“And his offering: One silver dish” (Numbers 7:13), it is taught: This tells that they were crafted from the outset only for the sake of his offering. “One silver basin of seventy shekels, in the sacred shekel” (Numbers 7:13), I have derived regarding only the basin, as it specified in its regard “in the sacred shekel.” The dish, from where is it derived? The verse states: “Both of them full of high quality flour” (Numbers 7:13).
Just as this one is in the sacred shekel, so, too, that one, in the sacred shekel. Rabbi Ḥananya son of the brother of Rabbi Yehoshua says: It is not necessary, as it is already stated: “All the silver of the vessels was two thousand and four hundred, in the sacred shekel” (Numbers 7:85). Why does the verse state: “Both of them full”? It is because they were equal in measure.
What is the difference between a dish and a basin? The dish, its wall was thick; the basin, its wall was thin. “High quality flour mixed with oil,” this was of the gift offering.39It was not from the flour and oil belonging to the Tabernacle. “One gold ladle, ten shekels, full of incense” (Numbers 7:14).
“One young bull, one ram, one lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering” (Numbers 7:15). “One goat as a sin offering” (Numbers 7:16). “And for the peace offering, two cattle, five rams, five goats, five sheep in their first year. This was the offering of Naḥshon son of Aminadav” (Numbers 7:17).
“One gold ladle, ten shekels…” (Numbers 7:14), Rabbi Ḥanin said: It renders everything in the ladle as one, as a sacred vessel connects everything that is inside it to become impure.40If there are distinct pieces in the vessel, and one of them comes in contact with impurity, they all become impure, because they are considered one single piece while in the vessel. If one who immersed that day41His purification will not be complete until the evening, and his status is that of second degree impurity. touches some of what is in it, he disqualifies it all.
“Gold…ten shekels” – it is of gold, its weight is of silver. Do you say thus, it is of gold, its weight is of silver; or, it is of silver and its weight is of gold? The verse states: “All the gold of the ladles, one hundred and twenty” (Numbers 7:86); consequently, you should not say according to the former formulation, but rather according to the latter formulation: It is of gold and its weight is of silver.
“Full of incense,” this is incense of a gift offering. “One young bull” (Numbers 7:15), that there was not another in its herd that equaled it.42The midrash expounds the word one, eḥad, to mean special, meyuḥad. “One ram,” that there was not another in its herd that equaled it. “In its first year,” this is its own first year, but not the year according to the tally of the world.43The year ends on the anniversary of the sheep’s birth, not at the end of the calendar year.
“As a burnt offering” (Numbers 7:15), it states that they were all fit for a burnt offering.44Namely, maybe only the sheep were brought as a burnt offering. Or [should we interpret] “sheep,” in whose regard it was specified, was fit for a burnt offering, but the rest of them were not fit for a burnt offering? The verse states: “One bull…one ram…one sheep,” telling that all of them are fit for a burnt offering.
“One goat as a sin offering” (Numbers 7:16), it is to atone for a grave in the depths.45A grave in the depths is one which nobody is currently aware of. Since somebody who walked over the grave would become impure, but would have no knowledge of his impurity, he might unwittingly enter the Tabernacle or partake of consecrated meat while impure. Since he is unaware of his impurity, he will not bring the sacrifice required of a person who unintentionally did one of these acts.
“And for the peace offering” (Numbers 7:17), [does] it state that they were all fit for a peace offering, or “cattle,” in whose regard it was specified, must be fit for a peace offering, but the rest of them need not be fit for a peace offering? The verse states: “And for the peace offering, [two cattle, five rams, five goats, five sheep in their first year],” stating that all of them must be fit for a peace offering.
“This was the offering of Naḥshon son of Aminadav” (Numbers 7:17), he brought it from what was his, and did not collect from his tribe and bring. “This was the offering,” this one brought incense as a gift offering, but an individual does not bring incense as a gift offering. This one brings a sin offering without having sinned, but an individual does not bring a sin offering without having sinned. This one, his offering overrides Shabbat, but, [normally] an individual’s offering does not override Shabbat.