Rabbi Kurinsky's Torah Class: Bamidbar

I'm back from my hiatus. This week's Torah portion is Bamidbar, (Numbers 1-4:20.)

G-d is having Moses and Aaron take a census of the Jewish nation. Because of the sin of the golden calf, the birthright of the firstborn son, (tithes) has been given to the Levites. The Jewish people were counted by head of household ages 20 to 60. This was to demonstrate the importance of families.

The Levites however were counted differently. Every single male from the age of one month was counted. Because the Levites resisted the sin of the golden calf, and because they initiated themselves by punishing the idolaters and aligning themselves with Moses, the Egyptians feared them for their zealotry and G-d trusted them to protect the temple and the Jewish people.

G-d set the Levites apart and took the responsibility of educating the Jews away from the firstborn son, and gave this responsibility to the Levites. Maintaining the temple and educating the Jews was a fulltime, holy occupation. The Levites were therefore unable to engage in financially productive activities and therefore received their sustenance from the Jews for their temple service and for their yeshivas,(schools). Their duties included playing music during the holy services.

When the Egyptians tried to force the Levite musicians to play for their entertainment, the Levites cut off their own thumbs in order to make it impossible to play music, even for temple services. This level of holiness and zealotry terrified the Egyptians which explains why they were not forced into slavery.

After their escape through the Sea of Reeds, the Jewish people were counted again. The Levites were not counted because none of them died.

Every word in the Torah serves two purposes,- to teach and to bring peace into the world. What do the Levites teach us today? They teach us that doing a miztvah, (a good deed commanded by G-d,) however small, refines our soul and connects us to G-d. A miztvah functions to create a dwelling place for G-d in this world and ultimately contributes to the coming of the messianic era.

This is our sole purpose for being here. Most mitzvahs are performed at an even higher level by studying Torah, than by the performance of the mitzvah itself. For instance, bringing sacrifices was a mitzvah, but since it is not possible to bring sacrifices today, we observe the mitzvah at a higher level by learning about it.

This is because there is no separation between Torah and G-d. They are one. The Torah is the recorded thoughts of G-d, which is G-d's very essence. When we study Torah, we are actually experiencing G-d.

If we want to get in touch with our "inner Levite", we must study Torah, which leads to the performance of more mitzvahs, which leads to a holier dwelling place for G-d in this world, which leads to the coming of the messianic era.

Kol tuv

p.s. If you want to know more about the mistical teachings of the Torah, specifically as it applies to the non-Jew, check this out: "Kabbalah and Meditation for the Nations" by Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh. Amazing!