The Twelve Tribes · III of XII
לוי
Levi
Aaron's tribe: the priests and the Levites, who served the Sanctuary and taught Israel. They camped around the Tabernacle and were given cities, not a portion of the land.
- Mother
- Leah
- Born
- The third son of Jacob
- Stone
- בָּרֶקֶת · emerald
- Banner
- A third white, a third black, a third red
- Emblem
- The Urim and Tummim Exodus 28:30
- In the camp
- The centre, around the Tabernacle
She conceived again and bore a son, and said: Now, this time, my husband will accompany [yillaveh] me, as I have borne him three sons. Therefore, he, called his name Levi
וַתַּהַר עוֹד וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתֹּאמֶר עַתָּה הַפַּעַם יִלָּוֶה אִישִׁי אֵלַי כִּי־יָלַדְתִּי לוֹ שְׁלֹשָׁה בָנִים עַל־כֵּן קָרָא־שְׁמוֹ לֵוִי׃
Simeon and Levi are brothers. Weapons of villainy are their heritage.
My self shall not come in their company [sodam] With their assembly may my glory not be associated; for in their anger they killed men, and with their will they hamstrung oxen,
Cursed be their anger, as it is fierce and their wrath, as it is harsh; I will divide them in Jacob, and I will disperse them in Israel.
שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי אַחִים כְּלֵי חָמָס מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶם׃
בְּסֹדָם אַל־תָּבֹא נַפְשִׁי בִּקְהָלָם אַל־תֵּחַד כְּבֹדִי כִּי בְאַפָּם הָרְגוּ אִישׁ וּבִרְצֹנָם עִקְּרוּ־שׁוֹר׃
אָרוּר אַפָּם כִּי עָז וְעֶבְרָתָם כִּי קָשָׁתָה אֲחַלְּקֵם בְּיַעֲקֹב וַאֲפִיצֵם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל׃
And of Levi he said: Your Tumim and Your Urim, for Your virtuous one, whom You tested at Masa; You challenged him at the waters of Meriva.
Who said of his father, and of his mother: I did not see him; and his brothers he did not recognize, and his children he did not know. because they observed Your saying, and Your covenant they upheld.
they, shall teach Your ordinances to Jacob and Your law to Israel. they shall place incense before You, and entire offerings, on Your altar.
Bless, Lord, his might, and the work of his hands accept. Crush the loins of those who rise against him, and his enemies, from rising.
וּלְלֵוִי אָמַר תֻּמֶּיךָ וְאוּרֶיךָ לְאִישׁ חֲסִידֶךָ אֲשֶׁר נִסִּיתוֹ בְּמַסָּה תְּרִיבֵהוּ עַל־מֵי מְרִיבָה׃
הָאֹמֵר לְאָבִיו וּלְאִמּוֹ לֹא רְאִיתִיו וְאֶת־אֶחָיו לֹא הִכִּיר וְאֶת־בָּנָו לֹא יָדָע כִּי שָׁמְרוּ אִמְרָתֶךָ וּבְרִיתְךָ יִנְצֹרוּ׃
יוֹרוּ מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ לְיַעֲקֹב וְתוֹרָתְךָ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל יָשִׂימוּ קְטוֹרָה בְּאַפֶּךָ וְכָלִיל עַל־מִזְבְּחֶךָ׃
בָּרֵךְ יְהֹוָה חֵילוֹ וּפֹעַל יָדָיו תִּרְצֶה מְחַץ מׇתְנַיִם קָמָיו וּמְשַׂנְאָיו מִן־יְקוּמוּן׃
The English is the Steinsaltz Tanakh, the words of the verse only; the Hebrew is the Masoretic text. The banner, the stone and the emblem follow Bamidbar Rabbah 2:7.