My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) - B'Midbar
Posted by Daniel M. Kimmel on May 22, 2009 | Tags: Bamidbar
Parshah B'Midbar ends on a strange note: "Do not let the Kohathite clans be cut off from the Levites." (Num. 4:18) This was a group of Levites whose job it was to carry the sacred objects from the Tent of Meeting whenever it was to be moved. Only the priests could collect them and wrap them up, but then the Kohathites transported them. What is the purpose of the warning? One explanation is that there was the fear that they would become so blasé about their tasks that they wouldn't treat the objects with the reverence they deserve. This isn't idolatry, but respect, much as we kiss a siddur we've retrieved from the ground or read the Torah using a yad rather treat it like a newspaper you're reading on the subway. If one wanted to look for a larger lesson one could add that one should not take people in our lives for granted either, treating them as if they're just faces in a crowd. Or, if you're not into large lessons today, you can simply be glad that the name "Kohath" has fallen out of popular usage.
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Daniel M. KimmelJoined: October 2, 2007 Daniel M. Kimmel is a Boston area film critic, lecturer and author. He does these weekly mini-lessons for the Mishkan Tefila Brotherhood's newsletter. You are free to use them for similar purposes. Divrei Torah (117) |
