Bamidbar: Being intentional in our identity

~ Our triennial cycle picks up from the counting of the Levites.

~ Why are first-born important? What other moments do we have in the Torah that being born first is important? [hint hint: Shavuot is coming]

~ What is the relationship between the first-born and the Levites?

~ When were we called "first-born" by God? Has that changed? When?

במדבר ג׳:ל״ט-מ״ה

(לט) כָּל־פְּקוּדֵ֨י הַלְוִיִּ֜ם אֲשֶׁר֩ פָּקַ֨ד מֹשֶׁ֧ה וְׄאַׄהֲׄרֹ֛ׄןׄ עַל־פִּ֥י ה' לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם כָּל־זָכָר֙ מִבֶּן־חֹ֣דֶשׁ וָמַ֔עְלָה שְׁנַ֥יִם וְעֶשְׂרִ֖ים אָֽלֶף׃ (ס) (מ) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה פְּקֹ֨ד כָּל־בְּכֹ֤ר זָכָר֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִבֶּן־חֹ֖דֶשׁ וָמָ֑עְלָה וְשָׂ֕א אֵ֖ת מִסְפַּ֥ר שְׁמֹתָֽם׃ (מא) וְלָקַחְתָּ֨ אֶת־הַלְוִיִּ֥ם לִי֙ אֲנִ֣י ה' תַּ֥חַת כָּל־בְּכֹ֖ר בִּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְאֵת֙ בֶּהֱמַ֣ת הַלְוִיִּ֔ם תַּ֣חַת כָּל־בְּכ֔וֹר בְּבֶהֱמַ֖ת בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (מב) וַיִּפְקֹ֣ד מֹשֶׁ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה ה' אֹת֑וֹ אֶֽת־כָּל־בְּכֹ֖ר בִּבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (מג) וַיְהִי֩ כָל־בְּכ֨וֹר זָכָ֜ר בְּמִסְפַּ֥ר שֵׁמ֛וֹת מִבֶּן־חֹ֥דֶשׁ וָמַ֖עְלָה לִפְקֻדֵיהֶ֑ם שְׁנַ֤יִם וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ אֶ֔לֶף שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה וְשִׁבְעִ֖ים וּמָאתָֽיִם׃ (פ) (מד) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (מה) קַ֣ח אֶת־הַלְוִיִּ֗ם תַּ֤חַת כָּל־בְּכוֹר֙ בִּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶת־בֶּהֱמַ֥ת הַלְוִיִּ֖ם תַּ֣חַת בְּהֶמְתָּ֑ם וְהָיוּ־לִ֥י הַלְוִיִּ֖ם אֲנִ֥י ה'׃

Numbers 3:39-45

(39) All the Levites who were recorded, whom at the LORD’s command Moses and Aaron recorded by their clans, all the males from the age of one month up, came to 22,000. (40) The LORD said to Moses: Record every first-born male of the Israelite people from the age of one month up, and make a list of their names; (41) and take the Levites for Me, the LORD, in place of every first-born among the Israelite people, and the cattle of the Levites in place of every first-born among the cattle of the Israelites. (42) So Moses recorded all the first-born among the Israelites, as the LORD had commanded him. (43) All the first-born males as listed by name, recorded from the age of one month up, came to 22,273. (44) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: (45) Take the Levites in place of all the first-born among the Israelite people, and the cattle of the Levites in place of their cattle; and the Levites shall be Mine, the LORD’s.

שמות ד׳:כ״ב

(כב) וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר ה' בְּנִ֥י בְכֹרִ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Exodus 4:22

(22) Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD: Israel is My first-born son.

שמות י״ג:ב׳

(ב) קַדֶּשׁ־לִ֨י כָל־בְּכ֜וֹר פֶּ֤טֶר כָּל־רֶ֙חֶם֙ בִּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בָּאָדָ֖ם וּבַבְּהֵמָ֑ה לִ֖י הֽוּא׃

Exodus 13:2

(2) “Consecrate to Me every first-born; man and beast, the first issue of every womb among the Israelites is Mine.”

שמות י״ט:ו׳

(ו) וְאַתֶּ֧ם תִּהְיוּ־לִ֛י מַמְלֶ֥כֶת כֹּהֲנִ֖ים וְג֣וֹי קָד֑וֹשׁ אֵ֚לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר תְּדַבֵּ֖ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Exodus 19:6

(6) but you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

רש"י על שמות י״ט:ו׳:א׳

(א) ואתם תהיו לי ממלכת כהנים. שָׂרִים, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמַר "וּבְנֵי דָּוִד כֹּהֲנִים" (שמואל ב ח'):

Rashi on Exodus 19:6:1

(1) ואתם תהיו לי ממלכת כהנים AND Y'ALL SHALL BE UNTO ME A KINGDOM OF כהנים — i. e. princes, just as you say, (II Samuel 8:18) “And the sons of David were princes (כהנים)”, which cannot denote priests since his sons were of the tribe of Judah and not of Levi, the priestly tribe.

רמב"ן על במדבר ג׳:מ״ה:א׳

(א) תחת כל בכור בבני ישראל הנה הבכורים נתקדשו להיות לשם מעת שצוה (שמות יג ב) קדש לי כל בכור בבני ישראל באדם וגו' והיו בכורים רבים בישראל ולא נפדו עד הנה שעדין לא נאמר למי יהיה הפדיון כי עתה הוא שנתקדשו הכהנים ועדין לא נצטוו במתנות הכהונה והנה הם עומדים בקדושתן סתם ויתכן שהיתה בהן עבודת הקרבנות כדברי רבותינו (זבחים קיב) והנראה אלי כי הבכורים האלה כלם לא נולדו במדבר בשנה אחת כי לא נתרבו העם שם כל כך רק כל הבכורים אשר היו בישראל נמנו כי כלם נתקדשו כאשר פרשתי שם (שמות יג יא) ועתה החליפם בלוים והם פדיונם וצוה שיפדו הנותרים ונתן הפדיון לאהרן ולבניו כאשר היא מצוה לדורות

Ramban on Numbers 3:45:1

In place of every firstborn of the Children of Israel - look, the firstborn were separated [made holy] to be God's from the moment that it was commanded (Ex. 13:2) "consacrate for Me every firstborn among the Children of Israel, people and etc." And there were many firstborn in Israel, and they were not redeemed until now, since until now it was not stated by whom they'd be redeemed, that now, when the Kohanim were separated [made holy], and the gifts for the Kohanim were not commanded, they [the firstborn] continue to be in their state of holiness, and it makes sense that they had the worship of the sacrifices, as our rabbis state (Talmud, Zevachim 112, "until the Tabernacle was built, the high places were permitted, and the firstborn did the worshiping, since the Tabernacle was built the high places were forbidden and so was the worshiping by the firstborn") And it appears to me that all the firstborn were not born in at the same year in the desert, since the people had not multiplied so much there, rather, all the Israelite firstborn were counted because all were separated/made holy, as I explained (see commentary in Shemot 13:11). And now they were exchanged by the Levites, and redeemed, and [God] commanded that the extra ones should be redeemed, and so the redemption was given to Aharon and his sons, as a commandment for all generations.

שמות כ״ד:ה׳

(ה) וַיִּשְׁלַ֗ח אֶֽת־נַעֲרֵי֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיַּֽעֲל֖וּ עֹלֹ֑ת וַֽיִּזְבְּח֞וּ זְבָחִ֧ים שְׁלָמִ֛ים לַה' פָּרִֽים׃

Exodus 24:5

(5) He designated some young men among the Israelites, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed bulls as offerings of well-being to the LORD.

רש"י על שמות כ״ד:ה׳:א׳

(א) את נערי. הַבְּכוֹרוֹת:

Rashi on Exodus 24:5:1

(1) את נערי THE LADS — the first-born sons (Zevachim 115b; Onkelos).

שד"ל על שמות י״ט:ו׳:א׳

(א) ממלכת כהנים וגוי קדוש: מפני שהיו הגוים מאמינים שכהנים קרובים וחביבים לאלהיהם ושאלהיהם עושים להם כל חפצם, אמר כי האומה כלה תהיה קרובה אל האל, שיהיה האל קרוב אליה בכל קראה אליו ומשגיח על כל ענינה, כאילו כל העדה כלם קדושים וכהנים, וזה רק ע"י שמירת מצותיו.

Shadal on Exodus 19:6:1

A kingdom of priests and a holy nation: Because the other peoples believe that their priests are closer and more beloved to their gods, and that their gods do all that the priests desire - [the Holy One] said that all the nation will be close to God, that God will be close to them in all their calling out, and is invested in all their issues, as if the entire congregation is composed of holy individuals and priests, and this only happens through observing the mitzvot.