Shevet Levi, A Family Tradition of Excellence Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu to designate Shevet Levi for Avodah in the Bais HaMikdash. The pasuk (Bahaloscha 8:19) then says, “åìà
éäéä ááðé éùøàì ðâó áâùú áðé éùøàì àì ä÷åãù “, so that a death will not spread when the Bnei Yisroel approaches the Mishkan. Rabbeinu Bachaye and other Meforshim explain that the Levi’im will act as guards not allowing Bnei Yisroel to come too close, because a Zar who comes close will die.
The Chizkuni takes a unique approach in explaining this pasuk. He says that before Levi was designated as the overseers of the Avodas HaMishkan, the natural choice was the Bechorim. However, says the Chizkuni, that presents a problem. Since a bechor can be the son of a non-bechor and the grandson of a non-bechor, he would have no family tradition regarding the avodah. This can cause him to do the avodah in an improper way that would make him liable to death.
Because of this, Hashem in His mercy, designated a Shevet to be in charge of the avodah so that they would have a long and rich tradition of avodah, ingraining it in their family genes for generations, thus saving many casualties in this highly sensitive and dangerous workplace!
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Rav Shamshom Rephael Hirsch – Rioting Over Food? After travelling a few days in the midbar, certain elements of Bnei Yisrael got a craving for meat and complained to Moshe. Moshe spoke to Hashem and Hashem sends them an abundance of meat with which they stuff themselves with and die. However, right in middle of this narrative, Hashem tells Moshe to gather seventy men whom Hashem will grace with the spirit of Moshe. Why do these pasukim interrupt right in middle of this seemingly non related story?
Rav Shamshom Rephael Hirsch answers that Bnei Yisrael were complaining about their physical conditions and their hunger for materialism. To this Hashem told Moshe that it is not meat that they lack that is causing them to revolt, it is their lack of spirituality. They feel empty but don’t understand the true cause. Gather seventy representatives and feed their starving souls with Torah and Mitzvos. Then their appetites will be satiated with the true pleasure of dveykus in Hashem and they will no longer riot over food.
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One Word Could Have Silenced Eldad And Meidad The Gemara in Megila 18b says, “Mila B’Sela Shtikusa B’Trein,” if each word a person uttered would cost one coin then silence would cost two coins. The Vilna Gaon plays on these words to explain the story of Eldad and Meidad who Chazal say were prophesizing that Moshe would die, and Yehoshua would take Bnei Yisrael into Eretz Yisrael. Moshe was barred from entering Eretz Yisrael because he hit the rock at Mei Meriva rather than talk to it. The Vilna Gaon explains that the word Sela also means rock in addition to coin. “Mila B’Sela,” had Moshe said one word to the Sela as opposed to hitting it, “Shtikusa B’Trein,” he would have silenced two, both Eldad and Meidad who said he would not enter Eretz Yisrael.
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Bnei Yisroel’s Inconvenient Travel Schedule “Al Pi Hashem Yisu Bnei Yisroel V’Al Pi Hashem Yachanu- on the word of Hashem, Bnei Yisroel traveled and on the word of Hashem, Bnei Yisroel stayed in their place.” (Bahalosicha 9:18)This seems clear enough, yet the following five pasukim seem to discuss excessively how Bnei Yisroel stayed as long as they were told, whether it was one day or many days. Why the redundancy? The Ba’al HaLeshem, Rav Shlomo Elyashiv, says that he heard from Rav Itzele Volozhin that these pasukim are telling us the greatness of Klal Yisroel. The Midbar was the home of the Yetzer Hara. It was filled with all sorts of tumah of diffenret natures and varying degrees. Bnei Yisroel were sent on a very difficult mission: to conquer the Yetzer Hara on enemy ground, and rid the world of these desires, purifying it and preparing it for perfection. Not all places were equally tamei.
When Bnei Yisroel arrived in a stronghold of a certain Yetzer Hara, a place steeped in tumah, they immediately felt their madreiga fall and wanted to run away. Yet, they stayed, following the command of Hashem. Once they managed to overcome this tumah, they would have liked to stay a bit, but nevertheless they got up and moved on as soon as Hashem commanded. In less tamei places, they did their work quickly, and were immediately on their way to the next mission without complaint. These pasukim, says Rav Itzele, speak of the praise of Bnei Yisroel, whose total submission to the will of Hashem caused their high level of kedusha to waver, without giving them a break to relax and enjoy. So too, says Rav Itzele, must we understand that in life Hashem sends us on missions, and sometimes they entail us being put in places of great spiritual danger. We learn from here, that we must accept every mission with love, no matter what it does to our spiritual or physical well being. “Al Pi Hashem Yisu Bnei Yisroel V’Al Pi Hashem Yachanu.”

Created By Rov Avrohom Sherman
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