Positive Commandment 23 (Digest)
The Service of the Levites
"And the Levite shall do the service of the Tent of Meeting"—Numbers 18:23.
The Levites – and only the Levites – are commanded to discharge the Levite duties in the Holy Temple. These duties include serving as gatemen and accompanying with song the offering of the sacrifices.
The 23rd mitzvah is the commandment to the Levites to carry out certain types of service in the Holy Temple, such as closing the gates, and singing at the time when the sacrifices were offered.
The source of this mitzvah is G‑d's statement, "This is the service of the Levites."
The Sifri says, "We might think that the Levite can serve if he wants to, but that if he doesn't want to, he is not obligated. The Torah therefore says, 'This is the service of the Levites' — even against their will." This means that it is obligatory upon him and that the mitzvah is forced upon him.
What the service of the Levites consists of is explained in many places in tractates Tamid and Middos. It is also explained in the second chapter of tractate Erachin that only the Levites can perform the service of singing. This commandment is repeated in another verse, "He can serve in the name of G‑d, his G‑d, just the same as any of his fellow Levites." Our Sages explained in the second chapter of Erachin, "What is meant by service 'in the name of G‑d'? It refers to the singing."
Negative Commandment 72 (Digest)
Priests and Levites Exchanging Duties
"Each man individually to his task and his load"—Numbers 4:19.
The kohanim (priests) and Levites each have their unique tasks in the Holy Temple. As such, Levites are forbidden to discharge any of the duties that are the domain of the kohanim, and vice versa.
Indeed, it is also forbidden for a priest or Levite to get involved in a task that was assigned to a fellow priest or Levite. The Talmud relates that Rabbi Joshua ben Chananiah once wished to aid his fellow Levite Rabbi Yochanan ben Gurgoda. "Desist from this," Rabbi Yochanan told him, "for you are already liable to pay with your life. For I am of the gatemen and you are of the singers..."
The 72nd prohibition is that the Levites are prohibited from performing any Temple service which belongs to the kohanim, and the kohanim from performing any Temple service which belongs to the Levites. The reason for this is that each of these two families, i.e., the kohanim and the Levites, have their own specific types of service in the Holy Temple. Therefore, G‑d (exalted be He) addressed a prohibition to both simultaneously, that each group should perform its own type of service, not the other's. This was told to them in the verse, "Each one shall be placed on his service and carry his load."
The prohibition is conveyed in G‑d's statement (exalted be He), to the Levites, "But they shall not approach the sacred vessels or the altar, so that they not die." He then continued by saying to the kohanim, "[so that they not die,] not they and also not you." The phrase, "and also not you," means "you [i.e., the kohanim] are included in this prohibition. Just as you are commanded to perform your service, i.e., with the sacred vessels and the altar, so too you are forbidden from performing their service."
The Sifri says, "The words, 'They shall not approach the sacred vessels or the altar,' constitutes a prohibition. The words, 'so that they not die,' is the punishment. This teaches only that the Levites have a prohibition and punishment for performing the kohanim's service. How do we know that same applies for the kohanim performing that of the Levites? From the words, 'not they.' [How do I know further that a Levite of] one group [is forbidden to do the work of] the other group? From the words, 'and also not you.' It once occurred that R. Yehoshua ben Chananya tried to help R. Yochanan ben Gudgada [to close the gates of the Sanctuary; whereupon the latter] said to him: 'Go back! You are already guilty of the death penalty since I am from those who take care of the gates and you are from those that sing.' " This explains clearly that anyone who serves in a way not meant for him receives a heavenly death penalty.
Similarly, the kohanim may not perform the service of the Levites; but the punishment for doing so is lashes, not death. The Mechilta says, "[The verse says,] 'But they shall not approach the sacred vessels or the altar.' One might think that one is punished even for touching them. The verse therefore says 'but' — one is punished only for performing a type of service. This verse only teaches about Levites who perform the service of the kohanim. From where do we derive the prohibition of kohanim performing the service of the Levites? From the words, 'not they and also not you.' " There it also says, "Levites who perform the service of the kohanim are punished by death, but kohanim who perform the service of the Levites only transgress a regular prohibition."
Positive Commandment 32 (Digest)
Honoring the Priests
"You shall sanctify him, for he offers up the food offering of your G‑d; he shall be holy to you"—Leviticus 21:8.
We are commanded to honor and exalt the seed of Aaron, the kohanim (priests), and to acknowledge their holiness.
This mitzvah applies whether or not the specific priest desires such honor. This mitzvah applies also to maimed kohanim, though they are not eligible to serve in the Holy Temple.
We fulfill this mitzvah by honoring the priest with the first aliyah to the Torah and leading the Grace after Meals, and by allowing him to take the first choice portion of food.
Honoring the kohanim is, in effect, honoring G‑d, who chose them to serve Him [in the Holy Temple] and offer the sacrifices.
The 32nd mitzvah is that we are commanded to exalt, honor, and elevate the descendants of Aaron [i.e., kohanim]; to treat them in a way of holiness and respect. Even if they refuse to accept it, one should not listen to them. All this is to honor G‑d (exalted be He), since He singled them out to serve Him and offer His sacrifices.
The source of this mitzvah is G‑d's statement, "You must keep him holy, since he presents the food-offering to G‑d."
Our Sages explained, "The word 'vikidashto' ('keep him holy') refers to every matter of holiness: he should be the first to read in the Torah; first to recite the blessing [after meals]; first to take the choicest portion."
The Sifra also says, "The word 'vikidashto' ('keep him holy') implies 'even against his will.' " This means that this commandment is given to us, and does not depend on the desire of the kohen.
The Sages also said, "The phrase, 'they shall be holy unto their G‑d,' means even against their will. 'They must remain holy,' comes to include even those kohanim who have a blemish." We should not say, "Since he is not fit to 'present the food-offering to G‑d,' why should we give him special treatment and show him honor and respect?" The Torah therefore said [the apparently redundant phrase], "they must remain holy" — to teach you that it applies to all from this distinguished lineage, whether blemished or blemish-free.
The proper conditions under which they must be honored are explained in various Talmudic passages: Makkos, Chullin, Bechoros, Shabbos, and others.
Positive Commandment 36 (Digest)
The Priestly Shifts
"And if a Levite comes . . . he may come whenever his soul desires . . . and he may serve in the name of G‑d, his G‑d, just like all his Levite brothers, who stand there before G‑d. They shall eat equal portions..."—Deuteronomy 18:6-8.
We are commanded to divide the kohanim (priests) into shifts, so that each week another shift should serve in the Holy Temple. Only during the festivals shall all the kohanim serve together.
The prophet Samuel and King David divided the kohanim into 24 shifts.
The 36th mitzvah is that we are commanded that the kohanim shall serve in watches, i.e., that each watch shall serve for one week's time. They shall not be mixed together except for the festivals, when all watches shall serve together and anyone who comes may perform the service. It is explained in Chronicles that Dovid and Shmuel divided them and assigned them to 24 watches. In tractate Sukkah it is explained that during the festivals, all are treated equally.
The verse which refers to this mitzvah is G‑d's statement, "A Levite can come [from one of your gates]...whenever he wishes...and may serve before G‑d, his G‑d, just the same as any of his fellow Levites whose turn it is to serve before G‑d. He shall receive the same portion to eat."
The Sifri says, "From the phrase, 'whenever he wishes' one could think that it means any time whatsoever. The Torah therefore says, 'from one of your gates,' i.e., when all the Jewish people are gathered at one gate — during the three festivals. One could think that all watches share equally during the festival even in offerings that are not specifically festival offerings. The Torah therefore says, 'The only exception is that which was sold by the ancestors.' What did the ancestors 'sell' to each other? They said, 'You [will serve] in your Shabbos and I in my Shabbos.' " This means that they agreed to setting up a system of watches with a different watch each week. The Targum also explains the verse in this way: "Except for the watch of that week, because that is how the ancestors established it."
The details of this mitzvah are explained in the end of tractate Sukkah.
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