Kli Yakar Weekly Torah Portion Naso Numbers Ch 4 vs 22 first part

Thank you for joining us. We're now dealing with paraso that can be found in bidbar in numbers and it's chapter 4. We're going to be dealing with the second verse. That's verse number 22 in chapter 4. And it says like this. Aside from the first Hashem spoke to Moses saying take a sentence of the sons of Geron Gh them as well which is very strange according to their father's houses according to their families. Now we're going to see a contrast. He points it out later. You can see it now when all the other tribes are counted. It says there's a switch. First it says according to their families of according to their father's houses. So we see a switch there. That's but what's gam what does it mean them as well. So to little bit of a um an introduction that in the previous chapter, right? If you go back from chapter 4, you go back first of all the beginning of chapter 4, we're in verse 22. Hashem spoke to Moses and Aaron saying, "Take a census of the sons of Kahhat among the sons of Ley according to their families, according to their father's households." Now we will see a verse that says by ley specifically you're supposed to count how the way beneers is counted first according to their I mean the way it's described according to their father's houses according to their families but even kahhat is not done that way it's not done the way it says to count ben levy although they are beny in fact they're the first of ben levy that are counted in chapter 4 verse one. We're in chapter 4 verse 22. Okay. So, there's a little bit of a preamble should know that kahhat is not the first born. It's described in in the in the in the scripture in the in the in the in the Tanakh, right? That first Ley had gon then Kahhat then Miri. And yet our verse starts the new chapter of Nasau count Beng inferring there was somebody else counted already which if you look back to the beginning of chapter 4 it's 100% correct that Benahhat was counted first and yet they're not the firstborn and this is what really bothers the to start with so let's begin he feels what should have been done was the counting of of Benet um Ben Gon in our verse should have been before Ben which is in verse one because of the fact that they're the first born and automatically he brings in immediately he brings in this idea of a medish that will help resolve and solve the issue that we're being bothered by. Nimshat because of the fact that the responsibility was handed over for carrying the aron the ark to the tribe of kahhat. Therefore, the counting of the ben kahhat came first on account of the fact that you're giving honor to the to the carriers of the aon or to the aon itself. Now, right away he says he goofashia this itself is a difficulty. It's nice that you bring in something that helps resolve the issue why Ben Gerishon is not counted first and Ben Kahhat is very nice because they're carrying the yon. But what it still doesn't resolve anything because we want to know the next question, right? Jews ask a question and they answer it with another question deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole. Aron Elakur. Why in the world in the first place wasn't the responsibility for carrying the Aon given to Gershon to start with who's the first born and why would that have been well would have solved all our problems. We would have closed the book and and not had to go on any further. But in fact, if the responsibility for carrying the ark which has in it the Torah, the ten commandments, the theot and and several other things that certainly would have been more honorable and fitting for the Torah itself and strengthen the Torah law, which in the very Torah itself talks about the laws of the firstborn and why they should be honored. So he strengthens the question and he begins to answer it and it's going to be a long answer but it's very deep and meaningful. He begins by saying it makes most the most sense for me to say what I'm about to say that God wanted to teach something very nice. Every letter, every nuance in the Torah teaches us depths and depths of insights that what if you look in Proverbs chapter 3 verse 35 it says honor the wise will inherit or the wise will inherit honor. Okay, so we're talking about wisdom. That's the Torah. We'll explain in a second. this wisdom. That's where the honor should go towards as he says in order to give instructions to teach the instructions to the people that what that what we should be honoring those that learn the Torah, right? by calling those who sanctify Hashem honorable. And he says in order to sanctify all matters of holiness just like we count God first. Okay? We're counting God first. Why? because they carried this the ark which has the word of hem in it. Now if we would have been given right if God had chosen that the ark would be carried by the firstborn I would have said perhaps mistakenly the only reason that gamon was counted first was because he was the firstborn and I wouldn't have put two and two together I might not have put two and two together and and I might not have pinned or hung the importance of the fact that they was taking responsibility in carrying the holy arkhat therefore it wasn't given to but was given to carry this ark and to count them first and then we should know as a that all the honor should be given to th to the Torah itself and to those who learn it. However, interestingly enough, the author of this medish places this whole concept, this idea to a verse and this verse we're going to dissect. It's a very famous verse. It's in Proverbs 3 verse 15. She, it's talking about the Torah, wisdom, is more precious than pearls. Hebrew, right? She's more precious than pearls or precious stones. But we're going to play a a few word games with the word pin. And we're going to understand that it has different meanings. That what it is, this wisdom or the Torah itself is more precious than blank. What could possibly mean like the Medish explains certainly his intent is to teach there's a thing called Torah and Keterra is he everybody. This is interesting because it's right before shis keter tora that's the crown of Torah is available to everybody this he's quoting the ram in hilusra therefore and that's the very reason that the ark was not given to the firstborn so that it will not be to his own arrogance his own glory by saying an roy I am more fitting to receive the crown of Torah than anyone else. But rather the truth is every single person is equal. Let's say equal opportunity. It's an equal opportunity for everyone to excel and to receive the Torah. Now we understand why it says we don't really understand it yet but he's about to introduce this major concept it is more precious than more than pearls or we don't know let's just leave it blank it's more precious than blank it's more precious than the guttle who enters into the holy of holies in Hebrew means the hol Holy of Holies and it's a play on the words panin. It's more precious than the one who goes into the most holy of holies. Which means the kesser Torah is even more precious than the kesser kahuna, the crown of priesthood. Because the only type of person that can receive this crown of priesthood is someone who descends from the seed of aron. But to reiterate, the main point here is that the the crown of Torah is available to everyone and everyone can merit from this. And again, we take the verse and we're going to play again on the word. It's more precious than blank. We think it's pearls. He says mafus. It's even more precious than Torah is even more precious than what does what does the king's crown have? It has gold and many fine jewels, precious stones. In other words, we're playing a word on pineim. Penina is a pearl, a precious stone. And the king's crown has it. But who z who merits in the king's crown? Only someone who's from the seat of David. But when it comes to the crown of Torah, everyone can merit. And again going back to the medishim, right? That it's more precious than blank. What is even from the firstborn. In other words, we already said, okay, it could mean the one who goes in to the holy of holies. That's it could mean pania as precious stones as in the in the the the crown of the king. And the kaser tora is more precious than the king's crown or the kesser kesser mahut as we as we call it. And now we're talking about the so how does fit in with pineadar says in Ruth and we read this on shim is this was a verse if you look in Ruth verse 4:7 is that this law was an old I'm sorry this custom was an old custom in amongst the Jewish people. So we translate lefim as first. This was one of the original laws. This was one of the original customs that Jews did from time and memorial. So means first, right? And and what's the what are we relating this to? The firstborn. The whole concept of firstborn is only relating to someone who was actually born first. But the Torah itself, everybody merits in it equally. Again, what's the bakore? This, as I mentioned, there's a switch. There's a there's a a redemption and a transfer of the powers. Originally, it was the Bahour that was supposed to serve in the tabernacle as the priests. And as a result of the sin of the golden calf because every tribe had um firstborns that were involved, they lost that merit and it was transferred over to Beni who were not involved in any way, shape or form with the sin of the golden calf. the var he gives two short explanations meaning alternative explanations to everything we just said above why did not merit to carry the aon and he says another reason alternative reason that it was not given the responsibility of carrying the aon to the firstborn being geishon was shalot zak In other words, he shouldn't become too hotty through this responsibility. And some say another reason why it was given to [Music] the moshabor that kahhat is the one right. You have um you have Amram. Sorry, you have Ley and then you have Kahhat and then you have Amram and then you have Moses and Aaron. So Moses and Aaron are from the tribe of Gahhat. And because they were the ones that received the Torah, so their tribe should carry the responsibility of moving around and carrying the Torah itself which is inside the holy ark. Okay, the next paragraph gam. Now I mentioned these words sounds very strange. What does it mean as well? So I mentioned that previously you had kahhat already counted. So He says these two words actually seal the deal. They seal the concept saying that no matter what this is going to be the way it is that you should always count at least in this right in this particular case you can't change it. God said do it. You have to do it exactly like this. Now you might sound might sound very strange what I'm saying. Of course, if God says do something, you're supposed to do it. I have a I have a news for you. We see that there's not always the case and good reason, too. So, Ben, and only afterward you should count, right, and take the senses for the Benon them as well. That's what the verse says. If it wasn't like that, if the P did, if the verse did not say them as well, I might think not to do like that. Explain. So if it was not for the verse telling me this certainly would have been possible to think differently, I would have thought, what did God want? Even though he said count first, I might have thought that really he wants me to count Ben first because I got to remember he's the first born. Now what is what is the reason and from the fact that the command actually did come to first count I might have thought it wasn't really to actually count him first but the command came first but I might have thought it was only the command it was just because of the importance of the fact they were carrying the aon that they were mentioned first. Not that I have to count them first. We actually find a very similar concept when we have the actual command and the building for the tabernacle itself from the start. You know what it says? If you look in Exodus 25:10, there's a command to right to Moses and Betal and it says that they shall make the ark of Aacia wood. That was the first command seemingly and only later it says they shall make the Mishkan. The Mishkan should be made. So what was first command? seemingly that they should first make the Aon and afterwards make the Mishkan. But what do we find in actuality also? But in reality in the in the actual making of it al who is the head artisan craftsman he first made the mishan and only afterwards the the vessels and what he had was on a very high level of what called ru kodesh of the holy spirit and prophecy and intimacy and the knowledge of god and he knew to do the opposite meaning first to build the t the the housing, the tent, the tent of meeting, the mishkan, and then do the kaim because if you did the ka, where would they sit? It wouldn't be very respectable, I don't know, the weather and whatnot. But it doesn't make sense to him. And he did the opposite and that was correct. So you would have come out to think that certainly just the fact that the was mentioned first because of the not necessarily um actually we're still talking about the story. So the fact that the was mentioned first look not that it was originally made to be made first. It was put first to be made first. But it was only on account of its importance that it was placed first. But in the actual making it was the opposite. So me the clear is going to say the same thing. Perhaps over here by I'm going to say to count them first because they're carrying the but in actuality I'm not going to count them first. So I'm you know what I would say on account of the honor for the ark. is carrying the responsibility. So, first I'm going to place the responsibility, right? Um um I'm sorry. I'm going to count them first. But you know what? Mosha Lisa s Rosham. But but really when Moses went and to count them but when Moses actually comes to count them he goes ahead and counts the the firstborn first. So this was all what I might mistakenly say that's why our verse comes and teaches us count make the senses with also as well. So what does it come out and teach us in the end? What is in verse says that really you must count first the children of God and only afterwards and only afterwards count the heads of Benon because anytime the word is used it's it's always coming to add something on what was originally said and since you have the command to count them first that's how it's done And only then you then count bench. And now the next paragraph, the bottom paragraph of the page no. Now for the fact that we say no. Now no means to count to raise use it as a census. Now the word nos is actually used when the command to take the census by the children of Gahhat and the children of Gisham. But I mentioned that there were three brothers Miri. But when it comes to Ben Miri, it says something else. It says here, let's look it up. It's 429. 429 says code. Count them but a different word. Now no say I said means to raise up and tiff code means to count has obviously other deeper meanings as well but there's something not balanced. You have three sons that are beny. You're going to count all of them and yet the same word is not used. You have to find that strange. And what's the difference between no say and tiffco? So let's start again right the word no is used by the two sons and gon but by the third no lo viv marari if you look again if you want to know the different verses four chapter 4 verse1 that's by ben kahhat no is used by our verse that's four uh chapter 4 verse 22 no is used by ben ger And in 429 by Mari it says tiff. And why? Because those two brothers had an advantage or some type of a a status that was higher than their third brother. And what was that? As we mentioned, Gahad had the responsibility to carry the holy ark. Gon what was his advantage or status that was different from the fact that he was the first born of Lei and furthermore the fact that the two of them carried something different materials that were much uh holier they had a higher status um than Benet Mariri for example Bahhat they carried all the vessels and in included in those vessels was the holy ark you know the altar the minora and whatnot what whatnot and when it came to the benchon they were carrying all the curtains and the tent material and beneri they were carrying all the the pillars and the planks the bars and the sockets okay so the clear points out that there's a difference in holiness so The this is another reason why so is used by the first two brothers and not by the third because that was more inferior than the rest meaning who was only carrying the pillars and the bars and the sockets al therefore therefore the the concept of being raised up was not used in the term for counting or consensus shop here and through this it's it's going to come out fine according to what we had a problem with gam when it says them as well when you say gam you're equating the second brother with the first brother and leaving out the third brother from that equation amar gamos now it says gam it doesn't say gamos meaning gam would have included the nameari because that's plural gam also them as well as opposed to just as well. So why does it say um and it doesn't say hello what they didn't have um any type of special virtue? No, they could also they were also had an aspect of being appointed as head. We're talking about because they were theor because they were the firstborn. Korakamar because they were the firstborn as we had already mentioned. Okay, I'm going to mention that we had a little bit of a technical difficulty so we had to really retape this class. If you continue to the next part, you hear the rest of this part. Shabbat shalom and hagame have a a real aliyah on this of shu a real kabala as we mentioned Torah is available to all of us we're all equal in it and we should all have a real full healthy complete of a just bonus of Torah a receiving of the Torah and we could then incorporate in our lives and make a real a real fixing in our own lives and um in the world as well. So, Shabbat love and h