The Roles of Levites in the Army
In the previous column we learned that members of the Tribe of Levi participated in Israel’s wars to defend the people and the Land, as explained in Scripture, the words of our Sages, and the writings of early and later authorities. Therefore, when the soldiers from the Tribe of Levi were counted in the days of David, their number was no less than that of the soldiers from the other tribes (I Chronicles 12:24-39), and some of them even served as commanders of the army, such as Benaiah son of Yehoiada.
In this column we will continue to learn that according to the guidance of the Torah, the first role of the members of the Tribe of Levi was to lead the army spiritually, and see to its disciplined behavior.
That is, initially they would select from the Levites all those suited for these roles, and afterward, the remaining Levites would enlist in the army like all of Israel. And as we learned last week, according to most halakhic authorities, in a mandatory war to save Israel (‘milchemet mitzvah’), they were obligated to enlist, although according to some authorities, it was a mitzvah for them to enlist, but not an obligation.
The Anointed Priest for War
In addition to the High Priest (Kohen Ha-Gadol) who was responsible for the service in the Temple, another priest was anointed with the anointing oil, who was called the ‘Kohen Mashuach Milchama’ (“Anointed Priest for War”).His role was to encourage the warriors of Israel with words of faith, such as:
“Hear, O Israel, today you are approaching battle against your enemies-let not your heart grow faint; do not fear, do not panic, and do not be terrified of them. For the Lord your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to save you” (Deuteronomy 20:2-4; Maimonides, Laws of Kings 7:1-3).
It stands to reason that just as the High Priest stood at the head of the system of priests who served in the Temple, so too the ‘Anointed Priest for War’ stood at the head of a framework of priests who supported the fighters in their various units.
In addition to strengthening the spirit of the fighters before battle, the ‘Anointed Priest for War’ was a partner in the decisions of the General Staff, to the extent that our Sages said (Nazir 47b) that many depend on him, for “the entire battle formation is arranged according to him” (Rosh ad loc.; and likewise, Rashi and Tosafot there).
Sounding the Trumpets
Another role of the priests in war-and this too is a commandment from the Torah-was to sound the trumpets in order to encourage the fighters to bravery and trust in God, and to bring Israel to remembrance before God for good (Numbers 10:8-9). Thus, they did in the war against Midian, when Phinehas the priest sounded the trumpets (Numbers 31:6). And likewise in the war of Jericho, the priests blew the shofars before the Ark of the Lord during the seven days in which the warriors of Israel encircled the city, and thereby, led the war spiritually (Joshua 6:4).
The Bearers of the Ark That Went Out with the Fighters
In addition, the priests would carry the Ark, which accompanied Israel in its wars, and through this the Divine Presence rested in the camp of Israel and they merited help from Heaven, as it is stated:
“For the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to save you and to deliver your enemies before you” (Deuteronomy 23:15).
It stands to reason that the guard of priests who carried the Ark consisted of courageous fighters who were able to protect the Ark from the enemy, who would strive to capture it, and thereby decide the battle. As was customary in all armies, elite soldiers were stationed to guard the standard that stood near the commanders of the campaign.
So, we find that in the war that the Philistines waged against Israel at Ebenezer, the priestly guard failed, and the Philistines killed Hophni and Phinehas, sons of Eli the High Priest, who guarded the Ark, and captured the Ark of the Lord that had been brought to the battle. As a result, Shiloh was destroyed, and Eli the High Priest died (I Samuel 7:2-14).
The Levites as Officers Who Determine Who Is Exempt from War
In addition to being teachers of halakha, educators, and judges, the Levites also served as officers, as our Sages said: “At first (in the days of the First Temple), they would appoint officers only from among the Levites” (Yevamot 86b), as it is stated: “And the Levitical officers are before you” (II Chronicles 19:11). (See also I Chronicles 23:1-4; 26:29; 34:13; and Be’er Sheva, Sotah 42a; Aseh Lecha Rav 3:48.)
The officers were those who enforced the law, as it is stated: “Judges and officers shall you appoint in all your gates” (Deuteronomy 16:18). As part of their role as officers, the Levites were responsible for granting exemptions from a discretionary war (milchemet reshut) to soldiers who had just built a house, planted a vineyard, or married a wife, as well as to soldiers whose hearts were faint, and who might lose their composure in battle, as it is stated:
“And the officers shall speak to the people, saying: Who is the man who has built a new house and has not inaugurated it-let him go and return to his house… And when the officers finish speaking to the people, the commanders of the armies shall take command at the head of the people” (Deuteronomy 20:5-9).
In a mandatory war (milchemet mitzvah), in which all were obligated to enlist, the officers were responsible for determining who was exempt from the war due to unavoidable circumstances, such as injury or illness.
Punishing Those Who Flee the Battlefield
After the battle began, the role of the officers was to encourage the fighters and punish those who fled the battlefield. As our Sages said (Mishnah Sotah 8:6), guards were stationed behind the fighters-namely, “strong and resolute officers” (Maimonides, Laws of Kings7:4)-to punish deserters, in order to prevent defeat.
As our Sages said: “And iron axes were in their hands, and anyone who sought to retreat-the authority was given to strike his legs, for the beginning of collapse is flight” (see Jerusalem Talmud Sotah 8:10).
Song and Prayer
Another role of the Levites in war was that a group of them would stand during the battle in song and prayer on behalf of the soldiers. As it is stated in the days of Jehoshaphat:
“And the Levites from the sons of the Kohathites and from the sons of the Korahites arose to praise the Lord God of Israel with an exceedingly loud voice… And when they began with singing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were struck” (II Chronicles 20:19-22).
Some say that the psalm “May the Lord answer you on the day of distress” (Psalm 20) was written for the Levites who prayed for the fighters in battle (Meiri, Sotah 42b). It stands to reason that for this role they selected Levites who sang, and played musical instruments in the Temple.
How They Merited These Roles
The Levites merited serving in these roles after they volunteered for them at the time of the sin of the Golden Calf, when Moses called out: “Whoever is for the Lord-come to me!” and “all the sons of Levi” gathered to him (Exodus 32:26). Together with him they fought against the sinners, and aroused Israel to a process of repentance (see Exodus 32:29; Deuteronomy 10:8).
Likewise, when Israel sinned with Baal Peor and a great accusation arose against them, to the point that a terrible disaster was about to befall them, Phinehas son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest took a spear in his hand, struck the sinners, and thereby stopped the downward spiral after the Midianites and their idols, and “the plague was halted from upon the children of Israel” (Numbers 25:1-9). As a result, he merited the covenant of peace and the High Priesthood for himself, and his descendants (Numbers 25:13).
Our Sages said that when Aaron died and the ‘Clouds of Glory’ that protected Israel departed, the Canaanites came to fight against them. As a result, some families in Israel became afraid and sought to return to Egypt, retreating eight stages from their encampments on the journey to the Land. But the Levites pursued them to bring them back so that they would not flee in battle, and a fight broke out between them in which seven families from the tribes of Benjamin, Simeon, and Gad fell, and four families from the Tribe of Levi fell (Rashi, Numbers 26:13). As a continuation of this, the Levites were appointed as officers, whose role included ensuring that the fighters would not flee the battlefield.
The Tribe of Levi - An Elite Unit
When the Lord commanded Moses to count all those fit for military service in Israel, He commanded not to count the members of the Tribe of Levi among them, because they were not given a territorial inheritance in the Land of Israel (Numbers 1:45-47, 49; 2:33; 26:62).
Our Sages said (Numbers Rabbah 1:11-12) that Moshe Rabbeinu became distressed and feared: “Perhaps there is a defect in my tribe, that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not desire that we be counted!” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: “I did not say this to you for that reason, but to remove them from the decree, so that they should not die with them.”
For when the soldiers of Israel heard the evil report of the Land and sinned in the Sin of the Spies, and sought to return to Egypt instead of conquering the Land, it was decreed upon them that they would die in the wilderness. But the members of the Tribe of Levi were not partners in their betrayal, and therefore, the decree that they would die in the wilderness did not apply to them. Had they been counted with the other tribes, they would have been caught up in their sin, and the destroying angel would have struck them as well.
Similarly, our Sages said that after the princes of Israel brought the offerings for the dedication of the altar, Aaron the priest became distressed because his tribe had not been among the participants in the dedication of the altar. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: “Do not fear; you are destined for a greatness greater than this.” For “the offerings apply only as long as the Temple stands, but the lights will forever shine opposite the face of the Menorah” (Numbers Rabbah 15:6; Tanchuma, Beha’alotcha 5).
Nachmanides explained (Numbers 8:2) that this refers to the lights that our Sages instituted to be lit following the miracle of Hanukkah performed for the Hasmoneans, descendants of Aaron, which are lit even in days when the Temple is destroyed, and offerings are not brought on the altar.
The Hasmoneans
In this way, the Hasmoneans continued Moshe Rabbeinu, who after the sin of the Golden Calf, when Israel was in tremendous danger, called out: “Whoever is for the Lord-come to me!” And similarly, in the days of the decrees of destruction of the Greek kingdom, the Hasmonean priests arose, raised the banner of rebellion, and called out: “Whoever is for the Lord-come to me!”
After many heroic battles they defeated the Greeks, annulled their decrees, and restored the Kingdom of Israel to its place for more than two hundred years (Maimonides,Laws of Hanukkah 3:1; Peninei Halakha, Festivals 11:1-6).
Thus, when the people of Israel falter, and the nation and the Land are in danger, the Tribe of Levi-and among them the priests-serve as a kind of elite commando unit that, in times of crisis, enters fierce battle against Israel’s enemies, decides the campaign, and helps Israel return to its sacred destiny.
Conclusion and Further Questions
Thus, those who wish to be considered as the Tribe of Levi must be the most devoted to the people of Israel and its wars, and in addition to being soldiers themselves, must encourage enlistment in the army, and elevate the spirit of heroism of the soldiers.
Q: Can the IDF in the State of Israel today be likened to the sanctified army of the Kingdom of Israel in the past, when there was a king, a Temple, and priests?
A: With God’s help, we will address this in the next column.
This article appears in the ‘Besheva’ newspaper and was translated from Hebrew.
