The Tribe of Levi must not be given a portion of the land in Israel

The Literal Commandment

The Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the LORD'S offerings by fire and His portion. (Deuteronomy 18:1)

 

This commandment is literally that the members of the tribe of Levi have no portion or inheritance in the Land of Israel.

 

Messiah Says

Messiah implicitly affirmed this commandment when He spoke about the Law:

"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-19)

 

Pictures of Messiah

The tribe of Levi was not given a portion in the Land so that the entire occupation of this tribe should be with the service of G-d. 1

In a similar manner, we see that Messiah declares

"The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." (Matthew 8:20)

 

He was not preoccupied with other activities but instead "worked as His father worked" (John 5:17).

 

How Messiah Fulfilled

Messiah fulfilled this commandment by never giving a Levite an inheritance in the Land of Israel.

 

Traditional Observance

Traditional observance of this commandment is its literal fulfillment: Levites are not allowed to own land in Israel.

 

Other Notes

We are able to literally fulfill this commandment today by not giving or selling land in Israel to Levites.

 

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Footnotes

1. Charles Wengrove, trans., Sefer HaChinuch (Jerusalem:Feldheim Publishers, 1984), Vol 5, p55 [back]


Commandment Details

  • Mishneh Torah # 297
  • Mishneh Torah Book # 7
  • Mishneh Torah Book Seeds
  • Mishneh Torah Category 38- The Sabbatical Year and the Jubilee
  • Reference Deuteronomy 18:1
  • Scripture Book Deuteronomy
  • Chapter 18
  • Verse 1
  • English The Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the LORD'S offerings by fire and His portion.
  • Hebrew א לֹא-יִהְיֶה לַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם כָּל-שֵׁבֶט לֵוִי, חֵלֶק וְנַחֲלָה--עִם-יִשְׂרָאֵל; אִשֵּׁי יְהוָה וְנַחֲלָתוֹ, יֹאכֵלוּן.
  • Greek 1 Οὐκ ἔσται τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν τοῖς Λευίταις, ὅλῃ φυλῇ Λευι, μερὶς οὐδὲ κλῆρος μετὰ Ισραηλ· καρπώματα κυρίου ὁ κλῆρος αὐτῶν, φάγονται αὐτά.
  • Parashah 48- Shoftim
  • Positive/Negative Negative
  • Sefer Hachinuch # 504
  • Sef. Hach. Command That the tribe of Levi should have no inheritence of land in Israel
  • Category Levites & Priests
  • We can fulfill today Yes

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