וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי פְּקֹד אֶת בְּנֵי לֵוִי. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: צַדִּיק כַּתָּמָר יִפְרַח (תהלים צב, יג). מָה הַתְּמָרָה הַזּוֹ צִלָּהּ רָחוֹק, כָּךְ מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים רָחוֹק. מָה הַתְּמָרָה הַזּוֹ עוֹשֶׂה תְּמָרִים וְעוֹשָׂה נוֹבְלוֹת, כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל יֵשׁ בָּהֵן בְּנֵי תּוֹרָה וְיֵשׁ בָּהֵן עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ. מַה תְּמָרָה הַזּוֹ יֵשׁ בָּהֵן נוֹבְלוֹת שֶׁאֵין נִכְנָסִין לָאוֹצָר, וְעוֹשָׂה תְּמָרִים וְהֵן נִכְנָסִין לָאוֹצָר, כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּשֶׁהֵן בַּמִּדְבָּר, מֵהֶן נִכְנְסוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמֵהֶן לֹא נִכְנְסוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. צַדִּיק כַּתָּמָר יִפְרַח. מָה הַתְּמָרָה הַזּוֹ אִם נִקְצְצָה אוֹ נֶעֶקְרָה אֵין עוֹלָה תַּחְתֶּיהָ אַחֶרֶת, וְכָךְ הָאֶרֶז, כְּשֶׁהוּא נִקְצָץ אוֹ נֶעֱקָר, אֵינוֹ מַחֲלִיף לְפִיכָךְ נִמְשָׁלִים הַצַּדִּיקִים לַתְּמָרָה וְלָאֶרֶז. צַדִּיק כַּתָּמָר יִפְרַח. מַה הַתְּמָרָה הַזּוֹ עוֹשָׂה תְּמָרִים וְעוֹשָׂה קוֹצִים, וְכָל מִי שֶׁמְּבַקֵּשׁ לִגְנֹב הַתְּמָרִים, הַקּוֹצִים שֶׁבָּהּ שׁוֹלְטִים בּוֹ, כָּךְ הַצַּדִּיקִים וְהַחֲכָמִים בְּנֵי תּוֹרָה, כָּל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְשַׁמֵּר עַצְמוֹ מֵהֶם, נוֹפֵל בַּגֵּיהִנָּם וְלוֹקֶה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. לָמָּה, שֶׁנְּשִׁיכָתָן נְשִׁיכַת שׁוּעָל, וַעֲקִיצָתָן עֲקִיצַת עַקְרָב, וּלְחִישָׁתָן לְחִישַׁת שָׂרָף, וְאַף כָּל דִּבְרֵיהֶם כְּגַחֲלֵי אֵשׁ. צַדִּיק כַּתָּמָר יִפְרַח. מְדַבֵּר בְּשִׁבְטוֹ שֶׁל לֵוִי, שֶׁהִפְרִישׁוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הַטּוֹבִים. וְלָמָּה נִמְשְׁלוּ לְתָמָר. לוֹמַר לְךָ, מַה תָּמָר אֵין לוֹ אֶלָּא לֵב אֶחָד, כָּךְ שֵׁבֶט לֵוִי אֵין לוֹ אֶלָּא לֵב אֶחָד לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה, מִי לַה' אֵלַי וַיֵּאָסְפוּ אֵלָיו כָּל בְּנֵי לֵוִי (שמות לב, כו). מַה כְּתִיב אַחֲרָיו, שְׁתוּלִים בְּבֵית ה' בְּחַצְרוֹת אֱלֹהֵינוּ יַפְרִיחוּ (תהלים צב, יד). לְלַמֶּדְךָ, שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ זָזִין מִבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: עֵינַי בְּנֶאֶמְנֵי אֶרֶץ לָשֶׁבֶת עִמָּדִי הוֹלֵךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ תָּמִים הוּא יְשָׁרְתֵנִי (שם קא, ו). לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: שְׁתוּלִים בְּבֵית ה', שֶׁלֹּא הָיְתָה עֶזְרָה חֲסֵרָה מֵהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: בְּחַצְרוֹת אֱלֹהֵינוּ יַפְרִיחוּ. מַהוּ בְּחַצְרוֹת אֱלֹהֵינוּ. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: אַשְׁרֵי תִּבְחַר וּתְקָרֵב יִשְׁכֹּן חֲצֵרֶיךָ, נִשְׂבְּעָה בְּטוּב בֵּיתְךָ קְדוֹשׁ הֵיכָלֶךָ (תהלים סה, ה). אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, הוֹאִיל וְהֵן לִגְיוֹנוֹתַי שֶׁאֵינָן זָזִין מִבֵּיתִי, לֵךָ וּסְפוֹר אוֹתָם. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: פְּקֹד אֶת בְּנֵי לֵוִי. (Numb. 3:14-15) “And the Lord spoke to Israel in the Sinai Desert, saying enroll the Children of Levi….” This text is related (to Ps. 92:13), “The righteous one shall flourish like the palm.” Just as the palm [casts] its shadow at a distance73Because the long trunk of the palm has no branches.; so the reward of the righteous is at a distance [from them].74Numb. R. 3:1; Gen. R. 40:1; M. Pss. 92:11; cf. above, Gen. 3:9. Just as the palm produces [ripe] dates and produces unripenable dates; so it is with Israel. It has Torah scholars within it, and it has ignoramuses ('amme ha'arets) within it. Just as the palm has within it unripenable dates, which never enter the storehouse, yet produces ripe dates, and these do enter the store house; so it was with Israel in the wilderness. Some of them did enter the land of Israel; yet some of them did not enter. (Ps. 92:13), “The righteous one shall flourish like the palm, [he shall thrive like a cedar in Lebanon].” Just as with the palm, if it is cut down or uprooted, another does not grow up in its stead; so also with the cedar, when it is uprooted or cut down, it does not grow again.75Cf. M. Pss. 92:11, according to which the cedar is unlike the palm in that its trunk can grow new shoots. The righteous are therefore to be compared with the palm and with the cedar.76Numb. R. 3:1, explains more fully that, like the palm and the cedar, the righteous cannot be replaced when they die. (Ps. 92:13) “The righteous one shall flourish like the palm.” Just as the palm produces dates and produces thorns, [so that] whenever anyone seeks to steal the dates, the thorns prevail against him; so it is with the righteous and the sages, the masters of Torah. Whoever does not preserve his soul from them falls to geiheinnom and is stricken in this world. Why? (Avot 2:10:) “Because their bite is the bite of a fox, their sting is the sting of a scorpion, their hiss is the hiss of a serpent, and all their words also are like coals of fire.” (Ps. 92:13) “The righteous one shall flourish like the palm.” [The passage] speaks about the tribe of Levi, in that the Holy One, blessed be He, set them apart because of their good works. And why are they compared to a palm? To tell you that just as the palm has only one heart, so too the tribe of Levi only has one heart for the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated (Exodus 32:26), “And [Moses] said, ‘Whoever is for the Lord, to me!’ And all of the sons of Levi gathered to him.” What is written next (in vs. 14)? “Planted in the house of the Lord; they shall prosper in the courts of our God. [These words are] to teach you that they never moved from the Temple, as stated (in Ps. 101:6), “My eyes are on the faithful in the land that they may dwell with Me. The one who walks in the way of the blameless shall minister to Me.” It is therefore stated (in Ps. 92:14), “planted in the house of the Lord,” where no help was lacking for them, as stated (ibid., cont.), “they shall prosper in the courts of our God.” What is the meaning of “in the courts?” This text is related (to Ps. 65:5), “Fortunate is the one You choose and bring near to dwell in Your courts. May we be sated with the goodness of Your house, Your holy Temple.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “In as much as they are My legions who do not move from My house,77Lat.: legiones; Gk.: legeones. go and number them.” It is therefore stated (in Numb. 3:15), “Enroll the Children of Levi….”