It might sound like a stretch, but our sages saw profound links between generations, commandments, and even the offerings brought by the princes of Israel. The Book of Numbers, Bamidbar in Hebrew, details the offerings of the tribal princes. We find a repeated phrase: "One silver dish" (Numbers 7:13). Rabbi Pinchas ben Ya’ir suggests a fascinating interpretation. He urges us to read the Hebrew word kaarat – "dish" – not as it is, but as akeret, connecting it to Adam, the root (ikaran) of humanity.
Where does this connection come from? Rabbi Shemaya points out that the numerical value of the Hebrew letters in kaarat kesef (silver dish) adds up to 930 – precisely the number of years Adam lived! We find this explicitly stated in (Genesis 5:5): "All the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.” A beautiful example of gematria, a method of interpreting scripture by assigning numerical values to letters.
But why silver? Because, the text suggests, Adam was given six commandments. The Torah, in turn, is likened to silver, as (Psalm 12:7) says: "The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver purified in the furnace of the earth." And why "one" dish? Because of Eve, created from Adam, as (Genesis 2:21) tells us: "He took one of his sides."
The story continues. "Its weight one hundred and thirty" alludes to the 130 years Adam separated himself from Eve before fathering Seth, from whom the world was re-established after the deaths of Abel and Cain. And the "basin" (mizrak)? That corresponds to Noah, who was, in a sense, "cast out" (shenizrak) from a corrupt generation.
Why is Noah also associated with silver? Because he was righteous in his generation, as (Genesis 7:1) states: "As I have seen you to be righteous before Me in this generation.” Or, again, because of the commandments he observed, specifically the prohibition against eating blood (Genesis 9:4). Rabbi Shemaya even connects the numerical value of "mizrak echad kesef" (one silver basin) to the 500 years of Noah's life before he had children (Genesis 5:32), further linking the text to the biblical narrative through intricate numerical connections.
The offering also includes "Seventy shekels." This number, the text suggests, corresponds to the seventy nations that descended from Noah. Or, perhaps, to the first seventy verses of Genesis, ending with the curse of the serpent. Rabbi Pinchas points out that the serpent and the wicked Haman both receive their curses after seventy verses, highlighting a recurring pattern in the biblical narrative. The number seventy also connects to the seventy holy names from the beginning of Genesis up to the story of the serpent, and to the seventy years Terah was when he fathered Abraham (Genesis 11:26). We are reminded too of the seventy days of mourning for Jacob (Genesis 50:3), and even the seventy holidays given to Israel. The text mentions seventy names of God, Israel, the Torah, and Jerusalem, further emphasizing the significance of this number. Finally, the number seventy alludes to the seventy years that Adam deducted from his life and gave to David.
"Both of them full" – meaning both Adam and Noah – received commandments and were righteous. And the "gold ladle of ten shekels"? That represents the ten sayings with which the world was created, the ten fundamental spheres, the ten generations from Adam to Noah and from Noah to Abraham, the Ten Commandments, and the ten miracles in Egypt and at the Red Sea.
The offering, "filled with incense," is linked to circumcision. The smell of the blood and foreskin at the moment of circumcision was pleasing to God. As it says in (Song of Songs 4:6), "I will go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense," representing the circumcisions performed in Egypt and upon entering the land of Canaan.
The offerings of animals – a young bull, a ram, a lamb, a goat – also hold symbolic weight. They can represent the heavens, the earth, and the sea, and also the three patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The goat (use’ir) connects to the Torah, likened to "rainstorms (kisirim) on the grass" (Deuteronomy 32:2), reminding us that the world was created in the merit of the Torah.
Why these specific animals? Perhaps because Noah sacrificed similar animals after the flood. And the goat as a sin offering? To atone for the curse on the earth after the flood. The three burnt offerings and one sin offering can also correspond to the four elements: earth, water, air, and fire, with the goat representing the heavy earth.
Finally, the text concludes by emphasizing the equality and love God has for all the tribes of Israel. Even though the dedication of the altar took twelve days, the Torah ascribes it to them as if they all presented their offerings together on the first day. As (Song of Songs 4:7) beautifully states: “You are all fair, my love, and there is no blemish in you.”
So, what does it all mean? This passage from Bamidbar Rabbah reveals a complex web of connections, linking generations, commandments, numbers, and offerings. It's a reminder that everything in the Torah, and perhaps in life, is interconnected, waiting to be discovered with careful study and a little bit of wonder. It encourages us to look deeper, to see the patterns and connections that might otherwise go unnoticed, and to appreciate the intricate tapestry of Jewish tradition.
Rabbi Pinḥas ben Ya’ir said: It was corresponding to the generations that were from Adam the first man until the Tabernacle, and corresponding to the mitzvot that they were commanded, that the princes presented the offering. “One silver dish” (Numbers 7:13)80Citations here and later from the portion describing Naḥshon’s offering (Numbers 7:13–17) are sample citations of phrases that recur for the rest of the tribal princes as well. – do not read it as kaarat but rather as akeret; this is Adam the first man, who was the root [ikaran] of the people. Rabbi Shemaya said: From where do you say that it is regarding Adam the first man that kaarat kesef is stated? It is because the tally of the years of Adam the first man was nine hundred and thirty years, and the numerical value of kaarat kesef is nine hundred and thirty.81Kof – 100; ayin – 70; resh – 200; tav – 400; together they sum to 770. Kaf – 20; samekh – 60; peh – 80; together they sum to 160. The two sums together equal 930. From where is it derived that Adam the first man lived nine hundred and thirty years? It is as it is stated: “All the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died” (Genesis 5:5). Why was it of silver? It is because he gave him six mitzvot,82The prohibitions against idolatry, forbidden relations, bloodshed, cursing God, and robbery, and the command to establish courts. as it is stated: “The Lord God formed man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life…” (Genesis 2:7)83The Etz Yosef explains that the midrash brings the first verse, which leads to the verse (Genesis 2:16) from which the six commandments are learned (see Bereshit Rabba 16:6)., and the Torah is called silver, as it is stated: “[The words of the Lord are pure words,] like silver purified in the furnace of the earth” (Psalms 12:7). Why is “one” stated in his regard? It is due to Eve, who was created from him, as it is stated: “He took one of his sides” (Genesis 2:21). “Its weight one hundred and thirty” – it corresponds to the one hundred and thirty years during which he withdrew from the woman and ultimately begat Seth, who was the first of his offspring, as it is stated: “Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his likeness, after his image, and called his name Seth [Shet]” (Genesis 5:3), as from him the world was established [hushtat], as Abel and Cain were driven from the world. “Basin [mizrak]” (Numbers 7:13) – it corresponds to Noah, who was cast [shenizrak] out of the generation of the Flood. Why silver? It is because he was righteous in his generation, as it is stated: “As I have seen you to be righteous before Me in this generation” (Genesis 7:1). Another matter: Because of the mitzvot that he was commanded he was called “silver,” as it is stated: “But flesh with its life, its blood, you shall not eat” (Genesis 9:4). Rabbi Shemaya said: Corresponding to the years of Noah’s age when he produced offspring are equal to the total of “mizrak eḥad kesef” (Numbers 7:13).84Mem – 40; zayin – 7; resh – 200; kof – 100; together they sum to 347. Alef –1; ḥet – 8; dalet – 4; together they sum to 13. Kaf –20; samekh – 60; peh – 80; together they sum to 160. The three sums together equal 520. Mizrak eḥad kesef is “one silver basin.” Go out and calculate their letters, and they total five hundred and twenty, corresponding to the five hundred years of Noah’s age when he produced offspring, as it is stated: “Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah begot…” (Genesis 5:32). This is the reason that he delayed procreating; it was due to the iniquity that he saw in his generation, until the Holy One blessed be He revealed to him the matter of the ark. At that moment he married a wife and produced offspring, and it was one hundred years from that year until the Flood. And that zayin85In the word mizrak. and the word eḥad that total twenty beyond the five hundred are an allusion to the twenty years prior to Noah’s producing offspring that the decree of the Flood was decreed, just as it says: “Its days will be one hundred and twenty years” (Genesis 6:3). “Seventy shekels in the sacred shekel” (Numbers 7:13) – it corresponds to the seventy nations that emerged from him. Alternatively, why seventy? It corresponds to the beginning of the book of Genesis until the curse of the serpent, seventy verses. Rabbi Pinḥas said: Two enemies were not cursed until it completed seventy verses in their regard: The serpent and the wicked Haman. The serpent from “in the beginning” (Genesis 1:1) until “accursed are you beyond all the animals” (Genesis 3:14), seventy verses. Haman, from “after these matters, King [Aḥashverosh] promoted [Haman]” (Esther 3:1) until “they hanged Haman” (Esther 7:10), seventy verses. At the end of seventy, he was hanged at fifty.86This is a passage from the liturgy for Shabbat Zakhor composed by Rabbi Elazar HaKalir. The reference is to seventy verses and gallows fifty cubits high. Another matter: It corresponds to the seventy holy names from “in the beginning” (Genesis 1:1) until the portion of the serpent. If you say that there is one more, “you will be like the great ones [elohim]” (Genesis 3:5) is not sacred.87It means in that verse that they will be important. See Targum Onkelos on the verse. Another matter: It corresponds to the seventy years of age that Teraḥ was when he begot Abraham, as it is stated: “Teraḥ lived seventy years, [and he begot Abram]” (Genesis 11:26). There were two in two generations of seventy years: Kenan in one generation, “Kenan lived seventy years” (Genesis 5:12), and Teraḥ in a second generation.88Each of them was seventy years old when he begot his first child. Another matter: It corresponds to the seventy days that they wept for Jacob the pious, as it is stated: “Egypt wept for him seventy days” (Genesis 50:3). Another matter: It corresponds to the seventy holidays that the Holy One blessed be He gave to Israel: Seven days of Passover, eight days of the Festival,89Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret. Rosh HaShana, Yom Kippur, the festival of Shavuot, and there are fifty-two Shabbatot in the solar year; that is seventy. Another matter: It corresponds to the seventy names of the Holy One blessed be He, the seventy names of Israel, the seventy names of the Torah, and the seventy names of Jerusalem. Another matter: It corresponds to the seventy years that Adam deducted from his years and gave to David son of Yishai, as he was supposed to have lived one thousand years, as it is stated: “For on the day that you eat of it you will die” (Genesis 2:17), and the day of the Holy One blessed be He is one thousand years, as it is stated: “For one thousand years in Your eyes are like yesterday as it passes, like a watch of the night” (Psalms 90:4). “Both of them full” (Numbers 7:13) – as both Adam and Noah received mitzvot and were righteous. That is “high-quality flour mixed with oil as a meal offering” (Numbers 7:13). “One gold ladle of ten shekels, filled with incense” (Numbers 7:14) – it corresponds to the ten sayings with which the world was created; and corresponds to the ten fundamental spheres; and corresponds to the ten generations from Adam to Noah, and the ten generations from Noah to Abraham; and corresponds to the Ten Commandments; and corresponds to the ten rulers over a person;90See Kohelet Rabba 7 (verse 19). and corresponds to the ten “generations [toledot]” (Genesis 6:9)91Toledot appears ten times in reference to people in the Torah. in the Torah; and corresponds to the ten miracles that were performed on behalf of our ancestors in Egypt, and the ten miracles at the sea; and corresponds to the ten covenants mentioned in the portion of circumcision. (see Genesis17:2–14). “Filled with incense” (Numbers 7:14) – the verse is speaking corresponding to circumcision, as at the moment that Israel were circumcised in Egypt, as it is stated: “[I passed you,] and saw you wallowing in your blood, and I said to you: In your blood, you shall live; I said to you: In your blood, you shall live” (Ezekiel 16:6), the odor of the blood and the foreskin was as pleasant before the Holy One blessed be He as spices. Likewise, when Joshua circumcised them, the odor was, likewise, pleasant before the Holy One blessed be He. In that regard it is stated: “I will go to the mountain of myrrh” (Song of Songs 4:6) – this is the circumcision of Egypt, as they made a mountain of the foreskins, because they all needed to be circumcised, and it was pleasant before the Holy One blessed be He like the fragrance of pure myrrh, which was the first of the spices. “And to the hill of frankincense” (Song of Songs 4:6) – this is the circumcision of the arrival in the land of Canaan, as they made a hill of the foreskins, as it is stated: “At the hill of the foreskins” (Joshua 5:3), and their odor was as pleasant before the Holy One blessed be He as the fragrance of frankincense. That is, “filled with incense” – myrrh, which is the first of the spices of the incense, and frankincense, which was the last of spices of the incense. It mentioned both of them in the verse. “One young bull” (Numbers 7:15) – it corresponds to “He sent the young men of the Israelites, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to God” (Exodus 24:5). “One ram” (Numbers 7:15) – it corresponds to “It was the portion for Moses [from] the ram of investiture” (Leviticus 8:29). “One lamb” (Numbers 7:15) – it corresponds to the two daily offerings: “The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, [and the second lamb you shall offer in the afternoon]” (Exodus 29:39). “One goat as a sin offering” (Numbers 7:16) – it corresponds to the scapegoat that carries the iniquities of Israel. Another matter: “One young bull, [one ram, one lamb…as a burnt offering]” (Numbers 7:15) – there are three types of burnt offerings here, corresponding to the heavens, the earth, and the sea, and corresponding to them, the three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were blessed: “I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens” (Genesis 26:4); “I will render your descendants like the dust of the earth” (Genesis 13:16); “like the sand that is on the seashore” (Genesis 22:17). “One goat [use’ir]” (Numbers 7:16) – it corresponds to the Torah, in whose regard it is stated: “Like rainstorms [kisirim] on the grass” (Deuteronomy 32:2), to teach you that the entire world was created due only to the merit of the Torah.92Since the Torah is being compared to rain which is critical for the existence of the world. Another matter: Why did they sacrifice three species as a burnt offering? It corresponds to Noah, who took from all the animals and sacrificed burnt offerings, as it is stated: “He took from every pure animal, and from every pure bird, and offered up burnt offerings on the altar” (Genesis 8:20). Why did they not sacrifice birds? It is because there is no poverty in a place of wealth. Why a goat as a sin offering? It is because Noah sacrificed those burnt offerings only to atone for the curse of the earth93A sin offering was brought in order to show that the burnt offerings correspond to burnt offerings which were brought as atonement., just as it says: “The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, and the Lord said in His heart: I will not continue to curse the ground anymore on account of man…” (Genesis 8:21). Another matter: Why three species of burnt offering and one of sin offering? It corresponds to the four components of nature from which the Holy One blessed be He created the world; three are supernal, one above the other, and the fourth is earthly, the heaviest of them all. These are: The earth; it is the heaviest of them all, and corresponding to it, the goat is prepared. The water is above the earth. The atmosphere, from which the wind is formed, is above the water. And the fire is above the atmosphere, as the fire is the lightest of them all, as it ascends to the firmament. A mnemonic for this matter94That the fire ascends. is: When the flame separates from the coal it gradually floats upward. Likewise, they say: Fire surrounds the entire world up until the firmament. Corresponding to the fire, the wind, and the water, which are supernal, three types of burnt offering were prepared. “And for the peace offering, two bulls” (Numbers 7:17) – it corresponds to the two altars that Jacob crafted, one in Beit El and one in Beersheba. “Five rams” (Numbers 7:17) – it corresponds to the five mighty ones of the world, and they are: “The sons of Zeraḥ: Zimri, Eitan, Heiman, Kalkol, and Dara; all of them were five” (I Chronicles 2:6).95See Yalkut Shimoni, I Chronicles 10:74. “Five goats, five lambs in their first year” (Numbers 7:17) – it corresponds to the altar; its width five cubits and its length five cubits. Alternatively, it corresponds to five senses and five perceptions.96These are the matters perceived by the senses. “This was the offering…” (Numbers 7:17) – that it says at the end of the offering of each and every prince is to say to you: Once they presented their offerings according to this order, the Holy One blessed be He began lauding their offerings and saying: This was the offering of each and every one. “This was the dedication of the altar, on the day that it was anointed, from the princes of Israel: Twelve silver dishes, twelve silver basins, twelve golden ladles” (Numbers 7:84). “This was the dedication of the altar, on the day that it was anointed” – was the entire dedication of the altar performed on the day that it was anointed? In fact, the dedication of the Temple was not completed until the completion of twelve days. Rather, the verse comes to teach you that all the tribes were equal and beloved as one before the Holy One blessed be He, as the Torah ascribed to them as though they all presented their offering together on the first day, to realize what is stated: “You are all fair, my love, and there is no blemish in you” (Song of Songs 4:7).
