Levi, Singing, Almonds, Chareidim, Torah, the Soul of Am Yisroel

Behaalotchah: An Overview*

Menorah, Dedication of Levites, Firstborn of Israel, 

Silver Trumpets, Manna, Quail,

Ultra-Orthodox Full-Time Learning of Torah, 

Marching in the Wilderness

Picture from:

Restoration of Western Wall

"And you shall make a menorah of pure gold; it shall be made of beaten work: Its base, stem, and cups, spheres and flowers must all be hammered out of a single piece of gold. And six branches shall extend from its sides, three branches of the menorah out of one side, and three branches out of the other side (i.e., of its central branch). There shall be three cups made like almonds, as well as a sphere and a flower, on each and every one of the branches. All six branches extending from the menorah's stem must be this way. And in the menorah shall be four cups made like almonds, with their bulbs and flowers. And there shall be a bulb under two branches of the same piece... their bulbs and their branches shall be made of the same piece... all shall be one beaten work of pure gold. And you shall make its seven lamps: and they shall light its lamps, that they may give light over against it... "  [Details of the Construction]

*"Aaron is instructed to tend the lamps of the Menora. The menorah had seven branches and was made out of pure gold.  Then the LEVITES were dedicated. Originally every firstborn of the Israelites was meant to be dedicated to the Divine service. The Levites replaced them." (Numbers 8:1-12:16)

LEVI DEDICATED TO TORAH LEARNING

The Levites represented one of the twelve tribes but they were set aside. They did not have their own territory. They also did not go out to war though they could on occasion be used for "police" work and border defense. Their main function was to serve the Almighty through learning, officiating in the Tabernacle, overseeing the religious practices of the other Israelites.

Today in the State of Israel one has a large number of Ultra-Orthodox who learn full-time. They on the whole really do learn and many learn very well. Never before in the whole of history have so many Jews learned Torah and with such intensity.
 

AND THOU SHALT SET THE LEVITES BEFORE AARON, 

AND BEFORE HIS SONS, 

AND OFFER THEM FOR AN OFFERING UNTO THE LORD.

[Numbers 8:13]

Due to the learning of Torah the Almighty shows favor to Israel and protects the whole country. The learning of Torah elevates and intensifies the intellectual prowess of Israeli scientists and thinkers. The Jewish brain protects the state of Israel much more than Israeli brawn though both are needed and much to be valued.

The IDF in effect has too many conscripts. It wants less but finds it difficult to admit it. About 20% of secular enlistees also get out of serving or are rejected. Nowadays anyone who really does not want to serve in the IDF is released. Girl soldiers are superfluous and cost more than they are worth. They are enlisted for ideological reasons and not because there exists a real need for them.

Economically those who learn also contribute a lot. We will not go into details here. Suffice it to say that the Israeli Government gives each person learning Torah about $200 a month. They expend about $1000 or more. Where does the rest come from? They bring it into the country or produce it here.

All this is just scratching on the surface of the issue. In reality they who learn Torah give to Israel more than a thousand-fold whatever they take back.   Full article can be read here

A little about the Tribe of Levi

The early Kabbalists correlate the 12 Hebrew months to the 12 tribes in order of their birth. According to that system, Levi is the third of the 12, as he is the third son born to Yaakov. His month is Sivan, the third month of the year. His letter is Zayin. There is definitely a legitimate and authentic system in Kabbalah that Levi corresponds to the letter Zayin.

According to the Arizal, the 12 tribes were encamped around the Tabernacle, and the tribe of Levi was situated in the center of the other tribes. This alludes to the fact that ideally, Levi is the soul of all the twelve tribes. The sense of the tribe of Levi is singing, as that was his service in the Temple. Singing is not one of the 12 senses, but is like the inner soul of all twelve. You can read more on this here.

Mateh  (the staff of) Levi
Aaron is from the tribe of Levi, and his staff is referred to as the Staff of Levi, Mateh Levi. G-d instructed Moses to place the staff of the prince of each tribe in the Holy of Holies. The staff that would blossom would determine which prince was designated by G-d to serve as the High Priest. Miraculously, Aaron's staff blossomed: flower, bud and almonds. The Hebrew word for almond is shaked, a permutation of the word for holy, kodesh. This miracle proved to all that Aaron was chosen by G-d to manifest holiness in the world. The true potency of the High Priest is in his power to bless Israel to be fruitful and multiply. The staff symbolized the stages from 'essence' to 'actualization'.  From Essence to Actualization: the Secret of the Staff of Aaron.