The command: Hashem spoke to Moshe saying he should take a census of the firstborn of the Jewish people, counting all males one month old and above.
Designating the Levites and animals in exchange for firstborns: You shall designate the Levites and their animals for Me in exchange for the firstborns of the Jewish people and their firstborn animals.
The count: Moshe counted the firstborns of the Jewish people as Hashem commanded and there was a total of 22,273 firstborn males above the age of one month.
Redeeming the Bechoros with the Levites:
The command: Hashem commanded Moshe to exchange the Levites and their animals for the firstborns of the Jewish people and their firstborn animals, and they shall be for Me.
The redemption of the extra 273 firstborn: For the redemption of the 273 Israelite firstborns who are in surplus to the Levite count, you shall take five Shekalim per head, each Shekel being the worth of 20 Geira. Give the money to Aaron and his sons.
Moshe took the money from the surplus firstborns and gave it to Aaron and his sons as Hashem commanded. It was a total sum of 1,365 Shekel.
Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.
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