Build The Wall

There is perhaps no Parsha in the Torah that is as closely linked to a Yom Tov as Parshas Bamidbar is to Shavuos. That Parshas Bamidbar is always right before Shavuos, regardless of any other changes in the yearly calendar, would indicate that there is something more coincidence at play. Though there is no overt connection between the Sedra and the Yom Tov, deeper exploration can always uncover that which is not at first clear. Though many before us have given their own explanations of this phenomenon, the unlimited nature of the Torah allows us to continue this exploration, seeking perhaps a somewhat novel approach based on Divrei Chazal.

Sefer Bamidbar is refered to as “Chumash Hapikudim” for it begins with the national census of Am Yisroel. At the beginning of the Parsha, we are told of a Tzivuy given to Moshe Reabbeinu: “Se’u Es Rosh Kol Adas Bnei Yisroel…MiBen Esrim Shana V’Maalah Kol Yotzei Tzava B’Yisroel.” Moshe was told to count each member of Klal Yisroel beginning at age twenty, the age of inscription in to the army of Hashem. Further, in order to ensure that there are no questions as to the veracity of the count, the Nasi of each Shevet was told to stand by as it was carried out. The Torah continues, relating the exact count of each Shevet, and then the total number of souls counted: 603,550 men. A provisio is however added: “V’Haleviim L’Bais Avosam Lo Hispakdu B’Socham.” When the rest of Klal Yisroel were counted, Shevet Levi was not included.

Instead, later on in the Parsha the Torah relates another Tzivuy that Moshe received: “Pakod Es Bnei Levi L’Bais Avosam L’Mishpechosam”. This Tzivuy, to count the Bnei Levi according their families and Batei Avos is almost identical to the one Moshe received with respect to Klal Yisroel at large, but there is one major exception. In this case, Moshe was told: “Kol Zachor M’Ben Chodesh V’Mallah Tifkidem”. The Leviim were counted beginning at the age of thirty-days, rather than the considerably older qualifying age of twenty years used when counting everyone else.

This significant difference in who was included in the count obviously helps us understand why the Leviim were counted separately, but we should also be able to explain why this was the case. Why were the Leviim counted from such a young age, thirty-days, when the rest of Klal Yisroel was only counted at the age of twenty.

Rashi, here, provides an answer to this basic question. Shevet Levi, he explains, was accustomed to being counted from a young age, as Yocheved, the daughter of Levi and mother of Moshe Rabbeinu, was counted as the Yordei Mitzrayim even though she was born just as Yaakov and his family arrived there.

Now, Rashi’s words are based on a Medrash Rabbah, and so it is really a Medrash that we are seeking to understand when we wonder what this means. What is meant by the words “Lamud Shevey Zeh Lihiyos Nimnin Min Habeten”, that this Shevet is accustomed to being so counted, and what does the fact that Yocheved was counted just after she was born have to do with counting the Leviim in the Midbar? This really is something of a Medrash Pliah, which requires explanation.

There is, however, a question to be asked on Rashi himself as well. The same Medrash that includes this Pshat in the Passuk offers quite a few other explanations. One of these approaches is brought by a number of the Meforshei HaPshat, including Chizkuni and the Rashbam. They explain that since Shevet Levi was chosen to replave the Bechoros as the group that serves in the Mishkan, it was appropriate to count them starting from the age of Pidyon Haben—thirty days.

This understanding of the Passuk certainly seems to be in the realm of Pshat, especially as the Pessukim just prior to this one were discussing the replacement of the Berhoros wit the Levim, and so it is curious that Rashi did not choose to employ it in his Pirush. Generally, Rashi hews close to the simplest meaning of the Passuk, and often notes when he is taking the Drech Agaddah. We must understand why in this case is the less Pashut meaning the one selected, without comment, by Rashi?

We must assume, in some way that the fact that Yocheved was counted as one of the Yordei Mitzrayim at such a young age, having been born simultaneously with her arrival there, is related to the essence of Levi. If this was the case it would be more understandable that this affected the age at which her offspring were counted.

Let us then examine the birth of Yocheved, as it is related by Chazal, and the long term impact it may have had. Although Rashi here, and the Medrash he cites, mention only that Yocheved was born when her mother arrived in Mitzrayim, there are other sources which include a bit more detail.

The most overt discussion of Yocheved’s origin are actually in a Passuk in Parshas Pinchas, which says that Amram took a wife named Yocheved, “Asher Yalda Osa L’Levi B’Mitzrayim”, who was born to Levi in Mitzrayim. The Gemarah in Sota notes that these words are seemingly extra, as the location of her birth would not seem important, and therefore concludes that Yocheved was unique in that she was conceived in Eretz Yisroel, and born in Mitzrayim.

In one sense this Gemrah is important because it is used to explain a seemingly difficult Passuk at the beginning of Sefer Shemos. There the Torah tells us that there were seventy Nefashos who came with Yaakov to Mitzrayim, but if one makes a count only sixty-nine are mentioned. As the Medrash explains, however, Yocheved was born in Mitzrayim and was therefore counted among the seventy, making the count in the Passuk accurate. The Passuk in Pinchas and the one in our Parsha are therefore linked—Yocheved’s birth in Mitzrayim led to her being counted among the Yordei Mitzrayim and her offspring were therefore counted at the age of thirty-days. That said, there is a more general question which still needs to be answered with regard to this entire discussion.

Why is so much made of Yocheved’s birth? Why does the Torah count sixty-nine people, then tell us that there were seventy, and leave it to Chazal to tell us that there was a baby named Yocheved who was born at the exact moment that they entered who was the seventieth? All those included in the count are named in Parshas Vayigash, why not include Yocheved as well? It seems that the Torah wishes to include Yocheved in the count although she was perhaps not actually among those who qualified as Yordei Mitzrayim. Why is this the case, and what are we meant to learn from the way the Torah and Chazal treat the birth of Yocheved?

Perhaps the answer lies in the way that the Gemarah in Sota describes the location of Yocheved’s birth: “Horasa Baderech V’Leidasa Bein HaChomos.” Yocheved, Chazal tell us, was born “between the walls.” The simple understanding of this term is that she was born just as Yaakov and his family entered Mitzrayim, in the doorway, so to speak. There must however be another connotation—why do Chazal specify that she was born at that exact point, using those words?

There is a Drasha from the Pnai Menachem of Ger in which he discusses the concept of Chomos, walls. There are, he explains, two types of boundaries that exist in the world. There are of course physical boundaries, which are definite and immovable, and can pertain even to Devarim Shebekedusha. The Gevulim of Eretz Yisroel are physically defined and the Kedusha that exists within Artzeinu Hakdeosha should is confined by them. Therefore there are Mitzvos that apply either only to the land itself, or only when someone is located within those boundries, because the extra level of Kedusha is only found within them.

On the other hand, there are Gevulim which are Ruchani in nature, and those are in fact portable. The walls and Gedarim that a person builds on his own are not limited to any one location, and may be taken with him, so to speak. The Pnei Menachem brings an interesting example of this concept.

Generally, Kodshim can only be eaten within the Chomos of Yerushalayim, in the times of Mishkan Shilo, however, the Halacha was that Kodshim could be eaten anywhere that the Mishkan could been seen. The Gemarah in Zevachim explains that since Mishkan Shilo was in the Chelek of Yosef, and Yosef was one who guarded his eyes even in Mitzrayim, the “Choma” of Mishkan Shilo was tied to a person’s eyesight. Thus, concludes the Pnei Menachem, although Yosef was far from the Kedusha of Eretz Yisroel, he took the influence of his father’s home with him to Mitzrayim, and erected a “Choma” of sorts there. It is this accomplishment that affects the Halachos of Kodshim in Mishkan Shilo, and teaches us that a Choma that one builds through his own work can be transported wherever he may travel.

The Pnei Menachem applies this ides to the Gemarah that mentions Yocheved being born “Bein Hachomos”. What value, he asks, is there to the Chomos Mitzrayim that would lead the Gemarah to mention them at all? He concludes that Chazal must have been referring to the Chomos HaRuchani that were brought by Yaakov and his family from Eretz Yisroel to Mitzrayim.

It seems from Chazal that when Yaakov and his family left Eretz Yisroel, they knew that they were embarking on a journey that would end in Galus: the promise of “V’Acharei Chen Yetzu B’Rechush Gadol” was predicated on them first experiencing “V’Avadom V’inu Osam”. They may have been concerned about the ability of their own offspring to survive, for those who had never been exposed to the Kedusha of Eretz Yisroel to thrive and survive in Eretz Mitzrayim. They therefore brought Chomos with them—they made sure that the spiritual gains they made in Eretz Yisroel were transported to Mitzrayim so that their children could somehow be protected from the influences around them. Thus, the first child born in Mitzrayim was born “Bein Hachomos”, in a way that she was at least partially protected from that which was around her.

Based on this idea, it is understood why the time and location of Yocheved’s arrival into the world are important, and why the Torah alludes to it in a circumspect way, perhaps even expanding the definition of Yordei Mitzrayim in doing so. It is from Yocheved’s birth that we learn the way to survive any Galus: by ensuring that we and our children are ensconced “Bein Hachomos”, protected by spiritual walls built by us and our ancestors.

We can explain the Medrash in our Parsha, and Rashi’s choice in using it in his Pirush, using this idea as well. Those who would join the ranks of the Tzavah B’Yisroel were counted at the age that they could fight physical battles When Moshe came to count the Leviim, however, he was taking a census of those with the responsibility of “V’Shamru Es Mishmarto V’Es Mishmeres Kol HaEidah”. Shevet Levi was charged with the spiritual protection of Klal Yisroel and so they were counted from a young age, just as their ancestral mother was. This would remind them that the way to protect Klal Yisroel is to enable them to erect personal Chomos, walls that could move with them and provide protection whereever they may be found.

This is a wonderful message for Shavuos as well. The Passuk in Shir Hashirim say “Ani Choma V’Shadai KaMigdalos” and the Gemrah in Bava Basra tells us “Choma Zu Torah.” The best way for us to build Chomos HaRuchani, spiritual walls that can protect us from any outside influence is through the Torah.

On Zman Matan Toraseinu we celebrate not only the fact that we received the Torah, but what the Torah enables us to achieve. Aside from Gadlus Batorah, which is itself a goal for which we should strive, a connection with the Torah enables us to wage the war that rages around us. Through the Torah Tavlin, we can protect ourselves from the inlfluences of the outside world, and the machinations of the Yetzer Harah. On this day, we proclaim “Ih Lo Hai Yoma D’Kah Garam Kama Yosef Ikka B’Shuka”, if not for this day, how many of us would be B’Shuka, exposed to the elements around us. It is the Torah that walls us in, providing a much needed refuge, and allows us to continue our spiritual growth even as we find ourselves in Galus.

If we take these lessons to heart and use the days of Kabalas HaTorah wisely, and build Chomos HaRuchani we too will receive the Brachos that the Rambam promises “Lo L’Shevet Levi Bilvad”, as we attain Kedusha, are spared the Cheshbonos Harabim and Zoche to a Kiyum of the Passuk “Hashem Manos Chelki V’Kosi Attah V’Tomech Gorali”