Numbers/Bamidbar 28-29: "Of my near-offering, my food, as my fire-offerings, my soothing savor, you are to be-in-charge, bringing-it-near to me at its appointed-time."

[These chapters are most probably glossed over by readers/students of the Hebrew Bible. We admit that we tend to do the same, specially now that we have decided that these are to be read in the context of covenant stipulations specific to Israel, not only during their wilderness wandering with the portable Tabernacle in their midst, but also during their occupation of the Promised Land and the Temple in Jerusalem as their center of worship.

For us, not of Israel, these chapters are informative not so much about Israel but more so about the God of Israel Who WAS and IS a God of details; miss one and suffer the consequence as forwarned. Just imagine the mindboggling logistics involved in complying with these requirements, indeed the Levitical priesthood was kept busy just dealing with daily and festival offerings.

There isn’t much given in the commentary of Pentateuch and Haftorahs, ed. Dr. J.H. Hertz, except for explanations of details not familiar with modern readers and understandably so. Translation is EF/Everett Fox The Five Books of Moses..–Admin1]

PUBLIC DAILY AND FESTIVAL OFFERINGS

Image from: www.google.com.ph/search?q=Images+for+Tabernacle+in+the+wilderness+offerings

[Israel had once more been numbered, and a Leader selected for the conquest of the land. In this and the following chapter, we have a detailed description of the public sacrifices to be brought at the Sanctuary, whether in the daily offering or on each of the Festivals. The sacrifices in these chapters may be regarded as supplementary to Lev. XXIII. The offerings are of four kinds, viz. burnt-offerings, meal-offerings, drink-offerings, and sin-offerings.

Numbers/Bamidbar 28-29

2-8. DAILY OFFERINGS

The daily continual (Heb. tamid) offering was in later times called ‘the Tamid’. Offered throughout the year, it was’ the centre and core of public worship in Judaism’ (Kennedy_.

1 YHVH spoke to Moshe, saying:

2 Command the Children of Israel and say to them:

Of my near-offering, my food, as my fire-offerings, my soothing savor,

you are to be-in-charge,

bringing-it-near to me at its appointed-time.

food. See Lev. III,11 and XXI,6.

made by fire. See Lev. I,9.

of a sweet savour. See Lev. I,9.

3 And you are to say to them:

This is the fire-offering that you are to bring-near to YHVH:

lambs a year in age, wholly-sound,

two per day, (as) a regular offering-up.

4 The one lamb you are to sacrifice in the morning,

and the second lamb you are to sacrifice between the setting- t

imes;

at dusk. Better, towards even; see Exod. XII,6.

5 and a tenth of an efa of flour, as a grain-gift,

mixed with oil, crushed, a fourth of a hin

tenth part of an ephah. The ‘ephah’ was the standard dry measure. The corresponding measure in liquids was the ‘hin’. The ‘ephah’ measured about 70 pints. The ‘hin’ held nearly 12 pints.

6 -the regular offering-up s

acrificed at Mount Sinai-

as a soothing savor, a fire-offering for YHVH.

it is a continual burnt-offering. Resembling the one which was ordained in Exod. XXIX, 38-42, following upon the consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests.

7 And its poured-offering (is): a fourth of a hin for the first lamb;

in the Holy-shrine you are to pour-it-out as a poured-offering of intoxicant for YHVH.

in the holy place. Or, ‘within the sacred court.’ According to Rabbinic tradition, over the Altar of Sacrifice.

a drink offering. Of undiluted wine.

8 And the second lamb you are to sacrifice between the setting-times;

like the morning grain-gift and like its poured-offering you are to sacrifice it,

fire-offering of soothing savor for YHVH.

9 And on the day of the Sabbath:

two lambs, a year in age, wholly-sound,

and two tenth-measures of flour, for a grain-gift, mixed with oil, and its poured-offering,

10 the Sabbath offering-up on its Sabbah,

as well as the regular offering-up, and its poured-offering.

of every sabbath. It was offered after the daily sacrifice. The same rule applies to all the sacrifices on special occasions.

11-15. NEW MOON OFFERINGS

11 And on the heads of your New-moons,

you are to bring-near an offering-up to YHVH:

Two bulls, young of the herd, one ram,

ambs a year in age-seven, wholly-sound,

your new moons. In pre-Exilic times, the New Moon was celebrated as a minor Festival; see I Sam. XX,5; II Kings, IV,23.

12 and three tenth-measures of flour as a grain-gift, mixed with oil,

for (each) one bull,

and two tenth-measures of flour as a grain-gift, mixed with oil,

for (each) one ram,

13 a tenth, a tenth (each) of flour, as a grain-gift, mixed with oil, for (each) one lamb,

as) an offering-up, a soothing savor, fire-offering for YHVH,

14 with their poured-offerings:

half a hin shall be for the bull and a third of a hin for the ram, and a fourth of a hin for the lamb,

of wine.

That is the new-monthly offering-up on its New-moon

for the New-moons of the year.

15 And one hairy goat as a hattat-offering for YHVH

as well as the regular offering-up is to be sacrificed,

and its poured-offering.

a sin-offering. Offered on all the Feasts (except the Sabbath) as an expiatory sacrifice to atone for any sin of levitical uncleanness committed unwittingly in connection with the Sanctuary or its sacred vessels (Mishnah).

16 In the first New-moon, on the fourteenth day after the New-moon

is Passover to YHVH.

the LORD’s passover. Better, a passover unto the LORD.

16-25. PASSOVER OFFERINGS

17 And on the fifteenth day after this New-moon: a pilgrimage-celebration!

For seven days, matzot are to be eaten:

a holy convocation. See Lev. XXIII,2.

servile work. See Lev. XXIII,7.

18 on the first day, a proclamation of holiness;

any-kind of servile work is not to be done.

19 You are to bring-near a fire-offering, as an offering-up for YHVH:

bulls, young of the herd-two, and one ram,

and seven lambs a year in age,

wholly-sound are they to be for you;

20 and their grain-gift-

flour mixed with oil:

three tenth-measures for the bull and two tenth-measures for the ram, you are to sacrifice.

21 A tenth, a tenth-measure you are to sacrifice

for (each) one lamb, for the seven lambs;

22 and one goat as a hattat-offering to effect-purgation for you,

23 aside from the morning offering-up that belongs to the regular offering-up;

you are to sacrifice these.

24 Like these you are to sacrifice per day, for the seven days,

as food, a fire-offering of soothing savor for YHVH,

along with the regular offering-up you are to sacrifice it and its poured-offering.

25 Now on the seventh day,

a proclamation of holiness there is to be for you,

any-kind of servile work you are not to do!

26-31. OFFERINGS FOR THE FEAST OF WEEKS

26 And on the Day of the Firstfruits,

at your bringing-near a new grain-gift for YHVH on your Feast-of-weeks,

a proclamation of holiness there is to be for you,

any-kind of servile work you are not to do!

of the first fruits. Of the harvesting of the wheat at Pentecost; Exod. XXXIV,22.

a new meal-offering. See Lev. XXIII,16.

27 You are to bring-near an offering-up, as a soothing savor for YHVH:

bulls, young of the herd-two, one ram,

seven lambs a year in age,

28 and their grain-gift, flour mixed with oil:

hree tenth-measures for (each) one bull,

two tenth-measures for (each) one ram,

29 a tenth, a tenth-measure for (each) one lamb,

for the seven lambs;

30 one hairy goat to effect-purgation for you,

31 aside from the regular offering-up and its grain-gift you are to sacrifice;

wholly-sound are they to be for you, with their poured-offerings.

Numbers/Bamidbar 29

1-11. NEW YEAR AND DAY OF ATONEMENT OFFERINGS

1 And in the seventh New-moon, on (day) one of the New-moon,

a proclamation of holiness there is to be for you,

any-kind of servile work you are not to do.

A day of (horn-)blasts it is to be for you.
2 You are to sacrifice an offering-up, as a soothing savor for YHVH:

one bull, a young of the herd, one ram,

lambs a year in age seven, wholly-sound,
3 and their grain-gift, flour mixed with oil:

three tenth-measures per bull,

two tenth-measures per ram,
4 one tenth-measure per (each) one lamb,

for the seven lambs,
5 and one hairy goat for a hattat-offering, to effect-purgation for you,
6 aside from the New-moon offering-up and its grain-gift,

and the regular offering-up and its grain-gift

and their poured-offerings, according to their regulation,

as a soothing savor, fire-offering for YHVH.
7 And on the tenth after this seventh New-moon,

a proclamation of holiness there is to be for you,

you are to afflict your selves,

any-kind of work you are not to do!

ye shall afflict your souls. A phrase denoting the self-denial and abstention accompanying a fast. Isaiah LVIII, which has always been taken as referring to the Day of Atonement, designates it repeatedly as a ‘fast’, and emphasizes not only its religious but also its social message to the Jewish life. See Lev. XVI,29,XXIII,27-9.

no manner of work. See Lev. XXIII,28.

8 You are to bring-near an offering-up for YHVH, as a soothing savor:

one bull, a young of the herd, one ram,

lambs a year in age seven,

wholly-sound shall they be for you;
9 and their grain-gift, flour mixed with oil:

three tenth-measures per bull,

two tenth-measures per (each) one ram,

0 a tenth, a tenth-measure per (each) one lamb,

for the seven lambs,
11 one hairy goat for a hattat-offering, aside from the Hattat- offering of Atonement,

and the regular offering-up, its grain-gift, and their poured-offerings.

of atonement. See Lev. XVI,15.

12-38. OFFERINGS FOR THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES

As it was the Harvest Festival, the joys associated with it found expression in a profusion of offerings to God, the bounteous Giver of the harvest. The numbers of bullocks, totalling seventy altogether, corresponded to the seventy nations of the world, and they were intended as an atonement for all mankind.

12 And on the fifteenth day after the seventh New-moon,

a proclamation of holiness there is to be for you,

any-kind of servile work you are not to do!

You are to celebrate-a-pilgrimage, a pilgrimage-festival to YHVH, for seven days.
13 You are to bring-near an offering-up, a fire-offering, soothing savor for YHVH:

bulls, young of the herd thirteen, rams two,

lambs a year in age fourteen;

wholly-sound are they to be.
14 And their grain-gift, flour mixed with oil:

three tenth-measures for (each) one bull of the thirteen bulls,

two tenth-measures for (each) one ram of the two rams,
15 a tenth, a tenth-measure for (each) one lamb, for the fourteen lambs,
16 and one hairy goat as a hattat-offering,

aside from the regular offering-up, its grain-gift, and its poured-offerings.
17 Now on the second day:

bulls, young of the herd twelve, rams two,

lambs a year in age fourteen, wholly-sound,
18 and their grain-gift as well as their poured-offerings