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Parashat Bamidbar in the writings of the Ari, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, of blessed memory translation and commentary by Avraham Sutton Bamidbar 1:1-2 (1) Hashem spoke to Moshe in the Sinai Desert, in the Communion Tent, on the first [day] of the second month, in the second year after their going forth from the land of Mitzrayim, saying: (2) "Take a census of the entire congregation of the children of Israel, according to their families, according to their fathers' houses, number the names of each male, each head..." There are many "entry points" into our parashah to taste its inner fruit. In the Midrash, in the Zohar, in the commentaries -- almost anywhere we look, we find an incredible wealth of ideas from which to draw. Only when opening the Chumash HaAri are we slightly disappointed. Two fairly short pieces are included. The first deals with a slight anomaly that distinguishes verse 1:42 of our parashah from all the verses that precede it. The second deals with the fact that four divine names are concealed in the initials of the words of verse 1:51. What are we to do? Let's try to learn these two passages, and then see what we can understand about them from other places in the Oral Tradition. Rabbi Chayim Vital writes in Likutey Torah and Sha'ar HaPesukim, Parashat Bamidbar (Chumash HaAri, Bamidbar, pp. 4-5): [In the census that was taken of all the tribes] the same phraseology is used with all the tribes except the last one counted, Naftali. With all the others, the Torah says, "Li'bnei Shimon" (verse 22), "Li'bnei Gad" (verse 24), "Li'bnei Yehudah" (verse 26). The term "Li'bnei" means literally "for the descendants of..." Only with regard to Naftali, the last tribe counted, does the Torah write, "Bnei Naftali..." (verse 42), meaning simply, "the descendants of Naftali." But this is a simple matter. Know that when the [Cohanim and Levi'im] wanted to make a head count, they would walk throughout the entire Israelite encampment, going from tent to tent, recording the name of each person [above the age of 20] in each family, in a special registry, thus: so-and-so the son of so-and-so of such-and-such a tribe. They did this until they finished counting all the fathers' houses. Now, however, they had to divide all these names according to tribe, in a separate register. In order to do this, they took this first register which included hundreds of thousands of names, and read off only those names associated with a particular tribe, for instance Reuven, Shimon or Yehudah. They then recorded those names in separate registers, according to tribe. In other words, after recording all the names that were associated with Reuven in the second register, they did the same with Shimon, Yehudah, etc. They continued doing this until all the names associated with the eleventh tribe (in this case, Asher) were recorded in separate registers. Now, the names of the members of one tribe only remained, namely, the tribe of Naftali. Since their names were not mixed in with the names of any of the other tribes, it was unnecessary to copy these into a separate register. The Torah's use of the phrase "Le'bnei Shimon..." is now clear. The prefix letter Lamed indicates the actual process they used. They would say, "Here is another man recorded here whom we must record together with the other members of the tribe of Shimon..." Since Naftali remained alone at the end, it was unnecessary to make a separate register for them. The above seems to contradict the tradition that, since it is forbidden to count people, each person donated a coin, and the coins were counted. Here, according to Rav Chayim, names in a register are counted... As food for thought, we therefore bring the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov through Rabbi Yaacov Yoseph of Polnoye, Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch of Ziditchov, and Rav Shneur Zalman of Liadi in Tanya, followed by the commentary of Rabbi Menachem Nachum of Chernobyl on our parashah, about the incredible importance and power of each person's name: Toldot Yaacov Yoseph (Rabbi Yaacov Yoseph of Polnoye) "Whatever Adam would call a living creature, that was its name" (Bereshit 2:19). I heard from my Master (the Baal Shem Tov) that just as we can hold on to a person physically by holding his body, so also can we hold on to a person's soul via his name. Even when one is sleeping, the most effective way to awaken him is by calling his name (Toldot Yaacov Yoseph, Shemot; Sefer Baal Shem Tov, Bereshit 131). Beth Yisrael (Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch of Ziditchov) We have received a tradition from our teachers that the essence of a person's nefesh and neshamah is [in] a person's name. Such that the combination of letters that make up his name indicate what he has come to fix in the world... Thus I have received from the Baal Shem Tov. And it is known, especially as regards praying for someone who is sick or in any trouble. His name must be mentioned, and combined in a yichud with Hashem's Name (YKVK) in order to sweeten the judgment that has grabbed unto the letters of his name... (Ateret Tzvi on Zohar 1:153b; Sefer Baal Shem Tov, Bereshit 134). Tanya (Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi) And so it is with all created things in the world. Their names in Lashon HaKodesh [the Holy Tongue, the Transcendental Language] are the very letters of G-d's 'speech' that descend, level by level, from the Asarah Ma'amarot [Ten Utterances of Creation] recorded in the Torah, by means of substitutions and transpositions of letters through the 231 Gates [of permutations], until they reach down and become clothed in that particular created entity. [This gradual descent is necessary] because individual creatures are simply incapable of receiving their life-force directly from the Asarah Ma'amarot of the Torah, for the life-force issuing directly from them is far greater than the capacity of individual creatures to receive it. They can only receive it when it descends and [its power] is progressively diminished, step by step... until it can be condensed and clothed [in a lower form], and finally bring into existence an individual creature. The name that that creature is then called in Lashon HaKodesh is a conduit for the life-force that is condensed into its letters... (Tanya, Sha'ar Ha'yichud Ve'ha'emunah, Chapter 1, p. 77a). Me'or Eynayim, Parashat Bamidbar Hashem spoke to Moshe in the Sinai Desert, in the Communion Tent, on the first [day] of the second month, in the second year after their going forth from the land of Mitzrayim, saying: "Se'u et rosh bnei Yisrael -- Raise up the head of each one of the entire congregation of the children of Israel, according to their families [le'mish'pechotam], according to their fathers' houses [le'beit avotam], number the names [be'mispar shemot] of each male according to their heads [kol zachar le'gulgulotam]..." [Referring to the stars and the angels, and by extension, to Israel] it is written, "He brings their hosts forth by number; He calls them all by name" (Yeshaya 40:26). The Holy One brings forth the children of Israel by number. Not one is allowed to be missing. They must always be shalem, complete. The Rabbis have thus taught, "The Shechinah does not dwell on any less than 22,000 Jews." Certainly, this number is just the bare minimum... The second part of the verse reads, "He calls them all by name." A person's name is his connection to his soul and his mission. [He is like a tree, and] the letters of his name are like the root and life-juice [that make this tree grow to full maturity]. It is through the power of these letters that he serves Hashem, learns, and prays. We can therefore understand the tradition that states that the Rasha'im [those who do not serve Hashem] are said to "forget their names" [when they arrive in the Next World]. This means that they never understood why they were given the particular combination of letters that made up their name [while they were alive]... Still, every Jew is precious, and Hashem gives each soul many chances. Even those souls which have fallen. He will not allow even one of them to be lost! He therefore has them reincarnate through gilgul, as many times as necessary, until they are fixed and elevated. Now, remember, when the children of Israel were in Egypt, they were fallen. When they finally stood at Sinai to receive the Torah, they were cleansed of the poison of the Nachash, but it returned again full-force when they worshipped the golden calf. It is in this context that Hashem speaks to every Jew in the initial verses of our parashah: Raise up the head of each Jew. All of them must be elevated, even if they have fallen! Raise them up to their families [le'mish'pechotam], i.e. to the reason that each one of them was born into his or her particular family. Inspire them to strive to attain the exalted levels that their fathers, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaacov, attained [le'beit avotam]. Number them by their names, i.e. help each one of them connect to their soul root [be'mispar shemot]. Each male according to their heads [kol zachar le'gulgulotam]. If they need it, they will reincarnate any number of times. But why should they have to go through this suffering if they are able to fix themselves in this lifetime?! * * * Bamidbar 1:48-51 (48) Hashem spoke to Moshe saying, (49) "Do not take a census of the Levi'im together with the other children of Israel. (50) Put the Levi'im in charge of the Mishkan HaEdut (Tabernacle of Testimony), all its furnishings, and everything pertaining to it. They shall carry the Tabernacle and all its furniture, and they will serve in it. They shall therefore camp in the immediate vicinity of the Mishkan. (51) When the Mishkan is about to travel, the Levi'im shall take it down, and when it is to remain in place, they shall set it up. Any non-Levi who comes close shall die. Rabbi Chayim Vital writes in Sha'ar HaPesukim, Parashat Bamidbar (Chumash HaAri, Bamidbar, p. 9): "When the Mishkan is about to travel, the Levi'im shall take it down, and when it is to remain in place, they shall set it up. Any non-Levi who comes close shall die" (Bamidbar 1:51). This verse is constructed in such a way that the initials of its words spell out the Shem Ekeyeh twice and the Shem Havayah twice. All four of these are written backwards. Look in the Torah and see that the second word in the verse, HaMishkan, begins with the letter Heh. The next word, Yoridu, begins with a Yod. The next word, Oto, begins with an Aleph. The next word, HaLevi'im, begins with a Heh. Backwards, this spells Aleph, Keh, Yod, Keh = Ekeyeh. Returning back to HaLevi'im, you have a Heh. The next word, U'be'chanot, begins with a Vav. The next word, HaMishkan, begins with a Heh. The next word, Yakimu, begins with a Yod. Backwards, this spells Yod, Keh, Vav, Keh = Havayah. Returning again to HaMishkan, you have a Heh. The next word, Yakimu, begins with a Yod. The next word, Oto, begins with an Aleph. The next word, HeLevi'im, begins with an Aleph. Backwards, this spells Aleph, Keh, Yod, Keh = Ekeyeh. Returning again to [this second mention of the word] HaLevi'im, you have a Heh. The next work, Ve'ha'zar, begins with a Vav. The next word, Ha'karev, begins with a Heh. The next word, Yumat, begins with a Yod. Backwards, this spells Yod, Keh, Vav, Keh = Havayah. In the footnote to this text, we are referred to Rabbenu Bachya (one of Ramban's greatest students) commentary on the Torah: Rabbenu Bachya: I have already informed you [above, in his commentary to Bereshit 11:9, Shemot 3:1, and further in Bamidbar 5:18] that everywhere you find the Name [YKVK] encoded in the Torah backwards, this indicates that the quality of Rachamim / Divine Mercy has been turned around and transformed into Din / Divine Justice. We thus find in Megilat Esther that Haman said, "Ve'chol zeh eineinu shoveh li -- All this avails me nothing [as long as I see Mordechai sitting at the king's gate]" (Esther 5:13). The final letters of the words zeh einenu shoveh li spell Yod Keh Vav Keh backwards, indicating that the quality of Din / Divine Judgment [which had been in abeyance until now] was about to strike and turn everything against Haman. Here, in our parashah, in the context of the work of the Levi'im, the appearance of the Name backwards indicates that the quality of Din / Divine Judgment would strike any non-Levi who approached the Mishkan without permission. This is similar to what happened when King David attempted to bring the Ark of the Covenant from Kiryat Ye'arim to Jerusalem. It is thus written, "And David and all the house of Israel played before Hashem on all manner of instruments... And when they came to Nachon's threshing floor, Uzzah stretched forth his hand to [steady] the Ark of Hashem, and he took hold of it, for [the movement of] the oxen had loosened it. Hashem's ire immediately burned against Uzzah; and Hashem struck him there for his error. And so [Uzzah] died there by the Ark of G-d... And David was afraid of Hashem that day, and he said, 'How shall the Ark of Hashem ever come to me?' So David refused to remove the Ark of Hashem into the City of David, but rather turned aside [and had it placed] in the house of Oved-Edom..." (II Samuel 6:5-10). Pay attention to the fact that both 'backward' occurrences of the YKVK begin on the word HaLevi'im (the Levites). This is certainly not by chance. Rather, the Levi'im embody the quality of Divine Justice just as the Cohanim embody the quality of Divine Mercy and Love. In addition, the Heh of the word HaLevi'im coincides with the final Heh of the Name, which itself represents Din / Justice. We mentioned above the idea of "entry points." Rabbenu Bachya has just given us one. Through it, we shall now enter into the wonderland of Midrash. Hold on as we take a trip with The Ark of the Covenant which will bring us back full circle to King David's attempt to bring the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. The Kehat Family -- Bearers of the Ark Toward the end of our parashah, it is written: (1) "Hashem spoke to Moshe and Aharon, saying: (2) 'Take a special census [literally, lift up the head] of the descendants of Kehat among the Levites... (5) When the camp is about to travel, Aharon and his sons [the Cohen-priests] shall enter and take down the partition curtain, using it to cover the Ark of Testimony [i.e. the Ark which contains the Tablets of Testimony]. (6) They shall then place a cover of blue-processed skins over it, and on top of that, a cloth of pure sky-blue wool... [the Torah now proceeds to list all the other items of 'furniture' that the Cohen-priests must cover.] (15) Aharon and his sons shall thus finish covering the sacred [furniture] and all the sanctuary utensils, so that the camp can begin its journey. [Only then] shall the descendants of Kehat enter to carry [these items], so that they not die when they touch the sacred objects... (17) Hashem spoke to Moshe and Aharon, saying, (18) Do not cause the family of Kehat to become cut off [extinct] from among the Levi'im. (19) This is what you must do so that they live and not die when they enter into the Holy of Holies. Aharon and his sons shall enter first and appoint each and every man to his task and to his burden. (20) [The Kehatites] will then not enter and see the sacred [furniture] while it is being packed; in this way, they will not die" (Bamidbar 4:1-6, 15, 17-20). Bamidbar Rabbah 4:12 "Lift up the head of the descendants of Kehat..." (Bamidbar 4:2). The verse does not say "count," but rather "lift up the head," an expression denoting "elevation." When they were counted for the purpose of being put in charge of the work of the Mishkan, they received thereby a promotion. "Among the Levi'im..." Among all the descendants of Levi there were none so important as the family of Kehat, among whom were both Cohen-priests and Levi'im [i.e. Moshe and Aharon were both from this branch of the family of Levi]" (Bamidbar Rabbah 4:12). Bamidbar Rabbah 5:8 "This is what you [Moshe] must do so that they live and not die when they enter into the Holy of Holies" (Bamidbar 4:19). There is some superior quality that distinguishes the tribe of Levi and [particularly] the family of Kehat which is lacking in the rest of the tribes of Israel. What is this? All the other tribes were not involved with the vessels of the Mishkan, whereas the families of the tribe of Levi [the Kehatites, the Gershonites, and the Merarites] carried these vessels. The Merarites carried the beams, crossbars, pillars, bases, stakes, etc. [corresponding to the 'skeleton,' the bony structure of the Mishkan]. The Gershonites carried all the woven articles, tapestries, drapes, hangings, etc. [corresponding to the dermis and epidermis, i.e. the various layers of 'skin' of the Mishkan]. The Kehatites carried the Table, the Candelabra, the Golden Incense Altar, the Copper Altar, and most importantly, the Ark [corresponding to the 'inner organs' of the Miskhan; according to some sources, the Ark corresponded to the heart, and according to others, it corresponded to the brain]. Another explanation: How superior were [the members of] the tribe of Levi to the other tribes of Israel! For the Israelites walked in sandals, while the tribe of Levi who carried the vessels of the Mishkan walked barefooted. [Besides being a sign of respect in deference to the sanctity of a place, as indicated by the fact that Hashem told Moshe to remove his shoes when he saw the Burning Bush (Shemot 3:5), removing one's shoes indicates transcendence of physicality.] We thus learn that the tribe of Levi was superior to all the other tribes. And pre-eminent above the tribe of Levi was the family of Kehat. For an ordinary Levi would place his burden [whether it was the boards, the bars, the sockets, or anything else] on wagons. The Kehatites, on the other hand, bore their burdens upon their shoulders. Indeed, they were not allowed to place the Ark upn a wagon. The verse thus states explicitly, "[Moshe] gave two wagons and four oxen to the Gershonites... four wagons and eight oxen to the Merarites... He did not give [any wagons] to the Kehatites, since they were responsible for the most sacred articles, which they had to carry on their shoulders" (Bamidbar 7:6-9). In one further respect, as well, the Kehatites were superior to all the other Levites. All the other Levites carried the other parts of the Mishkan and walked in a normal way, with their faces turned in the direction they walked. The Kehatites, on the other hand, walked backwards, with their faces toward the Ark, so as not to turn their backs on the Ark. Thus, you must conclude that, although they were greater than the other families of the Levites, and all the more so than the other tribes of Israel, their spirit was not haughty. They were rather extremely subdued because they were constantly in the presence of the Ark. Why? Because there is no place for haughtiness in the presence of Hashem. So you must conclude that, though the Kehatites were of the aristocracy, yet when they came to carry the Ark, they carried it like ordinary slaves. The Holy One therefore said, "The Torah is Life... The Kehatites carry the Ark, which contains the Torah, which is synonymous with Life. It is only fair that they should live and not die. This is the meaning of our text, 'So that they live and not die' (Bamidbar 4:19)" (Bamidbar Rabbah 5:8). Bamidbar Rabbah 4:13 "When the camp is about to travel, Aharon and his sons shall enter and take down the partition curtain [parochet ha'masach]" (Bamidbar 4:5). The Holy One blessed-be-He said to Moshe, "When they dismantle the Mishkan, the Kehatites shall not take down the partition curtain [which shielded the Ark from human gaze]. Rather, the sons of Aharon shall enter first and take it down because they are Cohen-priests." This follows what we have learned: The Cohen-priests kept watch within and the Levites without... How did the sons of Aharon proceed when they took down the partition curtain? Rabbi Chama ben Chanina taught: They had large poles with hooks on top made of gold, or as some say, of iron. They lifted the curtain with the poles and unhooked it. Nevertheless, they did not lower it all at once, lest they see the Ark, but gradually until they brought it down and covered the Ark. How do we know? Because Hashem told Moshe, "Aharon and his sons shall enter and take down the partition curtain..." We have also learned: The partition curtain was like a screen. Its thickness was a handsbreadth. It was woven of 72 strands, and each strand consisted of 24 threads. It took 300 Cohanim to immerse it. Two High Priests [or two tall Cohen-priests] carried it on poles, so as not to see the Ark. After that, they placed a cover of blue-processed skins over it, and on top of that, a cloth of pure sky-blue wool (Bamidbar Rabbah 4:13). Traveling in the Desert Yalkut Shimoni 1:686 Thus did Israel proceed in the Desert: Clouds of Glory [forming an electro-magnetic force field] hovered over and around them. Once in a while, a beam of light would emanate from one of the clouds, by which they knew in which direction to journey... When it was Hashem's wish that they encamp, the Cloud above the Mishkan, in the center of the camp, halted. The Levites would immediately begin setting up the Mishkan, before the other tribes arrived. When they did arrive, they would halt, and each would encamp in the place assigned to it, with the Clouds of Glory hovering over and around them... When Israel journeyed, the Ark [accompanied by the Cohen-priests and Levites] preceded them (Yalkut Shimoni 1:686). Bamidbar Rabbah 5:1 "Do not cause the family of Kehat to become cut off [extinct] from among the Levi'im" (Bamidbar 4:18). This is the meaning of the verse, "Hashem's eyes are directed toward those who fear Him... to deliver them from death" (Tehillim 33:19)... Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat asked: What is the meaning of "to deliver them from death"? Since there is no creature that does not die, it can only refer to death due to the Ark. How am I to understand this? Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat said in the name of Rabbi Yossi ben Zimra: When Israel traveled in the Desert, two threads of fire would emerge from between the two staves of the Ark to strike their enemies. From where do we know this? [When Israel was about to enter the Promised Land, Moshe assured them, saying:] "Know today that Hashem is your G-d. He is the One who will cross over before you. As a consuming fire, He shall destroy them..." (Devarim 9:3). From the repetition of the word He, you may infer that two threads of fire advanced before them. Now, when the threads of fire issued forth from the Ark, the fire grazed the Kehat Levites who bore it, so that they were burned and dwindled in numbers. How do we know that the Kehat family suffered depletion? [The Midrash proceeds to prove this by comparing two sets of census totals; it concludes by asking:] But why was this so? It is as Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat said in the name of Rabbi Yossi ben Zimra: Their numbers were dwindled because of the fire that issued forth from the Ark and grazed those who bore it. Seeing this, [when they were first assigned to this service,] everyone would run helter-skelter. One would take the Table, another the Candelabra, a third the Incense Altar, but all fled from the Ark because of the harm it inflicted on them. When it then seemed as if the Ark was being slighted, the Holy One became irritated with them and they were again consumed! So the Holy One said to Moshe: Why should I slay the sons of Kehat? If they carry the Ark, their numbers dwindle, and if they don't carry the Ark, they incur My anger! Rather, institute a measure for the protection of the descendants of Kehat, so that they not be cut off from the world, and so have no need to abandon the Ark and flee from it. "Aharon and his sons shall enter first and appoint each and every man to his task and to his burden" (Bamidbar 4:19), so that they shall be unable to change about from one service to another or from one burden to another. Hence, it is written, "This is what you must do so that they live..." (ibid.). Rabbi Nechemiah countered: Heaven forbid! The descendants of Kehat did not abandon the Ark to run to the Table and the Candelabra. On the contrary, even though their numbers dwindled, they gave their lives for the Ark! The only reason He warned them, "Do not cause the family of Kehat to become cut off [extinct] from among the Levi'im" (Bamidbar 4:18) is because they knew that whoever carried the Ark would have great reward stored up for him [in the World-to-Come]. So they left the Table and the Candelabra and the Altars, and they all ran to the Ark in order to be worthy of that great reward. As a result, however, quarreling broke out among them. One would insist and say, "I am going to carry it," and another insisted, "No, I am going to carry it." They would thus behave irreverently, and the Shechinah would strike them down. The Holy One therefore said to Moshe: Institute a measure for the protection of the descendants of Kehat... Let them be arranged properly in their tasks and in their burdens so that they may not quarrel with each other. Moshe thus instituted a measure for their protection (Bamidbar Rabbah 5:1). Bamidbar Rabbah 5:7 "This (zoth) is what you must do so that they live and not die when they enter into the Holy of Holies...." (Bamidbar 4:19). Just as the expression zoth is used in connection with Aharon, "With this (zoth) shall Aharon enter..." (Vayikra 16:3), so it is used here, to teach that as the Holy One provided a safeguard for Aharon, so did He provide for them... "So that they live and not die" when they approach the Ark. Why do you say this? Because the four families (Gershon, Kehat, Merari, Aharon and the Cohen-priests) surrounded the Tent. Whenever Israel sinned, punishment began to emanate from [the Ark of] the Shechinah out of the Tent. The Levites who camped by the Tent [and especially] the family of Kehat, would at once rise and hold it [the punishment] back, so that it might not reach them [the people]. From where is this inferred? It is written, "The Levites shall camp around the Mishkan... so that no divine fire be directed against the congregation of the children of Israel" (Bamidbar 1:53) (Bamidbar Rabbah 5:7). Bamidbar Rabbah 5:9 Another exposition: "[The Kehatites] will then not enter [the Holy of Holies] and see the sacred [furniture] while it is being packed; in this way, they will not die" (Bamidbar 4:20). This teaches that when the Kehatites first used to enter the Holy of Holies to take up the Ark, they would move the Partition Curtain away from in front of it, and would feast their eyes by gazing on the Ark. As a result, they were consumed, as it is written, "No man shall see Me and live" (Shemot 23:20). Now, what kind of protective measure did Moshe institute for them? [As above, Aharon's sons, the Cohen-priest, would enter first and cover and pack all the furniture...]. Rabbi Levi asked: What is meant by "and see the sacred [furniture] while it is being packed (bela, literally, swallowed)"? If they see the Ark even so much as a twinkling (bela) of an eye, they will immediately die. This is proven from the incident in Beth Shemesh [when the Ark was returned from captivity among the Philistines, see below]. There it is written, "And He struck the men of Beth Shemesh because they gazed upon the Ark of G-d..." (I Shmuel 6:19). What is implied in the phrase "because they gazed upon the Ark"?... Rabbi Levi said: The Partition Curtain got twisted, and they saw the Ark (Bamidbar Rabbah 5:9). The Ark in Captivity with the Philistines Midrash Shmuel 1 "And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten... And the Ark of G-d was taken into captivity... A Benjaminite soldier ran and came to Shiloh [where the Mishkan was] that same day" (I Shmuel 4:10-12). The Benjaminite soldier was Shaul [who later became King Shaul]. Rabbi Levi said: He ran sixty miles that day. He was on the front lines, but when he heard that the Ark and the Tablets had been captured, he went, snatched the Tablets from Goliath, and came to Eli in Shiloh. [We learn from this that the following stories related about the power of Ark while in captivity refer to the Ark alone, without the Tablets in it.] (Midrash Shmuel 1; Yalkut Shimoni 2:102). Midrash Shmuel 10 "Now the Philistines had taken the Ark of G-d... and brought it into the Temple of Dagon [Fish god] and set it beside Dagon" (I Shmuel 4:18)... Resh Lakish said: The Philistines said to themselves: This one (the G-d of the Ark) is vanquished, while this one (Dagon) is the victor. Let the vanquished come and bow down before the victor... But the Holy One said: Just for this, you will be scalded not by tepid water but by furiously boiling water! Hence, "when they arose early next morning, behold, Dagon was fallen on its face... And the head of Dagon and both the palms of its hands lay cut off upon the threshold" (I Shmuel 5:4) (Midrash Shmuel 10). Talmud Avodah Zarah 24b [The Philistines end up transferring the Ark to each of their cities. While still in Ashdod, site of the Dagon temple,] "The hand of G-d was heavy upon the people of Ashdod. He destroyed them and smote them with mice" (I Shmuel 5:6). All the lords of the Philistines gathered to deliberate: "What shall we do with the Ark of the G-d of Israel? ... Let it be taken to Gath" (ibid. 5:8). But havoc struck the city, so they sent it to Ekron. Then it was decided to send it back to the Jews before it wreaked total destruction. They made a new wagon, hitched it up to some oxen which had never before been worked, placed within it golden mice as offerings, and sent it off without a driver back to Israel. It is thus written, "The oxen took the straight path (va'yish'arnah) on the way to Beth Shemesh" (I Shmuel 6:12)... What is the dual significance of va'yish'arnah? Rav said: The oxen directed (yashar) their faces toward the Ark and uttered song (shirah). What song did they utter? Rabbi Yitzchak Napcha said: "Sing, sing, O [Ark of] Acacia! Exult in all your radiance, you who are overlaid with woven gold, extolled in G-d's holiest place, resplendent with delicate tapestries, sheltered between the wings of Cherubim" (Avodah Zarah 24b; Bereshit Rabbah 54:4; Yalkut Shimoni 2:103). [[The oxen travel along singing until they arrive in Beth Shemesh. All of a sudden, however, tragedy strikes: "[G-d] struck the people of Beth Shemesh because they peered into the Ark of G-d... and the people grieved because G-d had struck [so many] people with a great slaughter. And the people of Beth Shemesh said: Who can stand before this Holy Supreme G-d? to whom shall He go from here? And they sent messengers to the people of Kiryat Ye'arim saying... Come down and fetch up the Ark..." (I Shmuel 6:19-21). The Ark remained in Kiryat Ye'arim, which is present-day Telz-Stone, for many years until King David's time.]] Bereshit Rabbah 54:4 Why were the people of Beth Shemesh struck? Because they behaved disrepectfully in front of the Ark. They Holy One exclaimed: If a hen belonging to one of them had been lost, would not its owner have gone from door to door trying to recover it? Yet My Ark has been in the land of the Philistines for seven months, and not one of you gave it any heed... (Bereshit Rabbah 54:4). In the Days of King David> Bamidbar Rabbah 4:20 Immediately after establishing his new kingdom in Jerusalem (II Shmuel 5:6-12), "David again gathered together all the chosen [warriors] of Israel, 30,000 all tallied. And David rose up and went with all the people that were with him, from Baaley Yehudah, to bring up from there the Ark of G-d (Aron HeElohim), which is designated by the Name, the Ineffable Name of YHVH, the Lord of Hosts who dwells between the Cherubim" (II Shmuel 6:2). Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai: This teaches that the Ineffable Name together with all subsidiary Names were "deposited" in the Ark. Rav Huna said: It teaches that, in addition to the [Second] Tablets, the broken fragments of the [First] Tablets were deposited in the Ark... But the verse says, "There was nothing (ayin) in the Ark but (rak) the two Tablets" (I Melachim 8:9). The words ayin and rak both imply a separate limitation. The rule is: A limitation follows a limitation only in order to include something, in this case, the Scroll of the Torah which was deposited in the Ark... [We learn from the above that there were a number of important items in the Ark: Along with 1) the explicitly mentioned Second Tablets, there were 2) the broken fragments of the First Tablets, 3) the Scroll of the Torah written by Moshe at G-d's dictation, 4) [the power of] the Ineffable Name (YKVK), and 5) the subsidiary Names such as Elokim, Shakai, Tzeva'ot, etc.] (Bamidbar Rabbah 4:20). The Dangers of the Ark in the Days of King David Bamidbar Rabbah 4:20 (continued) "And they set the Ark of G-d upon a new wagon... Uzzah and Achio, sons of Avinadav, drove the new wagon" (II Shmuel 6:30). They did not carry it the way it was supposed to be carried. It is written, "[Moshe] gave two wagons and four oxen to the Gershonites... four wagons and eight oxen to the Merarites... He did not give [any wagons] to the Kehatites, since they were responsible for the most sacred articles [which included the Ark], which they had to carry on their shoulders" (Bamidbar 7:6-9). David was punished. Because he was oblivious to the verse, he made two mistakes: 1) He had the Cohen-priests (not the Levites) carry the Ark, and 2) he had them carry the Ark on a wagon(not on their shoulders). But the Ark kept lifting the Cohen-priests into the air and dashing them down to the ground again! ... David sent to his teacher, Achitophel, inquiring, "Will you not tell me what we must do to this Ark which keeps lifting the Cohen-priests into the air and dashing them down to the ground?!" ... Achitophel [finally] answered, saying, "Offer a sacrifice before it and it will settle down..." The Holy One said to Achitophel: "You couldn't tell him a simple thing that children recite in the Synagogue every day, namely, 'He did not give [any wagons or oxen] to the descendants of Kehat...' whereas of this big thing you do inform him?!" David then offered a sacrifice before it and it settled down... "And David and all the house of Israel played before Hashem on all manner of instruments... And when they came to Nachon's threshing floor, Uzzah stretched forth his hand to [steady] the Ark of Hashem, and he took hold of it, for [the movement of] the oxen had loosened it. Hashem's ire immediately burned against Uzzah; and Hashem struck him there for his error. And so [Uzzah] died there by the Ark of G-d. David was sorely grieved that Hashem had broken forth that day against Uzzah... And David was afraid of Hashem that day, and he said, 'How shall the Ark of Hashem ever come to me?' So David refused to remove the Ark of Hashem into the City of David, but rather turned aside [and had it placed] in the house of Oved-Edom..." (II Samuel 6:5-10). "Uzzah stretched forth his hand..." The Holy One exclaimed, "The Ark carries its bearers; will it not carry itself?!" ... When David returned to Jerusalem, Achitophel came to him and said: David, you should have learned the proper procedure from the Torah... The Levites, not the Cohen-priests must carry the Ark. In addition, it must be carried on their shoulders, not a wagon. How do we know that this is true? The second occasion David attempted to bring the Ark, it is written, "Then David said, 'None ought to carry the Ark of Hashem but the Levites'" (I Divre HaYamim 15:2), and "The descendants of the Levites carried the Ark of Hashem" (ibid. 15:15). "And the Ark of Hashem remained in the house of Oved Edom the Gittite for three months. And Hashem blessed Oved Edom and all his household" (II Shmuel 6:11). Our Rabbis said: There were two things which were really holy and great, but which men wrongly considered to be harmful. In order that a stigma not be attached to them, a striking instance of their praiseworthiness and blessedness is recorded. These two things are the Incense and the Ark. The Incense: Men might say that the Incense caused the death of Nadav and Avihu, the death of Korach and his company, and the death of Uzziah. The Holy One therefore accorded great distinction to the Incense by designating it as the means whereby Israel was delivered from the plague, as it is written, "Aharon took it [the incense pan] as Moshe had commanded him... He offered the incense to atone for the people... and the plague was checked" (Bamidbar 17:12-13). The Ark: Men might say that the Ark was harmful, since it had been instrumental in striking the Philistines, slaying the men of Beth Shemesh, and striking Uzzah down. The Holy One therefore recorded its blessedness, as it is written, "And the Ark of Hashem remained in the house of Oved Edom the Gittite for three months. And Hashem blessed Oved Edom and all his household" (II Shmuel 6:11). When, at the end of three months, David heard that the Holy One had blessed Oved Edom and his household, he assembled the elders of Israel, along with the princes and the heads of the Cohen-priests and Levites for the purpose of bringing up the Ark with great rejoicing (Bamidbar Rabbah 4:20). Above, Rabbenu Bachya wrote: "The appearance of the Name backwards indicates that the quality of Din / Divine Judgment would strike any non-Levi who approached the Mishkan without permission. This is similar to what happened when King David attempted to bring the Ark of the Covenant from Kiryat Ye'arim to Jerusalem..." Throughout the Midrash, we have seen that the Ark was 'lethal' not only for a non-Levi, but even for the Levi'im themselves. In a sense, the Ark (and certainly the Tablets that it contained) were not of this world just as our souls are not of this world. As the Midrash above stated, "The Torah is life... The Kehatites carry the Ark, which contains the Torah, which is synonymous with Life. It is only fair that they should live and not die." Living in close proximity to the Ark meant coming into proper alignment with it (and with what it embodied). The danger of the Ark lied in the inability of those around it to do so. One last thought: We usually visualize the Divine Name YKVK horizontally, as it is written in most books. When we do so, reading from right to left, the Yod, the first letter of the Name, which represents the most awesome Mercy, is closest to us, while the final Heh, the last letter of the Name, which represents Judgment, is farthest away from us. Another way to visualize the letters of the Name is in a Vertical Array. Now, the final Heh is closest to us. Now it is like a Gate. The second letter from the bottom (Vav) is now like the path or the ladder we must climb. The third letter from the bottom (Heh) is the Palace at the top of the mountain towards which we must strive with every ounce of our being. The fourth letter from the bottom (Yod) is the point of nothingness through which we must pass in order to be with Hashem. In order to pass through the Gate of the final Heh, we will be tested. It is, after all, "the Gate to Hashem (YKVK); only tzadikim may pass through it" (Tehillim 118). It is therefore called "Yirat Shamayim," the Fear or Awe of Heaven. This is the primary pre-requisite. With it and through it, we can sweeten all judgment which seeks to bar our entrance into the Holy. We can enter into the Holy of Holies of existence. Without it, we will be burned. Shabbat Shalom |
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Ascent of Safed
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