Chasidut sur Les Nombres 4:50
Kedushat Levi
Deuteronomy 2,1. “it is eleven days (march) from Chorev to Kadesh Barnea.”
In order to understand the relevance of this line, it is helpful to understand a verse in Proverbs 27,9 where Solomon says that שמן וקטורת משמח לב, “oil (for anointing) and incense gladden the heart.”
When dealing with matters involving holiness, the basic number used is the number 10. Already in the most ancient Kabbalistic text, the sefer yetzirah, the number ten is mentioned repeatedly as a contrast to the number eleven. The ten emanations, ספירות, different levels of holiness, are “matched” by ten levels of spiritually negative levels, the difference between the two being that the גורמים, causes, of the ten levels of holiness and the resulting holiness are viewed as part of something integral, whereas a similar “integrity” of cause and effect is not presumed to exist when spiritually negative forces and their causes are concerned. When we read in the sefer yetzirah about “ten levels of emanations and not eleven,” the author wishes to make the point that the causes of the sefirot and the sefirot themselves are not viewed as separate entities. When Moses speaks of a “distance,” of eleven days [in a spiritual sense, as in: ‘49 levels of ritual pollution,’ Ed.], the word חורב, [as distinct from Sinai. Ed.], is to be understood as symbolizing the סטרא אחרא, the ten spiritually negative forces that are the counterweight of the ten spiritually positive forces. The Israelites (priests) used to offer twice daily an incense offering known as קטורת, consisting of 11 different categories of fragrances. When Moses elaborates by saying that the “11 days” he refers to were in the direction of Mount Seir, the region of the Kingdom of Edom, it becomes clear that he referred to something that took the Israelites away from the spiritually lofty atmosphere of Mount Sinai in the direction of the spiritually totally polluted domain of Esau/Seir. This is a fitting introduction to Moses rebuking the Israelites in this Book. In the parlance of our sages, the evil urge is often referred to as הר, mountain, i.e. representing an almost insurmountable obstacle. It is also called שעיר as we know from Sukkah 52. [None of the seven names mentioned in the Talmud there is שעיר, Ed.] The Talmud there does say that the evil urge appears like a tall mountain to the righteous, whereas it appears as insignificant as a thin hair to the wicked.
In order to understand the relevance of this line, it is helpful to understand a verse in Proverbs 27,9 where Solomon says that שמן וקטורת משמח לב, “oil (for anointing) and incense gladden the heart.”
When dealing with matters involving holiness, the basic number used is the number 10. Already in the most ancient Kabbalistic text, the sefer yetzirah, the number ten is mentioned repeatedly as a contrast to the number eleven. The ten emanations, ספירות, different levels of holiness, are “matched” by ten levels of spiritually negative levels, the difference between the two being that the גורמים, causes, of the ten levels of holiness and the resulting holiness are viewed as part of something integral, whereas a similar “integrity” of cause and effect is not presumed to exist when spiritually negative forces and their causes are concerned. When we read in the sefer yetzirah about “ten levels of emanations and not eleven,” the author wishes to make the point that the causes of the sefirot and the sefirot themselves are not viewed as separate entities. When Moses speaks of a “distance,” of eleven days [in a spiritual sense, as in: ‘49 levels of ritual pollution,’ Ed.], the word חורב, [as distinct from Sinai. Ed.], is to be understood as symbolizing the סטרא אחרא, the ten spiritually negative forces that are the counterweight of the ten spiritually positive forces. The Israelites (priests) used to offer twice daily an incense offering known as קטורת, consisting of 11 different categories of fragrances. When Moses elaborates by saying that the “11 days” he refers to were in the direction of Mount Seir, the region of the Kingdom of Edom, it becomes clear that he referred to something that took the Israelites away from the spiritually lofty atmosphere of Mount Sinai in the direction of the spiritually totally polluted domain of Esau/Seir. This is a fitting introduction to Moses rebuking the Israelites in this Book. In the parlance of our sages, the evil urge is often referred to as הר, mountain, i.e. representing an almost insurmountable obstacle. It is also called שעיר as we know from Sukkah 52. [None of the seven names mentioned in the Talmud there is שעיר, Ed.] The Talmud there does say that the evil urge appears like a tall mountain to the righteous, whereas it appears as insignificant as a thin hair to the wicked.
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Kedushat Levi
It is important to realize that the tribe of Levi who was singled out by G’d to perform special religious duties on behalf of the whole nation, was appointed twice. The male members of this tribe became distinctive at the time they had completed the first month of their lives. (Numbers 3,15) They were included in the census already at that tender age, whereas the other Israelites had to await their 20th birthday before they could be included in the census. (Numbers 1,3).
The concept of 12 tribes [excluding the Levites, Ed.] alluded to the commandments of the Creator handed down in the Torah, and that is why they had been given the collective name מטות, “staffs,” as the commandments by which Israelites guide themselves, and which are their main support during their lifetime on earth serve as their support, [in the sense of a walking cane.] They draw on this support to maintain and reinforce their faith in G’d. Performance of the commandments refines our intellect. The tribe of Levi is a special example of this as pointed out in Bamidbar Rabbah 1,12 where the author of the Midrash draws our attention to the fact that this tribe had to be counted in the proximity of the Tabernacle, as it had proven during the episode of the golden calf that it had absolute faith in G’d, and although a tiny minority (about 5%) of the nation, had risked their lives on behalf of G’d, by executing idol worshipping members of the nation. (Exodus 32,27-28).
We already explained that there are two levels of faith in G’d, and corresponding to that the Levites were counted on two levels. (at 30 days, and again when they reached the age of 30 years, (compare Numbers 4,23 et al) By that time their intellects had matured to the extent that they could be described as their faith in G’d reflecting the higher level. Their duties in and around the Tabernacle made it mandatory that they had spiritually matured enough to carry them out while thinking the appropriate religious thoughts.
Initially, G’d had commanded Moses to teach the Jewish people first about the Tabernacle, i.e. to instruct them in the ways to have faith in G’d on the basic level, i.e. to believe that He is the Creator of all phenomena perceived by the senses. The visible symbol of that faith was the structure called משכן. Only afterwards was Moses to teach them about the furnishings in the Tabernacle, the variety of attributes of the Creator, as symbolized in the Tabernacle by the various vessels and furnishings, or in the Torah by the various commandments. Moses, believing that the Jewish people as a whole had already attained the second and higher level of faith, considered it appropriate to acquaint them immediately with the details of the vessels to be used in the Tabernacle. Betzalel, having a more realistic view of the spiritual level of his peers, considered that they should first become familiar with more basic aspects of faith in the Lord as symbolized by the structure called משכן, Tabernacle.
Having said this we can also solve the problem raised by Nachmanides in connection with Exodus 19,4 where the Torah writes: אתם ראיתם אשר עשיתי למצרים....ואביא אתכם אלי, “you have seen what I have done to Egypt……. and I have brought you to Me.” Nachmanides questions the wording there as at that point the Jewish people had not yet experienced the revelation at Mount Sinai and had not yet been given the Torah. We may best understand this by remembering that while in Egypt the Jewish people (the generation experiencing the redemption, not the Israelites who had come to Egypt with Yaakov and their children) had not believed in the G’d of Avraham at all, -to wit their failure to circumcise their male children- so that the redemption was the starting point from which their faith in G’d as the Creator and as the G’d of Israel must be counted. True faith of the whole people did not commence until the first day of the month of Sivan, when for the first time, the Torah describes the Jewish people as united, i.e. ויחן ישראל , “Israel encamped,” (singular mode) as opposed to all previous encampments when the Torah always writes: ויחנו ישראל, Israel encamped, (plural mode). At that time they did not know yet how to serve the G’d Whom they all believed in as the Creator and as the G’d of their forefathers. This nuance is also evident in Onkelos’ rendering the end of Exodus 19,4 ואביא אתכם אלי, usually translated as “I have brought you to Me,” as: וקרבית יתכון לפולחני, “I have brought you near to perform service for Me.”
The concept of 12 tribes [excluding the Levites, Ed.] alluded to the commandments of the Creator handed down in the Torah, and that is why they had been given the collective name מטות, “staffs,” as the commandments by which Israelites guide themselves, and which are their main support during their lifetime on earth serve as their support, [in the sense of a walking cane.] They draw on this support to maintain and reinforce their faith in G’d. Performance of the commandments refines our intellect. The tribe of Levi is a special example of this as pointed out in Bamidbar Rabbah 1,12 where the author of the Midrash draws our attention to the fact that this tribe had to be counted in the proximity of the Tabernacle, as it had proven during the episode of the golden calf that it had absolute faith in G’d, and although a tiny minority (about 5%) of the nation, had risked their lives on behalf of G’d, by executing idol worshipping members of the nation. (Exodus 32,27-28).
We already explained that there are two levels of faith in G’d, and corresponding to that the Levites were counted on two levels. (at 30 days, and again when they reached the age of 30 years, (compare Numbers 4,23 et al) By that time their intellects had matured to the extent that they could be described as their faith in G’d reflecting the higher level. Their duties in and around the Tabernacle made it mandatory that they had spiritually matured enough to carry them out while thinking the appropriate religious thoughts.
Initially, G’d had commanded Moses to teach the Jewish people first about the Tabernacle, i.e. to instruct them in the ways to have faith in G’d on the basic level, i.e. to believe that He is the Creator of all phenomena perceived by the senses. The visible symbol of that faith was the structure called משכן. Only afterwards was Moses to teach them about the furnishings in the Tabernacle, the variety of attributes of the Creator, as symbolized in the Tabernacle by the various vessels and furnishings, or in the Torah by the various commandments. Moses, believing that the Jewish people as a whole had already attained the second and higher level of faith, considered it appropriate to acquaint them immediately with the details of the vessels to be used in the Tabernacle. Betzalel, having a more realistic view of the spiritual level of his peers, considered that they should first become familiar with more basic aspects of faith in the Lord as symbolized by the structure called משכן, Tabernacle.
Having said this we can also solve the problem raised by Nachmanides in connection with Exodus 19,4 where the Torah writes: אתם ראיתם אשר עשיתי למצרים....ואביא אתכם אלי, “you have seen what I have done to Egypt……. and I have brought you to Me.” Nachmanides questions the wording there as at that point the Jewish people had not yet experienced the revelation at Mount Sinai and had not yet been given the Torah. We may best understand this by remembering that while in Egypt the Jewish people (the generation experiencing the redemption, not the Israelites who had come to Egypt with Yaakov and their children) had not believed in the G’d of Avraham at all, -to wit their failure to circumcise their male children- so that the redemption was the starting point from which their faith in G’d as the Creator and as the G’d of Israel must be counted. True faith of the whole people did not commence until the first day of the month of Sivan, when for the first time, the Torah describes the Jewish people as united, i.e. ויחן ישראל , “Israel encamped,” (singular mode) as opposed to all previous encampments when the Torah always writes: ויחנו ישראל, Israel encamped, (plural mode). At that time they did not know yet how to serve the G’d Whom they all believed in as the Creator and as the G’d of their forefathers. This nuance is also evident in Onkelos’ rendering the end of Exodus 19,4 ואביא אתכם אלי, usually translated as “I have brought you to Me,” as: וקרבית יתכון לפולחני, “I have brought you near to perform service for Me.”
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