Rashi on TanakhNumbers 15

(When you arrive. He informed them that they would enter the land.)

When you make a fire-offering. This does not denote a command. Rather, when you come there, and it occurs to you to make a fire-offering.

A pleasing fragrance. Satisfying to Me.

By verbalizing as a pledge or as a donation. Or, that you make the fire-offering in order to fulfill the holiday obligation which I have required you to perform during the holiday.

The one bringing [his offering] should present. You should present libations and a meal-offering for each animal. The meal- offering is to be completely consumed, with the oil absorbed in it, and the wine [is poured] into the bowls, as we learned in Maseches Sukkah.

For the one sheep. This relates to everything stated above — the meal- offering, the oil, and the wine.

If (lit. or) for a ram. If it is a ram. The Rabbis extrapolate, ‘ אוֹ ’ includes the “palgas” in the libations of the ram.

A fire-offering [of pleasing] fragrance. This refers only to the meal-offering and the oil, but the wine is not a fire-offering, as it is not placed on the fire.

Or for the sheep, etc. Whether of sheep or of goats. כֶּבֶשׂ and שֶׂה are so entitled during their first year; אַיִל from the age of thirteen months and one day.

According to the number which you offer. According to the number of animals which you offer as sacrifices, so shall you make the libations for each of them. According to the number of animals, the number of libations.

Just as it is for yourselves, so shall it be for the proselyte. Like you, so is the proselyte. This is the Hebrew style, “Like Hashem”’s garden, like the land of Egypt” — so is the land of Egypt. ”Like me, like you, like my people, like your people.”

At your coming to the land. This “coming” is different from all the “comings” in the Torah. With all of them it says, “when you come,” “when all of you come.” Therefore, all are learned from each other. Since Scripture specified with one of them that it is only after inheriting and settling, all of them are the same. But with this, it is said, “at your coming.” As soon as they entered it (the land) and ate its bread, they were obligated with the mitzvah of challah.

[From] the first portion of your doughs. When you knead the amount of dough that you generally knead in the desert — how much is that? “They measured it with an omer,” “An omer per person” (the amount is forty-three and one-fifth eggs) — you shall separate [the terumah-gift] from its first portion. As if to say, ‘before you eat the first portion from it, separate one loaf as a terumah-gift for the sake of Hashem”.’

A loaf. Tortel in Old French.

Like the terumah-gift of the granary. For which no specific amount is required, but not like like the terumah-offering from the tithe, for which a specific amount is required. However, the sages required a specific amount: For the home maker, one twenty-fourth, for the commercial baker, one forty-eighth.

Of the first portion of your doughs. Why is this said? Because it says, “The first portion of your dough,” I would understand this as the first of the loaves. The Torah therefore teaches, “of the first portion” — part of it, but not all of it.

You shall give to Adonoy, as a terumah- offering. As we have not heard of a specific amount for the challah-offering, it says, “you shall give” — it should consist of an amount sufficient for “giving.”

If you should err and not fulfill. this refers to idol worship. which was categorized within all the commandments for which the community brings an ox, but Scripture here removes it from the category, to indicate that it requires an ox as a burnt-offering, and a goat as a sin-offering.

If you err, etc. Scripture speaks here of idol worship. But perhaps it refers to one of all the [other] commandments? The Torah therefore teaches, “all of these commandments” — a single commandment which is equivalent to all the commandments. Just as someone who transgresses all the commandments casts off the yoke, breaks the covenant, and brazenly defies [the Torah], so with [someone who transgresses] this commandment, he casts off the yoke, breaks the covenant, and brazenly defies [the Torah]. Which is this? Idol worship.

Which Adonoy said to Moshe. “I am . . .,” and “you must not have . . .” we heard from the mouth of the Omnipotent, as it is written, “Hashem” spoke once, but I heard two.”

All that [Adonoy] commanded. This teaches that if one admits to idolatry, it is as if he had denied the entire Torah, and all that the prophets prophesied, as it is said, “from the day that Hashem” commanded and onward.”

If, it was obscured from the eyes of the congregation, having been done in error. If, because of the seers of the community, this transgression was committed through error. [For example,] they erred, and ruled that one of the forms of service is permitted for idol worship.

לְחַטָּת, as a sin-offering. The ‘ א ’ is missing, because this is not like the other sin-offerings. All of the sin-offerings in the Torah which are brought with an olah-offering, the sin-offering precedes the olah, as it is said, “he shall make the second one an olah.” But with this, the olah precedes the sin-offering.

They have brought their offering as a fire-offering to Adonoy. This refers to that which is stated in our parshah, namely the ox as the olah-offering, as it is said, “a fire-offering to Adonoy.”

And their sin-offering. This refers to the goat.

Will sin erroneously. Through idolatry.

A yearling she-goat. For other transgressions, the individual brings a sheep or goat, but for this, a goat is designated.

High handedly. Intentionally.

Blasphemes. Reviles, like, “despised and reviled,” “which the servants of the king of Ashur reviled.” In addition, the Rabbis derive from here that someone who curses Hashem” is subject to “koreis.”

The word of Adonoy. The prohibition against idol worship was by the word of the Omnipotent, the rest by the word of Moshe.

Its iniquity is upon it. During the time his sin is within him — if he has not repented.

[Bnei Yisroel] were in the desert and they found. Scripture speaks disparagingly of the Israelites. They kept only the first Shabbos, then this person came and desecrated the second.

Those who found him gathering. They warned him, but he did not desist from gathering, even after they found and warned him.

Since it was not specified, what was to be done with him. [They did not know] how to execute him, but they knew that someone who desecrates the Shabbos must be put to death.

Shall stone. Constantly do. Fisant in Old French. Similarly, הָלוֹךְ, alant. Similarly, “constantly remember,” and “constantly keep.”

Brought him outside. From here [we derive] that the stoning platform was outside, far from the courthouse.

To make for themselves, tzitzis-fringes. So named because of the fringes hanging from it, like, “He took me by the fringes of my head.” Another interpretation: “tzizis” because of “when you see it,” like “watching from the openings.”

Blue [wool]. The blue dye of the chilazon-fish.

You will remember all of Adonoy’s commandments. As the numerical value of צִיצִית is 600, and the eight threads and five knots equal 613.

And you will not search after [the desire of] your hearts. This is similar to “from spying the land.” The heart and eye are the body’s spies, bringing it sins. The eye sees, the heart lusts, and the body sins.

I am Adonoy. Faithful in rewarding.

Your God. Faithful in exacting punishment.

Who brought you out. I redeemed you on condition that you accept my decrees.

I am Adonoy your God. Why is this said again? So that the Israelites should not say: “Why did the Omnipresent command? Was it not so that we should perform [the commandments] and be rewarded? Let us not perform, and not be rewarded”! Even against your will, I am your king. Similarly, it says, “[As I live . . .] if I shall not, with a mighty hand . . . rule over you.” Another interpretation. Why is the exodus from Egypt mentioned? It was I who distinguished, in Egypt, between the [reproductive] drop which was the firstborn, and that which was not the firstborn. It is I who will distinguish, and punish those who attach [fringes dyed with] indigo dye on their garments, and claim that it is the “techeiles” dye. From R’ Moshe Hadarshan’s commentary I transcribed: Why is the chapter of the “gatherer” adjacent to the chapter of idolatry? To teach that the Shabbos desecrator is like an idolator, since it (Shabbos), too, is equated with the entire Torah. This is stated in Ezra: “You descended on mount Sinai and gave Your nation the Torah and the commandments, etc., and You made Your sacred Shabbos known to them.” The portion of tzitzis, also for this reason, is adjacent to these [portions] — since it, too, is equivalent to all the commandments, as it is said, “you will perform all the commandments.”

On the corners of their garments. This corresponds with, “I carried you on the wings of eagles.” On the four corners — but not on a garment with three, or with five [corners]. This corresponds with the four expressions of redemption which were stated in Egypt — “I will bring [you] out,” “I will save [you],” “I will redeem [you],” “I will take [you].”

A thread of blue. [תְּכֵלֶת] so named because of the [Egyptians’] loss of their firstborn. The targum — translation of שִׁכּוּל, “loss of a child,” is תִּכְלָא . And they were struck down at night. The color of “ techeiles” is similar to the sky which darkens during evening. Its eight threads correspond with the eight days the Israelites waited, from the time they left Egypt, until they sang at the [Reed] Sea.