Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L
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Donations to Leviim and Koahim
Moshe reiterates that all of the Leviim (whether blemished or not) are not to receive a portion of the spoils nor an inheritance in the Land of Israel. Rather they are to subsist on the sacrifices offered in the Temple, the terumos and the tithes.
Rashi breaks down the idea of the Leviim not having their own land inheritance in a few ways, by saying that they shall have no:
"inheritance of the remainder" - these are the 3 remaining nations out of the 10 G-d had promised to Avraham, namely the Kenim, Kenizim and Kadmonim (see Breishis 15:19).
"inheritance of the five" - Rashi says that while he doesn't know what this is, he thinks that the land across the Jordan is called the "land of the five nations" and that of Sichon and Og is called the "land of the two nations (i.e. Sichon and Og)" or alternatively worded, this refers to the inheritance of the five tribes who were given land by Moshe and Yehoshua. Moshe portioned out the land to Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh and Yehoshua portioned the land for Yehuda, Ephraim, and the other half of the tribe of Manasseh.
"inheritance of the seven" - these are the seven remaining tribes who were not given land by Moshe or Yehoshua but took the land for themselves after Yehoshua passed away.
Moshe now details what is to be given to the Kohanim. Kohanim are exempt from giving their sacrificial animals to other Kohanim.
The parts from a sacrificial animal (This applies to oxen and sheep but not "wild animals") to be given are:
The "foreleg" - this includes the section on the leg from the carpus to the shoulder blade.
The jaws and tongue (or according to some, the hand)
And other things which must be given to Kohanim are:
One's first grain (i.e. terumah) - the amount to be given is not specified in the text but the rabbis set it at between 1/60 of one's total produce if one is miserly or 1/50th if one is of average generosity or 1/40th if one is generous.
The first of one's wine
The first of one's oil
The first wool which is sheared off one one's sheep every year. One must have at least 5 sheep to be bound to donate this wool and while the scripture didn't mention an amount to give, the rabbis set it at 1/60th of one's total sheared wool.
These things are to be given to the Kohanim since G-d chose them from all the tribes to serve* in the Temple.
*Side note: This is worded in the scripture as "to stand and serve" , from which Sifrei in Sotah 38a learns (as cited by Rashi here) that all of the services in the Temple were done standing.
Shoftim, 3rd Aliya