"Asei l'cha Sh'tei Chatzotzros Kesef". What is the significance of the two trumpets?
R. Bachye (according to Kabalah): They represent Teki'ah and Teru'ach - Midas Rachamim and Midas ha'Din, the two Midos via which Yisrael encamped and traveled. 1
Ba'al ha'Turim: They correspond to Avraham and Ya'akov, both of whom fought against the nations and were victorious.
Refer to 9:18:0.1:1 and notes.
"Asei l'cha Sh'tei Chatzotzros Kesef". Why does the Torah insert the word " l'cha"?
Rashi: "L'cha" has three connotations: 1. that the Kohanim 1 should blow the trumpets in front of Moshe, 2 like one blows before a king; 3 2. that Moshe must pay the expenses from his own pocket; 4 3. that Moshe should have sole jurisdiction 5 over them. 6
R. Bachye (citing the Tanchuma): Hashem is called 'Melech ha'Kavod' 7 because He distributes part of His Kavod to those who fear Him - He is called 'Melech' and by Moshe the Torah writes "Vay'hi biYeshurun Melech" (Devarim 33:5); just as one blows trumpets before the king, so too, will they blow trumpets before Moshe - but they were hidden alreaday in his lifetime. 8
Moshav Zekenim (citing R. Eliezer of Garmaiza): It is for Moshe's benefit - seeing as without trumpets, he would need to assemble the people verbally, whereas now, he will be able to gather them all at once.
Menachos 28b: The Torah inserts "l'cha" twice to teach us that, as opposed to all other Keilim that Moshe made, the trumpets were confined to Moshe and were not eligible to be used in future generations. 9
See Pasuk 8
See Oznayim la'Torah.
Rashi: See ve'Zos ha'Berachah Devarim, 33:5, where the Torah refers to Moshe as a king.
This is also how Targum Yonasan interprets "l'cha". See also Ba'al ha'Turim.
Which explains why they were hidden before Yehoshua assumed leadership, just before Moshe' death (Rashi in Vayeilech Devarim, 31:28). The Rashbam learns this from "Vehayu l'cha Lemikra ha'Eidah ...". Refer to 10:2:1.1:1.
R. Bachye: As the Pasuk writes in Tehilim 47:8 "ki Melech Kol ha'Aretz".
Whicvh explains why Yehoshua used Shofros and David, a harp. See R. Bachye end of p. 52.
See Torah Temimah ciing Menachos.
Why does the Torah insert the word "l'cha" twice?
Why does the Torah here write "Kesef Mikshah", whereas by the Menorah (in Bamidbar, 8:4) it inverted the order - "Mikshah Zahav"?
Oznayim la'Torah: In both cases, the Torah first mentioned the issue that is crucial to the Mitzvah - silver by the trumpets and beaten out of one piece by the Menorah. 1
Oznayim laTorah: Whereas beaten is not crucial to the trumpets, nor is gold crucial to the Menorah.
Why were the trumpets made of silver, and not of gold?
Moshav Zekenim (citing the Rosh), Ba'al ha'Turim and Riva #1: So that they should not recall the sound accompanying the golden calf - "Kol ha'Am be'Re'oh" (Sh'mos 32:17).
Riva #2: The Torah is concerned for the money of Yisrael. 1
Rosh Hashanah, 27a: As opposed to the Shofar of Rosh Hashanah, the mouth of the Shofar that that they blew in the Beis-Hamikdash on Ta'aniyos was overlaid with silver - because 'every gathering is of silver'.
R. Bachye: In honor of Moshe - because silver represents Rachamim - inherent in the Name Havayah - via which he prophesied 2
What is the difference between "Lemikra ha'Eidah" and "Lemasa es ha'Machanos"?
Rashi: "Lemikra ha'Eidah" refers to calling the Sanhedrin or gathering the Kahal; "u'Lemasa es ha'Machanos", to blowing for the Machanos to begin traveling. 1
What distinction did the Kohanim draw between gathering the Kahal and calling the Nesi'im?
Rashi (on Pesukim 3 & 4) and R. Bachye: To gather the people, they blew both trumpets, 1 but to call the Nesi'im only one (because they were the 'Meyuchadim' [the elite] of the people - R. Bachye).
Rashi: As the word "Bahen" implies.
Why did the Torah insert the Parshah of the trumpets here?
Seforno #1: Because It was Hashem's intention to lead Yisrael into Eretz Yisrael immediately, and they would blow the trumpets as one blows before a king. 1
Seforno #2: Because when the Mishkan and the Mikdash traveled, they would blow the trumpets in honor of the Shechinah. 2
Seforno #3: Because when Moshe gathered the Kahal or called the Nesi'im to the entrance of the Ohel Mo'ed before Hashem they would also blow the trumpets in honor of the Shechinah. 3
What is the definition of "Mikshah"?
Rashi and Targum Onkelos: Refer to 8:4:2:1.
Targum Yonasan: 'A hard species'. 1
In Terumah Sh'mos, 25:31, he translates it as beaten - like Targum Onkelos. Moreover, the second "Mikshah" in 8:4 he translates as 'work of a craftsman' - which he adds here, even though "Mikshah" is written only once.
"Kesef Mikshah". What if they would have made the trumpets out of a metal other than silver?
