The third Vort for today involves a slight contradiction between 2 Rashi’s. 3:15 & 3:40 (טו פְּקֹד אֶת-בְּנֵי לֵוִי, לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם: כָּל-זָכָר מִבֶּן-חֹדֶשׁ וָמַעְלָה, תִּפְקְדֵם). We have Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s command to count the Leviim and then the command to count all the Bechorim of the Jewish People and then do a Pidyon Haben of sorts where each Levi would redeem one B’chor of Bnei Yisrael and would take his place in the Kedusha of Sheivet Levi. That was the command, count the Leviim from one month and older, count the Bechorim from a month and older, and then we will see how many Leviim and how many Yisraeilim and the Leviim will be in the place of the Bechorim and whatever remains they will have to be Po’de themselves using money. This is the theme of this part of Perek Gimmel. Here we find a nuance of a difference in Rashi and as we know Rashi is Midakdeik M’od. Rashi is very careful to do things exactly so and that is the Mussar of the Dvar Torah which we are going to share now.
In 3:15 where the Posuk says to count the Leviim from one month and older Rashi is bothered why from a month and older why not from a day and older, why are you staring from Ben Chodesh? (מבן חדש ומעלה: משיצא מכלל נפלים הוא נמנה ליקרא שומר משמרת הקדש. אמר ר' יהודה ברבי שלום למוד הוא אותו השבט להיות נמנה מן הבטן, שנאמר (במד' כו, כט) אשר ילדה אותה ללוי במצרים, עם כניסתה בפתח מצרים ילדה אותה. ונמנית בשבעים נפש, שכשאתה מונה חשבונם לא תמצאם אלא שבעים חסר אחת, והיא השלימה את המנין:) Rashi explains that a neifel is someone who is not well enough in order to live for 30 days and is not considered a living human being. So you have to make sure that he is 30 days in order to make sure that he is not a Neifel.
Later in 3:40 the Posuk says to count the Bechor Zachar of Bnei Yisrael and that they are counted from a month and older. (וַיֹּאמֶר יְרוָר אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, פְּקֹד כָּל-בְּכֹר זָכָר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, מִבֶּן-חֹדֶשׁ, וָמָעְלָה; וְשָׂא, אֵת מִסְפַּר שְׁמֹתָם). Rashi says (פקד כל בכור זכר וגו' מבן חדש ומעלה: משיצא מכלל ספק נפלים) that they are counted from a month and older so that they should be out of Safeik Nefalim. That needs explanation. Rashi shouldn’t have mentioned the word Safeik (ספק). That when they are 30 days old they are no longer Nefalim. Why does Rashi change the language from (משיצא מכלל נפלים) to (משיצא מכלל ספק נפלים) when the Posuk switches in 3:15 from talking about Leviim to 3:40 where the Posuk is talking about Klal Yisrael?
The Har Tzvi (Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank (1873–1960)) says an absolutely brilliant Vort. In order to
understand this I have to be Makdim a Halacha in Hilchos Pidyon Haben. In the rule of Pidyon Haben we say Hamotzi Maichavairo Alav Haraya. The Kohen only gets his money if it is absolutely certain that he is entitled to the money. If there is any Safeik, we treat Safeik Pidyon Haben different than almost every other Safeik D’oraissa. Every Safeik D’oraissa is L’chumra, however, for reasons that we are not going to go into today, a Safeik in Pidyon Haben is Hamotzi Maichavairo Alav Haraya. There is no Pidyon Haben unless it is certain that there is an obligation.
Mimeila says the Har Tzvi, it is beautiful. In a case of Yisraeilim the Bechor Yisrael, these are people who needed Pidyon. From when do they need Pidyon? They have to be Yatza Michlal Safeik Neifel (משיצא מכלל ספק נפל). Even if they are Safeik Neifel they still are Patur from Pidyon Haben. They have to go out and not only shouldn’t they be a Vadai Neifel they should also not be even a Safeik Neifel. Once they are not a Safeik Neifel then and only then do they need a Pidyon.
In the case of the Leviim the reverse is true. Each Levi worked to Patur a Yisrael. So that the Hamotzi Maichavairo Alav Haraya would make that there should be more Leviim that are counted. In other words, if you have a Levi and he is a Safeik Neifel he could Patur a Yisrael from Pidyon. Because Hamotzi Maichavairo Alav Haraya a Yisrael could say it is a Safeik and I will consider it that he Paturs me. So by the Leviim they had to be Yatza Michlal Neifel (יצא מכלל נפל). If they are a Vadai Neifel then they can’t Patur. However, a Safeik Neifel you don’t need (משיצא מכלל ספק נפל) all you need is Yatza Michlal Vadai Neifel.
As a PS what is a Safeik Neifel? The Gemara in Maseches Bechoros 49a (it is a discussion, Ayin Sham) says that on the 30th day itself a child is a Safeik Neifel. So that there is a category of exactly 30 days old and in that category this would be the difference between the two counting’s that is what is says in the Har Tzvi.
In 3:15 where the Posuk says to count the Leviim from one month and older Rashi is bothered why from a month and older why not from a day and older, why are you staring from Ben Chodesh? (מבן חדש ומעלה: משיצא מכלל נפלים הוא נמנה ליקרא שומר משמרת הקדש. אמר ר' יהודה ברבי שלום למוד הוא אותו השבט להיות נמנה מן הבטן, שנאמר (במד' כו, כט) אשר ילדה אותה ללוי במצרים, עם כניסתה בפתח מצרים ילדה אותה. ונמנית בשבעים נפש, שכשאתה מונה חשבונם לא תמצאם אלא שבעים חסר אחת, והיא השלימה את המנין:) Rashi explains that a neifel is someone who is not well enough in order to live for 30 days and is not considered a living human being. So you have to make sure that he is 30 days in order to make sure that he is not a Neifel.
Later in 3:40 the Posuk says to count the Bechor Zachar of Bnei Yisrael and that they are counted from a month and older. (וַיֹּאמֶר יְרוָר אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, פְּקֹד כָּל-בְּכֹר זָכָר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, מִבֶּן-חֹדֶשׁ, וָמָעְלָה; וְשָׂא, אֵת מִסְפַּר שְׁמֹתָם). Rashi says (פקד כל בכור זכר וגו' מבן חדש ומעלה: משיצא מכלל ספק נפלים) that they are counted from a month and older so that they should be out of Safeik Nefalim. That needs explanation. Rashi shouldn’t have mentioned the word Safeik (ספק). That when they are 30 days old they are no longer Nefalim. Why does Rashi change the language from (משיצא מכלל נפלים) to (משיצא מכלל ספק נפלים) when the Posuk switches in 3:15 from talking about Leviim to 3:40 where the Posuk is talking about Klal Yisrael?
The Har Tzvi (Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank (1873–1960)) says an absolutely brilliant Vort. In order to
understand this I have to be Makdim a Halacha in Hilchos Pidyon Haben. In the rule of Pidyon Haben we say Hamotzi Maichavairo Alav Haraya. The Kohen only gets his money if it is absolutely certain that he is entitled to the money. If there is any Safeik, we treat Safeik Pidyon Haben different than almost every other Safeik D’oraissa. Every Safeik D’oraissa is L’chumra, however, for reasons that we are not going to go into today, a Safeik in Pidyon Haben is Hamotzi Maichavairo Alav Haraya. There is no Pidyon Haben unless it is certain that there is an obligation.
Mimeila says the Har Tzvi, it is beautiful. In a case of Yisraeilim the Bechor Yisrael, these are people who needed Pidyon. From when do they need Pidyon? They have to be Yatza Michlal Safeik Neifel (משיצא מכלל ספק נפל). Even if they are Safeik Neifel they still are Patur from Pidyon Haben. They have to go out and not only shouldn’t they be a Vadai Neifel they should also not be even a Safeik Neifel. Once they are not a Safeik Neifel then and only then do they need a Pidyon.
In the case of the Leviim the reverse is true. Each Levi worked to Patur a Yisrael. So that the Hamotzi Maichavairo Alav Haraya would make that there should be more Leviim that are counted. In other words, if you have a Levi and he is a Safeik Neifel he could Patur a Yisrael from Pidyon. Because Hamotzi Maichavairo Alav Haraya a Yisrael could say it is a Safeik and I will consider it that he Paturs me. So by the Leviim they had to be Yatza Michlal Neifel (יצא מכלל נפל). If they are a Vadai Neifel then they can’t Patur. However, a Safeik Neifel you don’t need (משיצא מכלל ספק נפל) all you need is Yatza Michlal Vadai Neifel.
As a PS what is a Safeik Neifel? The Gemara in Maseches Bechoros 49a (it is a discussion, Ayin Sham) says that on the 30th day itself a child is a Safeik Neifel. So that there is a category of exactly 30 days old and in that category this would be the difference between the two counting’s that is what is says in the Har Tzvi.
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