Print PDF
By Rabbi Naftoly Bier
In this week’s portion, פרשה, we are “reminded” of our responsibilities towards the לוים, the Levites (and כהנים, priests). Though the Torah has commanded us to support them with the 24 gifts, כ”ד מתנות, to the כהנים, the priests and the mitzvah of giving the first ten percent of our crop to the Levites, the Torah exhorts us not to be delinquent in our obligation. “Take heed to yourself lest you forsake the Levite, all your days on your land.” (Deuteronomy 12:19)
The Chinuch writes:
Mitzvah 450, that we were adjured not to forsake the Levites and not to neglect to give them their complete lawful ration; in other words, we should not delay giving them their tithes; and especially so at the pilgrimage festivals, when we are adjured about them yet more, so as to make them happy at the festive time. About this it was stated, “Take heed to yourself lest you forsake the Levite all your days on your land” (Deuteronomy 12: 19).
At the root of the precept lies the reason that God, blessed is He, desires the good fortune of His people, whom He chose for Himself as a people, and He wished to make them meritorious, so to make them a treasured entity in His world—a wise and understanding people (Deuteronomy 3:6)—so that all who see them may recognize in them that they are a progeny blessed of the Eternal Lord, a people of truth and renown. This being His will, He brought plans to bear from afar, to arrange was whereby their occupation would be with wisdom, to be intent upon it constantly, all the day.
He guided them and set them in sound and pleasant customs, and in priceless, effective ways of conduct, that they might learn to know the Lord from their early years till their grown years, and their progeny might stand firm and their name endure forever.
One of the statutes that upheld and maintained wisdom among them was that one complete tribe among them should be without any share or inheritance of the landed properties. It was not to go out into the field to plow and sow, dig pits and irrigate the land—and all this should be the cause for it to spend its time, under all circumstances, to learn Torah and understand the upright ways of integrity of God. Thus they were to teach His laws to their brethren in every region and in all the towns and villages.
Therefore, since this tribe was chosen—it and its descendants forever—for occupation with wisdom and understanding, and all Israelites would need to seek Torah from their mouth, to concur in their thinking and follow their counsel, all as they would instruct them – it was His will that their brethren should provide them their entire sustenance, for fear that their wisdom might disappear through the lack of their daily needs.
For this basic reason all Israelites were given a double warning in this verse, by the terms, “Take heed” and “lest,” that they should not forsake them and should not be negligent in any way about anything concerning them. In the admonition He also mentioned the land to them, as it stated, “all your days on your land”—as much as to say, “Take great care about them, for you have the inheritance of the land, yet the Eternal Lord, who makes its plantings sprout, is his [the Levite’s] inheritance.” In other words, do not think to become overweeningly proud against him on account of your possession of the land: for he is the [true] man of wealth.
Or we might say that the mention of the land is to convey that he [the Levite] needs you in any event, since you are the owner of the inheritance [of the land], and all have need of it [ are dependent on it]. For whoever has no land, even if he has any amount of money, he is in need of mercy: because all comes from the land, and there is nothing that exists for a man on which his heart can rely [ for security] as on that. It is the owners of land who raise calves in stalls and swans in sheds. They have hens, pigeons, goats, and sheep. And a manner if homage to the kings of the land and its noblemen, those who work the land bring them all of these [as gifts] at the festive holidays. [Hence] the Israelites were adjured to do as much for the Levites. Many admonitions were reiterated about it in Scripture, in many places, where it is stated, “and the Levite who is within your gates, do not forsake him.” Now, the reason for stating, “who is within your gates,” is not to intend to convey that they should make the rounds [begging] at doorways, perish the thought, but only to convey that he has no inheritance of landed property, as an Israelite has.
The laws of the precept are explained in the Writ.
This precept is in effect when the Israelites are settled on their land. If a person transgressed this and forsook the Levite, not giving him cause for joy, holding back his tithes from him at the pilgrimage festivals, he would thus violate this negative precept. But it would not bring the penalty of whiplashes, since it involved no physical action.
Through this precept it is for every understanding person to learn to sustain and do good for all those who strive continually for the wisdom of the Torah. For they establish the religion of truth and uphold the faith, increasing peace in the world. They bear the people’s affection and find happiness in the proper settlement of the country. Then let everyone who needs compassionate grace from God welcome their visages with charity. For they do not have free time to roam about the streets after their livelihood, hither and thither. Therefore, when a person has compassion on them and seeks their benefit, there will be compassion from Heaven for him, and he will enjoy equal shares with them in the world-to-come.
Today we are unfortunately not living in ארץ ישראל with a בית המקדש… who are those who are going to ensure the eternity of our people based on the teachings of the Torah? Who will we turn to for guidance in every aspect of our lives?
The רמב”ם, Maimonides at the conclusion of the laws of שמיטה ויובל writes:
Whv were the Levites not allotted land in Eretz Yisrael or a share in its booty along with their brethren? Because they were singled out to serve the Lord and minister to him, to teach his upright ways and just laws to many people, as it is written: “They shall teach thy laws to Jacob, and thy instruction to Israel” (Deuteronomy 3 3: 10). For this reason, they were separated from worldly affairs: they fought no battles like the rest of Israel; they inherited no land; they won nothing by means of their physical ability. They are indeed the Lord’s army, as it is written: “Bless, 0 Lord, his substance” ( 11). He, blessed be he, has won them for himself, as it is written: “I am your portion and your share” (Numbers 18:20).
Not only the tribe of Levi, but each well-informed thinking person whose spirit moves him to devote himself to the service of the Lord, to know the Lord, and has walked uprightly after casting off his neck the yoke of many a cunning wile that men contrived, is indeed divinely consecrated, and the Lord will forever and ever be his portion. God will provide sufficiently for his needs, as he did for the priests and the Levites. David, may he rest in peace, declared: “The Lord is my allotted portion and my cup; thou holdest my lot” (Psalm 16:5).
Those who attended the Kollel’s Fifth Anniversary Banquet will never forget the mesmerizing keynote address delivered by Dr. Marvin Fox, of blessed memory. A gifted scholar and orator, he was the dean of Judaic Studies at Brandeis University for twenty years. Though throughout his life he had declined any request to be a guest of honor, he immediately agreed to be one at the Kollel banquet.
He implored that everyone should gather together to honor the Kollel annually at their banquet. He expressed his undiluted, heartfelt admiration and support of those who dedicated their lives to studying and disseminating Torah. Dr. Fox, himself, spent more than two hours every evening studying Talmud… He quoted the נפש החיים, from Rav Chaim Volozhiner (1749-1821), a disciple of the Vilna Gaon and founder of the famed Volozhin Yeshiva in 1802. In his magnum opus of mussar, Rav Chaim quotes the Zohar that states that all blessing that comes from Hashem to this world is due to that every word of Torah study that is said ascends to Hashem, who כביכול kisses it and sends it to our world as a blessing.” Who doesn’t want blessing? asked Dr. Fox. “Torah learning is the conduit for health, children, prosperity… for it is the foundation of all the continuity of G-d’s creation.”
The Levites and today, those who voluntarily dedicate their life mission to Torah study and its dissemination to all, are responsible for all blessings!
