The Torah asserts that the individual members of the Tribe of Levi are precluded from any נחלה — inheritance together with their brethren in the land.
The reason given for this exception is since ד' הוא נחלתו — G-d in his inheritance.
Does a Levite ‘inherit’ G-d in lieu of a parcel of land? How do we understand this peculiar notion of G-d as an inheritance?
Rav S.R. Hirsch reveals a more accurate definition of this word נחלה that is utilized to describe an ‘inheritance’. (שמות טו יז)
נחל primarily designates the strong downward flow of water, hence a stream. Used in relation to social life, property which continuously goes over from one generation to the succeeding on, is looked on as a national flow downwards, and נחלה is an inheritance. But just asנחל means not only the stream, but also the downward-sloping bed of the stream, the valley, whose slope it is that makes the stream flow downwards, so נחלה is used, not only for the downward flowing property, but נחול means also the receiving, the taking into possession of such property, to take possession of a heritage, to inherit, and thereby wants to designate the heir as merely an intermediary. The heir receives his heritage to hand it down in his turn. Every heritage is only the bed of the stream which leads the recipient further downwards.
The distribution of land was not as much focused on the mere possession of a parcel of land but rather on the role we each play in the continuum of G-d’s benevolence towards His beloved children, bequeathing us a privilege to be an individual link in the chain of our eternal role as His people.
The homestead we establish and inspire per force the implementation of the Torah values we imbue in our interactions with our family, and with those we engage in our professions and commerce of life, is indeed our eternal legacy to subsequent generations.
The family of Levites though devote themselves totally to serving as ‘the downward-sloping bed of the stream’ of spirituality, representing a life and relationship with G-d that rises above the mundane physical engagements of a material world that is defined by physical success.
In that vein it is indeed G-d who is the ‘stream’ that fuels and nourishes their existence.
The Torah states ונחלה... — An inheritance he shall not have among his brethren, ד' הוא נחלתו — G-d is his inheritance. (דברים יח ב)
The Holy Seer of Lublin interprets the world נחלה in the spirit of the word חלה — sick, as a promise not to inflict upon the members of this tribe any illness, because G-d is their נחלתו — their sickness.
Shlomo HaMelech describes the longing the Jewish people have for closeness to G-d as one who is חולת אהבה — lovesick. (שה"ש ב ה)
The lovesickness that guarantees the deferring of physical illness is most often assumed to be one that is compelled by an overpowering sense of love for G-d that yearns for an even greater sensation of closeness.
The great teachers of chassidus however reveal, that even one who is so entrenched in his ‘love’ of material pursuits and has lost the capacity to sense any love for G-d, if he is sickened and tortured by the loss of that ability to feel His loving presence in his life, he is promised that he too will begin to recover that faculty once again.(תולדות יעקב יוסף, בית אברהם ועוד)
Perhaps the various ‘ills’ we endure in life is G-d’s method of streaming His presence in awakening us to change the frequency we operate under so we may begin to to tune in to the message.
The Sfas Emes of Brezhan directs us to the very first verse of our portion that charges us to ‘appoint judges and officers in all your cities that G-d gave us, לשבטיך — for your tribes’.
He suggests that the word שבט here can be alternately translated as ‘rod’ a euphemism for heavenly directed punishment. The verse is instructing us to appoint ourselves to ‘judge’ these situations as a summons to correct course and ‘enforce’ change.
The Rambam writes decisively that everyone can be a member of the tribe of Levi.
It requires of us to remove ourselves from the distractions that stifle our receptivity.
In the month of אני לדודי - ודודי לי, where we are to profess our love for Hashem, may we at the very least feel sickened over the loss of our ability to connect, and at the very best pine for a even deeper bond.
May we pointedly ask ourselves what ‘streams’ through our veins and very essence and begin the path of return to a life that flows with energy of His loving presence.
באהבה,
צבי יהודה טייכמאן
