📜 Daily Chumash & Rashi Diaspora – Parshas Behalosecha Shelishi: The Karban Pesach in the desert

*The article below is an excerpt from the above Sefer

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Shelishi

1. The Karban Pesach in the desert:

• Hashem spoke to Moshe in the Sinai desert, on the first month of the second year after the exodus saying that the Jewish people shall perform the Pesach sacrifice on time, in the afternoon of the 14^th day of this month according to all its laws.
• The Jewish people did as they were instructed.

 

2. Pesach Sheiyni:

• The complaint: Certain individuals who were impure due to contact with a corpse came to Moshe complaining why they could not perform the Pesach sacrifice, and why they should miss out on this opportunity. Moshe brought their complaint to Hashem, to which Hashem replied with the following laws:
• Its laws: Hashem spoke to Moshe saying: Any man who is impure or a distance away [from the area of slaughter, i.e. Jerusalem, on the 14^th of Nissan] is to offer the Pesach sacrifice in the 2^nd month on the 14^th It is to be eaten with Matzah and Maror. It may not be leftover until morning, and its bones may not be broken.
• Transgressed and did not offer: One who is pure, and is not a distance away and still does not bring the Pesach sacrifice, is to be cut off from its nation.

📘 Rashi Q&A — Bamidbar 9:1–14

 

9:1 — Chronology

Q1. Why is this placed here, if it happened earlier?

A: It occurred in Nissan, before earlier chapters (Iyar) → teaches:
➡️ אין מוקדם ומאוחר בתורה (no strict chronological order).

 

Q2. Why not begin the book with this?

A: To hide a disgrace of Israel →
They only brought one Korban Pesach in 40 years.

 

9:2 — “בְּמֽוֹעֲדֽוֹ”

Q3. What does “במועדו” teach?

A:

• Done even on Shabbat
• Done even if most are tamei (impure)

9:3 — Laws vs Ordinances

Q4. What are “חוקותיו”?

A: Laws of the korban itself →

• Unblemished
• Male
• First year

 

Q5. What are “משפטיו”?

A: External laws →

• Eat matzah
• Remove chametz

 

9:4 — Why repeat Moshe told them?

Q6. Why repeat that Moshe told them?

A: To teach:
➡️ He taught each mitzvah again at its time, not only once.

 

9:6 — Impure Men

Q7. Why did they come to Moshe AND Aharon?

A: Because both were sitting together in learning.

 

9:7 — Their Argument

Q8. What did they ask?

A: “Why should we be excluded?”

 

Q9. What solution did they suggest?

A:

• Let pure people offer for them
• Others eat in their place

 

Q10. What do we learn from Moshe’s reply?

A:

• He said: “Wait” → like a student
• He had direct access to Hashem at any time

 

Q11. Why was this halacha revealed through them?

A:
➡️ “Merit comes through the worthy”

 

9:10 — “דרך רחוקה”

Q12. What is “a distant journey”?

A: Even minimal distance:
➡️ Being outside the Azarah at slaughter time

 

Q13. What is unique about Pesach Sheni?

A:

• Chametz allowed at home
• Only forbidden with the korban itself

 

9:11–12 — Pesach Sheni

Q14. When is it offered?

A: 14th of Iyar

Q15. What rules remain the same?

A: Same as Pesach Rishon:

• No leftover
• No broken bones

 

9:13 — Neglecting Pesach

Q16. Who gets karet?

A: Someone who:

• Is pure
• Not far
• Still fails to bring korban

 

9:14 — Convert

Q17. Must a convert bring Pesach immediately?

A: No → only when its time arrives.

Q18. What does “one law” teach?

A: Equal obligation for convert and native.