Why were the Leviyim singled out from amongst the nation and given a special role? They were not part of the general census and were given the role and responsibility of caring for the Mishkan. One may suggest that the Leviyim had the trait of fighting for and protecting justice, as seen in how they stood up in defense of their sister Dina.  Therefore, they are perfectly suited to be the guardians of the Mishkan. The difficulty with this theory is that there is another tribe which also seems to have a similar passion for justice, the tribe of Shimon.

Levi is joined by Shimon in the fight for their sister Dina. Ya’aqob, their father, saw the same trait in both of them, as he indicates with his immediate response and his ‘berakha’ at the end of his life:

Shimon and Levi are brethren; weapons of violence their kinship. Let my soul not come into their council; unto their assembly let my glory not be united; for in their anger they slew men, and in their self-will they houghed oxen. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their wrath, for it was cruel; I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel[1].

Ya’aqob views both Shimon and Levi as passionate individuals who react out of emotion, rashly.  Ya’aqob realizes that this is a dangerous trait that could have negative repercussions. Even if it may be just, it may not be the appropriate response.

And Ya’aqob said to Shimon and Levi: ‘Ye have troubled me, to make me odious unto the inhabitants of the land, even unto the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and, I being few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and smite me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.’ And they said: ‘Should one deal with our sister as with a harlot [2]?’

Ya’aqob rebuked Shimon and Levi, expressing that he foresaw their actions leading to war and endangering the entire family. Both Shimon and Levi acted with their traits of dedication to justice, so, why is it that Shimon did not receive a special role? Furthermore, the tribe of Shimon did not receive their own portion of land in Israel, they were placed in the land of Yehuda [3]. The tribe of Levi also has no land portion of their own, but they are designated for service in the Temple. Shimon’s on the other hand is left without their own portion of land or a special role. What differentiates Shimon and Levi and what makes the Leviyimperfectly suited to be caretakers of the Mishkan?

In contrast to Shimon, the tribe of Levi internalizes Ya’aqobs words. During the incident of the egel, the golden calf, Levi are the ones who refrain from participating in the worship. Furthermore, and maybe most importantly, they do not express their passion by immediately killing all of the participants in the worship. They learned that while their passion for Torah is a positive trait, it needs to be channeled appropriately. That is why they refrain from taking action during the egel. It was only later, when the timing was right, under the guidance of the Torah, that the tribe of Levi takes action. Moshe called out: “Mi laHashem elai!” “Whoever is for God come to me!”  Then the Levites gather in defense of the Torah. They can now channel their passion and drive appropriately. They do not act while they are furious, without properly thinking through the situation and seeking council. They wait for Moshe to instruct them. They make sure their actions are aligned with a full picture of the consequences of their actions.

Levi is passionate, and that is positive, but what makes them unique is that they learn from the rebuke of Ya’aqob to direct their passion in the proper manner. This is why the Levites are most appropriate as guardians of the Mishkan.

We may feel passionate about fighting for what we believe in, but we need make sure that our actions are well thought out and take into the account the repercussions. We can do this through not reacting right away, and seeking council to make sure we are not solely acting out of emotion. In this way we can internalize the message of the designation of the Leviyim as the caretakers of the Mishkan. Let’s make sure we properly channel our passion, to taking appropriate actions at the right time.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Meyer Laniado

 

[1] Beresheit 49:5

[2] Beresheit 34:30

[3] Yehoshua 19 ויהי, נחלתם, בתוך, נחלת בני-יהודה