Comentario sobre Números 4:18

אל תכריתו CUT YE NOT OFF [THE TRIBE OF THE FAMILIES OF THE KOHATHITES] — Do not bring it about for them that they shall die.

אל תכריתו, do not allow the procedure of carrying parts of the Tabernacle to be a free for all, the one first on the spot carrying the part he chooses to, for if you do this the resulting chaos will lead to destruction, to death. Such chaotic conditions will inevitably lead to desecration of holy things, holy objects, with tragic results, i.e. loss of life. Our sages illustrated what is meant when describing the race between priests to be the first to carry out the cleaning of the ashes off the top of the altar. (compare Yuma 23-24).

Do not cause. Rashi thus informs us that the word תכריתו — “cut off” is from the causative הפעיל construct and it refers to the third person.

V. 18. שבט (siehe zu Kap. 3, 15).

משפחות הקהתי, “the families of the Kehatites.” The Torah deliberately did not write “the family (sing) of Kehat,” being aware that many of them would be members of the rebellion of Korach against Moses and Aaron. In spite of this foreknowledge, G’d said that every care must be taken not to cause the Kehatites to become guilty of serious sins. By writing the word אל תכריתו in this form the Torah added two letters (יו) of the name of G’d in order to append them to the name קהת. You may understand the idea behind this by means of a parable. A king had a son who kept bad company and eventually was arrested with the thieves he had joined. The king’s response was that at this time he would deal leniently with the thieves themselves seeing that his own son was also part of that group. However, he warned that there would not be a second time when such leniency would be practiced. This is also the meaning of Isaiah 48,9: “for the sake of My name I control My wrath; to My own glory I am patient with you and will not destroy you.”