450. Don’t Forsake Me: The prohibition against neglecting the Levites

There are certain things that must be given to a Levite. In this mitzvah, we are cautioned not to be negligent in this responsibility. When we go to Jerusalem for the Festivals, it’s the perfect time to take care of such obligations.

The Torah warns us, “hishamer l’cha pen ta’azov es haLeivi,” “guard yourself lest you neglect the Levite…” As we have mentioned, the phrase “hishamer…pen” (“watch out that you don’t”) denotes a negative mitzvah despite its seemingly-positive phraseology. “Be careful not to do such-and-such” is the functional equivalent of “don’t do such-and-such.”

The basis of this mitzvah is that God assigned the Levites to serve in the Temple, rather than owning a portion of the land. Had they received a territory in Israel, they would have then worked the land for food. Since the Temple service is their portion, the other Tribes must support them. This is not only a means of support for the Leviim, it’s a source of merit for the other Tribes. Just as people would bring gifts to royalty on holidays, we should be careful not to neglect the Leviim, especially at holiday time.

This mitzvah applies at a time when the Jews reside in their land. It is discussed in the Midrash in Vayikra Rabbah on parshas Vayikra. It is codified in the Mishneh Torah in the second chapter of Hilchos Chagigah. This mitzvah is #229 of the 365 negative mitzvos in the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvos.