My Offerings

קרבני

B'Midbar  28.2

2.’Command the Children of Israel, and say to them, ‘My Offerings, My food, My fire of a sweet fragrance to Me, you shall observe to offer unto Me in its Appointed time-צַו אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם אֶת קָרְבָּנִי לַחְמִי לְאִשַּׁי רֵיחַ נִיחֹחִי תִּשְׁמְרוּ לְהַקְרִיב לִי בְּמוֹעֲדוֹ (4780+16 words = 4796=26=8).

The verse can be divided so:

• Command the Children of Israel, and say to them, ‘My Offerings, My food, My fire of a sweet fragrance to Me-   צַו אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם אֶת קָרְבָּנִי לַחְמִי לְאִשַּׁי רֵיחַ נִיחֹחִי (3319+12 words=3331=10=1 counting final Mem as 600);

• You shall observe to offer- תִּשְׁמְרוּ לְהַקְרִיב(1293+2 words=17=8);
• To Me in its Appointed time- לִי בְּמוֹעֲדוֹ (168+2 words=170=8).

Rashi comments here that the “offering”- קָרְבָּן is the blood (Sifrei 142); the “food”- לַחְם is the prescribed parts of each animal; the “fire”-   אִשַּׁיis the food that is placed on the fire of the Mizbeach (Vayikra 3.16).They were to keep watch and the offerings were observed by the Priests, Levites and Israelites, who learned and kept watch (Taanit 27.a; Sifrei 142).

The joint gematria of the three words is:

·         My Offerings-    קָרְבָּנִי=362
·         My Food-             לַחְמִי= 88
·         My Fire-               אִשַּׁי =311

761+3 words=17=8

All the above would make a sweet fragrance- רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ to Hashem.

By adding the gematria of this phrase to the above:

·         Sweet Fragrance to Me- רֵיחַ נִיחֹחִי=304

761+304=1065+5 words=1070=8

From the above gematriot we learn that the combination of these physical materials have the ability to enter the Eighth Sphira, the Metaphysical world.

Rashi adds that in Temple times the Priests were divided into 24 “Watches” –משמרות (“Mishmarot”) and another group of Priests, Levites and Israelites would join to observe the sacrifices. These observers were called “Ma’amadot”- מעמדות and they were also divided into 24 groups who would represent “Israel” in the Temple Grounds fasting and reciting Torah.

The joint gematria of the words:

• Watches-         משמרות  =985
• Ma’amadot-       מעמדות =560

1546+2 words=1548=18

Twenty Four Watches

ארבעה ועשרים משמרות

1890=18 or 2450+3 words=14=8 (final letters)

Twenty Four Ma’amadot

ארבע ועשרים מעמדות

1464+3 words=18 or 2024=8 (final letters)

Rashi explains that the word “at its appointed time”- בְּמוֹעֲדוֹ refers to anything that has a continual set time whether daily, weekly, monthly or yearly.

The 24 Priestly Watches

In Divrei HaYamim (Chronicles) 1.24.7-18 it is recalled that the names of the 24 Priestly Families that made up the 24 “Watches” were picked through lots. 

The joint gematria of the 24 Priestly Families is:

Yehoyarib- Yedaiah- Harim- Seorim- Malchiyah- Miyamin- Hakkotz-Aviyah- Yeshua- Shecanyahu- Eliashiv- Yakim- Huppah- Yeshebeav-Bilgah- Immer- Hezir- Hapitzeitz- Pethachyah- Yechezkel- Yachin-Gamul- Delayahu- Maaziyahu

יהוֹיָרִיב- ידַעְיָה- חָרִם-שְׂעֹרִים- מַלְכִּיָּה- מִיָּמִן-  הַקּוֹץ- אֲבִיָּה- יֵשׁוּע-

 שְׁכַנְיָהוּ- אֶלְיָשִׁיב- יָקִים- חֻפָּה- יֶשֶׁבְאָב- בִלְגָּה- אִמֵּר- חֵזִיר- הַפִּצֵּץ-

פְתַחְיָה- יחֶזְקֵאל- יָכִין- גָמוּל-דְלָיָהוּ- מַעַזְיָהוּ

9764=26=8 (final letters)

The number 26 is the gematria of the Name "Hashem"- יְהוָה.