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TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

I - Chapter 24

Translation and Transliteration of 

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1The divisions of the Aaronites were:The sons of Aharon: Nadav and Avihu, Elazar and Itamar.

אוְלִבְנֵי אַהֲרֹן מַחְלְקוֹתָם בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא אֶלְעָזָר וְאִיתָמָר׃

2Nadav and Avihu died in the lifetime of their father, and they had no children, so Elazar and Itamar served as Kohanim.

va-YA-mot na-DAV va-a-vee-HU lif-NAY a-vee-HEM u-va-NEEM lo ha-YU la-HEM vai-kha-ha-NU el-a-ZAR v'-ee-ta-MAR

בוַיָּמָת נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא לִפְנֵי אֲבִיהֶם וּבָנִים לֹא־הָיוּ לָהֶם וַיְכַהֲנוּ אֶלְעָזָר וְאִיתָמָר׃

 24:2   Nadav and Avihu died in the lifetime of their father

Rabbi Naftali Z.Y. Berlin, the Netziv (1816-1893)

The Torah tells us that Nadav and Avihu died during the joyous dedication ceremony of the Mishkan. After a heavenly fire descended and consumed the sacrificial offerings, revealing the Divine Presence, the verse states that these two of Aharon’s sons “offered before Hashem alien fire, which He had not enjoined upon them” (Leviticus 10:1). The severe consequence of this act was that they were then consumed as well, also by heavenly fire. The Netziv suggests that their moti­vation for bringing the forbidden fire was the closeness that they felt to God at the moment of revelation; they were so overcome with this feeling that they desired to get even closer with an offering of their own, which they brought into the Holy of Holies. Though their intentions were pure, the offering was unauthorized and entry into the Holy sanctuary was forbidden, so they were pu­nished. Nadav and Avihu were indeed close to God, as Moshe says of them “Through those near to Me I show Myself holy, and gain glory before all the people” (Leviticus 10:3), but such closeness does not grant a license to bend the rules. Nadav and Avihu teach us that holy places must be approached with awe and trepidation, and that holy people are held to a higher standard. One of the lessons for our generation is that the Children of Israel, living in the Land of Israel, must be especially careful to respect its sanctity and to behave in a way that will bring glory to God’s name.

3David, Tzadok of the sons of Elazar, and Achimelech of the sons of Itamar divided them into offices by their tasks.

גוַיֶּחָלְקֵם דָּוִיד וְצָדוֹק מִן־בְּנֵי אֶלְעָזָר וַאֲחִימֶלֶךְ מִן־בְּנֵי אִיתָמָר לִפְקֻדָּתָם בַּעֲבֹדָתָם׃

4The sons of Elazar turned out to be more numerous by male heads than the sons of Itamar, so they divided the sons of Elazar into sixteen chiefs of clans and the sons of Itamar into eight clans.

דוַיִּמָּצְאוּ בְנֵי־אֶלְעָזָר רַבִּים לְרָאשֵׁי הַגְּבָרִים מִן־בְּנֵי אִיתָמָר וַיַּחְלְקוּם לִבְנֵי אֶלְעָזָר רָאשִׁים לְבֵית־אָבוֹת שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר וְלִבְנֵי אִיתָמָר לְבֵית אֲבוֹתָם שְׁמוֹנָה׃

5They divided them by lot, both on an equal footing, since they were all sanctuary officers and officers of Hashem—the sons of Elazar and the sons of Itamar.

הוַיַּחְלְקוּם בְּגוֹרָלוֹת אֵלֶּה עִם־אֵלֶּה כִּי־הָיוּ שָׂרֵי־קֹדֶשׁ וְשָׂרֵי הָאֱלֹהִים מִבְּנֵי אֶלְעָזָר וּבִבְנֵי אִיתָמָר׃

6Shemaya son of Nathanel, the scribe, who was of the Leviim, registered them under the eye of the king, the officers, and Tzadok the Kohen, and Achimelech son of Evyatar, and the chiefs of clans of the Kohanim and Leviim—one clan more taken for Elazar for each one taken of Itamar.

ווַיִּכְתְּבֵם שְׁמַעְיָה בֶן־נְתַנְאֵל הַסּוֹפֵר מִן־הַלֵּוִי לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַשָּׂרִים וְצָדוֹק הַכֹּהֵן וַאֲחִימֶלֶךְ בֶּן־אֶבְיָתָר וְרָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת לַכֹּהֲנִים וְלַלְוִיִּם בֵּית־אָב אֶחָד אָחֻז לְאֶלְעָזָר וְאָחֻז אָחֻז לְאִיתָמָר׃

7The first lot fell on Jehoiarib; the second on Jedaiah;

זוַיֵּצֵא הַגּוֹרָל הָרִאשׁוֹן לִיהוֹיָרִיב לִידַעְיָה הַשֵּׁנִי׃

8the third on Harim; the fourth on Seorim;

חלְחָרִם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי לִשְׂעֹרִים הָרְבִעִי׃

9the fifth on Malchijah; the sixth on Mijamin;

טלְמַלְכִּיָּה הַחֲמִישִׁי לְמִיָּמִן הַשִּׁשִּׁי׃

10the seventh on Hakkoz; the eighth on Aviya;

ילְהַקּוֹץ הַשְּׁבִעִי לַאֲבִיָּה הַשְּׁמִינִי׃

11the ninth on Yeshua; the tenth on Shechanya;

יאלְיֵשׁוּעַ הַתְּשִׁעִי לִשְׁכַנְיָהוּ הָעֲשִׂרִי׃

12the eleventh on Elyashiv; the twelfth on Jakim;

יבלְאֶלְיָשִׁיב עַשְׁתֵּי עָשָׂר לְיָקִים שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר׃

13the thirteenth on Huppah; the fourteenth on Jeshebeab;

יגלְחֻפָּה שְׁלֹשָׁה עָשָׂר לְיֶשֶׁבְאָב אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר׃

14the fifteenth on Bilgah; the sixteenth on Immer;

ידלְבִלְגָּה חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר לְאִמֵּר שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר׃

15the seventeenth on Hezir; the eighteenth on Happizzez;

טולְחֵזִיר שִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר לְהַפִּצֵּץ שְׁמוֹנָה עָשָׂר׃

16the nineteenth on Pethahiah; the twentieth on Jehezkel;

טזלִפְתַחְיָה תִּשְׁעָה עָשָׂר לִיחֶזְקֵאל הָעֶשְׂרִים׃

17the twenty-first on Jachin; the twenty-second on Gamul;

יזלְיָכִין אֶחָד וְעֶשְׂרִים לְגָמוּל שְׁנַיִם וְעֶשְׂרִים׃

18the twenty-third on Delaiah; the twenty-fourth on Maaziah.

יחלִדְלָיָהוּ שְׁלֹשָׁה וְעֶשְׂרִים לְמַעַזְיָהוּ אַרְבָּעָה וְעֶשְׂרִים׃

19According to this allocation of offices by tasks, they were to enter the House of Hashem as was laid down for them by Aharon their father, as God of Yisrael had commanded him.

יטאֵלֶּה פְקֻדָּתָם לַעֲבֹדָתָם לָבוֹא לְבֵית־יְהֹוָה כְּמִשְׁפָּטָם בְּיַד אַהֲרֹן אֲבִיהֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּהוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

20The remaining Leviim: the sons of Amram: Shubael; the sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah;

כוְלִבְנֵי לֵוִי הַנּוֹתָרִים לִבְנֵי עַמְרָם שׁוּבָאֵל לִבְנֵי שׁוּבָאֵל יֶחְדְּיָהוּ׃

21Rehabiah. The sons of Rehabiah: Isshiah, the chief.

כאלִרְחַבְיָהוּ לִבְנֵי רְחַבְיָהוּ הָרֹאשׁ יִשִּׁיָּה׃

22Izharites: Shelomoth. The sons of Shelomoth: Jahath

כבלַיִּצְהָרִי שְׁלֹמוֹת לִבְנֵי שְׁלֹמוֹת יָחַת׃

23and Benai, Jeriah; the second, Amariah; the third, Yachaziel; the fourth, Jekameam.

כגוּבְנָי יְרִיָּהוּ אֲמַרְיָהוּ הַשֵּׁנִי יַחֲזִיאֵל הַשְּׁלִישִׁי יְקַמְעָם הָרְבִיעִי׃

24The sons of Uzziel: Micha. The sons of Micha: Shamir.

כדבְּנֵי עֻזִּיאֵל מִיכָה לִבְנֵי מִיכָה שמור [שָׁמִיר׃]

25The brother of Micha: Isshiah. The sons of Isshiah: Zecharya.

כהאֲחִי מִיכָה יִשִּׁיָּה לִבְנֵי יִשִּׁיָּה זְכַרְיָהוּ׃

26The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Jaazaiah, his son—

כובְּנֵי מְרָרִי מַחְלִי וּמוּשִׁי בְּנֵי יַעֲזִיָּהוּ בְנוֹ׃

27the sons of Merari by Jaazaiah his son: Shoham, Zakkur, and Ibri.

כזבְּנֵי מְרָרִי לְיַעֲזִיָּהוּ בְנוֹ וְשֹׁהַם וְזַכּוּר וְעִבְרִי׃

28Mahli: Elazar; he had no sons.

כחלְמַחְלִי אֶלְעָזָר וְלֹא־הָיָה לוֹ בָּנִים׃

29Keesh: the sons of Keesh: Jerahmeel.

כטלְקִישׁ בְּנֵי־קִישׁ יְרַחְמְאֵל׃

30The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the sons of the Leviim by their clans.

לוּבְנֵי מוּשִׁי מַחְלִי וְעֵדֶר וִירִימוֹת אֵלֶּה בְּנֵי הַלְוִיִּם לְבֵית אֲבֹתֵיהֶם׃

31These too cast lots corresponding to their kinsmen, the sons of Aharon, under the eye of King David and Tzadok and Achimelech and the chiefs of the clans of the Kohanim and Leviim, on the principle of “chief and youngest brother alike.”

לאוַיַּפִּילוּ גַם־הֵם גּוֹרָלוֹת לְעֻמַּת אֲחֵיהֶם בְּנֵי־אַהֲרֹן לִפְנֵי דָוִיד הַמֶּלֶךְ וְצָדוֹק וַאֲחִימֶלֶךְ וְרָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת לַכֹּהֲנִים וְלַלְוִיִּם אָבוֹת הָרֹאשׁ לְעֻמַּת אָחִיו הַקָּטָן׃