from the Minaean lawi'u, meaning priest
Levi is described as having fathered three sons—Gershon, Kohath, and Merari
a. Simeon
and Levi are brothers: The second-born son Simeon and the third-born
son Levi received the same blessing for the same evil deed. They were instruments of cruelty when they wiped out all
the men of Shechem in retaliation for the rape of their sister Dinah (Genesis
34:25-29).
i. Jacob, perhaps in weakness, did
nothing at the time except register a small, self-centered complaint (Genesis
34:30). Yet he (and the Lord)
remembered this event. This illustrates the principle that the sins of our past
can come back and haunt us. Even when forgiven, they may carry consequences we
must face for a lifetime.
b. Cursed
be their anger, for it is fierce: The real problem with Simeon and
Levi was their anger (in their anger they slew a man). Their anger
was sin because it was rooted in self-will
(in their self-will they hamstrung an ox).
i. The Bible speaks of a godly
anger (Be angry and do not sin, Ephesians 4:26) and an ungodly anger (Let
all bitterness, wrath, anger…be put away from you, Ephesians 4:31). Often,
the difference between a godly, righteous anger and an ungodly anger is self-will.
c. I
will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel: The prophecy
of dividing and scattering turned out to be a curse for Simeon. The
tribe of Simeon was the weakest numerically of the 12 (Numbers 26:14) and
shared an allotment of land with Judah (Joshua 19:1).
i. The tribe of Simeon became
small during the wilderness wanderings. They started out from Egypt being the
third largest tribe (Numbers 1:23), but some 35 years later, at the second
wilderness census of Israel, 63% of the tribe perished and they became the
smallest tribe (Numbers 26:14).
d. I
will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel: The prophecy
of dividing and scattering became a blessing for Levi. Because of the
faithfulness of this tribe during the rebellion of the golden calf (Exodus
32:26-28), it was scattered as a blessing throughout the whole nation of
Israel. They received no large tract of land, for the Lord was their inheritance, not land (Joshua 13:33).
i. So both Simeon and Levi were
scattered, but one as a blessing and the other as a curse.
ii. The American author Washington
Irving said: “It lightens the stroke to draw near to him who handles the rod.”
When we suffer from our sin, we should draw near to God and anticipate that in
mercy He will turn suffering into blessing.
======================================
1. Holiness. The sons of Levi were set apart to perform the holy service. It is an affirmative command for the Levites to be available and prepared to serve in the Temple. The role and laws of the Levites and the Kohanim (who are sometimes called Levites by the Torah) is discussed by Maimonides in his section concerning the vessels of the Temple. A Levite is a holy vessel. The ideal of each Levite is to be doing holy service, the ultimate of which is the Service in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
Levites have an extra measure of holiness. Though they are permitted to come into contact with the dead, in contrast to Kohanim, at the time of the Temple they were instructed to avoid impurity. When the time will come for the purification of the tribes of Israel, the tribe of Levi will be purified first.
2. Genealogy. A Levite is one who is born of a father whose lineage reaches back to Levi, son of Jacob. All families of Jews have an assumed proper lineage unless there is a reason to suspect otherwise; this assumption of unbroken lineage applies to Kohanim and Levites as well.
Common names of Levite families today include Levy, Levin, Lewis, etc.
A Levite does not have the marriage restrictions of a Kohen. He may choose a marriage partner subject to the same qualifications as any other Jew. He may marry the daughter of a Kohen, Levi, or Israelite, including a convert, divorcee, or daughter of a profaned Kohen.
3. Assisting the Kohanim. In the Temple, one of the major functions of the Levites was to assist the Kohanim in the performance of the Temple service. Today, the Levites pour water over the hands of the Kohanim who are about to give the Birkat Kohanim in the synagogue. This is to recall their role in the Temple service, although it was not actually one of their tasks in the Temple. The Zohar relates that this washing adds the Levite's holiness to that of the Kohen, helping the blessing to be properly delivered in God's honor.
4. Aliya to the Torah. A Levite receives the second aliyah to the Torah, with a Kohen receiving the first. This is to give honor and avoid quarrels. If no Kohen is present, a Levite is not called. A Levite may also receive the maftir or an acharon (additional after the set order of seven) aliyah.
5. Levitical exemptions. The firstborn son of a Levite or a woman whose father was a Levite is exempt from the requirement of Pidyon HaBen (redemption of the firstborn). This is due to the fact that the Levites took the place of the firstborn of Israel and the tribe as a whole was redeemed at that time. Similarly, they need not redeem the firstborn of their donkeys.
Upon slaughtering an animal for his own use, a Israelite must give a portion of the meet to the Kohanim, however the Levites are exempt from this Kohanic gift.
=======================================
TESTAMENT OF LEVI
The Third Son of Jacob and Leah.
CHAP. I.
Levi, the third son of Jacob and Leah. A mystic and dreamer of dreams, a prophet.
THE copy of the words of Levi, the things which he ordained unto his
sons, according to all that they should do, and what things should
befall them until the day of judgement.2 He was sound in health when he called them to him; for it had been revealed to him that he should die.
3 And when they were gathered together he said to them:
4 I, Levi, was born in Haran, and I came with my father to Shechem.
5 And I was young, about twenty years of age, when, with Simeon, I wrought vengeance on Hamor for our sister Dinah.
6 And when I was feeding the flocks in Abel-Maul, the spirit of understand of the Lord came upon me, and I saw all men corrupting their way, and that unrighteousness
p. 227
had built for itself walls, and lawlessness sat upon towers.
7 And I was grieving for the race of the sons of men, and I prayed to the Lord that I might be saved.
8 Then there fell upon me a sleep, and I beheld a high mountain, and I was upon it.
9 And behold the heavens were opened, and an angel of God said to me, Levi, enter.
10 And I entered from the first heaven, and I saw there a great sea hanging.
11 And further I saw a second heaven far brighter and more brilliant, for there was a boundless light also therein,
12 And I said to the angel, Why is this so? And the angel said to me, Marvel not at this, for thou shalt see another heaven more brilliant and incomparable.
13 And when thou hast ascended thither, Thou shalt stand near the Lord, and shalt be His minister, and shalt, declare His mysteries to men, and shalt proclaim concerning Him that shall redeem Israel.
14 And by thee and Judah shall the Lord appear among men, saving every race of men.
15 And from the Lord's portion shall be thy life, and He shall be thy field and vineyard, and fruits, gold, and silver.
16 Hear, therefore, regarding the heavens which have been shown to thee.
17 The lowest is for this cause gloomy unto thee, in that it beholds all the unrighteous deeds of men.
18 And it has fire, snow, and ice made ready for the day of judgement, in the righteous judgement of God; for in it are all the spirits of the retributions for vengeance on men.
19 And in the second are the hosts Of the armies which are ordained for the day of judgement, to work vengeance on the spirits of deceit and of Beliar.
20 And above them are the holy ones.
21 And in the highest of all dwelleth the Great Glory, far above all holiness.
22 In the heaven next to it are the archangels, who minister and make propitiation to the Lord for all the sins of ignorance of the righteous;
23 Offering to the Lord a sweet smelling savour, a reasonable and a bloodless offering.
24 And in the heaven below this are the angels who bear answers to the angels of the presence of the Lord.
25 And in the heaven next to this are thrones and dominions, in which always they offer praise to God.
26 When, therefore, the Lord looketh upon us, all of us are shaken; yea, the heavens, and the earth, and the abysses are shaken at the presence of His majesty.
27 But the sons of men, having no perception of these things, sin and provoke the Most High.
No comments:
Post a Comment