Nasso in Bamidbar? The Story of Bnei Kehas, the Guardians of the Torah

Parshat B'midbar 

by Rabbi Avi Billet 

While next week’s parsha is familiarly known as Naso, the seventh Aliyah in Bamidbar begins (at chapter 4) with the following words: ב נָשׂ֗א אֶת־רֹאשׁ֙ בְּנֵ֣י קְהָ֔ת מִתּ֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֣י לֵוִ֑י לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לְבֵ֥ית אֲבֹתָֽם: 

Naso? If the parsha had to be called Naso, then why don’t we start next week’s reading here at Shvii? Describe all the jobs of the Levite families in one parsha! Why divide it over two separate readings? Also, why is Kehas mentioned first? After all, the Torah pretty clearly puts a priority on firstborns and we have been told over and over that the sons of Levi were Gershon, Kehas and Merari! Clearly Gershon is the oldest. And yet Kehas come first! 

 Midrash Aggadah answers this question saying “Bnei Kehas are first because they carry the vessels of the Mishkan, such as the Aron, the Shulchan, the Menorah, etc.” 

The truth is that the Torah does this often enough, not presenting siblings in age order. Yefet was Noach’s eldest son, and Cham was his youngest, but they are usually listed as Shem, Cham, Yefet. Moshe was younger than Aharon, yet he is often mentioned before Aharon. (Sometimes Aharon is mentioned before Moshe – which often gets an interesting explanation). 

 Ibn Ezra suggests the Bnei Kehas are mentioned first on account of the merit of Moshe and Aharon, who were of the Bnei Kehas. 

 According to Alshikh, in general the word Nasso (נשא) is used over the word שאו because it’s not merely a counting – it’s an elevating for Kedusha. 

 One way in which Kehas is singled out as being on a higher level than the Gershon and Merari families is through the way they are presented (note the Pasuk numbers!). 

 (ב) נָשֹׂ֗א אֶת־רֹאשׁ֙ בְּנֵ֣י קְהָ֔ת מִתּ֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֣י לֵוִ֑י לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לְבֵ֥ית אֲבֹתָֽם:

 (כב) נָשֹׂ֗א אֶת־רֹ֛אשׁ בְּנֵ֥י גֵרְשׁ֖וֹן גַּם־הֵ֑ם לְבֵ֥ית אֲבֹתָ֖ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָֽם: 

 It is true that regarding both the Bnei Kehas and Bnei Gershon Moshe is instructed to “Naso” the heads of the greater family. But notice how the order is switched. In Kehas, their Mishpachos (families) are counted before the Beis Avos (being from the tribe of Levi). In other words, this insight concurs with the approach of Ibn Ezra that the family of Kehas is elevated, first and foremost, on account of Moshe and Aharon. 

 Another proof to the higher level of the Bnei Kehas is how they are introduced.

(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר יְקֹוָ֔ק אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר: 

(כא) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְקֹוָ֖ק אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר: 

 Aharon’s inclusion showcases the fact that the Bnei Kehas were unique among the families of Levi in that they also had Kohanim and the Kingship of that time, which was Moshe Rabbenu. 

 Another important point to note is that their Avodah overall did not require a whole lot of actual labor. The Talmud tells us Sotah 35b that the Aron carried those who carried it. It was weightless and those who carried it were only symbolic, to hide the fact that the Ark carried itself. 

 Which is why the way the work of Bnei Kehas is presented as מלאכה

 כָּל־בָּא֙ לַצָּבָ֔א לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת מְלָאכָ֖ה בְּאֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד: 

 While the work of Bnei gershon is presented as עבודה

 כָּל־הַבָּא֨ לִצְבֹ֣א צָבָ֔א לַעֲבֹ֥ד עֲבֹדָ֖ה בְּאֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד: 

 One final notification of the work of the Bnei Kehas is that it is very holy in nature 

 (ד) זֹ֛את עֲבֹדַ֥ת בְּנֵי־קְהָ֖ת בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד קֹ֖דֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִֽׁים: 

 This distinction demonstrates what the job of the Bnei Kehas is, and what level it raises their status to be in their service in carrying parts of the Mishkan. 

 The Or HaChaim notes one more textual distinction which raises Bnei Kehas above the others, and that is (ב) נָשֹׂ֗א אֶת־רֹאשׁ֙ בְּנֵ֣י קְהָ֔ת מִתּ֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֣י לֵוִ֑י לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לְבֵ֥ית אֲבֹתָֽם: 

 Mitokh means “from the middle of.” Kehas was not the oldest of the sons of Levi. Gershon was the oldest son, and Kehas was the middle, with Merari being the youngest. 

 Going back to our opening question - Why have Bnei Kehas in this parsha, with their own Naso, and the Bnei Gershon as the openers of next week’s parsha, with their own Naso - this is the Torah’s way of actually giving both families a certain kind of kavod. 

 Not too many people typically notice or remember that the family of Kehas is introduced with the word Naso in our parsha. And yet when the Levite families are mentioned next week, it is easily noticed that Kehas is not there, prompting us to look back and see that Kehas was mentioned in Parshas Bamidbar. 

 What happens as a result is this: Kehas is given special prominence as the Levite branch most directly associated with the major switch of the Levites replacing the first borns, a significant focus of today’s Torah reading. 

 Gershon, in leading off the parsha next week, is given the respect accorded to a first born. Merari being the youngest of the 3 brothers, does not mind being last no matter what. 

 So what can we learn from the role of the Bnei Kehas?

“The Lord said to Moshe and Aharon, saying, ‘Do not cut off the tribe of families of Kehas from the rest of the Levites. In order to assure their survival, when they approach the Holy of Holies, let Aharon and his sons come and direct each person to his specific task. They [the Levites] should not come to see the Holy being closed up lest they die.’” 

 There is nothing particularly deep about the job described here. The holiest vessels require the utmost care, and as non-Priests may not enter the Holy of Holies when the Mishkan is assembled, a Levite entry, or any unacceptable entry, could carry a death punishment, as we saw in the tragic tale of Nadav and Avihu. The entry of the kohanim alone is permitted to allow them to make sure their cousins the Levites do their jobs in the way which will preserve their lives. 

Of course, the kohanim and the Bnei Kehas are first and second cousins, much closer than the Bnei Kehas are to the Bnei Gershon, whose cousinship goes back 4 or 5 generations. The Kohanim are meant to protect the Bnei Kehas. But the Bnei Kehas in carrying, protecting and preserving the most important vessels of the Mishkan, are really protecting the fate of the Bnei Yisrael. 

 While there are Leviim in our time, their role in our society as Leviim is mostly to be second tier to the Kohanim. Unlike in ancient times, they are not automatically the teachers and the leaders. 

 In our time, Jewish leaders come in all shapes and sizes. None are divinely ordained. We all start off as ordinary people, and many of us use our God-given talents to become scholars or philanthropists or teachers or community-leaders or directors of chesed initiatives and good deeds. 

 Like the Kohanim who protected the Bnei Kehas through covering the vessels of the Mishkan, we must take that responsibility as well, when we can and within reason of course, to guide others, to preserve others, while all personally assuming our own need to serve God and to protect His Torah and His holiest creations. 

 Beyond Torah, we can certainly argue that the holiest creations we see on a daily basis are our fellow Jews, and their neshamas. Neshamas include those of the living and those of the deceased. And so, in channeling the responsibilities assumed by the Bnei Kehas, we too must be guardians of the Torah. We can demonstrate this through the opportunities we embrace to participate in Torah learning, certainly on Shavuos, and throughout the year as well.