Parashat BaMidbar

And Hashem spoke to Moshe saying: And I have taken the Levi’im from amongst the Bnei Yisrael in every Jewish firstborn’s stead, and the Levi’im will work for Me. For every firstborn belongs to Me; from the day that I smote every firstborn in Mitzrayim, I separated every Jewish firstborn – from man to animal – to be for Me, I am Hashem.

BaMidbar, 3:11-13

Rashi explains that Hashem did not originally appoint the Levi’im to serve Him; rather, the Bechorim lost their privilege when they served the Eigel HaZahav. As we know, any Kohein who serves Avoda Zara is indefinitely invalidated from performing Hashem’s Avoda, and so the Halacha was no different for these Bechorim. Therefore, when Hashem chooses the Levi’im for His Avoda in these three pasukim, His choice is not reiterating obvious and known facts.

However, Rashi’s explanation blatantly contrasts the very words of our pasukim! Somehow, the selection of the Levi’im is directly connected to Makas Bechoros. Somehow, the replacement of the Bechorim relates significantly to the plague they survived the previous year. How then can Rashi come along and link our pasukim’s basis to Cheit Ha’Eigel, as sensible or sound as his explanation appears?

On second thought, it’s difficult to imagine that our pasukim come to teach us about the selection of the Levi’im and the replacement of the bechorim, for the previous pasukim just described all the work that the Levi’im would do! Hakreiv Es Matei Levi, put Sheivet Lev in charge of the Mishkan. Do these commands belong before Sheivet Levi replaces the Bechorim, or after the Temurah? Clearly, it belongs after, so why in the world should it precede Hinei Lakachti Es HaLivi’im?!

But before we can explain the reversal of these two parashiot, and before we can explain the correlation between the Pidyon Bechorim and Makas Bechoros, we must first speculate as to whether the service to Hashem here is a form of Srara, officiation, or of Avdus, indignation. Is this service a privilege or a burden?

When we look back at the aftermath of Makas Bechoros, the Kli Yakar muses, we see that each firstborn is forced to pay a Pidyon to Hashem in return for having been preserved; such action suggests that the result of their salvation from Mitzrayim, the position they entered into, was one of Avdus to Hashem. But it is hard to believe that the Levi’im’s good behavior at Cheit HaEigel would prompt their replacement of the Bechorim as Hashem’s slaves; clearly, the Levi’im are entering in to a privileged position of officiation.

Clearly, the Kli Yakar continues, Avodas Hashem is a privilege and not a burden. Furthermore, it is a mistake to think that the Bechorim were forced into this Avoda because Hashem spared them during Makas Bechoros, for they were selected for service from a much earlier time (see the Ibn Ezra). Therefore, we must explain the effects of being saved from Makas Bechoros exclusively as the need for Pidyon.

The Kli Yakar leaves us with a conclusive outlook of these three pasukim. The fact that the Bechorim were selected for Avoda has nothing to do with Makas Bechoris, nor does the selection of the Levi’im. The Bechorim were disqualified at Cheit HaEigel, along with eleven other Shvatim, and the Levi’im were thus selected MiToch Bnei Yisrael, by default. But as a disqualified officer of G-d, each Bechor would have a strong argument not to pay the (potential) additional five shekel fine to each Levi; he’s already been punished, what right does Hashem have to punish him more? To that Hashem responds, “Ki Li Kol Bechor, every Bechor is doubly guilty in My eyes, for I spared them the first time they deserved to die, and yet they still sinned against me!”

Looking back at pasuk 12, we see that Hashem’s remark “Lakachti Es HaLevi’im” is not meant as an exaltation of the Sheivet, but rather as a jab at the Bechorim; the full context reads “Lakachti Es HaLevi’im… Tachas Kol Bechor.” In this initial pasuk, we detail the replacement of the Bechorim, and in the next pasuk, we justify their payment, Ki Li Kol Bechor. All in all, we see that there was never any consideration of placing these pasukim before Hakreiv Es Matei Levi, for the Bechorim would have nobody to pay had the Levi’im not been inaugurated.

Likewise, the census Moshe conducts is broken into two phases; first the Levi’im are counted, and then the Bechorim. Naturally, one would expect the Bechorim to first be accounted for – then each Levi can arrive as his respective Bechor’s replacement. But the census, in reality, was not the process of replacement, but rather an effect; only after the Bechorim are replaced do they require this redemption – either through a human swap of sorts, or through a payment to Aharon HaKohein and his sons.

Within this concept of redemption, as opposed to replacement, comes the insertion of interpersonal emotions not normally associated to consequence and punishement. However, when one considers the nature of said consequences, the reversal of the attendant and the outsider, and the attendants’ actual need to act as the Zar’s messenger to HaKadosh Baruch Hu, then it becomes clear why such a payment is necessary. The very fact that the Bechorim could sin against Hashem in spite of their immunity from Makas Bechoros indicates a blatant disregard of Hakaras HaTov. While the rest of Klal Yisrael could accept the Kehuna’s upheaval with ease, the Bechorim would struggle to accredit the proper regard to those positioned above them – regardless of petty grudges. Therefore, each one was forced to pay his fellow Levi, to express a true feeling of connection to his representative Korban-bringer. And only then, with this unified HaKaras HaTov for the Levi’im’s Avoda, could the Mishkan be established.