Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Numbers 8:5/רמב"ן על במדבר ח׳:ה׳

אאַחַר שֶׁנִּמְנוּ הַבְּכוֹרוֹת וְהַלְוִיִּם וְנִצְטַוּוּ הַלְוִיִּם בַּעֲבוֹדָתָם וּבְמִשְׁמַרְתָּם וְנָתַן לָהֶם הָעֲגָלוֹת, הִשְׁלִים מִצְווֹת הַכֹּהֲנִים בַּמְּנוֹרָה. וּבָא לְצַוּוֹת בְּמִצְווֹת הַלְוִיִּם שֶׁיַּתְחִילוּ לַעֲבוֹד, וְהֻצְרַךְ לְטַהֵר אוֹתָם וּלְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיהֶם, וְזֶה טַעַם הִסָּמֵךְ הַפָּרָשָׁה הַזּוֹ בְּכָאן. וְהִשְׁלִים בַּמִּצְוָה לְדוֹרוֹת מִבֶּן חָמֵשׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה יָבֹא לִצְבֹא צָבָא, וְכָתַב רַשִׁ״י (רש״י על במדבר ח׳:כ״ד): כָּאן הוּא אוֹמֵר מִבֶּן חָמֵשׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים וּבְמָקוֹם אַחֵר (במדבר ד׳:ג׳) הוּא אוֹמֵר מִבֶּן שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה, הָא כֵּיצַד? מִבֶּן חָמֵשׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים יָבֹא לִלְמֹד הִלְכוֹת עֲבוֹדָה וְלוֹמֵד חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים, וּבֶן שְׁלֹשִׁים עוֹבֵד. מִכָּאן לְתַלְמִיד הַיּוֹשֵׁב לִפְנֵי רַבּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא רָאָה סִימָן יָפֶה בְּמִשְׁנָתוֹ חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים, שׁוּב אֵינוֹ רוֹאֶה. וְאִם כֵּן יִהְיֶה פֵּרוּשׁ יָבֹא לִצְבֹא צָבָא שֶׁיָּבֹא לְהִקָּהֵל בַּנִּקְהָלִים בַּעֲבוֹדַת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, שֶׁיַּעֲמֹד עִמָּהֶם וְיִרְאֶה תָּמִיד עֲבוֹדָתָם בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּלְמַד הִלְכוֹת עֲבוֹדָה בְּתַלְמוּד וּבְמַעֲשֶׂה. וּלְכָךְ לֹא אָמַר כָּאן "לַעֲבֹד עֲבוֹדָה" כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לְמַעְלָה, אֶלָּא אָמַר לִצְבֹא צָבָא בַּעֲבוֹדַת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בָּא עִם הַצּוֹבְאִים בָּעֲבוֹדָה. אֲבָל לֹא יָדַעְתִּי אִם זֶה דִּבְרֵי הַכֹּל לְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ, כִּי בְּלָשׁוֹן יָחִיד אֲנִי שׁוֹנֶה אוֹתָהּ בְּסִפְרֵי (בהעלתך סג): ר' נָתָן אוֹמֵר, כָּתוּב אֶחָד אוֹמֵר "מִבֶּן חָמֵשׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים" וְכוּ'. וְגַם נִרְאֶה שֶׁהֵם דִּבְרֵי אַסְמַכְתָּא שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ הַתַּלְמִידִים לִלְמֹד בְּהִלְכוֹת עֲבוֹדָה חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט, הַנִּמְנִים בְּיַד מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן הָיוּ מִבֶּן שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה, וְהֵם אֲשֶׁר הִפְקִיד אוֹתָם אִישׁ אִישׁ עַל עֲבוֹדָתוֹ וְעַל מַשָּׂאוֹ, אֲבָל בְּכָאן צִוָּה כִּי כָּל אֲשֶׁר יָדַע בְּעַצְמוֹ שֶׁבָּא לִכְלַל עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנָה יִהְיֶה כָּשֵׁר לַעֲבוֹדָה, וְיָבֹא בְּכָל אַוַּת נַפְשׁוֹ לַעֲבֹד עִמָּהֶם וּלְסַיְּעָם בָּעֲבוֹדָה, אֲבָל לֹא יִהְיֶה פָּקִיד נָגִיד עַל עֲבוֹדָה יְדוּעָה. וְהַטַּעַם בָּזֶה, כִּי כָל אָדָם נוֹתֵן לִבּוֹ בְּעַשְׂרוֹתָיו כִּי יִשְׁתַּנּוּ בָּהֶן הַטְּבָעִים, וְיֵדַע בְּהַגִּיעוֹ לְעֶשְׂרִים אוֹ לִשְׁלֹשִׁים, כִּי יֵדְעוּ בּוֹ שְׁכֵנָיו וּקְרוֹבָיו וְאָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ וִילָדָיו וְיוֹדִיעוּהוּ, אֲבָל בְּהַגִּיעוֹ לְכ״ה לֹא יַרְגִּישׁוּ בּוֹ כָּל כָּךְ. וְלָכֵן לֹא צִוָּה לְמֹשֶׁה שֶׁיִּטְרַח לִמְנוֹת רַק מִבֶּן שְׁלֹשִׁים שֶׁהָאִישׁ נוֹדָע בָּהֶן. וְכֵן אָמַר דָּוִד: ״וַיִּסָּפְרוּ הַלְוִיִּם מִבֶּן שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וָמָעְלָה״ (דברי הימים א כג ג). וְר״א אָמַר (אבן עזרא על במדבר ח:כד) בְּדֶרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט כִּי מִבֶּן שְׁלֹשִׁים הוּא לַעֲבוֹדַת מַשָּׂא וּמִבֶּן כ״ה לַעֲבוֹדַת הָאֹהֶל. וְאֵינֶנּוּ נָכוֹן, כִּי שָׁם נֶאֱמַר גַּם כֵּן: ״כָּל הַבָּא לִצְבֹא צָבָא לַעֲבֹד עֲבוֹדָה בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד״ (במדבר ד:כג), וְנֶאֱמַר: ״לַעֲבֹד וּלְמַשָּׂא״ (שם פסוק כד). וְעוֹד כִּי כְתִיב בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ: ״אֵלֶּה בְנֵי לֵוִי לְבֵית אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם רָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת לִפְקוּדֵיהֶם בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת לְגֻלְגְּלוֹתָם עֹשֵׂה הַמְּלָאכָה לַעֲבוֹדַת בֵּית ה' מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמָעְלָה, כִּי אָמַר דָּוִד הִנִּיחַ ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעַמּוֹ וַיִּשְׁכֹּן בִּירוּשָׁלִַם עַד לְעוֹלָם, וְגַם לַלְוִיִּם אֵין לָשֵׂאת אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְאֶת כָּל כֵּלָיו לַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ, כִּי בְדִבְרֵי דָוִד הָאַחֲרוֹנִים הֵמָּה מִסְפַּר בְּנֵי לֵוִי מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וּלְמַעְלָה, כִּי מַעֲמָדָם לְיַד בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן לַעֲבוֹדַת בֵּית ה' עַל הַחֲצֵרוֹת וְעַל הַלְּשָׁכוֹת״ (דה״י א כג כד כח), יֹאמַר כִּי בְדִבְרֵי דָּוִד הָאַחֲרוֹנִים מִשֶּׁיִּבָּנֶה הַבַּיִת וְאֵין לָהֶם מַשָּׂא בַּכָּתֵף וְאֵין עֲבוֹדָתָם רַק עַל הַחֲצֵרוֹת וְעַל הַלְּשָׁכוֹת, מָנָה אוֹתָם מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה, וּמִתְּחִלָּה מִבְּנֵי שְׁלֹשִׁים. וְאִם כְּדִבְרֵי ר״א הָיָה חַיָּב שֶׁיִּמְנֶה אוֹתָם מִבֶּן חָמֵשׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים:

1Now after the firstborn and the Levites had been counted,³⁴ and the Levites were commanded about their [individual] work and charges, and he gave them the wagons,³⁵, 7:5-8. He completed the commandments referring to the priests with the [laws of the] candelabrum; then He came to give the commandments concerning the Levites so that they could begin their service, and therefore it was necessary to purify them and to effect atonement for them. This is the reason why this chapter [of the purification of the Levites] is put in juxtaposition to this [section on the candelabrum]. He finished [the laws of the Levites] with a commandment applicable for all generations: From twenty and five years old and upward ‘yavo litzvo tzava’ (they shall come to be counted among the host) for the work of the Tent of Meeting.³⁶Now Rashi commented: “Here it says, from twenty and five years old; but in another place it is said, from thirty years old!³⁷ How are these [contradictory verses to be reconciled]? From twenty-five years of age the Levite comes to learn the laws of the service, and he studies for five years, and at the age of thirty he performs the service. From here [we derive the principle] that if a pupil studying under his master does not see progress in his study after five years, he will never see such progress.” If this is so, the expression yavo litzvo tzava³⁶ means that “he shall come and assemble among those who are gathered” for the work of the Tent of Meeting, meaning that he is to stay with them and continually observe the service [of the older Levites] by day and night, in order to learn the laws of the service in theory and practice. This is why He did not state here “to do service,” as He said above [From thirty years old and upward … ‘to do’ service],³⁸, Verse 23. For since Scripture speaks there of the Levites above the age of thirty years, it uses the expression ‘la’avod avodah’ (to do service). Here, however, it refers to the five-year period of their training; hence the expression ‘ba’avodath’ (in the service), as they were not yet permitted to do the actual service. but He stated, ‘yavo litzvo tzava’ (they shall come to be counted among the host) ‘ba’avodath’ (for the work of) the Tent of Meeting,³⁶ meaning that he is to come among those who are gathered for the purpose of the service. But I do not know whether this [explanation that there was a five-year period of training for the Levites] is the unanimous opinion of our Rabbis, for I find it taught in the name of a single Rabbi in the Sifre:³⁹ 62. “Rabbi Nathan says: One verse states, From twenty and five years old etc.” And it furthermore appears that these words [of the Sifre as quoted by Rashi] are merely Scriptural support for the practice of the pupils [i.e., the new Levites] who used to study the laws of the service for five years.According to the plain meaning of Scripture, the [Levites] counted by the hand of Moses and Aaron were aged thirty years old and over, and it is they whom he appointed every one to his service, and to his burden.⁴⁰ But here He commanded that every Levite who [although not counted by Moses] knows himself to have reached the age of twenty-five years, is permitted to do the service, and may come with all the desire of his soul⁴¹ to work with them and help them in the service, but he may not be a chief officer⁴² over any particular task. And the reason for this is that every person pays attention to [the passing of] his decades, since there are physical changes at these stages, therefore he knows when he reaches the age of twenty or thirty; for even his neighbors, relatives, his father and mother and his children notice it and inform him of it. But when a person reaches twenty-five years of age, they do not notice it so much; therefore He only commanded Moses to go to the trouble of counting those Levites above the age of thirty, when a man is recognizable by his years. And so did David say, And the Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward.⁴³And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that the plain meaning of Scripture is that from thirty years old they were to do the work of bearing burdens, and from twenty-five years old they did work in the Tent of Meeting.⁴⁴ But this is not correct. For there also [when speaking of the Levites who were more than thirty years old] it is said, all that came to perform the service, to do the work in the Tent of Meeting,⁴⁵ and it is also said [of this group], to serve and to bear burdens.⁴⁶, Verse 24. Moreover, it is written of the Sanctuary: These were the sons of Levi after their fathers’ houses, even the heads of the fathers’ houses, according to their numberings, in the number of names by their polls, who did the work for the service of the House of the Eternal, from twenty years old and upward. For David said: ‘The Eternal, the G-d of Israel, hath given rest unto His people, and He dwelleth in Jerusalem forever; and also the Levites shall no more have need to carry the Tabernacle and all the vessels of it for the service thereof.’ For by the last ordinances of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward. For their station was at the side of the sons of Aaron for the service of the House of the Eternal, in the courts, and in the chambers.⁴⁷ Thus it is stated that by the last ordinances of David when the House [of G-d] is built and the Levites no longer have to carry [the parts of the Tabernacle] on their shoulders, and their service will be only in the courts, and in the chambers, he counted them from twenty years old and upward, while at first [before the building of the Sanctuary] he counted them from the age of thirty upwards.⁴³ And according to Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra’s words, he should have counted them from twenty-five years old [since this is, according to him, the age for general work in the Sanctuary as opposed to the work of carrying its parts]!