י״ז
ט׳וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃
9GOD spoke to Moses, saying,
י׳הֵרֹ֗מּוּ מִתּוֹךְ֙ הָעֵדָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את וַאֲכַלֶּ֥ה אֹתָ֖ם כְּרָ֑גַע וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּ עַל־פְּנֵיהֶֽם׃
10“Remove yourselves from this community, that I may annihilate them in an instant.” They fell on their faces.
י״אוַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן קַ֣ח אֶת־הַ֠מַּחְתָּ֠ה וְתֶן־עָלֶ֨יהָ אֵ֜שׁ מֵעַ֤ל הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ וְשִׂ֣ים קְטֹ֔רֶת וְהוֹלֵ֧ךְ מְהֵרָ֛ה אֶל־הָעֵדָ֖ה וְכַפֵּ֣ר עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם כִּֽי־יָצָ֥א הַקֶּ֛צֶף מִלִּפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה הֵחֵ֥ל הַנָּֽגֶף׃
11Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take the fire pan, and put on it fire from the altar. Add incense and take it quickly to the community and make expiation for them. For wrath has gone forth from GOD: the plague has begun!”
וכפר עליהם. רָז זֶה מָסַר לוֹ מַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת כְּשֶׁעָלָה לָרָקִיעַ, שֶׁהַקְּטֹרֶת עוֹצֵר הַמַּגֵּפָה, כִּדְאִיתָא בְמַסֶּכֶת שַׁבָּת (דף פ"ט):
וכפר עליהם AND MAKE AN EXPIATION FOR THEM — This secret the Angel of Death communicated to him (Moses) when he went up unto heaven to receive the Torah, viz., that the incense holds back the plague — as is related in Treatise Shabbat 89a.
י״בוַיִּקַּ֨ח אַהֲרֹ֜ן כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ דִּבֶּ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֗ה וַיָּ֙רׇץ֙ אֶל־תּ֣וֹךְ הַקָּהָ֔ל וְהִנֵּ֛ה הֵחֵ֥ל הַנֶּ֖גֶף בָּעָ֑ם וַיִּתֵּן֙ אֶֽת־הַקְּטֹ֔רֶת וַיְכַפֵּ֖ר עַל־הָעָֽם׃
12Aaron took it, as Moses had ordered, and ran to the midst of the congregation, where the plague had begun among the people. He put on the incense and made expiation for the people;
י״גוַיַּעֲמֹ֥ד בֵּֽין־הַמֵּתִ֖ים וּבֵ֣ין הַֽחַיִּ֑ים וַתֵּעָצַ֖ר הַמַּגֵּפָֽה׃
13he stood between the dead and the living until the plague was checked.
ויעמד בין המתים וגו'. אָחַז אֶת הַמַּלְאָךְ וְהֶעֱמִידוֹ עַל כָּרְחוֹ, אָמַר לוֹ הַמַּלְאָךְ, הַנַּח לִי לַעֲשׂוֹת שְׁלִיחוּתִי, אָמַר לוֹ מֹשֶׁה צִוַּנִי לְעַכֵּב עַל יָדְךָ, אָמַר לוֹ אֲנִי שְׁלוּחוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם וְאַתָּה שְׁלוּחוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה, אָמַר לוֹ אֵין מֹשֶׁה אוֹמֵר כְּלוּם מִלִּבּוֹ אֶלָּא מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה, אִם אֵין אַתָּה מַאֲמִין, הֲרֵי הַקָּבָּ"ה וּמֹשֶׁה אֶל פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, בֹּא עִמִּי וּשְׁאַל, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וישב אהרן אל משה; דָּ"אַ, לָמָּה בַקְּטֹרֶת? לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מְלִיזִים וּמְרַנְּנִים אַחַר הַקְּטֹרֶת לוֹמַר סַם הַמָּוֶת הוּא — עַל יָדוֹ מֵתוּ נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא, עַל יָדוֹ נִשְׂרְפוּ חֲמִשִּׁים וּמָאתַיִם אִישׁ — אָמַר הַקָּבָּ"ה, תִּרְאוּ שֶׁעוֹצֵר מַגֵּפָה הוּא וְהַחֵטְא הוּא הַמֵּמִית (מכילתא שמות י"ז):
ויעמד בין המתים וגו׳ AND HE STOOD BETWEEN THE DEAD [AND THE LIVING] — He (Aaron) seized the Angel of Death and stopped him despite himself. The angel said to him, “Let me be, so that I may carry out my commission!” He (Aaron) answered him, “Moses has bidden me prevent you”. The angel replied, “I am the messenger of the Omnipresent whilst you are but the messenger of Moses!” Aaron retorted, “Moses does not say anything out of his own mind, but only at the command of the Almighty. If you do not believe me, behold, the Holy One, blessed be He, and Moses are at the entrance of the appointed tent; come with me and ask them!” This is the meaning of what is stated (v. 15): And Aaron returned unto Moses (i.e. returned together with the Angel of Death) (cf. Midrash Tanchuma, Tetzaveh 15 at end of תצוה). Another explanation is: Wherefore was the plague stayed by means of the incense? Because the Israelites were traducing and speaking ill of the incense, saying, “It is a deadly poison: through it Nadab and Abihu died; through it the two hundred and fifty men were burnt!” therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said, You will see that it is also a means for restraining the plague, and it is only sin that brings death” (Mekhilta on Exodus 17:5).
י״דוַיִּהְי֗וּ הַמֵּתִים֙ בַּמַּגֵּפָ֔ה אַרְבָּעָ֥ה עָשָׂ֛ר אֶ֖לֶף וּשְׁבַ֣ע מֵא֑וֹת מִלְּבַ֥ד הַמֵּתִ֖ים עַל־דְּבַר־קֹֽרַח׃
14Those who died of the plague came to fourteen thousand and seven hundred, aside from those who died on account of Korah.
ט״ווַיָּ֤שׇׁב אַהֲרֹן֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶל־פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וְהַמַּגֵּפָ֖ה נֶעֱצָֽרָה׃ {פ}
15Aaron then returned to Moses at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, since the plague was checked.