Bamidbar 9:1-14

1 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe in the Midbar Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of Eretz Mitzrayim, saying,
2 Let the Bnei Yisroel also observe the Pesach at its appointed season.
3 In the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, ye shall observe it in its appointed season; according to kol chukkot of it, according to all the mishpatim thereof, shall ye observe it.
4 And Moshe spoke unto the Bnei Yisroel, that they should observe the Pesach.
5 And they observed the Pesach on the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight in the Midbar Sinai; according to all that Hashem commanded Moshe, so did the Bnei Yisroel.
6 And there were certain men, who were teme’im by the nefesh (dead body) of an adam, that they could not observe the Pesach on that day; and they came before Moshe and before Aharon on that day;
7 And those men said unto him, We are teme’im (unclean) by the nefesh of a man; but why should we be kept back, that we may not offer a korban Hashem in its appointed season among the Bnei Yisroel?
8 And Moshe said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what Hashem will command concerning you.
9 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,
10 Speak unto the Bnei Yisroel, saying, If any man of you or of your descendents shall be tamei by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall observe the Pesach unto Hashem.
11 The fourteenth day of the second month [Iyyar] at twilight they shall observe it, and eat it with matzot and merorim (bitter herbs).
12 They shall leave none of it unto boker, nor break any bone of it; according to all the chukkat of the Pesach they shall observe it.
13 But the man that is tahor, and is not in a journey, and faileth to observe the Pesach, even the same nefesh shall be cut off from among his people; because he brought not the korban Hashem at its appointed time, that man shall bear his sin.
14 And if a ger shall stay for a while among you, and will observe the Pesach unto Hashem; according to the chukkat of the Pesach, and according to the mishpat thereof, so shall he do; ye shall have one chukkat, both for the ger, and for him that was born in the land.

Bamidbar 9:1-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 9

In this chapter the command for keeping the passover is repeated, and it was accordingly kept, Nu 9:1-5; but some persons being defiled and disqualified for observing it, Moses inquires of the Lord, on their solicitation, what should be done in such a case, Nu 9:6-8; when it was ordered to be kept by such, and those on journeys, on the fourteenth day of the second month, but not by others, who were to observe it according to its first appointment, Nu 9:9-14; and an account is given of the appearance of the cloud by day, and fire by night, upon the tabernacle, which directed the children of Israel when to journey, and when to pitch their tents, Nu 9:15-23.

The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.