Бамидбар 4:3 Мидраш: Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Bereshit Rabbati, Bamidbar Rabbah & Midrash Tanchuma

(Fol. 24) One passage says (Num. 8, 24) From twenty and five years old and upward, and again another passage says (Ib. 4, 3) From thirty years old; how can both passages be reconciled? The age of twenty-five years refers to the time of studying and the thirty years of age refers to actual work. From this it may be inferred that a scholar who does not see a sign of improvement for a period of five years, will hence never see an improvement. R. Jose says: "If he does not see for a period of three years, as it is said (Dan. 1, 5) And that they should be nourished three years; and that he should teach them the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans." The former Tanna, however, contends that three years were sufficient for the Chaldaic language, which is easy to learn. The latter Tanna holds that only concerning the rules of the Temple work, which were so numerous a period of five years was necessary.

(Genesis 45:8) "So it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh." I am like a creditor to him, as it is stated (Exodus 22:24), "Do not impose interest upon him." Just as the way of a creditor is to lend to a borrower (Proverbs 22:7), in the book of Rabbi Meir, it is written, "And he has made me a father," as it says, "which the Lord, your God, gives you" (Deuteronomy 15:2). This is a legal judgment derived from the full texts written in the Torah, which emerged from Jerusalem during the Sabbatical year and ascended to Rome, and the scrolls were stored in the synagogue of Asvyros. "And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good" (Genesis 1:31). "For a man and his wife, leather tunics" (Genesis 3:21). "I will descend now and see their outcry" (Genesis 18:21). "The Lord who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth" (Genesis 24:7). "And he sold his birthright" (Genesis 25:33). "Behold, now, I am old; I do not know the day of my death" (Genesis 27:2). "The fragrance of a field that the Lord has blessed" (Genesis 27:27). "And Oholibamah bore Jeush" (Genesis 36:5). "Eliphaz, the son of Esau" (Genesis 36:10). "These were the sons of Oholibamah, the wife of Esau" (Genesis 36:14). "They arose and went down to Egypt" (Genesis 43:15). "And I buried her there on the way" (Genesis 48:7).And he has made me a father to Pharaoh." And here are the names that came down to Egypt (Genesis 46:8). "So shall you say to the children of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel" (Exodus 19:3). "The children of Israel journeyed from Rameses" (Exodus 12:37). "For it is a sign between Me" (Exodus 31:13). "Five for the planks on one side" (Exodus 26:27). "We have no barricade against it." "And the priest shall take from its blood" (Leviticus 4:34), for if it is a lamb. "And when the zav becomes purified with living water" (Leviticus 15:13). "One lamb of the first year without blemish" (Leviticus 14:10). "All who come to join the ranks must be counted in their census" (Numbers 4:3). "From the first of your dough, you shall give" (Numbers 15:20). "Avenge the vengeance of the children of Israel" (Numbers 31:2). "And they came to Moses and to the congregation of the children of Israel" (Numbers 12:1). "The heads of the families of the house of Joseph approached" (Numbers 36:1). "But I have not the power to go up" (Deuteronomy 1:26). "And they shall inherit it, they and all the people of the land" (Numbers 32:22). "To give us into the hands of the Amorites" (Deuteronomy 1:27). "Nor take a mother upon her young" (Deuteronomy 22:6). "Brimstone and salt burning" (Deuteronomy 29:22). "Like the upheaval of Sodom and Gomorrah" (Deuteronomy 29:22). "I said, I would scatter them" (Deuteronomy 32:26). So they are written in the Torah that emerged from Jerusalem.

“The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying” (Numbers 4:1).
“The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying” (Numbers 4:1) – because all the action in this portion involved Aaron, He included Aaron in the Divine Speech, as that is the principle: Anytime the Divine Speech is to the priests, the action involves the priests.
“Take the census of the sons of Kehat from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their patrilineal house” (Numbers 4:2).
“Take the census of” – it does not say count [pekod], but rather, “Take the census of [naso et rosh],” an expression of elevation [nesiut]. When they were counted to be appointed over the Tabernacle service, they received an elevation.
“From among the sons of Levi” – as from all of the sons of Levi, none were as important as the sons of Kehat. From them were priests and Levites. Because they were important, and moreover, their service was with items of the most sacred order, that is why they were counted first. As you find that when He counted them from one month old in order to redeem the firstborn, they were counted in accordance with their birth order: Gershon first, then Kehat, and then Merari. But here, when He counted them to appoint them over the sacred vessels, He counted them in accordance with the significance of their service. Kehat, because it was appointed over the Ark and items of the most sacred order, was privileged to be counted first. After him was Gershon, who was the firstborn and was appointed over the sheets and the Tent of Meeting, and after him was Merari, who was appointed over the beams, the bars, the pillars, the bases, and the pegs.
“From thirty years old and above and until fifty years old, all those enlisted for duty, to perform labor in the Tent of Meeting” (Numbers 4:3).
“From thirty years old and above…” and one verse says: “From twenty-five years old and above” (Numbers 8:24). How can these two verses coexist? It is from twenty-five years for study, from thirty for service.
“This is the service of the sons of Kehat in the Tent of Meeting: Items of the most sacred order” (Numbers 4:4).
“This is the service of the sons of Kehat…” – because Kehat merited that Aaron, who was of the most sacred order, emerged from him, that is why his descendants merited that their service was with items of the most sacred order.