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(Bamidbar 1:1-4:20)

(Please take the time to read the portion completely as this "reflection" is designed to be a life application of only a small part of the Torah portion and is not an in depth commentary, nor does it normally touch the scheduled corresponding Haftorah and Brit Chadashah readings)

Shalom Friends,

At the end of this parasha and the beginning of the next we see the duties of the various members of the tribe of Levi.

Num 3:3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests.

Num 4:1-4 Then YHVH spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, (2) "Take a census of the descendants of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers' households, (3) from thirty years and upward, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tent of meeting. (4) "This is the work of the descendants of Kohath in the tent of meeting, concerning the most holy things.

In chapter 4:22-28 & 29-33 (forgive me for "borrowing from next week but I will also borrow from last week too) we see the duties of the Gershonites and Merarites respectively. Now it is very noteworthy that the sons of Kohath did not do the work of the sons of Merari or that of the sons of Gershon and vice versa. There is even an admonition that the sons of Kohath were not to touch or even see the holy objects they were transporting:

Num 4:15 "When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is to set out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them, so that they will not touch the holy objects and die. These are the things in the tent of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry.

Num 4:19-20 "But do this to them that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy objects: Aaron and his sons shall go in and assign each of them to his work and to his load; (20) but they shall not go in to see the holy objects even for a moment, or they will die."

There is a clear separation of the duties that the Levites were to perform so as to be pleasing to YHVH. In a few weeks we will read the tragic story of Korah of the Kohathites as he disobeyed this principle with dire consequences.

Now to borrow from last week. As we discussed the shemittah or seventh sabbatical year and the Yovel or Jubilee, we could see the connection that YHVH was making with all B'ni Israel by "leveling the playing field", ie making all of them equal in respect to the food that was available. The rich, who owned the fields, were no different than the poor in their usage of the available food stuffs. Even those that did not pertain to Israel had equal access to the sustenance they needed. Domestic, as well as wild animals, also had an open invitation to enjoy the bounty of the land that YHVH had brought forth without man's help.

I shared in our Torah studies here, that this "equity" could be the root for the teaching found in:

1Co 12:12-20 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Messiah. (13) For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. (14) For the body is not one member, but many. (15) If the foot says, "Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. (16) And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. (17) If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? (18) But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. (19) If they were all one member, where would the body be? (20) But now there are many members, but one body.

These verses plainly speak to the unity that YHVH desires in Israel which, since the beginning, has been the body of Messiah. If one was to couple this with, oh let's say, Galatians 3:28, we might get the wrong idea that everyone can just do everything. This is not so; even as we continue reading in 1 Corinthians:

1Co 12:21-30 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." (22) On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; (23) and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, (24) whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, (25) so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. (26) And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. (27) Now you are Messiah's body, and individually members of it. (28) And God has appointed in the assembly, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. (29) All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? (30) All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?