Parashah 36: B’ha‘alotkha (When you set up) 8:1–12:16
1 Adonaisaid to Moshe,
2 “Tell Aharon, ‘When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps are to cast their light forward, in front of themenorah.’”
3 Aharon did this: he lit its lamps so as to give light in front of themenorah, asAdonaihad ordered Moshe.
4 Here is how themenorahwas made: it was hammered gold from its base to its flowers, hammered work, following the patternAdonaihad shown Moshe. This is how he made themenorah.
5 Adonaisaid to Moshe,
6 “Take theL’vi’imfrom among the people of Isra’el and cleanse them.
7 Here is how you are to cleanse them: sprinkle the purification water on them, have them shave their whole body with a razor, and have them wash their clothes and cleanse themselves.
8 Then they are to take a young bull with its grain offering, which is to be fine flour mixed with olive oil; while you take another bull for a sin offering.
9 You are to present theL’vi’imin front of the tent of meeting, and assemble the entire community of the people of Isra’el.
10 You will present theL’vi’imbeforeAdonai, the people of Isra’el will lay their hands on theL’vi’im,
11 and Aharon will offer theL’vi’imbeforeAdonaias a wave offering from the people of Isra’el, so that they may doAdonai’s service.
12 TheL’vi’imwill lay their hands on the heads of the bulls; the one you will offer as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering toAdonaito make atonement for theL’vi’im.
13 You are to place theL’vi’imbefore Aharon and his sons, and offer them as a wave offering toAdonai.
14 In this way you will separate theL’vi’imfrom the people of Isra’el, and theL’vi’imwill belong to me.
(ii)
15 “After that, theL’vi’imwill enter and do the service of the tent of meeting. You will cleanse them and offer them as a wave offering,
16 because they are entirely given to me from among the people of Isra’el; I have taken them for myself in place of all those who come first out of the womb, that is, the firstborn males of the people of Isra’el.
17 For all the firstborn among the people of Isra’el are mine, both humans and animals; on the day I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set them apart for myself.
18 But I have taken theL’vi’imin place of all the firstborn among the people of Isra’el,
19 and I have given theL’vi’imto Aharon and his sons from among the people of Isra’el to do the service of the people of Isra’el in the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the people of Isra’el, so that no plague will fall on the people of Isra’el in consequence of their coming too close to the sanctuary.”
20 This is what Moshe, Aharon and all the community of the people of Isra’el did to theL’vi’im.The people of Isra’el acted in accordance with everything thatAdonaihad ordered Moshe in regard to theL’vi’im.
21 TheL’vi’impurified themselves and washed their clothes. Then Aharon offered them as a holy gift beforeAdonaiand made atonement for them in order to cleanse them.
22 After that, theL’vi’imcame to do their service in the tent of meeting in front of Aharon and his sons; they acted in accordance withAdonai’s orders to Moshe in regard to theL’vi’im.
23 Adonaisaid to Moshe,
24 “Here are instructions concerning theL’vi’im: when they reach the age of twenty-five, they are to begin performing their duties serving in the tent of meeting;
25 and when they reach the age of fifty, they are to stop performing this work and not serve any longer.
26 They will assist their brothers who are performing their duties in the tent of meeting, but they themselves will not do any of the work. This is what you are to do with theL’vi’imin regard to their duties.”