Naso| The Levite Service

Summarized by Rav Eliyahu Blumenzweig

      The tasks assigned to the Levi'im, which are detailed in our parshiot, seem to be temporary tasks, limited in their duration.  However, the Levi'im in fact teach and demonstrate the paths of Divine service for all generations.

     The Levi'im had three principal roles in the desert: carrying, dismantling and erecting the mishkan; guarding the mishkan and singing; and teaching the nation Torah ("They teach your judgements to Ya'akov").

      The first task - carrying the mishkan - exemplifies and characterizes the nature of the Levite service.  They are responsible for carrying the place where the Shekhina is revealed, bearing this holy site and building this edifice at each station.  With each journey the nation reaches a new destination, each complete with its own new environment and new challenges.  In each place they build this holy edifice.  While the Kohanim are responsible for those aspects which are static and fixed - "And the Kohanim stood in their place" (Divrei Ha-Yamim II 35:10), the Levi'im take charge of that which changes - "And the Levi'im in their divisions" (ibid.) - i.e. the various different situations, places and times.  At the same time, despite the feeling of transition and change, they are commanded to build the edifice each time as a permanent and eternal building.

     "If a matter for judgement be beyond you... you shall come to the Kohanim and the Levi'im... and they shall tell you the judgement" (Devarim 17:8-9).  The Kohanim teach God's judgements, while the Levi'im "caused the people to understand the Torah" (Nechemia 8:7) - they explain the words of Torah to the masses, facilitating the acquisition of Torah by the nation as a whole, each person according to his ability and capacity.

     From here we can understand the nature of their second task, too - that of guarding.  The Levi'im guard the mishkan from outside forces.  These forces change and renew themselves from time to time, and the Levi'im are continually forced to deal with new currents, to fight new battles and to approach new challenges.

     We tend to believe that not every task uplifts its performer.  With regard to those who carried the aron (ark), the Torah teaches us that the aron "carried its bearers" - their work uplifts them; their task elevates them, advances and develops them.  But when it comes to the other associated tasks, much physical effort is required, and one may fear that the task limits and blocks the possibility of spiritual elevation.  God's command at the beginning of the parasha comes to combat this conception: "And God spoke to Moshe saying, 'Count ("naso" - literally, "lift upý") the number ("rosh" - literally, "head") of the sons of Gershon, them too...'" - they, too, lift their heads proudly.  The most important thing is the readiness to perform any task and any job, with the recognition that this is holy work.  With such an attitude - one of readiness to perform work which would seemingly represent an obstacle to development and personal progress - every task elevates.  This attitude in Divine service is particularly emphasized in the service of the Levi'im.  We are taught that a Levi who was supposed to sing, but chose to guard the gates because he felt that the job of singing was too elevated for him, was deserving of death; and a Levi who accepted all the mitzvot pertaining to the Levi'im except for one, was not accepted.

     In a famous passage at the end of Hilkhot Shemitta ve-Yovel (13:13), the Rambam writes: "And not only the tribe of Levi, but any individual in the world whose spirit and understanding drive him to separate himself in order to serve God and to know God, and who walks straight as the Lord made him, and removes from himself the yoke of all the various mortal concerns - this person is sanctified as Holy of Holies, and God will be his portion and his inheritance for ever and ever, for all eternity.  And God will cause him to receive all that he requires in this world, as He did for the Kohanim and Levi'im."

     Anyone who wishes to join in Divine Service in fact enlists in the ranks of the Levi'im, and must learn from them how the task is to be performed.

(Originally delivered on Leil Shabbat Parashat Naso 5733.

Translated by Kaeren Fish.)