קבלה אויף במדבר 4:20

And regarding the general aspect of kavod [honor/glory] that we explained, in both the Tanna deBei Elyiahu and in the midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 5:9) - and this is the text: "Elyiahu says: they gathered and went to war, and 50 thousand men fell, and the Great Sanhedrin fell with them, who killed them? I say, the only ones who killed them were the men of Beit Shemesh since they saw the Ark, and therefore the text warned the family of Kohat "and they should not come see" (Bamidbar 4:20). The Holy Blessed One said: just as I did to the children of Kohat, that they would have awe of Me, I gave honor and distributed honor to them, and I warned that they shold save their souls from death, so too, I give honor to every one who has awe for Me and I do not cut that person's name from the world. From whom do you learn this? From the sons of Yonadav ben Rechav because they did My will. What is written about them? "There shall never cease to be a man of the line of Yonadav son of Rechab standing before Me" (Jeremiah 35:19), and just as those, who were gerim and I did this to them, all the more so Israel, who are the children of My beloveds, My friends, when they do My will they will stand in My presence forever, as it is written "If only you would heed My commands, then your peace would be like a river, your triumph like the waves of the sea." (Isaiah 48:18) and also "and all of you who cling to Ad-nai your God are all alive today" (Deut. 4:4), until here the text.

When you understand this great secret, you then will understand what we said, that from the Crown-Keter down, there is not a single name that is simple and is absolute kindness-Chessed or absolute mercy-Rachamim, but rather, a small measure of judgment-Din is intermingled with it. Similarly, there is no name of absolute judgment-Din, but rather, a small measure of mercy-Rachamim is intermingled with it. This is the secret of the bond of the Chariots and compositions (Merkavot) and the emanations of levels, and the secret of the conduits and the drawings forth. The secret of everything that we have mentioned here is a great principle in Torah, and is the secret of the verse,⁴⁰¹Numbers 4:20 and Rashi there; Also see Talmud Bavli, Yoma 54a; Midrash Bamidbar Rabba 5:9 “But they (the Levites) shall not come and look as the holy is inserted [into its sheath-covering], lest they die.” However, I am not permitted to explain this further in writing.⁴⁰²See Ramban and Recanati to Numbers 4:20; Zohar I 232b (Tosefta); Me’irat Einayim of Rabbi Yitzchak of Acco, Bechukotai; Also see Ohr HaTorah of the Tzemach Tzedek, Bamidbar Vol. 1, p. 56-57; Maamarei Admor HaEmtza’ee, Bereishit Vol. 1 p. 209 and on; Bamidbar Vol. 4, p. 1,373; Devarim Vol. 2, p. 642 and on; Maamarei Admor HaTzemach Tzeddek 5614-5615, p. 18 and on; Likkutei Sichot, Vol. 8, Bamidbar (Sichah 2) [Sichot Kodesh, Bamidbar 5725]. [Additionally, as will soon be mentioned, the Priest-Kohen-כהן is on the right, the Levite-Levi-לוי is on the left, and the Israelite-Yisroel-ישראל is in the central line.]