An Integrated Community

Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying: Speak to Aharon and say to him: When you light the lamps,the seven lamps shall cast their light toward the face of the menorah.  (Sefer BeMidbar 8:1-2)

The delay in recording the commandment of lighting the menorah

Our parasha opens with a discussion of the kindling of the menorah – the candelabra. The menorah was one of the most fundamental vessels of the Mishcan – the Tabernacle. In the above passages, Hashem commands Moshe to instruct Aharon in the daily igniting and maintenance of the menorah.  According to our Sages, this commandment was given to Moshe during the first year of the nation’s travels in the wilderness.  Specifically, it was given on the day that Mishcan was fully installed.  The date was the first day of the month of Nisan.  The events of that day are described in Parshat Shemini.  In that description, this commandment is not noted.  Instead, the commandment is first mentioned in the above passages.  Why was the commandment not mentioned at an earlier point?

And it was that on the day that Moshe finished erecting the Mishcan, he anointed it, sanctified it, and all its vessels, and the altar and all its vessels, and he anointed them and sanctified them. The princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers' houses, presented [their offerings]. They were theleaders of the tribes. They were the ones who were present during the counting. (Sefer BeMidbar 7:1-2)

Aharon and his tribe were not included in the inaugural offerings

Rashi explains that the delay in presenting this commandment is intended to connect the commandment to the previous material.   At the end of Parshat Naso, the Torah describes the offerings that were brought by the princes of the various tribes as an initiation of the Mishcan.  The Torah explains that the princes of the tribes of Israel approached Moshe and proposed bringing an inaugural offering.  Hashem instructed Moshe to accept the proposed offering.  Each prince was assigned a specific day to bring his offering, and over the course of twelve consecutive days, the princes brought their offerings.

Rashi explains that Aharon was disappointed that he and his tribe were not included in these inaugural offerings.  In other words, all of the tribes were represented except that of Aharon – the tribe of Leyve.  Hashem responded to Aharon’s disappointment.  He instructed Moshe to relate to Aharon the mitzvah of tending to and lighting the Mishcan’s menorah.

Why did Aharon not participate with the princes?  In other words, how did Aharon become excluded from the inaugural offerings?  Rashi derives his comments from the midrash. In the version quoted in Midrash Tanhumah, it seems Aharon and the Levites were excluded at the direction of Hashem.  Hashem instructed Moshe to accept the offerings of the other princes and their tribes but He did not include Aharon and the tribe of Leyve.  Why did Hashem exclude Aharon and the tribe of Leyve?

The one who brought his offering on the first day was Nachshon, the son of Amminadav of the  tribe of Yehudah.  (Sefer BeMidbar 7:12)

The order in which the inaugural offerings were presented

The answer to this question emerges from consideration of the purpose of these inaugural offerings.  Why did the princes request to bring them?  The Mishcan had been consecrated and installed. What was added by this inauguration?

In the above table, the first two columns list the order in which the princes brought their offerings.  This order does not correspond to the birth order of the tribes’ patriarchs or any other obvious hierarchy.  The second two columns are the order in which the tribes camped around the Mishcan.  A group of three tribes camped on each side of the Mishcan.  Each group consisted of the lead tribe and two others that accompanied it.  In these two right columns, the tribes are listed in the exact order the Torah employs to assign each its position relative to the Mishcan.  For example, the Torah explains that the tribe of Yehudah led the group that camped to the east of the Mishcan.  It was accompanied by the tribe of Yisachar and the tribe of Zevulun.  By comparing the two left columns to the two right columns, we discover the basis for the order in which the offerings were brought.  The order in which the offerings were brought reflected the order in which the tribes encamped surrounding the Mishcan.

And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst.  (Sefer Shemot 25:8)And Hashem spoke to Moshe and Aharon saying:  The children of Israel shall encamp each man by his division with the flag staffs of their fathers' house; some distance from the Tent of Meeting they shall encamp.  (Sefer BeMidbar 2:1-2)

Two functions of the Mishcan

Now, the purpose of the inaugural offerings can be identified.  The Mishcan served two functions.  The first of these functions is expressed in the first quotation above.  The Mishcan was a place in which the presence of Hashem was manifestly evident.  In response to His presence, sacrifices were brought there and offered on its altar.  However, the Mishcan had a second function. This function is described in the second quotation above.  The Mishcan formed the spiritual and the actual physical center of the camp and nation.  The entire nation integrated itself into an encampment focused upon the presence of Hashem in its midst.

The princes were directed to bring their offerings in the order in which their tribes encamped around the Mishcan.  The order communicated the meaning of these inaugural offerings.  They consecrated the Mishcan as the center or focus of the encampment.  In other words, the Mishcan was first consecrated as the “residence of Hashem”.  However, the integration of the Mishcan and encampment as a nation focused upon the presence of Hashem within its midst was not accomplished by the mere erection of the Mishcan, its consecration, and its initial sacrifices.  The integration of the Mishcan within the camp and the focusing of the nation upon the divine presence in its midst required the initiative of the nation.  This integration was achieved through the inaugural offering of the princes. 

This is [the rule] concerning the Levites: From the age of twenty-five years and upwards, he shall enter the service to work in the Tent of Meeting.  From the age of fifty, he shall retire from the work legion, and do no more work.  He shall minister with his brethren in the Tent of Meeting to keep the charge, but he shall not perform the service; thus shall you do for the Levites regarding their charge.  (Sefer BeMidbar 8:24-26)

The Levites are part of the institution of Mishcan

Now, we understand why Aharon and the Levites were not included in these inaugural offerings.  The Levites were not among the tribes listed in the two right columns of the above table.  They were not assigned a position on a side of the Mishcan.  Because the Levites were not assigned a position among the other tribes, they did not participate in their inaugural sacrifices. 

Of course, this raises a question. Why were the Levites not assigned a place among the other tribes of Israel surrounding the Mishcan?  An indication of the answer to this question is provided by Maimonides in his Mishne Torah.  There, he discusses the commandment upon the Levites to serve in the Bait HaMikdah and the commandment to consecrate the kohanim – the priests.  He places his discussion of these two commandments in the section of his work dealing with the vessels of the Bait HaMikdah.  His treatment of these mitzvot indicates that he regards the Levites and the kohanim as part of the institution of the Bait HaMikdah.  They are an essential component of the Temple.  This status is also expressed in the above passages.

The unique status of the Levites is reflected in the place of the Levites’ camp in the wilderness.  They formed an inner circle directly surrounding the Mishcan.  The other tribes camped at distance from the Mishcan, whereas, the Levites camped directly around it.  This demonstrated the more intimate relationship of the Levites to the Mishcan.  They were part of the institution of the Mishcan. 

Treating synagogue like the Mishcan

The centrality of the Mishcan to the camp of Bnai Yisrael has a contemporary parallel.  Shulchan Aruch explains that the community’s synagogue should be built upon the highest ground of the town and its structure should be taller than the surrounding homes and buildings.  This requirement is derived from the placement of the Bait HaMikdah.  It seems that the requirement regarding the Bait HaMikdah reflects the same theme of centrality expressed in design of the camp of Bnai Yisrael in the wilderness.  Like the Mishcan of the wilderness, the synagogue of the community must form its spiritual center and focus.  This is ideally expressed in the physical placement of the synagogue at an elevation above the homes and other buildings of the community. 

It follows that we are expected to integrate the synagogue into the community as the princes integrated their tribes’ encampments with the Mishcan in their midst.  This integration requires the initiative of the members of the community.  The members must make the synagogue part of their lives.  The synagogue becomes integrated into the community and becomes its spiritual focus when the members of the community make the synagogue an important part of their lives.