Бамидбар 3:15 Мидраш: Bamidbar Rabbah, Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Sifra & Midrash Tanchuma

“But the Levites by the tribe of their fathers were not counted among them” (Numbers 1:47).
“But the Levites by the tribe of their fathers” – the verse comes to say: Because the Holy One blessed be He did not say to Moses initially that he should count the tribe of Levi, as you find that he did not enumerate a prince for the tribe of Levi when he enumerated the princes of the tribes, Moses too did not count it, as Moses said: Had it been the will of the Holy One blessed be He that I count them, He would have told me. That is why it is stated: “But the Levites by the tribe of their fathers were not counted among them,” as he did not wish to count them. Immediately, Moses was standing and wondering why the Holy One blessed be He did not command him to count his tribe, and he did not know whether he would count them or not. The Holy One blessed be He saw that he was wondering; He immediately explained to him why he did not command him to count. That is what is written: “The Lord spoke.… However, the tribe of Levi you shall not count…” (Numbers 1:48–49).
Rabbi Pinḥas bar Idi said: What is written at the beginning of the book? “Take a census [se’u et rosh] of the entire congregation of the children of Israel” (Numbers 1:2). It is not stated, “Elevate the head,” “promote the head,” but rather se’u et rosh,¹⁶Se’u et rosh literally means “lift up the head.” like a person who says to the executioner: Remove the head of so-and-so. He thereby made an allusion. Why se’u et rosh? If they merit they will ascend to greatness, just as it says: “Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position” (Genesis 40:13). If they do not merit, they will all die, just as it says: “Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you, and hang you on a tree” (Genesis 40:19).
It was revealed before the Holy One blessed be He that they would all die in the wilderness, and their heads will be removed; therefore, the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: “However, the tribe of Levi [you shall not count…] among the children of Israel” (Numbers 1:49). Among the children of Israel you shall not count them, but by themselves, count them. Why? The Holy One blessed be He said: If the tribe of Levi is counted with Israel and intermingles with them, the angel of death will come to kill Israel and the decree will be issued against them that they will not enter the land, but rather, they will die in the wilderness, as it is stated: “In this wilderness, your carcasses will fall, and all those of you who were counted in any of your censuses” (Numbers 14:29), and he will find the tribe of Levi intermingled with them and they will intermingle with Israel to die. That is why he did not count them with Israel, but rather separated them in the tally. And that is also why the language that is written regarding Israel, se’u et rosh, was not stated in their regard, but rather: “Count [pekod] the children of Levi” (Numbers 3:15).

“Count the children of Levi by their patrilineal house, by their families; every male from one month old and above, you shall count them” (Numbers 3:15).
“Count the children of Levi” – elsewhere it says: “However, the tribe of Levi [you shall not count]” (Numbers 1:49), and here it says: “Count the children of Levi.” Rabbi Yehuda bar Shalom said: For the benefit of the children of Levi they were not counted with Israel. As you find that the Israelites who departed from Egypt did not enter the Land, as it is stated: “Your carcasses will fall in this wilderness…” (Numbers 14:29). Had the tribe of Levi been counted with them, they would have been included in the decree, as this is what the Holy One blessed be He said: “All those of you who were counted in any of your censuses, from twenty years old…” (Numbers 14:29). But they were not counted with them, and they entered the Land. Why did they all merit entering the Land? It is because, just as they were righteous in Egypt, so they were righteous in the wilderness, and they gave their lives for the sake of the Holy One blessed be He. When did they do so? It was when Israel performed that act.²²The sin of the Golden Calf. What is written: “Moses stood at the gate of the camp and said: [Whoever is for the Lord, come to me; and all the sons of Levi gathered to him]” (Exodus 32:26).
Just as they stood in the days of Moses, so it was in the Land of Israel in the days of Joshua. They would teach Israel to worship the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua [and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua]” (Joshua 24:31). Who were these elders? Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi said in the name of our Rabbis: These were the children of Levi. Rabbi Berekhya ben Rabbi Ḥelbo in the name of Abba Semukeyad: They were Eldad and Medad. You conclude and say: They outlived Joshua.
From where is it derived that the tribe of Levi entered the Land of Israel? It is as it is stated: “For the Lord said to them they will die in the wilderness” (Numbers 26:65) – these were Israel. “And no man remained of them except Caleb son of Yefuneh and Joshua son of Nun” (Numbers 26:65) – from the inference of the verse one learns that no man of Israel remained except for Caleb son of Yefuneh and Joshua. That is not so. Rather, you read and find that Elazar ben Aaron the priest entered, and through him the land was distributed to each and every tribe of the children of those who departed from Egypt, as it is stated: “These are the inheritances that Elazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun…apportioned” (Joshua 19:51). How is it so that it said: “And no man remained of them except Caleb…,” and you find that Elazar remained? Rather, [the example of] Elazar came and taught regarding his tribe; just as he entered, so did they enter. Like that which we learned: Any matter that was included in a generalization, but emerged to teach a halakha, it emerged to teach not in its regard but to teach regarding the entire generalization.²³Baraita of Rabbi Yishmael, principle 8. Elazar was included in the generalization of Israel regarding the decree, as it is stated: “They will die in the wilderness.” He emerged from the generalization of Israel to teach. It was not to teach in his regard, but to teach regarding the entire tribe. If you say that the entire tribe did not enter, Elazar did not enter. If you say he entered, the entire tribe entered as well.
Rabbi Tanḥuma bar Rabbi Abba said: I asked and studied it before Rabbi Abba Huna HaKohen bar Rabbi Avin, and I said to him: Know that the entire tribe of Levi entered the Land of Israel, and I said to him from the Bible: “These are the inheritances that Elazar the priest [and Joshua son of Nun…apportioned]” (Joshua 19:51). He said to me: Was the decree not issued only upon twenty-year-olds? You find that one who was less than twenty years old entered. Say that Elazar was less than twenty years old. I said to him: We find that he was married to a wife while still in Egypt, as it is stated: “Elazar son of Aaron took of the daughters of Putiel as his wife” (Exodus 6:25). Rabbi Huna said to me: I say he was ten years old. Was not the decree only upon one twenty years old? I said to him: But did he not serve in the Tent of Meeting before the decree was issued, as it is stated: “The charge of Elazar son of Aaron the priest…[all the Tabernacle and all that is in it]” (Numbers 4:16), and we find that no one of the priests had license to enter and serve in the Tent of Meeting unless he was thirty years old, as it is stated: “From thirty years old and above, until fifty years old…” (Numbers 4:39). We find, then, that before the decree was issued, Elazar was at least thirty years old. Immediately, Rav Huna conceded to Rabbi Tanḥuma that the entire tribe of Levi entered the Land. That is why the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: Since Israel is not entering and the tribe of Levi is entering, when you come to count them, make a distinction between them. That is what is written: “However, the tribe of Levi you shall not count…” (Numbers 1:49) – you do not count them with Israel, but you count them separately. That is what is written: “Count the children of Levi.”

“Every male” – why “every male,” and it does not mention every female? It is because the glory of the Holy One blessed be He is exalted by the males. David said: “Behold, sons are a portion of the Lord; a reward, the fruit of one’s womb.” (Psalms 127:3). “Behold, sons are a portion of the Lord” – these are the males, but if the females came, they too are a reward.
“From one month old and above you shall count them” – why “from one month old and above”? Are they able to guard the Tent of Meeting from one month old? He Himself requests those who should guard it; why does He count “from one month old”? Rabbi Huna HaKohen said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Ze’eira: It is in order to double their reward. Why? You find that they approach to serve only from thirty years old. Why then does He count them from one month old? It is so they will receive reward while they are still one month old.
Rabbi Huna HaKohen said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Ze’eira: You find written in Samuel’s regard: “Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life” (I Samuel 7:15). Did Samuel judge Israel “all the days of his life”? But all the days of his life were only fifty-two years, and you find two during which he was nursing, forty years during which Eli was alive and judging, in which Samuel was unable to judge before his teacher, and two years that Saul ruled; that is forty-two. Ten years remained there; that is, he bore the burden of Israel for only ten years, but it is written: “Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.” Rather, the Holy One blessed be He said: I am writing in his regard “all the days of his life” so that he will receive reward for all the days that he existed in the world. Regarding the tribe of Levi, too, the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses that he should count them from one month old and above, so that their reward would be calculated for them from one month old. That is, “from one month old and above you shall count them.”
Another matter: “From one month old” – Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi bar Rabbi Shalom said: The Holy One blessed be He is accustomed to be counting this tribe everywhere from when they are still young. From where is it derived? When the Holy One blessed be He said to Jacob to descend to Egypt, at that moment he counted his offspring; they all totaled sixty-six, as it is stated: “All the people were sixty-six” (Genesis 46:26). The two sons of Joseph and Joseph, that is sixty-nine. But it says: “All the people of the house of Jacob who came to Egypt were seventy” (Genesis 46:27). Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: The Holy One blessed be He is accustomed to count this tribe while they are still in their mother’s womb. Rabbi Berekhya HaKohen bar Rabbi said: This resin does not begin to emerge before one absorbs it;²⁴As soon as it appears it is taken. Similarly as soon as the Levite appears, he is counted. so, Yokheved, her mother was pregnant with her at that moment, and she was in her mother’s womb and she was counted. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish: Before her mother entered into the threshold of Egypt, she gave birth to her. That is why it is stated in her regard: “With seventy people your ancestors descended to Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 10:22). Regarding the children of her children as well: “Every male from one month old and above, you shall count them.” Why is it so? It is because this tribe is always beloved before the Holy One blessed be He. Of all the tribes, it is only this tribe alone that was chosen, as it is stated: “And chose it from all the tribes of Israel to be priests for Me” (I Samuel 2:28).
Rabbi Levi said: You find that there are many items that the Holy One blessed be He created in the world and he selected one of them for Himself. He created seven days, and the Holy One blessed be He chose Shabbat, as it is stated: “God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it” (Genesis 2:3). He created years, and selected one for Himself, as it is stated: “The land shall observe a Shabbat for the Lord; [.…the seventh year shall be a Shabbat of solemn rest for the land]” (Leviticus 25:2–4). He created seven-year cycles and selected one for Himself, as it is stated: “You shall sanctify the fiftieth year” (Leviticus 25:10). He created lands, and selected one of them for Himself, the Land of Israel, as it is stated: “The eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it” (Deuteronomy 11:12). Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He characterizes it as His land: “They divided My land” (Joel 4:2). He created heavens, and selected one of them for Himself; this is the highest heaven, as it is stated: “Praise Him who rides in the highest heavens” (Psalms 68:5). He created nations, and selected one of them for Himself; this is Israel, as it is stated: “And the Lord has chosen you to be a treasured people for Him” (Deuteronomy 14:2). He created tribes, and selected one of them for Himself; this is the tribe of Levi, as it is stated: “And chose it from all the tribes of Israel” (I Samuel 2:28). That is why the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses to count them from one month old, because He is exceedingly fond of them.
They raised an objection: According to these reasons, He should have counted them from one day old. Our Rabbis of blessed memory said: Why was it necessary to count them from one month old? It is because a one-day-old is not viable, but it is known that a one-month-old is viable; therefore, “from one month old and above you shall count them.” Alternatively, why were they counted from one month old? It is because the Levites were counted in this census only in order to redeem the firstborn of Israel. Just as the firstborn are redeemed from one month old, so the Levites were counted from one month old.