"Moses stood at the gateway of the camp and said, "Whoever is for Hashem join me!" and all the Levites gathered around him." (Shmot 32, 26).

"And all the Levites gathered around him."

From this Pasuk we learn that the Tribe of Levi did not participate in the Sin of the Golden Calf. ChaZal were even more precise in pointing out that they also had no part in the sin of the Spies - for in the matter of the Edict of the "desert generation" it is said: "For Hashem had said of them, 'They will surely die in the Wilderness' and not a man was left of them, except for Caleb, son of Jephunneh and Joshua, son of Nun." (BaMidbar 26, 65); and another source states: "These are the estates which Elazar HaCohen and Joshua, son of Nun, allotted... in Shilo before Hashem..." (Joshua 19, 51). Chazal said: "Since it is said 'and not a man was left of them (the desert generation)... and you find that Elazar has been left alive?! It stands to reason that the mention of Elazar comes to nevertheless teach us about his entire Tribe; and that when he entered Eretz Canaan, so they entered.

It is interesting and instructive to note that the fate and destiny of the Tribe of Levi, was the same as the fate and destiny of the women of Israel of the same generation who avoided both the Sin of the Golden Calf and the Sin of the Spies.

For the actual making of the Golden Calf, Aaron requested that the men: "Remove the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives... and bring them to me." (Shmot 32, 2) But the women refused to obey as it is written, "The entire people removed the gold rings that were in their ears" (Shmot 32,3) "in their ears" and not in the ears of their wives. And in the punishment for the sin of the spies the women also were not included, as it is written (as stated above) "...and not a man was left" - and in the commentary of Chazal "not a man was left but the women were left" (BaMidbar Raba, Parsha 21, Letter I).

The conclusion reached from our study is that a sealed covenant exists between loyalty to the original, G-dly Spirit of Israel and an undivided loyalty to the Land of Israel. Those who are able to fight the consensus and oppose Avoda Zara and Tarbut Zara (foreign culture), are also able to rise to the occasion with great dedication on behalf of the inheritance and settlement of the Land.

So it was in those days and so it continues in ours.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Shalom Horowitz

Rabbi Horowitz is a Rav Mechanech at the Ulpana Girls Academy - Kiryat Arba

Please address your questions or comments to the Ulpana Girls Academy - Kiryat Arba