Derasha 37 on Naso 7:15

Parashas Naso · Passuk 7:15

The Complete Passuk

פַּ֣ר אֶחָ֞ד בֶּן־בָּקָ֗ר אַ֧יִל אֶחָ֛ד כֶּֽבֶשׂ־אֶחָ֥ד בֶּן־שְׁנָת֖וֹ לְעֹלָֽה׃

one bull of the herd, one ram, and one lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering;

Chabad.org — English translation + Rashi

Source Citation

Source: Menachos 61b.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Menachos 61b
פר אחד וגו׳ — מה ת״ל פר אחד ואיל אחד? פר אחד — שלא היה בעדרו כמוהו.

English: “One young bull\ldots” — what does “one bull and one ram” teach? One bull — that there was none like it in his herd.

In context: Each animal was choice, without peer in the prince’s flock; the midrash reads the singularity as excellence.

Type of Learning

Custom

What Is Learned

Chazal interpret the repeated “one” as indicating that each animal was the finest of its kind.