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.

Parshat Bechukotai: On Reward And Punishment

BY: Rebecca Eis

Parshat Bechukotai is a troubling parsha filled with bracha(blessing) and tochecha (rebuke). While reading the parsha, a few questions bothered me. What is the logic behind these exact punishments listed for not following G-d’s commandments? How “bad” does one have to be for this to happen? Has it ever happened in the history of the Jewish people? What’s the connection between the first half of the parsha and the end? Finally, the question that I hope to focus on here is about the first few pesukim of Parshat Bechukotai: Why are all the rewards and punishments listed in the parsha physical rewards?

            The parsha opens,
אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ וְאֶת מִצְוֹתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם:”
“וְנָתַתִּי גִשְׁמֵיכֶם בְּעִתָּם וְנָתְנָה הָאָרֶץ יְבוּלָהּ וְעֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה יִתֵּן פִּרְיוֹ
“If you follow My decrees and observe My commandments and perform them; then I will provide your rains in their time, and the land will give its produce and the tree of the field will give its fruit.”[1] The Torah goes on to enumerate more rewards for good actions such as safety in our land from enemies and wild animals alike, as well as many offspring. This is perplexing as one might expect that for believing in G-d and following His “chukim” and observing His “mitzvoth,” you would be rewarded with Olam Habah or other spiritual manifestations of G-d’s generosity rather than sustenance and safety and the other rewards listed in the parsha.
            The Abarbanel also asks this question and he posits that the specified rewards are not the real rewards bestowed upon someone for good deeds. Rather, G-d would not want to list those because man should fear, respect, and honor G-d’s commandments out of love for Him and not in pursuit of a reward. Therefore, the Abarbanel goes on to explain that these are simply rewards that help one in the short term to remove all barriers to achieving complete love of Hashem and consequently worshiping Him as well. However, if one does not follow the mitzvoth, G-d will take him even further from achieving the ultimate rewards.
            Rambam develops this idea further in chapter 9 of his Hilchot Teshuva. There he writes, שבזמן שאדם טרוד בעולם הזה בחולי ורעבון ובמלחמה אינו מתעסק לא במצות  ולא בחכמה שבהן זוכין לחיי העולם הבא," “For when a man is preoccupied with the matters of this world, dogged by illness, hunger and war, he cannot busy himself neither with wisdom nor with good deeds, through which we merit eternal life.”[2] Rambam explains that the rewards in Parshat Bechukotai are all listed to help one be able to serve G-d better. As Rambam explains further, if one does not have to worry about enemies attacking or lacking food, health or shelter, they will have much more time, energy and willpower to follow G-d’s mitzvoth.
            These suggestions imply that when the nation does not serve G-d and observe His mitzvoth they are entering a steep downward spiral. It is not that they simply get the punishments listed in the Torah but rather they seem to have been removed further from G-d, making it even more of a challenge to return to His protection.
            The Netivot Shalom, a Chassidic commentary on the Torah, answers our original question in a very simple and straightforward manner that is more comforting to the mind of those who stray. He says that Parshat Bechukotai is simply a prime example of “middah k’neged middah.” The world is created with rules, “chukim,” such as the placement and roles of the sun and the moon or the sand by the sea. If we don’t observe the chukim that G-d placed before us then all rules of the world will be thrown off until we begin following those “chukim” again.
            In his book, To Heal a Fractured World, Rabbi Jonathon Sacks takes an even more direct approach to the question at hand. He writes, “The whole tenor of the Torah is based on the idea that God is to be found in the physical world and its blessings. We are commanded to serve God in joy out of abundance of good things, not through self-denial.”[3] Asceticism, he explains is “an implicit disavowal of this world which God created and pronounced good.” This would imply that these physical rewards enumerated in parshat Bechukotai are quite literally rewards to help us serve G-d better, be it in this world as Rabbi Sacks suggests or to achieve in the next world as the Abarbanel and Rambam suggest.

Shabbat Shalom!

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1]Leviticus 26:3-4.  All English translations of verses from the Torah are from the Artscroll Stone Edition Tanakh.
[2]Translation of Rambam from Nechama Leibowitz on Parshat Bechukotai, “Reward and Punishment.”
[3] To Heal a Fractured World, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Schocken Books, New York, Page 35.