CHASSIDIC PEARLS BY RABBI LAZER BRODY PARSHAS BAMIDBAR
"Hashem spoke to Moses saying, 'Take the Levites in place of every firstborn of the Children of Israel… and as for the redemptions of the 273 firstborn Israelites who are in excess of the Levites; you shall take five shekels from each one'" (Bamidbar 3:44-47)
At first, the holy service of the tabernacle and the sacrifices was intended for the firstborn of Israel. Parshat Bo teaches (Shemot 13:2) that every firstborn is sanctified. Hashem selectively and miraculously spared the firstborn of Israel at the same time and place when He killed the firstborn of Egypt. Therefore, the firstborn were born into a special sanctified status with extra privileges and extra responsibilities, namely, completely dedicating their lives to Divine service.
Although a negligible number of Israelites took active participation in the ignominy of the golden calf, collective responsibility rendered the firstborn Israelites unfit for service in the tabernacle and other priestly duties. Insofar as the Levites refrained from any involvement in the golden calf, they were perfect candidates to replace the firstborn of Israel. This was quite a tidy solution, especially since there were 22,273 firstborn Israelites of service age, and 22,000 corresponding Levites of service age. Moses was left with a problem: What’s to be done about the 273 Israelites that don't have a corresponding Levite to replace them?
"Hashem spoke to Moses saying, 'Take the Levites in place of every firstborn of the Children of Israel… and as for the redemptions of the 273 firstborn Israelites who are in excess of the Levites; you shall take five shekels from each one'" (Bamidbar 3:44-47)
At first, the holy service of the tabernacle and the sacrifices was intended for the firstborn of Israel. Parshat Bo teaches (Shemot 13:2) that every firstborn is sanctified. Hashem selectively and miraculously spared the firstborn of Israel at the same time and place when He killed the firstborn of Egypt. Therefore, the firstborn were born into a special sanctified status with extra privileges and extra responsibilities, namely, completely dedicating their lives to Divine service.
Although a negligible number of Israelites took active participation in the ignominy of the golden calf, collective responsibility rendered the firstborn Israelites unfit for service in the tabernacle and other priestly duties. Insofar as the Levites refrained from any involvement in the golden calf, they were perfect candidates to replace the firstborn of Israel. This was quite a tidy solution, especially since there were 22,273 firstborn Israelites of service age, and 22,000 corresponding Levites of service age. Moses was left with a problem: What’s to be done about the 273 Israelites that don't have a corresponding Levite to replace them?
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