민수기 3:39 미드라쉬: Bamidbar Rabbah, Midrash Tanchuma, Midrash Tanchuma Buber & Sifrei Bamidbar

“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.

“All those counted of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron counted by the directive of the Lord, by their families, all males from one month old and above, were twenty-two thousand” (Numbers 3:39).
“All those counted of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron [ve’aharon] counted” – the vav in ve’aharon is dotted because Aaron was not part of the census.³⁴He was not counted, nor did he participate with Moses in the census. Similarly, “may the Lord judge between me and you [uveinekha]” (Genesis 16:5) – as she said it only regarding Hagar alone.³⁵There is a dot over the yod in uveinekha, indicating that Sarah did not demand that God punish Abraham. Some say, it was regarding those who introduce discord between him and her.³⁶While this interpretation also maintains that Sarah was referring to Hagar, it is not based on the dot over the yod, but rather on understanding “between me and you” as referring to one who introduces discord between them.
Similarly, “They said to him [elav]: Where is Sarah?” (Genesis 18:9) – the alef in elav is dotted, as they knew where she was but made inquiries about her.
Similarly, “He did not know when she lay down and when she arose [uvkuma]” (Genesis 19:33) – the vav in the middle of uvkuma regarding the elder daughter is dotted; he did not know when she lay down, but he knew when she arose.
Similarly, “he kissed him [vayishakehu] (Genesis 33:4)³⁷Esau kissed Jacob. – it is dotted, because he did not kiss him with all his heart.
Similarly, “his brothers went to herd et” (Genesis 37:12) – why is it dotted over et? It teaches that they did not go to herd, but rather to eat, drink, and be seduced.
Similarly, “or on a distant [reḥoka] journey” (Numbers 9:10) – the ḥet of reḥoka is dotted.³⁸While the midrash here states that there is a dot on the ḥet, the Mishna (Pesaḥim 93b) and other sources state that the dot is on the heh. In our Torah scrolls the dot is on the heh. It teaches that even if it was not a distant journey, but just outside the threshold of the courtyard of the Temple. Some say, even if it was a near journey, but it³⁹The path which he has to take to reach the Temple (Etz Yosef). is impure, he would not perform the rite of the paschal offering with them.
Similarly, “we laid waste until Nofaḥ that [asher]” (Numbers 21:30) – the reish in asher is dotted, as it was so even beyond there. Some say: It teaches that they did not destroy the entire country, but rather the large cities.
Similarly, “You shall offer one-tenth [isaron isaron] for each” (Numbers 29:15) – the first isaron of the first day of the festival is dotted. It teaches that there was only one one-tenth alone.⁴⁰Namely, there was only a one-tenth measure, and for sacrifices which require two-tenths or three-tenths, each tenth would be measured separately.
Similarly, “The concealed are for the Lord our God, but the revealed are for us and for our children [lanu ulvaneinu] forever [ad olam]” (Deuteronomy 29:28) – why is it dotted over lanu ulvaneinu and the ayin of ad? He said to them: ‘If you perform the revealed, I will inform you of the concealed.’
Some say: Why is it dotted? Rather, this is what Ezra said: If Elijah will come and say: Why did you write them?⁴¹I.e., you should not have written them. I will say to him: I dotted above them. If he will say: You wrote them well, I will erase the dots from above them.

“By the directive of the Lord, by their families, all males from one month old and above, were twenty-two thousand” – you find that the tribe of Levi in the detailed account was twenty-two thousand three hundred, because they were four families: Gershon, Kehat, Merari, and Moses.⁴²Moses and Aaron had their own camp. Furthermore, Aaron and his sons were Kohanim. Therefore, the Levites are described as containing four families. However, the people in the fourth family who were counted are included in the count of Kehat. You read each and every family individually and calculate it: “For Gershon.… seven thousand five hundred” (Numbers 3:21–22); “for Kehat.…eight thousand six hundred” (Numbers 3:27–28); “for Merari.… six thousand two hundred” (Numbers 3:33–34). They total twenty-two thousand three hundred. When the verse includes all the Levites, it renders them twenty-two thousand. Where are the three hundred? Rather, those mentioned in the detailed count informed how many were in each and every family. Those who were included in the twenty-two thousand and had three hundred missing from them, why was this done? It was, because they were counted in order to be in parallel to, and to redeem, the firstborn of Israel. Three hundred from them that were firstborn among the Levites were subtracted, as a firstborn does not redeem a firstborn. Therefore, in the families there were twenty-two thousand three hundred, and in the total [there were] twenty-two thousand, to redeem the firstborn of Israel with them.