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By Rabbi Avraham
Fischer. A publication of the Orthodox Union in cooperation with the Seymour
J. Abrams Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center
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Parshat
Korach
June 15, 2002
The rebellion of Korach and his supporters was based, among
other factors, on the special status of the tribe of Levi, who were singled
out to serve Hashem in the Mishkan. Korach felt that his division of the tribe
the Yitzhar branch of the sons of Kehat was slighted in the apportioning
of tribal honors (see Rashi on 16:1), and this prompted him to oppose Moshe’s
authority. Moshe is disappointed and upset that his fellow-Leviim have
mistaken duty for privilege:
And Moshe said to Korach, “Listen, please, you sons of Levi. Is
it a small thing for you that [Hashem] the G-d of Israel has separated you from
the community of Israel to draw you near to Him, to perform the service of the
Mishkan of Hashem, and to stand before the community to serve them? And He
brought you near, you and all your brethren, the children of Levi, with you; and
still you request priesthood?” (Bamidbar 16:8-9)
Korach and his faction are punished, and the hierarchy of authority is clearly
established. In order to impress upon the people, Leviim and non-Leviim alike,
the tasks and rights of the tribe chosen by Hashem, the portion of KORACH
concludes with a discussion of the commandments and duties of Levi. They are
enjoined to serve Hashem faithfully in the Mishkan, and to protect its sanctity.
Because the Kohanim serve Hashem, they are supported by the people with 24
donations.
The tribe of Levi is completely devoted to the service of Hashem. Therefore,
they will not inherit the land of Israel:
And Hashem said to Aharon, “You shall have no inheritance in
their land, and neither shall you have any portion among them; I am your portion
and your inheritance among the Children of Israel” (18:20).
Here, the Kohanim are excluded from inheritance, and the rest of
the tribe of Levi are similarly addressed in verse 24. The Torah repeats this
exclusion in Devarim (18:1-2):
There shall not be for the Kohanim, the Leviim all the tribe
of Levi a portion and inheritance with Israel; the fire-offerings of Hashem
and His inheritance shall they eat. And an inheritance shall he not have in the
midst of his brethren; Hashem is his inheritance, as He spoke to him.
The Leviim did live in 48 cities throughout Israel, but, as Ramban points out,
since these cities served as places of refuge (arei miklat) for anyone who
committed involuntary manslaughter, they really were the property of the entire
nation. Thus, when the land would be conquered and divided, the Leviim would
receive no portion.
Furthermore, as Rashi quoting the Sifri (the Halachic Midrash on the books of
Bamidbar and Devarim) states, the Leviim would not even receive a portion of the
spoils of war as non-combatants.
But, how are we to understand this exclusion? Was the tribe of Levi expressly
forbidden to receive a portion of the inheritance and the spoils, or were they
merely not entitled to them? The Rambam states that the tribe of Levi were
forbidden to take part of the spoils or of the inheritance (Laws of Shemittah
and Yovel, 13:10). But, what if the people wanted to offer them a portion of
these of their own volition? Could the Leviim accept them?
Ohr HaChaim (R. Chaim ben Moshe ibn-Attar, 1696-1743) differentiates between the
inheritance and the spoils. When it comes to the inheritance, our verse (18:20)
says,
You shall have no inheritance,
meaning that under no circumstances are the Leviim to have land of their own in
Israel. However, when it comes to the spoils, our verse says,
and neither shall you have any portion among them.
The word BETOCHAM (among them), says Ohr HaChaim, serves to
limit the prohibition: The Leviim may not take, nor may they be given, some of
the spoils of war when they are divided among the tribes; however, if afterwards
the people wish to send the Leviim gifts, the Leviim may accept them.
Why are the Leviim excluded from these mundane matters, even to the point of
prohibition? Rambam explains (op. cit. 13:12):
…because they were separated to worship Hashem, to serve Him and
to teach His correct ways and His righteous laws to the public, as it says, They
will teach Your laws to Yaakov and Your teachings to Israel (Devarim 33:10).
Therefore, they are separated from the ways of the world: they do not engage in
war as the rest of Israel, nor do they inherit, nor do they take possession for
themselves through their own power. Rather, they are Hashem’s regiment, as it
says, Bless Hashem His regiment (ibid, v.11). And He, may He be blessed,
benefits them, as it says, I am your portion and your inheritance.
In order to enable them to serve Hashem “full-time,” the Leviim
are freed from these day-to-day concerns.
Haamek Davar (R. Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin, 1817-1893) takes the concept of “I
am your portion” even further:
He is your pleasure in the service of Hashem and in the
perseverance of the Torah, and there is no love like the love of Hashem and the
love of the Torah . . . and all external pleasures are obstacles to the pleasure
of the soul.
In order to serve Hashem fully, the Leviim must appreciate that there is no
higher joy than serving Him.
Rambam concludes his Laws of Shemittah and Yovel by asserting that, not only the
tribe of Levi, but anyone who completely devotes himself to the service of
Hashem is sanctified and is further assured to have his material needs provided.
There is no greater privilege nor, no greater duty than serving Hashem. But, to
do so, we must place devotion to Hashem as our greatest pleasure as well.
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