민수기 3:36 미드라쉬: Bamidbar Rabbah

“For Gershon, the family of the Livnites [and the Shimites]” (Numbers 3:21) – why was it necessary to repeat their families; were they not stated above? Why did the verse need this? Because it says: “These are the sons of Aaron: the firstborn [Nadav, and Avihu, Elazar, and Itamar].… Nadav [and Avihu] died…” (Numbers 3:2–4) – although Aaron had four sons, only the two, Elazar and Itamar, established families; perhaps the same is true regarding the Levites. Although Gershon has two sons, Kehat four sons, and Merari two sons, perhaps not all of them established families. That is why the verse repeated when it came to enumerate the sons of Gershon, Kehat, and Merari. It specified that all their sons established families, as they were all righteous.
The children of Levi are beloved, as the Omnipresent Himself dealt with each and every one of their families regarding their number, their location, their princes, and their service in the Tabernacle. The sons of Gershon, what does it say? “The number of all males counted…[were seven thousand five hundred]” (Numbers 3:22); thus the verse dealt in the number of the sons of Gershon. “The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the Tabernacle to the west” (Numbers 3:23) – that is their location. “The prince of the patrilineal house [of the Gershonites] was Elyasaf [son of Lael]” (Numbers 3:24) – that is their prince. “The commission of the sons of Gershon.… and the hangings of the courtyard…” (Numbers 3:25–26) – that is their service in the Tabernacle.
Likewise, the verse counts the sons of Kehat. That is what is written: “For Kehat, the family of the Amramites, [and the family of the Yitzharites, and the family of the Hevronites, and the family of the Uzielites]” (Numbers 3:27) – the verse apprised regarding the sons of Kehat that all of them established families, and not one of them perished. “In number, all males, [from one month old and above, eight thousand and six hundred, keepers of the commission of the sacred]” (Numbers 3:28) – that is their number. Why did the verse specify regarding the number of sons of Kehat “keepers of the commission of the sacred,” which is not stated regarding the number of the sons of Gershon nor regarding the number of sons of Merari; were the sons of Kehat “keepers of the commission of the sacred” from one month old and above? After all, one was not eligible for service until he was thirty years old. Why did it do so? It is because the Ark would purge from the sons of Kehat and would diminish their number, as it would shorten their lives.²⁷An improper action by somebody carrying the Ark could lead to his death. Nevertheless, due to their affection for the sacred, the sons of Kehat would run after it. That is why He accorded them a reward as though they entered to serve from one month old, as it is written regarding Samuel the Ramatite: “Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life” (I Samuel 7:15). He, too, was of the descendants of Kehat. “The families of the sons of Kehat shall encamp on the side of the Tabernacle to the south” (Numbers 3:29) – that is their place. “And the prince of the patrilineal house [of the families of the Kehatites was Elitzafan son of Uziel]” (Numbers 3:30) – that is their prince. “Their commission: the Ark, [the Table, the Candelabrum, the altars, the sacred vessels with which they would serve, the screen, and all its work]” (Numbers 3:31) – that is their service in the Tabernacle.
“The prince of the princes of the Levites [was Elazar son of Aaron the priest, the charge over the keepers of the commission of the sacred]” (Numbers 3:32) – why did it specify two princes for the sons of Kehat? It is because priests and Levites emerged from Kehat. Moses and Aaron emerged from Amram; Moses’s sons were Levites, and Aaron’s sons were priests. That is why it specified Elazar, who was from the priests, and he was overseer of the Levites of the sons of Kehat, and he would carry some of the sacred service [items] with the sons of Kehat. That is what is written: “The charge of Elazar, son of Aaron [the priest, is the illuminating oil, the fragrant incense, the meal offering of the daily offering, and the anointing oil; the charge of the entire Tabernacle, and of all that is in it, in the sacred, and in its vessels]” (Numbers 4:16).
Why did it not specify Itamar? After all, the commissions of the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari were entrusted to him. Why did it not enumerate him with them as a prince like it enumerated Elazar as a prince with the sons of Kehat? It is because Itamar did not participate in the service of the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari; that is why it did not enumerate him as a prince with them. However, Elazar participated in the burden of the sons of Kehat; that is why the verse enumerated him as a prince with them.
“For Merari, the family of the Maḥlites [and the family of the Mushites]” (Numbers 3:33) – the verse counted the sons of Merari, as not one of them died and they established families. “The number of all males counted…[were six thousand two hundred]” (Numbers 3:34) – it apprised of their number. “The prince of the patrilineal house [of the families of Merari was Tzuriel son of Aviḥayil]…” (Numbers 3:35) – that is their prince. “They shall encamp on the side of the Tabernacle to the north” (Numbers 3:35) – that is their place. “The appointed commission of the sons of Merari…” (Numbers 3:36) – that is their service in the Tabernacle.

“These encamped in front of the Tabernacle, to the east, in front of the Tent of Meeting eastward: Moses, and Aaron, and his sons, keeping the commission of the Sanctuary, for the commission of the children of Israel; and the commoner who approaches shall be put to death” (Numbers 3:38).
“These encamped in front of the Tabernacle, to the east” – Kehat merited that his descendants surrounded the Tabernacle in two directions. The tribe of Levi became four divisions to surround the four directions of the Tabernacle, corresponding to the four banners. In accordance with their actions, the Levites encamped in the four directions just as the banners were arranged. How so? West, from there were the storehouses of snow, the storehouses of hail, cold, and heat.²⁸The west is associated with these weather phenomena. Corresponding to them encamped the banner of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, who were mighty, in order to withstand them all. Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He settled Gershon to the west, as his sacred service was “the Tent, its covering, and the screen” (Numbers 3:25). What can withstand snow, hail, cold, and heat? It is a tent, a covering, and a screen. That is why he was called Gershon. Who will reside in the face of snow, hail, cold, and heat? It is one who is as strong as ivory.²⁹Gershon is a portmanteau of gar – reside, and shen – ivory. Ivory is nothing other than an expression of strength, as it is written: “His belly is like a tablet of ivory” (Song of Songs 5:14).
The south, from which dews of blessing and rains of blessing emerge into the world, there, the banner of Reuben, who is a penitent, encamps. It is by virtue of penitence that rain falls. Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He settled in that same southern direction the sons of Kehat, who would bear the Ark in which the Torah was, as the rains are dependent only upon the Torah, as it is stated: “If you follow My statutes.… I will provide your rains…” (Leviticus 26:3–4), and “But if you reject My statutes” (Leviticus 26:15), “I will render your heavens like iron” (Leviticus 26:19). That is why he was called Kehat, just as it says: “If the iron is blunt [keha]” (Ecclesiastes 10:10) – if you see that the heavens have been blunted from causing rain to fall and have become iron, just as it says: “I will render your heavens like iron,” know that it is due to a punishment for Torah that they did not fulfill, as it is written: “And one did not whet [kilkal] the edge [panim]” (Ecclesiastes 10:10). It is because they did not fulfill the Torah that was given to them face-to-face, just as it says: “Face-to-face [panim befanim] the Lord spoke with you…” (Deuteronomy 5:4), and they corrupted [kilkelu] their actions. That is kilkal.
The north, from which darkness emerges into the world, there encamps the tribe of Dan, who embodied the darkness of the idol crafted by Yerovam and situated in Dan. That is why the children of Merari encamped there, as their labor was with wood: “The boards of the Tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars” (Numbers 3:36), just as it says: “[Their] doctrine is but delusion; it is a piece of wood” (Jeremiah 10:8). That is why his name was called Merari, because of bitterness [merur].³⁰Bitterness is caused by idol worship.
The east, from which light emerges into the world, there, the encampment of Judah, who were masters of royalty, masters of Torah, and masters of mitzvot, encamps. That is why Moses, Aaron and his sons encamped there, as they were masters of Torah and masters of mitzvot, and they atoned for Israel with their prayers and their offerings. In their regard it is stated: Happy is the righteous and happy is his neighbor;³¹Mishna Sukka 56:2. these are the tribes that were adjacent to Moses and Aaron: Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. They were all great in Torah: “The scepter shall not depart [from Judah, nor a scholar from among his descendants]” (Genesis 49:10); “from the children of Issachar, possessors of understanding” (I Chronicles 12:33); “from Zebulun, those who ply the scribe’s quill” (Judges 5:14). Because they were neighbors of the Torah, they all became Torah scholars.
Three in the south, who were adjacent to masters of divisiveness, were eradicated with them. In their regard it was stated: Woe to the wicked, woe to his neighbor. Who were the masters of divisiveness? It was “Koraḥ son of Yitzhar son of Kehat” (Numbers 16:1).³²Referring to Koraḥ and his assembly. Because Reuben, Simeon, and Gad were adjacent to them, they were all masters of divisiveness, as it says: “Koraḥ son of Yitzhar [son of Kehat] took […sons of Reuben]” (Numbers 16:1). Likewise, the sons of Gad and the sons of Simeon were also masters of divisiveness.³³The tribes of Reuben and Gad remained east of the Jordan, and Zimri (see Numbers 25:6–14) was the prince of the tribe of Simeon.
“Keeping the commission of the Sanctuary, for the commission of the children of Israel” – they would guard so that Israel would not enter there. Why to that extent? Since were they to enter there, they would be punishable by death. That is what is written: “And the commoner who approaches shall be put to death.”