Bar’chu
et YHVH ha-m’vorach, Baruch YHVH ha-m’vorach l’O’lam va-ed!
Baruch
ata YHVH Eloheinu melech ha-olam asher bachar banu m’kol ha-amim, v’na-tan lanu
eht Torah-to. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Bless YHVH the blessed One; Blessed is YHVH, the
blessed One for all eternity. Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim, King of the
Universe, you have selected us from among all the peoples, and have given us
your Torah.)
Num 3:14 And יהוה spoke to
Mosheh in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying,
Num 3:15 “Register
the children of Lĕwi (joined to) by their fathers’ houses, by their clans.
Register every male from a month old and above.”
Num 3:16 So Mosheh
registered them according to the word of יהוה, as he had
been commanded.
Num 3:17 And these
were the sons of Lĕwi by their names: Gĕreshon, and Qehath, and Merari.
Num 3:18 And these
are the names of the sons of Gĕreshon by their clans: Liḇni and
Shimʽi.
Num 3:19 And the
sons of Qehath by their clans: Amram and Yitshar, Ḥeḇron
and Uzzi’ĕl.
Num 3:20 And the
sons of Merari by their clans: Maḥli and
Mushi. These are the clans of the Lĕwites by their fathers’ houses.
Num 3:21 From
Gĕreshon came the clan of the Liḇnites and the clan of the Shimʽites.
These were the clans of the Gĕreshonites.
Num 3:22 Their
registered ones, according to the number of all the males from a month old and
above, their registered ones were seven thousand five hundred.
Num 3:23 The clans
of the Gĕreshonites were to camp westward, behind the Dwelling Place,
Num 3:24 and the
leader of the fathers’ house of the Gĕreshonites: Elyasaph, son of La’ĕl.
Num 3:25 And the
duty of the children of Gĕreshon in the Tent of Meeting was the Dwelling Place,
and the tent with its covering, and the covering of the door of the Tent of
Meeting,
Num 3:26 and the
screens of the courtyard and the covering of the door of the courtyard, which
is around the Dwelling Place and the altar, and their cords, according to all
its service.
Num 3:27 And from
Qehath came the clan of the Amramites, and the clan of the Yitsharites, and the
clan of the Ḥeḇronites, and the clan of the Uzzi’ĕlites. These were the
clans of the Qehathites.
Num 3:28 In
number, all the males, from a month old and above, were eight thousand six
hundred, guarding the duty of the set-apart place.
Num 3:29 The clans
of the children of Qehath(meaning to ally oneself - implying obedience) were to
camp on the south side of the Dwelling Place.
Num 3:30 And the
leader of the fathers’ house of the clans of the Qehathites was Elitsaphan, son
of Uzzi’ĕl.
Num 3:31 And their
duty was the ark, and the table, and the lampstand, and the altars, and the
utensils of the set-apart place used in the service, and the covering, and all
its service.
Num 3:32 And Elʽazar,
son of Aharon the priest, was to be chief over the leaders of the Lĕwites, with
oversight of those who guard the duty of the set-apart place.
Num 3:33 From
Merari came the clan of the Maḥlites and the clan of the Mushites. These were the clans
of Merari.
Num 3:34 And the
number of their registered ones, all the males from a month old and above, were
six thousand two hundred.
Num 3:35 And the
leader of the fathers’ house of the clans of Merari was Tsuri’ĕl, son of Aḇiḥayil. These were to camp on the north side of the
Dwelling Place.
Num 3:36 And the
appointed duty of the children of Merari was the boards of the Dwelling Place,
and its bars, and its columns, and its sockets, and its utensils, and all its
service,
Num 3:37 and the
columns of the courtyard all around, with their sockets, and their pegs, and
their cords.
Num 3:38 And those
who were to camp before the Dwelling Place on the east, before the Tent of
Meeting, were Mosheh and Aharon, and his sons, guarding the duty of the
set-apart place, and the duty of the children of Yisra’ĕl. But the stranger who
came near was to be put to death.
Num 3:39 All the
registered ones of the Lĕwites, whom Mosheh and Aharon registered at the
command of יהוה, by their
clans, all the males from a month old and above, were twenty-two thousand.
Num 3:40 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Register all the
first-born males of the children of Yisra’ĕl from a month old and above, and
take the number of their names.
Num 3:41 “And you
shall take the Lĕwites for Me – I am יהוה – instead of
all the first-born among the children of Yisra’ĕl, and the livestock of the
Lĕwites instead of all the first-born among the livestock of the children of
Yisra’ĕl.”
Num 3:42 And Mosheh
registered all the first-born among the children of Yisra’ĕl as יהוה had commanded him.
Num 3:43 And all
the first-born males, by the number of names, from one month old and above of
their registered ones, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.
Num 3:44 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Num 3:45 “Take the
Lĕwites instead of all the first-born among the children of Yisra’ĕl, and the
livestock of the Lĕwites instead of their livestock. And the Lĕwites shall be
Mine, I am יהוה.
Num 3:46 “And for
the ransom of the two hundred and seventy-three of the first-born of the
children of Yisra’ĕl, who are more than the number of the Lĕwites,
Num 3:47 you shall
take five sheqels for each one, head by head – take it by the sheqel of the
set-apart place, the sheqel of twenty gĕrahs.
Num 3:48 “And you
shall give the silver, the ransom of those who are in excess among them, to
Aharon and his sons.”
Num 3:49 And
Mosheh took the ransom silver from those who were over and above those who were
ransomed by the Lĕwites.
Num 3:50 From the
first-born of the children of Yisra’ĕl he took the silver, one thousand three
hundred and sixty-five pieces, according to the sheqel of the set-apart place.
Num 3:51 And
Mosheh gave their ransom silver to Aharon, and to his sons, according to the
word of יהוה, as יהוה had commanded
Mosheh.
Num 4:1 And יהוה spoke to
Mosheh, and to Aharon, saying,
Num 4:2 “Take a
census of the sons of Qehath from among the children of Lĕwi, by their clans,
by their fathers’ house,
Num 4:3 from
thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service
to do the work in the Tent of Meeting.
Num 4:4 “This is
the service of the sons of Qehath in the Tent of Meeting, the most set-apart
matters:
Num 4:5 “At the
breaking of camp, Aharon and his sons shall come, and they shall take down the
covering veil and cover the ark of the Witness with it,
Num 4:6 and shall
put on it a covering of fine leather, and spread over that an all-blue wrapper,(techlet)
and shall insert its poles.
Num 4:7 “And on
the table of showbread they shall spread a blue wrapper, and shall put on it
the dishes, and the ladles, and the bowls, and the jars for pouring, and the
showbread on it.
Num 4:8 “And they
shall spread over them a scarlet (tola-at—Yesh 1:18)wrapper, and cover the same
with a covering of fine leather, and shall insert its poles,
Num 4:9 and shall
take a blue wrapper and cover the lampstand of the light, with its lamps, and
its snuffers, and its trays, and all its oil vessels, by which they serve it.
Num 4:10 “And they
shall put it with all its utensils in a covering of fine leather, and put it on
a bar.
Num 4:11 “And over
the golden altar they shall spread a blue wrapper, and cover it with a covering
of fine leather, and shall insert its poles,
Num 4:12 and shall
take all the utensils of service with which they serve in the set-apart place,
and shall put them in a blue wrapper, cover them with a covering of fine
leather, and put them on a bar,
Num 4:13 and shall
remove the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple wrapper over it,
Num 4:14 and shall
put on it all its utensils by which they serve there: the fire holders, the
forks, and the shovels, and the basins, and all the utensils of the altar, and
shall spread on it a covering of fine leather, and insert its poles.
Num 4:15 “And when
Aharon and his sons have finished covering the set-apart objects and all
the furnishings of the Set-apart Place at the breaking of camp, then the sons
of Qehath shall come to lift them, but let them not touch that which is
set-apart, lest they die. These matters are the burden of the sons of
Qehath in the Tent of Meeting.
Num 4:16 “And the
oversight of Elʽazar, son of Aharon the priest, is the oil for the light,
and the sweet incense, and the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil, and
the oversight of all the Dwelling Place and all that is in it, with the set-apart
place and its furnishings.”
Num 4:17 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, and to Aharon, saying,
Num 4:18 “Do not
cut off the tribe of the clans of the Qehathites from among the Lĕwites,
Num 4:19 but do
this to them, and they shall live and not die when they approach the most
set-apart objects: Aharon and his sons shall go in and appoint each of
them to his service and his burden.
Num 4:20 “They are
not, however, to go in to watch while the set-apart objects are being
covered, lest they die.”
Midrash:
This Torah portion reminds us that YHVH selects and calls
a special group of people to minister to Him. Even among these Levites some are
called to minister to Him personally and some are not – Koathites. Even among
the Koathites only one – the High priest - is allowed into His presence once a
year on the day of Yom Ha Kippurim.
Today the
Koathites seem to have “cut off” and have been replaced by rabbi’s and pastors
and all kinds of various priests, self- appointed or appointed by men.
Yet YHVH
still appoints those who must represent Him – Eph 4:11-16. This however does
not mean that the Levitical priesthood has been done away with.
It would be unthinkable to YHVH that these men
would come and teach contrary to the Torah.
Jer 33:17 “For
thus said יהוה, ‘For Dawiḏ there
is not to cease a man to sit on the throne of the house of Yisra’ĕl.
Jer 33:18 ‘And for
the priests, the Lĕwites, there is not to cease a man to offer burnt offerings
before Me, to kindle grain offerings, and to slaughter continually.’ ”
For the past
few millennia a huge spiritual vacuum has been created because YHVH’s people
have abandoned His Torah and its instructions. This was never meant to be but
sadly is the case with those whom He calls to follow Him. This vacuum has been
filled by religious men with all kinds of idolatrous abominations.
The teaching
of the weekly Torah portions was always meant to be the central focus of YHVH’s
people.
Act 24:14
“And this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a
sect, so I worship the Elohim of my fathers, believing all that has been
written in the Torah and in the Prophets,
Joh 15:10 “If you guard My commands, you shall stay in
My love,1 even as I have guarded My Father’s commands and stay in
His love. Footnote: 1See 14:15.
Act 28:23 And having appointed him a day, many came to
him where he was staying, to whom he was explaining, earnestly witnessing about
the reign of Elohim, and persuading them concerning יהושע from both the
Torah of Mosheh and the Prophets, from morning until evening.
Luk 24:44 And He said to them, “These are the words
which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all have to be filled
that were written in the Torah of Mosheh and the Prophets and the Psalms
concerning Me.”
Luk 11:47 “Woe to you, because you build the tombs of
the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
Luk 11:48 “So you bear witness that you approve of the
works of your fathers, because they indeed killed them, and you build their
tombs.
Luk 11:49 “And because of this the wisdom of Elohim
said, ‘I shall send them prophets and emissaries, and some of them they shall
kill and persecute,’
Luk 11:50 so that the blood of all the prophets which
was shed from the foundation of the world shall be required of this generation,
Luk 11:51 from the blood of Heḇel to the blood of Zeḵaryah who perished
between the altar and the Dwelling Place. Yea, I say to you, it shall be
required of this generation.
Luk 11:52 “Woe to you learned in the Torah, because you
took away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who
were entering in you hindered.”
What is the key of
knowledge? Yahshua Ha Mashiach!
Act 24:14 “And this I confess to you, that according to
the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the Elohim of my fathers,
believing all that has been written in the Torah and in the Prophets,
Gal 1:8 However, even if we, or a messenger out of
heaven, bring a ‘Good News’ to you beside what we announced to you, let him be
accursed.
Gal 1:9 As we have said before, and now I say again,
if anyone brings a ‘Good News’ to you beside what you have received, let him be
accursed.
Baruch atah
YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-‘Olam, asher natan lanu Toraht-emet, v’chay-yeh o’lam
nata-b’tochenu. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Blessed are
you Yahweh, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have given us your Torah of
truth, and have planted everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you,
YHVH giver of the Torah – Ameyn)