Numbers 3:14-4:16 Chavurah Shalom Saturday 9/9/17

In our mustering of the Troops of the 12 Tribes of Israel, there was a counting head by head, or literally a "lifting up of the head" of all the men from 20 years old and upward, all who were capable of going out to war. At this point, we come to muster the Levites as a whole, from one month old and upward. This was not to set apart those who would serve at the Mishkan, but rather those who would be set apart unto God in place of the of all of the Tribes of Israel. Later we will muster the Levites for Service from the age of 30. We learn from Numbers 18:16 that the firstborn are redeemed at one month, and thus we number the Levites from one month and up. We have already noted that Tim Hegg relates the one month as being of viable age since most infant mortality occurred during the first month of life. This is the reasoning given then for the re- demption of the firstborn at one month old, and the counting of the Levites from one month old. A child under one month old, or a female, was not liable for this accounting. It is most often postulated that prior to the selection of the Levites, it was the first- born's responsibility to carry out sacrificial ritual. This is understood to be the ones involved at Mount Sinai with the altar and sacrifices prior to the Golden Calf inci- dent. We know from Scripture that each of the Patriarchs, Avraham, Isaac, and Ja- cob offered up sacrifices. And prior to them, Noah offered up sacrifices. After the events of the Golden Calf, and with the construction of the Mishkan, this role fell to the Levites by Divine Decree. The firstborn male of every household belonged to God as the result of the final plague in Egypt, and the passing over of the houses with the blood on the Mezzu- zot and the lintel. God now exchanges the first born of the 12 Tribes for the Levites. They are numbered by their father's households, by their families. In other words, the father's household is a subset of the Mishpachah, the family. We might line up the genealogy as Tribes, Clans, Families, Households. The Chumash noted that there was no upper limit for the Levites, no matter how old, every one was equally precious. ...The Levites would be counted again from the ages of 30 to 50, the ages at which they would be eligible to perform the Tem-

- 1 - ple service. ...The census from 30 to 50 indicated the period of maximum physi- cal and emotional maturity when they could best perform their duties in the .--p. 17. They note however, that the spiritual mission of the Levites to serve Him and to teach His Torah and way of life to others is lifelong and indepen- dent of age and strength. V. 16 literally says "upon the mouth of ADONAI just as he was commanded." Thus the two Levitical censuses (chaps. 3–4), in contrast to the Israelite census (chap. 1), are taken by God. Moses is merely to record the totals (see 3:16) and the work assignments (4:49). Significantly, this reference to the Lord’s oracle oc- curs seven times in chapters 3 and 4. The supposition that the Levitical censuses are conducted with divine assistance is further supported by the absence of any mention of the procedure of writing down names as is indicated for the Israelite census (1:2, 18) and that of the Israelite first-born (3:40, 43).--JPS Torah Com- mentary, p. 19. The issues of counting the number of people for an army is leg- endary with King David's counting and placing trust in numbers at 2 Samuel 24:1-25. This is no doubt based upon the restrictions of such a census outlined at Exodus 30:11-16. This passage should have been well known to King David, but then this was from God in order to punish Israel to begin with. In any case this note was given to explain how the Levites could be counted without having to give the half shekel. We are then introduced to the three main families or clans that make up the Tribe of Levi. Moshe and Aharon are both sons of Amram, of the Clan of the Ko- hathites. The lineage of Aharon are the . They are Levites, and of the lin- eage of Aharon, but are reckoned separately as the priests. Moshe is separate from all of them, and his children are understood to be reckoned with the Kohathites. We have a Tribe of Levi, followed by the major clans, and then listed by families and by their father's households. Among the Gershonite functions were music making (the Asaphites belonged to them—1 Chr 6:39, 43), and administration of the temple treasuries (1 Chr 23:7– 9; 26:21). Some Kohathites were responsible for the shewbread (1 Chr 9:32). Merarites are depicted as accompanying Ezra on his journey in order to be Tem- ple ministers (Ezra 8:18–19).--Word Biblical Commentary, p. 35. In other words, their roles would be varied and many in service of the Temple and for the people of Israel. Here we have no reference to that later role.

- 2 - Vv. 21-26 Outlines the Clan of the Gershonites and their Role Gershon was made up of two Mishpachot, or families: the Libnites and the She- meites, a total of 7,500 men from one month and older. They camped behind the Mishkan, to the West. Each group would have their main leader, and for the Ger- shonites it was to be Eliasaph the son of Lael. Their "duties" included the Mishkan; and the 'ohel, the tent; the covering for the tent; the hangings of the court; the screen for the doorway of the tent; and the screen for the doorway of the courtyard. Included is the cords for its service, meaning the support system for the hangings and the doorway screens, and we would presume the tent and its covering. The base word is .מִשְׁמֶרֶת ,The word translated "duties" is the Hebrew Mishmeret which means "to keep, to guard, to perform." This form of the word ,שָׁמַר ,Shamar means "guard duty." The Tabernacle furnishings placed in the custody of the Gershonites and Merarites are clearly distinguished: The former guard all the fabrics, whereas the latter guard the Tabernacle planks and posts (vv. 25–28, 36– 37).--JPS Torah Commentary, p. 20. Our sections ends this listing with "to all its service," which we would understand to mean the breaking down and the setting up. Thus they would guard and protect their respective areas for the dismantling, the securing, the loading, the transporting, the unloading, and the reassembling. They were the ones who shlepped the Mishkan! I remember shlepping our musical set up for Beth Sar Shalom Florida! Packing up the keyboard, the stand, the seat, the amp, the cords, the music stand, the guitar, its stand, music stand, etc. Every Shabbat, we shlepped from our house to the current location to set up for worship. When it was over, we had to pack it up and bring it home! Vv. 27-32 Outlines the Clan of the Kohathites and their Role The Clan of the Kohathites included four Mishpachot, or families: the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites, a total of 8,600 men from a month old and upward. They camped South of the Mishkan. Their main leader was to be Elizaphan son of Uzziel. Their "duties" included the Ark of the , the Golden Table of the , the Menorah, the Altars, the Utensils of the Sanc- tuary, and the Screen, and all the service of them. Here we have the added figure of Elazar, the son of Aharon who presided over them. He was the chief of the leaders of Levi, so that he presided over all three Clans and their chief men. In particular, he has oversight of the Kohathites since

- 3 - they were not able to carry nor touch anything until the Holy Things were first covered. They were to guard the guarding, or keep the guarding as we have two forms of Shamar occurring together in our text. The Peshitta adds here “the laver and its base,” for these also constituted “most ” sancta (Exod. 30:28) and would be expected to be placed in the custody of the Kohathites. The same addition is made in 4:14 by the Septuagint, the Samaritan, and the Peshitta.--JPS Torah Commentary, p. 21. Vv. 33-37 Outlines the Clan of the Merarites and their Role The Clan of the Merarites included two Mishpachot, or families: the Mahlites and the Mushites, a total of 6,200 men from a month old and upward. They camped North of the Mishkan. Their main leader was to be Zuriel, the son of Abihail. Their guard duty included the frames of the Mishkan, the bars, the pillars, the sockets and all of its equipment, and the pillars of the courtyard with its sockets, pegs and cords. V. 38 Outlines the East Side of the Camp around the Mishkan The East side of the Mishkan is the place of great importance. It was here that Moshe, Aharon as Cohen Gadol, and the other priests would camp. Thus they guarded the entrance into the courtyard, and on into the Holy Place and . The most straightforward reading of our text would indicate that they were performing the guard duty of the sanctuary for the guard duty of the sons of Israel. That is in place of them, which leads to the idea that it was the first born who first conducted such sacred duty. Another interpretation is suggested by Numbers Rabba 3:12 (followed by Ibn Ezra, Abravanel, and Sefer ha-Mivhar}: as a guard duty against the since the very purpose of guard duty is to prevent Israelite encroachment upon the sanctuary (see Excursuses 4 and 5). Thus the two halves of this verse would be logically connected; but this rendering is difficult on syntactical grounds.-- JPS Torah Commentary, p. 22. The next statement is that the zur, the outsider, who approaches shall be put to death. Our NASB interprets layman, meaning anyone who was not a Levite or a . It's more common meaning however, is "stranger," one who is not a member of the community. It is generally accepted that here it has more to do with the various roles granted by ADONAI and staying in your lane. In the context, the

- 4 - non-Levite was a stranger to this role. Hegg pointed out that there was a difference between the Holy and the Profane, just as we continue to emphasize every Havdalah. We do this in this text as we recognize the service of the Tabernacle, and respond in obedience to God's order of handling the Sacred Things of the Mishkan. Each one must stay in the role and responsibility assigned by God and not get out of your lane! We are reminded that this was done at the mouth of ADONAI, a Hebrew phrase that can be translated "Oracle of ADONAI." The number of the Levites from the son of a month and older was 22,000. Vv. 40-51 The Levites Replace the First Born of the Sons of Israel Now we come to the actual events that separate the Levites unto God as His chosen ones to minister in the Sanctuary. They shall be Mine; I am ADONAI. So now Moshe must number all the firstborn of the Sons of Israel, along with the firstborn of the cattle. Moshe records their names, when he was not to record the names of the Levites. The number is 22, 273. Much is made of the numbers. If we add up the actual numbers of each of the Levitical Clans, we come up with 22,300. Yet we are given a total of 22,000 which we find repeated to the point that most do not detract from that figure. How is it that there would be only 273 difference in the Firstborn of the 12 Tribes vs the firstborn of the Levites? This is asked, but not appropriately answered. In fact many simply don't deal with the issue. With this exchange, we now have 273 firstborn that must be redeemed, Exodus 13:13-15. Even the cattle were to be exchanged, for the firstborn cattle were to be destined for the altar unless unsuitable, but even then, they were to be given to the Levites. It would appear that animals given to the priests are intended for the sanctuary and not for their personal possession. The Levites, however, retained their animals. Significantly, only the Levites received cities and pastureland (Num. 35:1–8), not the priests (Josh. 21). Moreover, when the Midianite spoils are apportioned (Num. 31), the priests’ share is given to alone (not to the other priests). It is called terumat YHVH, “a contribution to the Lord” (31:29, 41), that is, to the sanctuary. The Levites, on the other hand, receive their share directly as their personal property (31:30, 47). Thus their cattle release the animals of the Israelite first-born from their sacred status. The purpose of the exchange, then, is to ensure that the sanctuary not be deprived of its animals

- 5 - when the first-born Israelites are desacralized.--JPS Torah Commentary, p. 23. Now we have a set figure for the redemption of the firstborn at 5 shekels, Numbers 18:16. The Shekel remains a monetary issue in Israel today. In our text the shekel is described as a weight, not a coin. The shekel is a silver weight not a coin (coinage was not invented until the 7th cent. b. c. e. and was not minted in Judah until the 4th cent.). It weighed about 11.5 grams.--JPS Torah Commentary, p. 23. However, in today's world, the Jewish people still redeem the first born son, and they mint specific coinage for that function. Not all Jews perform the , but many do, and the coins are then presented in the synagogue. Many will argue that the synagogue developed as a means to keep what Torah we can without a Temple, and is arranged in a manner similar to the Temple. While Passover is kept in the homes today by observant Jews, the Festivals are kept in the Syagogue setting. Many synagogues will have a second Passover night for the community, and the other Festivals which require a gathering are kept at the synagogue. Sukkot of course requires a Sukkah that most will erect near their homes or apartments. Numbers 4:1-16 The Specific Role of the Kohathites Now at this point, we have a second census, first of the Kohathites, but next week's parashah includes a similar census of the other two Leivitical Clans as well. We have a change in the order based upon the importance of the task. Gershon was the eldest of the Clans, and was mustered first in our first census. But here we have the Kohathites numbered first since they transported the most sacred items. They risked their lives in carrying the most sacred, since they would suffer death to either look upon or handle these items until first covered by the priests. This time, we have a census to determine those eligible for the service, which on the command of God is from 30 to 50 years old. The interesting word here is the This .צָבָא ,one rendered "service," for it is the normal term for army or host, tzava signifies military service, so some would designate them as the sacred militia of ADONAI. Theirs was the service, the avodah, of the Most Holy. In order to signify the superlative, we often find a doubling of words in the Hebrew, so here .kadesh hakadasheem , ָק ֶדשׁ ָה ְקָּ ָד ִשׁים ,we have Holy Holy Interestingly, we have the term Naso Rosh, to lift the head, of the Kohathites and the Gershonites, whereas the counting of the Merarites does not use this phrase.

- 6 - The Chumash saw a real elevation of these two clans over the other by their assignments. However, this term is a term used for counting by the head of each person as we have seen it previously, so there is nothing inherent in the term to suggest this. It is simply a recognition of the use of different terms, with a felt need to suggest something more in the terminology. I have no explanation. We also have an interesting term, correctly translated work, in place of our more typical word found in the previous descriptions, avodah or service. The Hebrew which is found only in v. 3, is described as skilled labor in the ,מְלָאכָה ,melachah JPS Torah Commentary, as a distinction from the physical labor, avodah, of the other two clans. The word translated work in v. 4 is our more familiar avodah, typically meaning service. The Hebrew melachah is typically translated "trade mission, business journey; business, work; handiwork, craftsmanship." The word Avodah is the work of the household servant, or sometimes just rendered "service." This word Avodah is used regularly of the service of the Levites and Priests in the Sanctuary. It is the word Melachah which is forbidden on the Shabbat, and the Jewish traditions list 39 activities which are forbidden. Interestingly, it is the word Avodah which is used of Adam and Eve's "work" in the garden, which is translated "cultivate," Genesis 2:15. Without doing an exhaustive search, it would appear that the most often used word for cultivate or till the ground is the word avodah. We work the ground in service to ADONAI, just as we serve Him in our worship. When we find the term "do no laborious work" in Leviticus 23, there is the combination of Avodah Melachah. For Yom Kippur, we find only the term Melachah, "no work at all" and the term Avodah nor the term Avodah Melachah is found in association with Yom Kippur. The double term, which seems redundant, is translated "work at your occupations" by the JPS Torah Commentary in association with the restrictions of the Shabbat and the Festivals in Leviticus 23. Interestingly, this word Melachah seems to be used of the Kohathites to make a distinction between them and the other two clans, for in describing the "work" of the Gershonites and Merarites, this word is not used, only the word avodah. Hence the idea of "skilled labor" by the JPS Torah Commentary. The rest of our description outlines the destructing of the Most Holy things by Aharon and his sons, and properly covering them from the sight and touch of the Levites. V. 15 emphasizes "so that they not touch the holy and die."

- 7 - The sancta are distinguished from each other in accordance with their degree of sanctity by their number, color, and the quality of their covers. The covers themselves are graded according to their colors. Their established sequence, attested consistently throughout Scripture (e. g., Exod. 25:4), reveals the order of their sanctity: tekhelet, “violet” (blue-purple); ’argaman, “purple” (red-purple); and tola‘at shani, “crimson.” Tahash, “yellow-orange,” is not one of the sacred colors but is used to dye skins (i. e., leather, not cloth) for the sole purpose of protecting the objects it covers from the elements. Hence, with the exception of the Ark, the Tabernacle in camp and the sancta in transit are always covered with the yellow-orange skins (vv. 8, 10, 11, 14; Exod. 26:14). The Ark, the holiest of the sancta, was covered first by the screening curtain, which itself was composed of all three sacred colors (Exod. 26:31), followed by a yellow-orange and, last, a violet cover. The table, next in sequence and, hence, in holiness, was covered first by a violet cloth, followed by a crimson and then a yellow-orange cloth. The lampstand and golden altar were covered by violet and yellow-orange cloths. The sacrificial altar and probably the laver (see the Comment to vv. 13–14)—the least holy of the sancta since they stood outside in the court and not in the tent—were provided with purple and yellow-orange cloths. Thus, the sacred colors of the sancta as well as their sequence indicate their holiness rank. The Ark, covered by all three sacred colors, is the holiest. The table, next in holiness, claimed two sacred colors. The golden altar and the lampstand were provided with one sacred color, violet, denoting that they were equal in holiness. The sacrificial altar and probably the laver were also granted one sacred color, but it was purple not violet. In this manner the sequence of the sancta is marked by the differentiation in the colors of their covers, both signifying a descending order in holiness. These distinctions are matched by the quality and workmanship of the sancta themselves: The inner sancta are made of gold, the outer altar of copper (cf. Exod. 25–27). The order of dismantling the sancta is the same as for reassembling them (Exod. 40:17–33). the screening curtain It separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the sanctuary (Exod. 26:31–33). Why was it not given to the Gershonites as were the other Tabernacle curtains made of the same material and workmanship and, hence, possessing the same degree of holiness? The answer lies in the fact that the priests, like everyone else, were forbidden to look at the Ark. That it is the

- 8 - Ark’s first cover suggests the possibility that when the priests entered the sanctuary they first removed the screening curtain and, holding it high before them, proceeded forward until they could lay it upon the Ark. In this way, the curtain would function like the cloud of incense that raised in the shrine on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:2, 13); even for the High Priest, the sight of the exposed Ark was considered to be fatal. --JPS Torah Commentary, p. 25-26. Another interesting thought or two from the Hebrew in our text for this week. We have noted that the was covered first of all with the Parochet, the veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place. We find that the last item to be placed on the Ark is a garment of pure blue. The word for the cloth of this last covering is beged, the typical word used for the day to day clothing of the people of Israel. This is understood to be a sign of respect or dignity for these Holy Items. While it is the final item covering the Ark, it is the first item to cover the other Most Holy Articles. In each case except the Altar of , this beged is blue, the techelet, or blue, of the Tzitzit. In the case of the Ark, the specific detail is Pure or Whole Blue. This is understood to be a Blue Wool the color of the sky, or of the sea, to symbolize its Holiness above all the other objects. The Techelet causes us to think of the heavens, the place of God's Throne of Glory. The Altar has a covering of purple. Under the cover, the Heavenly Fire was thought to be covered with a copper pot to protect the covering so that the fire was always burning and always upon the Altar. The earliest versions took this word .תָּחָשׁ ,A final thought on the Hebrew tachash to refer to a color. It is from the time of the that this has been referenced to an animal, and something from the dolphin family has been suggested. More recent scholars have determined this to be a term loaned from Hurrian language, and referring to a tanning process for the making of high quality leather shoes, as is referenced in Ezekiel 16:10 which is translated leather in the more recent Bible Translations, ESVS, NET, etc. V. 16 We end this week's parashah with a responsibility assigned to Elazar the priest rather than a Levite. He is in fact the final authority and responsibility for the Mishkan proper and all of its furnishings. He will personally see to the transportation of the pure oil for the Menorah, the Incense for the Golden Altar, the continual grain offering, and the Holy Oil. There has been much discussion as to just what this "Mincha HaTamid" actually

- 9 - referred to. There was a Minchah that was offered with the twice daily whole burnt offering of a lamb, morning and evening. But you would expect more to connect this Minchah with that. That the Minchah was a grain offering has led some to suggest that this refers to the Bread of the Presence, but that seems to be included with the Table itself, and indeed is not typically mentioned apart from it. The most acceptable suggestion is that it refers to the daily sacrifice of the Priests, offered by the Cohen Gadol, the Anointed Priest, for himself and the other priests. Leviticus 6:14-16, 19-23. Leviticus seems to refer to an offering lifted up once, as the priest was anointed for service. Yet the earlier verses refer to an ongoing regular daily sacrifice of grain. The Septuagint and the Samaritan add at the end of verse 14: “and they shall take a purple garment and cover the laver and its base and shall put them within a covering of yellow-orange and place them on a carrying frame.” This addition is essential since the laver is elsewhere ranked among the most sacred objects, as in Exodus 30:28–29, hence requiring covering for transport.--JPS Torah Commentary, p. 28.

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