Parshat Shoftim: The Landless Levite

BY: GOLDIE GUY

Parshat Shoftim details with the legal justice system that Bnei Yisrael are to establish when they settle in the Land of Israel. The Torah places a great emphasis on the execution of justice as a central purpose of this system. Hashem warns the nation`s judges not to pervert justice, and it`s in our parsha that we find the famous injunction“צֶדֶק צֶדֶק, תִּרְדֹּף” - “Justice,justice shall you pursue." (Devarim 16:20) Surprisingly, Hashem not only calls for us to be sensitive toward the convert,orphan, and widow, but also adds another, seemingly privileged, group to the list: the Levi’im.^[1] In the context of the commandment of ma'aser, giving a tenth of all produce to the Kohanim, the pasuk in Devarim 14:27 states,"וְהַלֵּוִי אֲשֶׁר-בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ, לֹא תַעַזְבֶנּוּ:כִּי אֵין לוֹ חֵלֶק וְנַחֲלָה, עִמָּךְ" - "And the Levite in your gates, do not abandon him, for he has no portion and inheritance with you".^[2] In our parsha the Levi’im are singled out to serve G-d (Devarim 18:5), and later on they are praised by Moshe for their elevated spiritual status(Devarim 33:8-9), yet the language used in Devarim 14 paints the Levi'im as a group dependent on the gifts of others.

The Levi'im must rely on the people`s gifts because they are a landless tribe; although they were given 48 cities to live in throughout the land, they did not, as a shevet, receive a portion in the Land of Israel. The Rambam even counts our parsha`s injunction of “The priests the Levites, even all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel" (Devarim 18:1) as two prohibitions relating to the Levites: the first not to receive a portion in the land, and the second not to partake of the spoils of national war.^[3]But why should the Levi'im have been placed in such a situation? What about shevet Levi `s role in the nation precludes it from receiving an inheritance in the land?

In Parshat Eikev, after a description of the sin of the golden calf, the Torah tells us:בָּעֵת הַהִוא הִבְדִּיל יְקֹוָק אֶת שֵׁבֶט הַלֵּוִי לָשֵׂאת אֶת אֲרוֹן בְּרִית יְקֹוָק לַעֲמֹד לִפְנֵי יְקֹוָק לְשָׁרְתוֹ וּלְבָרֵךְ בִּשְׁמוֹ עַדהַיּוֹם הַזֶּה: עַל כֵּן לֹא הָיָה לְלֵוִי חֵלֶק וְנַחֲלָה עִם אֶחָיו יְקֹוָק הוּא נַחֲלָתוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֶיךָ לו“-At that time Hashem distinguished the tribe of Levi to carry the Ark of Hashem`s covenant,to stand before Hashem to serve Him and to bless in His name until this day. For this reason, Levi had no portion and inheritance with his brothers; Hashem is his inheritance...”(Devarim 10:8-9).Is this fate a reward or a punishment? On the one hand, the Levi’im do not receive a portion, but on the other hand, Hashem declares Himself to be their portion! Tracing the tribe of Levi back to their ancestral namesake, Levi the son of Yaakov Avinu, the scattering of The Levi’im throughout the land could be taken as fulfillment of the punishment for Levi`s brazenness. When addressing each of his sons before his death, Yaakov says of Shimon and Levi,"I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel." (Bereishit 49: 5-7). In light of Moshe`s statement that Hashem is Levi`s portion,however, I personally find it difficult to view the Levi’im`s lot solely in a negative light.

In his Mishneh Torah, the Rambam explains the reasoning behind these prohibitions placed on the tribe of Levi. He writes: “Why did Levi not earn a portion of the Land of Israel or its spoils together with its brethren? Because it was set aside to serve God, to attend to Him, and to instruct His upright ways and just laws to the masses… They were therefore set apart from the ways of the world: they do not conduct warfare like the rest of Israel, nor do they receive a portion [of the land]… They are rather the army of God… and He, blessed is He, earns on their behalf, as it says, "I am Your share and Your portion.”^[4]

The Rambam`s explanation expresses the idea that the Levi’im are meant to be the servants of Hashem par excellence; they assist in His service, sing His praises, and teach His word. Their existence is devoid of personal pride and egotism, solely dedicated to the sake of Hashem`s will and glory. What I see in the Levite`s landless-ness is the essential detachment of the Levi’im to personal pride and materiality. Serving as an example for all of Bnei Yisrael, they are meant to live for Hashem`s service. Returning to the idea of their namesake, the name Levi comes from the the words "he shall accompany",and this may reflect the ultimate role of the Levi'im; as teachers of the nation, they must remain with the nation throughout the land , providing spiritual guidance and strength where it is needed.

To serve as a Levi is to be landless, not invested in material holdings to the extent that you are not even attached to holy materiality, like owning a unified portion in the Holy Land. Only Levites who live with the awareness that G-d is his portion can fulfill the role set out for them as teachers throughout Israel, as the pasuk describes them: “Your righteous men...keeper of Your word and covenant; He shall teach Your judgment in Ya'akov and Your Torah in Israel...Blessed of God is his valor and his actions are pleasing..." (Deuteronomy 33:8-11).^[5]
If anyone has thoughts or ideas on the topic, I`d be very interested to hear!


Shabbat Shalom


NOTE: The alliterative title comes from James Kyung-Jin Lee, "The Landless Levite and the Call of Israel," Biblical Theology Bullein, which can be accessed at http://btb.sagepub.com/content/40/1/4.abstract.

[1]Devarim 14: 27-29 reads:

כז וְהַלֵּוִי אֲשֶׁר-בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ, לֹא תַעַזְבֶנּוּ: כִּי אֵין לוֹ חֵלֶק וְנַחֲלָה, עִמָּךְ} כח מִקְצֵה שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים, תּוֹצִיא אֶת-כָּל-מַעְשַׂר תְּבוּאָתְךָ, בַּשָּׁנָה, הַהִוא; וְהִנַּחְתָּ, בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ. כט וּבָא הַלֵּוִי כִּי אֵין-לוֹ חֵלֶק וְנַחֲלָה עִמָּךְ, וְהַגֵּר וְהַיָּתוֹם וְהָאַלְמָנָה אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ, וְאָכְלוּ, וְשָׂבֵעוּ--לְמַעַן יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל-מַעֲשֵׂה יָדְךָ אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה

[2] Verses and their translations taken from mechon-mamre.org, unless otherwise indicated. http://www.mechon-mamre.org/i/t/t0501.htm.Translation of this pasuk my own.

[3]Rambam, Mishneh Torah, “Hilkhot Shemita Ve-yovel,” 13:12.

[4]Ibid.,Translation by Rav David Silverberg in "You Shall Inherit No Portion in Their Land":

Maimonides on Supporting Kohanim, Levi'im, and Torah Scholars,” Maimonides Heritage Center, http://www.mhcny.org/parasha/1192.pdf.

[5]Translation from Cohen-levi.org,http://www.cohen-levi.org/the_levites/role_of_the_levites.htm.