Commentary for Numbers 1:51

יורידו אתו [AND WHEN THE DWELLING SETTETH FORWARD] THE LEVITES SHALL TAKE IT DOWN — Understand יורידו as the Targum does: they shall take it apart. Whenever they were about to set out on a journey in the wilderness from one station to another (cf. Rashi Exodus 40:38) they took the structure apart (lit., they took it apart from its state of being put up) and carried it to the place where the cloud afterwards abode, and there they encamped and erected it (the Tabernacle).

As Targum translates, “they shall dismantle.” Meaning that they dismantle the parts of the Mishkon, separating them from the place where they are attached and leaving each piece on its own. However, they did not take it down from a high place to a low place, as might be understood from the term “take down.”

V. 51. ואתה הפקד את הלוים — .מיתה בידי שמים :והזר הקרב יומת hieß es im vorigen Verse. Nur in Folge angewiesenen Pflichtgebotes durften selbst die לוים der Wohnung des Zeugnisses mit ihren Leistungen nahen. Jeder Nichtverpflichtete war ein Nichtbefugter, war ein זר, so sehr, dass selbst der Levite nur zu der in Folge der Arbeitsteilung ihm überwiesenen Leistung befugt und der Übergang von einer Funktion zur andern verpönt war, נקיטינן משורר ששיער בשל חברו במיתה (Arachin 11 b). Ja, wie der Levite von der Priesterfunktion fern zu bleiben hatte, so war auch der Priester nicht zu den Leistungen der Leviten befugt (daselbst). So sehr war dem ganzen Dienst am Heiligtum der Charakter des "Gegebenen" und der "Unantastbarkeit" aufgeprägt, und war eben das, was durch diese Aussonderung des Gesetzesheiligtums und seiner Diener fortwährend gegenwärtig gehalten werden soll (siehe zu Kap. 3, 10).

יורידו אותו הלוים, יקימו אותו, “the Levites will dissemble it and will reassemble it;” they will do so by inserting the bolts through the rings in the planks and removing same, as required. This is all considered as part of their ministrations.

And the stranger who approaches. Even a kohein who attempts to do the Levite’s service in dismantling and erecting the Mishkan is liable for death, for a kohein is called a “stranger” regarding this service. He will die by the hands of Heaven, because every mention of death regarding the Mikdosh and its holiness are death by the hands of Heaven.

והזר הקרב AND THE LAYMAN THAT COMETH NIGH to this service of theirs,

When they were going to depart. Rashi is answering the question: Why is it written ובנסוע המשכן (lit. when the Mishkon moved), did the Mishkon move? — Surely the people would move it! Furthermore he answers the question: Did they not dismantle it before the journey? Yet the verse implies that they would dismantle during the time of the journey. Therefore Rashi explains: “When they were going to depart” meaning that the departure is referring to the people. He added that they would “carry it…” so that you would not say that only the taking down was an obligation of the Levites, but not the carrying. Even though there is no mention here of their carrying it, it is inferred in a later passage, as explained in Parshas Naso (Bamidbar 4:25, 31).

והזר הקרב יומת, “and a common man that comes too near will be executed.” Levites are also considered “common” men in this respect. They may not enter these holy precincts once the Tabernacle had been reassembled. Assembling or dissembling did not require their entering, and when the Tabernacle had been taken apart, the site it had stood on was no longer considered as a holy site.

יומת SHALL BE PUT TO DEATH by heaven (not by sentence of the court) (cf. Sanhedrin 84a).

To [perform] this service of theirs. This is the dismantling and the assembly. Rashi wishes to answer the question: Scripture had already warned several times that one who comes close to perform the service of the altar or who enters the sanctuary would die. Therefore he explains that “to [perform] this service” refers to the dismantling and assembly of the Mishkon. It does not refer to approaching the altar.

By the hand of heaven. One might ask: From where does Rashi know this, surely any death penalty mentioned by the Torah that is not detailed, normally refers to strangulation. The answer is: Rashi himself explains this shortly (v. 53) where he writes that “so that there will not be anger…” refers to death at the hand of heaven, as one finds in the section dealing with Korach, “for the anger had emerged” (Bamidbar 17:11) which refers to death at the hand of heaven. See also above in Parshas Emor (Vayikro 22:9).