levites jewish organization

613 MITZVOT PROJECTShaun Connolly

LEVITES

Who were the Levites?

• Levites are the descendants of Levi, one of the Tribes Of Israel, the Children Of Jacob.

• The term is generally used, from the perspective of The Bible, to identify the part of the tribe that was set apart for the secondary duties of the sanctuary service, as assistants to the priests, who were also Levites.

• Although all priests were Levites, not all Levites were priests.

What’s So Special About Them?

Levites are given the 2nd Aliyah on Shabbat (the secondary opportunity to recite a blessing over the Torah reading) This was considered a huge

honor

Service

• The Levites served at the Tabernacle from age 30 to 50.

• They were not counted for military service in the armies of Israel, but were set apart for service to God

• Levites had custody of The Tabernacle. The Gershonites camped on the west of the Tabernacle, the Kohathites on the south, the Merarites on the north, and the priests on the east

What Was The Tabernacle?

• Tabernacle means “tent,” “place of dwelling” or “sanctuary.”

• It was a sacred place where God chose to meet His people, the Israelites, during the 40 years they wandered in the desert under Moses’ leadership.

• It was the place where the leaders and people came together to worship and offer sacrifices.

268: Not to change the character of the open land (about the cities of) the Levites or of their fields; not to sell it in perpetuity,

but it may be redeemed at any time

Not to sell the fields but they shall

remain the Levites' before and after the

Jubilee year

400: That none of the tribe of Levi shall take any share of the spoil (at the conquest of the promise land.

The Levites must not take a share in the spoils of war

397: That the Levites shall serve in the sanctuary

The Levites must work in the Temple

398: To give the Levites cities to dwell in, these to serve also as cities of refuge

To give the Levites cities to inhabit and

their surrounding fields

416: Not to forsake the Levites; but their gifts (Dues) should be given to them, so that they might rejoice

therewith on each and every festival

Not to refrain from rejoicing with, and giving gifts to, the

Levites

References

• http://www.keyway.ca/htm2002/levites.htm• http://lionlamb.net/v3/gz.php?f=files/TorahCommandments.

htm• http://the-tabernacle-place.com/articles/what_is_the_tabern

acle