְּעָרֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים בֶּאֱמוּנָה לָתֵת לַאֲחֵיהֶם בְּמַחְלְקוֹת כַּגָּדוֹל כַּקָּטָן׃
16besides allocating their daily rations to those males registered by families from three years old and up, all who entered the House of Hashem according to their service and their shift by division;
טזמִלְּבַד הִתְיַחְשָׂם לִזְכָרִים מִבֶּן שָׁלוֹשׁ שָׁנִים וּלְמַעְלָה לְכָל־הַבָּא לְבֵית־יְהֹוָה לִדְבַר־יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ לַעֲבוֹדָתָם בְּמִשְׁמְרוֹתָם כְּמַחְלְקוֹתֵיהֶם׃
17and in charge of the registry of Kohanim by clans, and of the Leviim, from twenty years old and up, by shifts, in their divisions;
יזוְאֵת הִתְיַחֵשׂ הַכֹּהֲנִים לְבֵית אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם וְהַלְוִיִּם מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וּלְמָעְלָה בְּמִשְׁמְרוֹתֵיהֶם בְּמַחְלְקוֹתֵיהֶם׃
18and the registry of the dependents of their whole company—wives, sons, and daughters—for, relying upon them, they sanctified themselves in holiness.
יחוּלְהִתְיַחֵשׂ בְּכָל־טַפָּם נְשֵׁיהֶם וּבְנֵיהֶם וּבְנוֹתֵיהֶם לְכָל־קָהָל כִּי בֶאֱמוּנָתָם יִתְקַדְּשׁוּ־קֹדֶשׁ׃
19And for the Aaronite Kohanim, in each and every one of their towns with adjoining fields, the above-named men were to allocate portions to every male of the Kohanim and to every registered Levi.
יטוְלִבְנֵי אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֲנִים בִּשְׂדֵי מִגְרַשׁ עָרֵיהֶם בְּכָל־עִיר וָעִיר אֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר נִקְּבוּ בְּשֵׁמוֹת לָתֵת מָנוֹת לְכָל־זָכָר בַּכֹּהֲנִים וּלְכָל־הִתְיַחֵשׂ בַּלְוִיִּם׃
20Chizkiyahu did this throughout Yehuda. He acted in a way that was good, upright, and faithful before Hashem his God.
כוַיַּעַשׂ כָּזֹאת יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ בְּכָל־יְהוּדָה וַיַּעַשׂ הַטּוֹב וְהַיָּשָׁר וְהָאֱמֶת לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהָיו׃
21Every work he undertook in the service of the House of Hashem or in the Teaching and the Commandment, to worship his God, he did with all his heart; and he prospered.
כאוּבְכָל־מַעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר־הֵחֵל בַּעֲבוֹדַת בֵּית־הָאֱלֹהִים וּבַתּוֹרָה וּבַמִּצְוָה לִדְרֹשׁ לֵאלֹהָיו בְּכָל־לְבָבוֹ עָשָׂה וְהִצְלִיחַ׃
