Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying: Count the Sons of Gershon as well, according to their families.
The census of the Levites began at the end of the previous sidra with the counting of the family of Kehas, and continues here with those of Gershon and Merari. Being that the order of Levi’s children was Gershon, Kehas, Merari, why wasn’t it followed here? And, as we are wont to ask, of what relevance are these censuses to the Jew of today?
In order to treat our topic, we will discuss the nature of the four encampments into which the Jewish People were divided during their trek through the wilderness – Yehudah in the east, Reuven in the south, Ephrayim in the west, and Dan in the north. Specifically, why was the greater nation divided into four, while the tribe of Levi into three?
Let us begin with a mishnah in Avos.* Yehudah ben Tabbai said: Be bold as a leopard, light as an eagle, swift as a gazelle, and strong as a lion in order to fulfill the will of your heavenly Father.
The Olelos Ephrayim** lists four motivations of decreasing value, for undertaking Teshuvah, repentance. The first is borne of one’s personal inspiration and choice, unprompted by external stimuli. The second is prompted by reproof, such as occurred with the populace of Nineveh, who were moved to repent through the warnings of Yonah. The third is one who is deaf to those warnings – until he witnesses others being punished for their sins and fears for himself. The fourth is one who remains unmoved until he personally experiences punishment, such as happened with the wicked king Menasheh.
These four templates for repentance are alluded to in the passage dedicated to the topic in 1) לשמר מצותיו וחקתיו הכתובה בספר התורה הזה כי תשוב אל ה' אלקיך בכל לבבך ובכל .Parshas Nitzavim ,to safeguard His commandments and statutes which are written in this book of the Torah ,נפשך for you shall return to Hashem your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul*** – this is repentance produced by Torah study; 2) ובניך בכל לבבך ובכל נפשך ושבת עד ה' אלקיך ושמעת בקלו ככל אשר אנכי מצוך היום אתה You shall return to Hashem your God and you shall heed His voice, in accordance with all that I command you today, you and your children, with all of your heart and with all of your soul**** - the voice in question being that of the reprover; 3),האלה על איביך ועל שנאיך אשר רדפוך. ואתה תשוב ושמעת בקול ה' ועשית את כל מצותיו אשר אנכי מצוך היום ונתן ה' אלקיך את כל האלות Hashem your God will place all of these curses upon your enemies and your foes who pursued you. And you shall repent and heed the voice of Hashem, and you shall perform all of His commandments which I am commanding you today***** – repentance borne of witnessing punishment; 4) והיה כי יבאו עליך כל הדברים האלה הברכה והקללה אשר נתתי לפניך והשבת אל לבבך בכל הגוים אשר הדיחך ה' אלקיך שמה It shall be when there shall befall you all of these matters, the blessing ,אשר הדיחך ה' אלקיך שמה and the curse which I have placed before you, and you shall take to heart while among all of the nations that Hashem your God has scattered you there****** - repentance from suffering.
Parallel to the above, Parshas Nitzavim also includes allusions to four issues that prevent the ,לא נפלאת היא ,performance of repentance. One is ignorance of one’s misdeeds. As the verse states [repentance] is not removed from you,******* implying that it is only possible when one is aware of his situation. The second is resignation, believing that one is so sinful that Teshuvah is beyond his reach. As the verse says, לא בשמים היא, [repentance] is not in heaven,******** indicating that if one feels that his sins are piled high to the sky, too insurmountable to overcome, he will never make an attempt. The third is obsession with material matters: one who is too busy pursuing the latest fad will delay repentance from one day to the next. To this the verse states, ולא רחוקה היא, and it is not distant, ********* for if one pushes off Teshuvah he will never get around to it. Similarly, the fourth is being addicted to one’s business pursuits; it allows no time for introspection. To this the verse alludes with ולא מעבר לים היא, nor is it on the other side of the sea,********** which the Talmud*********** takes to refer to those who take to the seas for business.
Let us expand on this formulation of the Olelos Ephrayim by drawing a parallel to the aforementioned four camps in the wilderness, as well as to the four possible permutations of relationships between Hashem and Israel.
The highest form of Teshuvah is when it is performed not for one’s own sake, but for the sake of Heaven, to rescue the Shechinah from the clutches of the Dark Side and restore it to its proper place in the spiritual constellation. To this the very word תשובה alludes, divisible into תשוב ה, to restore the letter hei, which is symbolic of the Shechinah. This elevated form of repentance elicits the highest, most intimate relationship between Hashem and Israel (who parallels the Shechinah), portrayed as face-to-face contact. This leads us to the “face,” that is, the front, of the Israelite encampment, the eastern division of Yehudah that lead the way.************
The second catalyst to repentance, through reproof, can be depicted as Hashem facing towards Israel, calling out for us to return to Him, while Israel turns its back to Him, due to its failure to be self-motivated to repent. This is represented in the encampment of Reuven on the south side. As Tehillim************* says, שמעי בת וראי והטי אזנך, listen, O daughter, and see, and incline your ear – to the שובו בנים the heavenly voice (lit. the “daughter of the voice”) which proclaims daily ,בת קול Hashem’s ,בנים repent, O wayward sons,*************** i.e., that despite their wantonness they remain ,שובבים children. This message is captured in the name ראו בן – ראובן, see that [Israel] is a son.
The third is he who repents only due to witnessing suffering. This takes the form of Hashem turning His back to us – which prompts the suffering – and the Jewish People facing towards Him in a consequent act of repentance. This is the western quadrant of Ephrayim, which כי הפרני ,occupies the rear of the camp. In this vein can we take the impetus for Ephrayim’s name for He made me fruitful in the land of my suffering,*************** that is, the suffering witnessed by ,בארץ עניי others prompts the fruitful engagement in repentance.
The fourth is the most strained relationship, when Hashem and Israel are back-to-back. In this state, the latter only repent under the pressure of their own suffering. This is the camp of Dan in וגם את הגוי אשר יעבדו the north, both of which have nefarious associations: Dan, as the verse says the bad ,מצפון תפתח הרעה meaning “to punish;” and the north, as per the verse דן the word **************** ,דן אנכי will open from the north.*****************
Now, this last category is negotiable. For if one feels for the suffering of his fellow Jew as if it is his own, he need not be directly afflicted to prompt him to repentance. Thus, the four categories of motivation would fold into three.
This is why the tribe of Levi is subdivided into three groups, unlike the broader Jewish People. ,escorting, signifying fraternity and companionship. As such ,לויה is derived from the term לוי they have no need for the fourth of the above categories.
How is this unity achieved? The three sons of Levi describe a process. קהת is derived from the term קהילה, gathering. The first step in creating unity is to physically bring people together – proximity breeds familiarity. As Esther instructed, לך כנוס את כל היהודים, go gather all of the Jews!****************** By convening them she sought to counter Haman’s plan to keep them divided, as per there is a single nation which is scattered and divided.******************* As I heard once, this ,עם אחד מפוזר ומפורד ,לכן הנני יוסף להפליא את העם הזה הפלא ופלא is one explanation of the Navi’s ominous warning therefore, I will continue to distinguish this nation in an astonishing manner,******************** the word פל"א an acronym for פירוד לבבות אנשים, the division of the hearts of men.
The Olelos Ephrayim********************* has a fascinating insight along these lines. He suggests that the word the single blast of the Shofar, connotes unity. The first step in creating unity is to start with ,תקיעה the leadership. If there is one voice at the top leading and inspiring the people, then there is hope that they will follow suit. But if there is discord at the highest ranks, people don’t know who to listen to, and chaos will ensue. As the Torah says, בהתאסף ראשי עם יחד שבטי ישראל, when the heads of the nation gather, the tribes of Israel united********************** – this is cause and effect: when the heads are united, the tribes will be as well. As such, this is why the single blast of the תקיעה served as the signal for the Nesi’im, the leaders of the tribes, to convene at the Ohel Mo’ed.***********************
With this step – that of Kehas – in play, that of Gershon can follow. He represents the rank and file of the tribe, the word גרשון a derivative of גר, stranger, for, relative to the leadership, they are more removed. If, however, they don’t get the message, then we need to switch to plan B, that of suffering. Enter מררי, derived from מרירות, bitterness. As mentioned, suffering can be vicarious. Since the tribe of Levi shares a profound sense of kinship, the suffering of others hurts as much as their own, and repentance will undoubtedly ensue.
ועל כל העדה יקצף ואחיכם כל בית ישראל יבכו את This may provide another interpretation of the verse and He shall anger against all of the Assembly; and your brethren, the entire ,השריפה אשר שרף ה' house of Israel, shall weep for the conflagration which Hashem has wrought.24 Note that the first part of the verse speaks in the future tense, while the latter in the past. As if to say, instead of prompting punishment being brought against you directly (which has yet to happen, hence the future tense), let the past punishment of others suffice to inspire you to repentance through your .אחיכם – sense of brotherhood
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* 5:20. The author later suggests that these four characteristics parallel the four obstacles to repentance that he will discuss, but does not explain himself.
** 226
*** Devarim 30:10. **** Ibid., 2.
***** Ibid., 7-8.
****** Ibid., 1.
******* Ibid., 11.
******** Ibid., 12.
********* Ibid., 11.
********** Ibid., 13.
*********** Eiruvin 55a. ************ See Rashi, Shemos 26:22.
************* 45:11
************** Yirmiyah 3:14,22. See Chagigah 15a. *************** Bereishis 41:52.
**************** Ibid., 15:14.
***************** Yirmiyah 1:14. ****************** Esther 4:16.
******************* Ibid., 3:8.
******************** Yeshayah 29:14. .********************* 212
********************** Devarim 33:5.
************************ Bamidbar 10:4. 24 Vayikra 10:6.