Ages of Levite Workers/2

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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.

Training or Volunteering – These sources disagree whether the Levites were obligated to practice from the age of 25, 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" – HaKetav VeHaKabbalah and Malbim1 points to the contrasting formulations 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".  Bemidbar 8 omits the verb "לַעֲבֹד" since Levites aged 25 are not actually obligated to work, but only "לִצְבֹא צָבָא", to gather together with the others who are working.
David's era – These sources explain the lower age limit set by David in differing ways:
  • Obligation vs. allowance – 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.2
  • Mishkan vs. Mikdash –  Ralbag and Malbim,3 instead, suggest that the age limits set by Sefer Bemidbar apply only during eras when the Levites needed to carry the various vessels or parts of the Tabernacle. Towards the end of David's life,4 when he was planning for the building of a permanent Mikdash, when there would no longer be a necessity to carry anything, David lowered the age to 20. This is somewhat explicit in Divrei HaYamim itself, "כִּי אָמַר דָּוִיד הֵנִיחַ י״י אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעַמּוֹ וַיִּשְׁכֹּן בִּירוּשָׁלַ‍ִם עַד לְעוֹלָם.  וְגַם לַלְוִיִּם אֵין לָשֵׂאת אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְאֶת כׇּל כֵּלָיו לַעֲבֹדָתוֹ"
Second Temple Era – The explanations brought to explain the age limits in the era of David can be applied to this era as well.  However, Ralbag suggests that 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 Mikdash itself.5 This was a unique one-time task which is irrelevant to the discussion of the general Levitical tasks in Bemidbar.
Post 50

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.

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,