Day 5: Numbers 3:14-39 (Study Notes)
Parsha Bemidbar: Day 5 (Numbers 3:14-39)
(Study Notes)
(Numbers 3:14)
This parsha portion continues the census of the Levites that began in our daily portion of day 4. Today's portion begins by telling us (again) that Hashem spoke to Moshe "in the wilderness of Sinai." As we have learned previously, this wilderness of Sinai is close to the Mountain of Sinai where Hashem gave the Torah to the Israelites through Moshe. We know that the Israelites reached the mountain of Sinai after 50 days of leaving Egypt.
We are told in Exodus 19 that Hashem summoned Moshe to the top of the Mountain of Sinai on the third new moon after leaving Egypt. The Israelites then remained in the wilderness of Sinai for at least a year, given the dates for the various census' at the beginning of Parsha Bamidbar.
(Numbers 3:15)
In this verse, we learn that Moshe is commanded by Hashem to record the Levites by ancestral house and by clan. Unlike the fighting-aged men of 20 years and older who were counted for the other Tribes, the Levitical census was to include all males that were one month and older.
This vast discrepancy of age teaches us something very important. The fighting-age men are those who fight the physical warfare of the Israelites. They are the military might of the nation. These men must be able to bear arms. Hashem decreed that a male was not fit for this type of service until they are 20 years of age. The Levites, however, do not have this limitation. Instead, Hashem decreed that a male is fit for spiritual warfare starting at the age of one month.
If we recall from our studies of Leviticus chapter 12, the one month mark is significant for Jewish males. They are circumcised on the 8th day, and their mother becomes clean at the one month mark after a son's birth. It is at this very time period that Hashem declares that a male is prepared for spiritual warfare. Now, we know that at one month a baby cannot outwardly do much in the way of service. But, for a Jewish male, Hashem decreed that He is still fit to be counted for spiritual service. How can this be? The answer comes from understanding that inside every Jew, a spark of Hashem resides. The spark of holiness is at work without any input of the person within whom it resides. This spark of holiness marks the one month old out for holy work, even if the only work he can do is listen to the prayers that are recited by the adults around him. One of the best examples of a male beginning his service to Hashem as a baby is the case of Samuel, whom Hannah had vowed to dedicate and loan to the service of the LORD should Hashem bless her with a child. (1 Samuel 1)
(Numbers 3:16-17)
After being commanded to take a census of the Levites, we learn that Moshe followed the commands of Hashem and immediately begins his recording of the Levites. The first Levites to be recorded were the three sons of Levi:
Gershon
Kohath
Merari.
These three sons are the ancestral houses that will be recorded for each member of the various clans that make up each ancestral house.
Like the census of the fighting age men, there is not a full list of names given here in Numbers. A more detailed list (though not complete) is found in 1 Chronicles 5:27-6:38.
(Numbers 3:18)
We learn the sons of Gershon by clan were:
Libni
Shimei
(Numbers 3:19)
We learn the sons of Kohath by clan were:
Amram
Izhar
Hebron
Uzziel
From 1 Chronicles 5:29, we learn that Aaron, Aaron's sons, Moshe, and Miriam were part of the clan of Amram:
The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
(Numbers 3:20)
We learn the sons of Merari by clan were:
Mahli
Mushi
We are then given the total numbers of the Levitical males who were one month and older in each individual clan.
(Numbers 3:21-24)
To Gershon belonged two clans:
The clan of the Libnites
The clan of the Shimeites
The Total number of recorded males one month and older: 7,500 souls.
The clans of the ancestral house of the Gershonites were to camp behind the Tabernacle to the WEST.
This reminds us of the fact that the EAST side of the camp is considered the FRONT. Even to this day, Jews globally face the direction of Jerusalem (which is East in Israel).
This also indicates that the Gershonites provided the barrier between the Tabernacle and the Tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin (who were to encamp on the west side at a distance).
We also learn that in every ancestral house, a Chieftain was assigned. Unlike the other 12 Tribes that had one Chieftain assigned, the Levites have 4 Chieftains: 3 for the ancestral houses that are formed through the sons of Levi, and 1 Head Chieftain from the house of Aaron.
We learn that the Chieftain for the ancestral house of the Gershonites was Eliasaph, son of Label.
We also learn of the specific sanctuary duties that Hashem assigned to each ancestral house.
The Duties of the Gershonites: All services connected with
The Tabernacle
The Tent
The covering of the Tent
The screen for the entrance of the Tent of Meeting
The hangings of the enclosure
The screen for the entrance of the enclosure that surrounds the Tabernacle.
The cords of the screen
The sacrifice altar.
(Numbers 3:27-31)
We learn that to Kohath belonged 4 clans:
The clan of the Amaramites
The clan of the Izharites
The clan of the Hebronites
The clan of the Uzzielites
The Total number of recorded males one month and older = 8,600 souls.
The Chieftain of the ancestral house of the Kohathites: Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
The Kohathites were to camp on the SOUTH side of the Tabernacle.
This means that the Kohathites were to form a barrier between the Tabernacle and the Tribes of Ruben, Simeon, and Gad (who were to dwell on the South side at a distance).
We see in Number 16 that instead of forming a protective barrier, some from the house of the Kohathites formed a rebellious alliance with members of the House of Ruben. They tried to usurp the authority of Moshe, Aaron and Aaron's sons. As promised, however, this incident in Numbers 16 led to the death of 250 Kohathites.
The Duties Assigned to the Kohathites: All of the services connected with:
The Ark of the Pact (where Hashem's presence resided in the Holy of Holies).
The Table (where the showbread is to be set)
The Lampstand (the menorah that is never to go out)
The Altars (plural--indicates they were responsible for the aromatic altar AND were to help the Gershonites with the burnt sacrifice altar).
The sacred utensils used with the various services performed on the altars.
The screening curtain (that separated the inner Tent from the Holy of Holies. One of the most notable services with this screen was the sprinkling of blood upon it whenever a communal sin offering was made for the priesthood or the Israelite communities).
(Numbers 3:32)
There is an interlude of the census to advise us of the name of the Head Chieftain of the Levites. We are told that the Head Chieftain over The Tribe of Levi is: Eleazar, son of Aaron.
As the Head Chieftain, Eleazar was in charge of:
attending to the duties of the sanctuary.
These duties of the sanctuary are not specifically listed here. However, even though the statement above seems to imply that Eleazar was in charge of ALL sanctuary duties, we know there were certain duties that were off limits to him. Specifically those pertaining to the Holy of Holies. We learned that the duties of the Holy of Holies are designated for the The High Priest (which distinct from the Head Chieftain). The duties of the Holy of Holies were only performed one time per year by the High Priest: on Yom Kippur.
(Numbers 3:33-37)
To Merari belonged 2 clans:
The clan of the Mahlites
The clan of the Mushites.
The Total number of registered males age one month or older: 6,200 souls.
The Chieftain of the ancestral house of the Merarites: Zuriel son of Abiahil.
The Merarites were to camp o the NORTH side of the Tabernacle.
This means that the Merarites were to form the barrier between the Tabernacle and the Tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali (who were to dwell on the North side at a distance).
The Duties of the Sanctuary Assigned to the Merarites: All of the services connected to
The planks of the Tabernacle
The bars of the Tabernacle
The sockets of the Tabernacle
The furnishings of the Tabernacle
The posts around the outer enclosure
The sockets for the surrounding posts
The pegs for the surrounding posts
The cords for the surrounding posts.
Essentially, the Merarites were responsible for breaking down and erecting the Tabernacle any time the camp moved following the discretion and movements of Hashem.
(Numbers 3:38)
We learn that only Moshe, Aaron, and Aaron's sons were to camp on the EAST side of the Tabernacle.
This means that Moshe, Aaron, and Aaron's sons were to form the barrier between the Tabernacle and the Tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun (who were to dwell on the East side at a distance).
The east side is where the Tent of Meeting resides, and within the Tent of Meeting, the East side is where the Holy of Holies resided. These four men were to attend to the duties of the sanctuary
"as a duty on behalf of the Israelites. Any outsider will be put to death."
(Numbers 3:39)
We are told that the total number of Levites recorded was 22,000 souls.
Yet, when you add up the total number given in the passages above, we get 22,304 (excluding the two sons of Aaron who were killed in Leviticus 10) and 22,306 if the two sons of Aaron are included. So, where is the discrepancy of the 304-306 men?
One explanation for at least 250 men missing from the count could be the incident of Korah in Numbers 16. We know that 250 Kohathites died after Korah, his men, and several from the house of Ruben revolted against the sole authority of Moshe and Aaron over the Israelites. After this incident, Hashem calls for the leaders of the Levite houses and Aaron to bring a rod to test who Hashem had placed in charge. Aaron's rod was the rod that budded, making clear it was to Aaron that Hashem gave power and authority. This budded reed of Aaron was to be placed in the Ark of the Pact (along with a jar of manna and the two tablets of the covenant). If this incident took place before the census, perhaps that would explain some of the discrepancy—the events in the Book of Numbers are not in chronalogical order, as is the case with almost all of the Books of Tanakh.
Another explanation, as told by our sages, is the manner in which the firstborn redemption system works.
Rashi explains the issue this was:
[ALL THE MALES FROM A MONTH OLD AND UPWARDS WERE] TWENTY AND TWO THOUSAND — But in the enumeration of them given above you will find three hundred more — the sons of Gershon 7500 (v. 22). the sons of Kohath 8600 (v. 28), the sons of Merari 6200 (v. 34), making 22,300! Why, then, did Scripture not include them in the sum total together with the others, when they, too, might have redeemed the firstborn of the Israelites (i.e., when each of the 300 might also have served the purpose of replacing a firstborn Israelite, as did the other 22,000; cf. v. 41), and thus the 273 firstborn Israelites who were in excess of the sum total of the Levites as given by Scripture, (the sum total of the firstborn having been 22,273, whilst the Levites, as summed up by Scripture, were only 22,000) would not have required redemption at all (cf. vv. 46—48)!? To this our Rabbis gave the reply in Treatise Bekhorot 5a: those three hundred Levites in question were themselves firstborn, and it was quite sufficient for them to do one thing — that they should free themselves from the necessity of ransom.
WERE TWENTY AND TWO THOUSAND. In all. When you add up the figures you will find that they come to three hundred above the figure given in Scripture. Some say that Scripture is being brief and mentions only the thousands and neglects the hundreds. However, this cannot be the case. Scripture mentions less than three hundred over and above a round number. The truth is in accordance with tradition which states that a first-born does not free a first-born. The meaning of our verse thus is, all that were numbered of the Levites with the exception of the first-born [were twenty and two thousand]. Judah the Persian calculated to prove, from the number that the first-born of the Levites were one seventy-third of the Levites. He went on to say that if you divide the number of Israelites by seventy-three, and take the number of Levites who came to serve in the tabernacle rather than the number of Levites age one month and above, then the number will be close. However, all this is nothing. The Israelites were counted from twenty and above. No other fixed unit was used. However, the Levites were counted from twenty to fifty. There is a large difference between them. We will rely only on tradition.
Am Yisrael Chai!
Kimberly Davis