Ages of Levite Workers/2

Ages of Levite Workers

Exegetical Approaches

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Different Levels of Obligation

Only Levites aged 30 and up were fully obligated to work in the Mishkan.  Those younger were either in training or simply volunteers.

Sources:Tosefta ShekalimShekalim 3:16About the Tosefta, Sifre Bemidbar8:24About Sifre Bemidbar, Bavli ChulinChulin 24aAbout the Bavli, RashiBemidbar 8:24-26About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, RambanBemidbar 8:24-26About R. Moshe b. Nachman, RalbagBemidbar 4:2Bemidbar 8:24-26Ezra 3:8Divrei HaYamim I 23:4Divrei HaYamim I 23:24About R. Levi b. Gershom, HaKetav VeHaKabbalahBemidbar 8:24About R. Yaakov Mecklenburg, MalbimBemidbar 4:3Bemidbar 8:24-26About R. Meir Leibush Weiser

Training or Volunteering – These sources disagree whether under the age of thirty the Levites were obligated to practice, or whether they were simply allowed to volunteer for certain tasks:

• Train – Most of these sources claim that the Levites were obligated to begin training at 25.
• Volunteer – Ramban, instead, suggests that the verse is speaking only of volunteer work.  From the age of 25, any Levite could assist the older Levites whenever he wanted; he simply could not be in charge of any specific task.

"לִצְבֹא צָבָא בַּעֲבֹדַת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד" – Ramban¹ points to the contrasting formulations regarding the Levites' functions in Chapters 4 and 8 to support the suggestion that the distinction relates to training. Throughout Chapter 4 the verses speak explicitly of the Levites doing work, "לִצְבֹא צָבָא לַעֲבֹד עֲבֹדָה בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד" while in Bemidbar 8, instead, the verses write only "לִצְבֹא צָבָא בַּעֲבֹדַת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד", without including the verb "לַעֲבֹד", since they are not actually obligated to work, only "לִצְבֹא צָבָא" - to gather together with the others who are working.

David's era – HaKetav VeHaKabbalah suggests that the obligation to train began at 25, but if one wanted to, he could train earlier as well.  As, such in David's time even those aged 20 gathered.

Second Temple Era – According to Ralbag the verse in Ezra 3 has nothing to do with working in the Mikdash. Rather, the Levites were assigned "לְנַצֵּחַ עַל מְלֶאכֶת בֵּית י״י," to oversee and hasten the construction of the building itself. Since enemies ("צָרֵי יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן") attempted to interrupt the construction, overseers were necessary.

Different Tasks

The heavy work of carrying was assigned only to those thirty and above, but other tasks were given to those that were younger.

Sources:RashbamBemidbar 8:24-26About R. Shemuel b. Meir, Ibn EzraBemidbar 4:3Bemidbar 4:24Bemidbar 8:24-26About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, R. Yosef Bekhor ShorBemidbar 4:3Bemidbar 4:47Bemidbar 8:24-26About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor

What tasks? These commentators disagree regarding which tasks were fuflilled by those under 30:

• Guard duty - Rashbam assumes that the tasks of those above 50 and below 30 were identical, and therefore learns from Bemidbar 8:26 "וְשֵׁרֵת אֶת אֶחָיו בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לִשְׁמֹר מִשְׁמֶרֶת" that at these ages the Levites were assigned to guard the Mikdash.
• General work in the Mishkan - Ibn Ezra asserts that the Levites helped erect the Mishkan, make bread,

¹ See also HaKetav VeHaKabbalah and Malbim.