במדבר, פרק ל״א, פסוק כ״ט

Returning from battle, the division of war spoils carries a profound spiritual obligation. The soldiers who fought are required to dedicate a specific portion of their newly acquired wealth to God. This requirement applies strictly to the official half of the general spoils distributed among the combatants. During the campaign, the fighters also gathered private plunder from the homes of the enemy, which they kept for themselves. The tribute levied for God is separated exclusively from the formal, collective spoils brought back to the camp, completely exempting their additional private property [העמק דבר].

The actual separation of this tribute is precise, requiring exactly one portion out of every five hundred [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Furthermore, this process cannot be done randomly. The soldiers must carefully and selectively choose the items that will be dedicated [רש"ר הירש].

Once the portion is selected and elevated as an offering to God, it is handed over to Eleazar the priest. The instruction emphasizes the physical act of delivery to the priest before defining the portion as God's offering. Because the tribute has already been spiritually dedicated to God, the primary focus shifts to the practical step of placing it directly into the hands of the priest [העמק דבר].

Awarding a share of war spoils to the priests is highly unusual. Under normal circumstances, priests do not participate in the plunder of war. However, this particular military campaign was exceptional. It possessed a uniquely moral and holy character, which justified including the priests in the division of the spoils [רש"ר הירש].