NUMBERS VIII, 1 (Charrer VIL 1. And the Lon spoke unto Moses, sayi 2. ‘Speak unto Aaron, and say unto hit When thou lightest the lamps, the seven amps shall give light Stick” 3, And Aaron did so: he lighted Tr: front of the candlestick, as the Lon com- manded Moses. 4, And this was the work | ‘of the candlestick, beaten work of gold; thereof, it was beaten work; according unto the pattern which the ‘Lorp bad SS" shown Moses, so he made the candlestick. 5. And the Lorp spoke unto Moses, say> ing: 6. ‘Take the Levites from among the noqnyaa sais Car. VOL 7m sb pea D the lamps theret to"a8 (0 give Ham in MPRWTYN TEN yp Sya-byhsyrny arbynshhn “peahryaan ye Susrbyhtns jp wan [rman 3 unt the bate thereof and unto the flowers Tpta Mp Aap oh frpocnss sy as api “esnips ypa reer Ebi a [smerny opp pions apn Ill. BEHAALOSECHA (Cuaprers VIII-XI1) THE MENORAH vit, 1-4. ‘The making of the Menorah is described in Exod. xxv. The command to light the lamps in the Tabernacle had been given briefly in Exod. xxv, 37; and in Exod. xxvil, 21 Aaron and his sons are specially entrusted’ with that duty, 2, when thou lightest the lamps. lit. when thou causest the lamps to 20 u when thou ‘causest the flame of the lamps to g0 up. “Why does this command follow immediately after the consecration of the Altar?” asks the Midrash. The answer is: when Aaron saw the Bifts which the princes offered on that occa- n, his heart grew faint that neither he nor his tribe had a part in that consecration. Thereupon the Holy Gne, blessed be He, reassured him in the words, ‘By thy life, thine is greater glory than theirs, for thou lightest the Menorah." There is a further Rabbinical saying: ‘The Sanctuary will on another occasion also be dedicated by Kindling the lights, and then it will be done by thy descendants, the Hasmoneans, Thus greater slory is destined for thee than for the princes, ‘Their offerings to the Sanctuary will be employed only as long as it endures, but the lights of the ‘Chanukah festival shall shine for ever.” give light in front of the candlestick, Aaron is here bidden fo arrange the wicks of the seven lamps in such a way that they shall give out one combined blaze of light over against the central shaft of the candelabrum itself (Talmud), Israel said before God: ‘Lor of the Universe, ‘Thou commandest us to illumine before Thee: art Thou not the Light of the world, and with Whom light dwelleth?’ ‘Not that I require your light,’ was the Divine reply, ‘but that you may Perpetuate the light which I conferred on you as an example to the nations of the world’ Talmud). ‘The Menorah is one of the favourite symbols of Judaism, Through its association with Chanukah, the Menorah has come to typify spiritual conquest, and that spiritual conquest 18 achieved neither by might nor by power, but by God's spirit (Gee the Haftorah, which is the same as for the Sabbath of Chanukah), Isra as the Servant of the Lorp, is to perform Divine task without violence. He is not to strive nor ery: ‘a bruised reed shall he not break, and the dimly burning wick shall he not quench (Isa. XL, 3). The image employed by Isaiah to describe Israel's mission is thegentle agency of light, with its irresistible illumination of the surrounding dark- ness, ‘This is among the loftiest conceptions of all human thought, How new an idea it was, is measured by the length of time it has taken before the idea began slowly to make its way that force cannot conquer spirit’ (Moulton), 5-26, DevicaTion oF THE Levires ‘The choice of the Levites for the service of the Sanctuary is given in m, 5-10 and their duties are detailed inv. In view of the impending break- up of the:camp, it was now necessary formally to dedicate them to the duties upon which they were about to enter, 6. take the Levites, ‘With kind words. Say unto them, Happy are ye inasmuch as ye have ‘been found worthy to be servants to the Omni- present’ (Rashi). ‘For God elevates no man to an office unless He has tried him and found him worthy of his calling, He did not say, “and the Levites shall be Mine,” before He had tried this 60s wm © frontotihecandee STAMINA SS Aa kraND apy A apNUMBERS ‘VIII, 7 children of-Israel, and cleanse them. 7. ‘And thus shalt thou do unto them, to Cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purifica- tion upon them, and let them cause a razor to pass over all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves. 8. Then let them take a young bullock, and its meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin-offering. 9. And thou shalt present the Levites before the tent ‘of meeting; and thou shait assemble the whole congregation of the children .of Israel. 10, And thou shalt present the Levites before the Lonp; and the children of Israel shall lay their hands upon the Levites. 11. And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Loo for a wave-offering from the children of Israel, that they may ’be to do the service of the Lop. 12. And the Levites shall Jay their hands upon the hheads of the bullocks; and offer thou the one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering, unto the Lorp, to make atonement for the Levites. 13. And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and ‘before his sons, and offer them for a wave- offering unto the Lonp. 14. Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel; and the Levites ‘shall be Mine.*H. 15. And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tent nm oypbyaa aw sp poaletherne mp brie ayes an eT pay? by> nipeney ions palin 7 epbypp bey teh craypirxpn yp obey rpbarbelemhpe re prpafmeneme sD ota [rasan nan eats pemenlpeys 9 gp ropopry \pbopsh few Soi yeb] ohn maa pap it ged embry arp eget pbirns fing bron fStar be ears fees “Pas eb bee: ye rye [pp web pon Hh \enen ee by bene pap beben fren my spb bird Abe smerny) [nin tages nivel \ngp nb) Nias eb Wbtborns ire bone 13 sqmelotberns bowaey) fyre neon opt poe fr) of meeting; and thou shalt cleanse them, \ pbb a jews vero > om bean oe © tribe,"and found them worthy. In Egypt none and let them wash their clothes. An act enjoined but the tribe of Levi observed the Torah, and in Scripture as a_preparation for any special chung to the token of the Abrahamic covenant; religious service; Gen, xxv, 2; Exod. xtx, 10. While the other tribes, abandoning both Torah This ceremonial cleansing symbolized the inward and token of covenant, like the Egyptians, purity required of those who bore the vessels of practised idolatry. In the desert, also, it was this the Sanctuary, tribe alone that did not take part in the worship of the Golden Calf. Justly, therefore, did God's 10. before the Lord, Before the Altar of choice fall upon this godly tribe, who on this day sacrifice. ‘were consecrated as the servants of God and His _ lay their hands upon the Levites. The representa- sanctuary’ (Midrash), tives of the Israelites laid their hands upon the vieanss them, Purify them from ritual unclean- tepresentatives of the Levites, in order to indicate ness. that the whole community offered them to the service of God; cf, Lev. 1, 4. 7. sprinkle. The Heb. is the infinitive, Tt does i , j not tr, ee ae ‘hich Mowe anilsofer Ut. ‘wave’, t0 also in v.13, 15, ordered to perform himself—an act that would “g wave-offering. ‘The Levites were probabl hhave taken one person many months—but 8h Jed backwards and forwards by "Aaron in the act which he is to order to be performed direction of the Holy of Holies, or he may have Ehrlich). 5 . only waved his hand over them. ‘The idea under- water of purification. lit. ‘water of sin’; 12. lying was unmistakable. This is: having been water which removes sin; according to Rashi, given by the Israelites to God, the Levites were eas i Water ted a ne ano a given back to the Israelites, whose servants they 1¢ ordinance of the leifer (xix, for it ” ‘nit wee cratofdetlement duo to contact with a ¥e7e, (0,66 in all matters appertaining to the 1 dead body. Among the large number of Levites to be consecrated some must have required such 12. and the Levites. i.e. the chosen representa- purification. tives of the Levites. | 606NUMBERS VII, 16 and offer them for a"wave-offering. 16. For they are wholly given unto Me from among the children of Israel; instead of all that openeth the womb, even the first-born of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto Me. 17. For all the first-born among the children of Israel are Mine, both ‘man and beast; on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I sancti- fied them for Myself. 18, And I have taken the Levites instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel. 19. And T have given the Levites—they are given to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the childreh of Israel ‘in the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, that there be no plague among the children of Israel, through the children of Israel coming nigh unto the sanctuary.’ 20. Thus did Moses, and Aaron, and the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the Levites; according unto all that the Lor commanded Moses touching the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them. "21. And the Levites purified them- selves, and they washed their clothes and Aaron offered them for a sacred gift before the Lorp; and Aaron made atone- ‘ment for them to cleanse them. 22. And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron, and before hhis sons; as the Lorp had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, 80 did they unto them. § 23. And the Lorp spoke unto, Moses, saying: 24. ‘This is that which pertaineth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to perform the service in the work of the tent of meeting; 25, and from the age of fifty years they shall return from the service of the work, and shall “ry od a) mgm (nove 16. for they are wholly given. lit. for they are given, given’; given, for carrying the Tabernacle and its furniture; ‘and given, for singing the chants of the Sanctuary (Rashi). 19. the children of Israel. The five-fold repetition of these words in this verse indicates the love felt by God towards the bearers of the name of Israel (Midrash), atonement. Here used not in the usual sense of making propitiation, but in the sense of ‘covering’, ‘a meaning inherent in the Heb. root, ‘The Levites were to form a sort of protective cordon for the Sanctuary. no plague. The explanation is indicated in Rashi’s comment, which in effect states: ‘I have appointed the Levites to take over the service of the Sanctuary from the children of Israel, upon whom it had hitherto devolved, and thereby to prevent a plague amongst the latter; because 607 (npon opi pen i Tepe hanbyre ye qi |} had myny Dine ts 16 ») & apis ngpblbinen yan So seskertben vpn pppoe oye bi: yas Sig hp “Dy Nps Ye BON ny no ypbyna saw morse Psp Ting Yaste: yee gee om fet séxb\baren ye Smalnists pay? opmlohon erbe ee2) We boys Sees moans OSE Pez hed Set: yaa hii xd bay ewe mba rege weyienprds writ AP 22 Tear Ayn nsw bbz lore) \P ae lpenleta agen dbs qy: yp end rte “pela yee npn nk pos ah dpyarnstexbbibnag oe Tas Tat Fis Saga hae yah fas lor o> hina Aap orton waa ealonbb aman frie if they came neat the Sanctuary there would certainly be a plague amongst them, since they have proved themselves unworthy ofthe priestly office,” : 21. purified themselves. By having the ‘water of expiation’ sprinkled upon them; v. 7. 23-26. The Levites’ Period of Service. Addi- tional regulations to those in rv, including a probationary period from the age of 25 to 30, as well as the regulations for Levites over 50 years of age. 24. twenty and five years old and upward, “The years of twenty-five to thirty were for initia tion in connection with the lighter labours in the Sanctuary’ (Sifri). 25, return from the service. Retire from active service in connection with the Sanctuary. ® Serdeis 19 w@ 21 2 MpePss TTD (tare we bibs BL, 24 Sper joe fopto Sok ruby bay xbyd bea no | i i i i