Targum for Numbers 8:27

And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying:

Speak with Aharon, and say to him: At the time when thou dost kindle the lamps upon the candelabrum, (all) the seven lamps shall be alight; three on the western side, and three on the eastern side, and the seventh in the midst.

And Aharon did so; at the face of the candelabrum he lit the lamps thereof, as the Lord commanded Mosheh.

And this was the work of the candelabrum, which was of beaten gold, from its foundations unto its lilies, the work of the artificer, with the hammer was it wrought: according to the vision which the Lord had showed Mosheh, so did Bezalel make the candelabrum.

And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying:

Bring the Levites out from among the sons of Israel, and purify them.

And this shalt thou do to purify them. Sprinkle upon them the water for uncleanness through sin (chattatha), and let the razor pass over all their flesh, and let them wash their raiment, and wash themselves in forty savan of water.

And they shall take a young bullock, and his mincha of flour sprinkled with olive oil; and take thou a second young bullock for a sin offering.

And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of ordinance, and gather together also all the congregation of the sons of Israel.

Thou shalt bring the Levites before the Lord, and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands upon the Levites.

And Aharon shall present the Levites, (as) an elevation before the Lord from the sons of Israel, and they shall be for the work of the service of the Lord.

And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullocks, and make one a sin offering and one a burnt offering before the Lord, to atone for the Levites.

And thou shalt place the Levites before Aharon and his sons, and present them (as) an elevation before the Lord;

and thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the sons of Israel, that the Levites may be ministers before Me.

And afterward the Levites may enter to fulfil the service of the tabernacle of ordinance, when thou shalt have purified them and presented them (as) an elevation;

for separated they are separate before Me from among the sons of Israel, instead of every one who openeth the womb; the first-born of all who are of the sons of Israel have I taken (to be) before Me.

For every first-born of the sons of Israel is Mine, whether of man or of beast: in the day that I slew all the first-born in the land of Mizraim, I sanctified them before Me;

and I have taken the Levites instead of all the first-born of the sons of Israel,

and have given the Levites (as) gifts unto Aharon and to his sons from among the sons of Israel, to minister the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of ordinance, and to atone for the children of Israel, lest there be mortality among the children of Israel at the time when they approach the sanctuary.

And Mosheh and Aharon and all the congregation of the Beni Israel did unto the Levites according to all that the Lord had commanded Mosheh concerning the Levites, so did the sons of Israel to them.

And the Levites were purified, and they washed their raiment; and Aharon presented them as an elevation before the Lord. And Aharon made atonement for them to purify them.

And afterward the Levites went in to fulfil their ministry in the tabernacle of ordinance, before Aharon and his sons: as the Lord had commanded Mosheh concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.

And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying:

This is the instruction for the Levites who are not disqualified (profaned) by their blemishes: from one of twenty-five years and upward, he shall come, according to his company, to the service of the tabernacle of ordinance

and from fifty years of age he shall return from the band of the service, and serve no more.

Yet he may minister with his brethren at the tabernacle of ordinance in keeping the watch; but he shall not do any of the service. So shall the Levites act in their charge.