Sermon Tone Analysis

Outline

| The Gershonites and Merarites

4:34 | Census of the Levites

5:1 | Unclean Persons

5:5 | Confession and Restitution

5:11 | Concerning an Unfaithful Wife

6:1 | The Nazirites

6:22 | The Priestly Benediction

7:1 | Offerings of the Leaders

Important Passages

In the desert, the Gershonites are entrusted with two wagons (Num 7:7) for transporting the textile and skin components of the tabernacle (Num 3:25–26; 4:24–26) under the supervision of the family of Aaron, in particular Ithamar (Num 4:27–28).

The number of male Gershonites is 7,500 (Num 3:22), 2,630 between the ages of thirty and fifty (Num 4:40).

They camp on the E side of the tabernacle (Num 3:23).

The prince of Gershon is Eliasaph the son of Lael (Num 3:24).

Among the Gershonites who achieved distinction in later Bib.

times was the family of Asaph, the singers from the time of David to the days of the Second Temple (1 Ch 6:31–47; 25:1–7; 15:7, 17, 19; 16:5, 7; 2 Ch 35:15; Ezr 2:41; 3:10; Neh 11:17, 22; 12:35; 1 Ch 9:15).

Other Gershonites named are the heads of the fathers’ houses in the days of David in connection with the dividing of the Levites into courses (1 Ch 23:7–11); the superintendents of the treasuries of the house of the Lord of the same time (1 Ch 26:21, 22; 29:8); and, finally, Gershonites are mentioned among those who cleansed the house of the Lord in the days of Hezekiah (2 Ch 29:12, 13).

From the Rebbe

From the Rebbe

From the Rebbe

“In this respect, the Gershonite families occupied a middle position.

“This is the service of the Gershonite families: to minister and to carry” ().

The Kehatites dealt with spiritual matters.

Though the service of the Merarites was not intellectual work, when they were finished a house stood.

They took a hammer and nails and built something.

If the Merarites performed the heavy lifting, and the Kehatites dealt with the important, exalted matters, what was left for the Gershonites?

The answer is that the Gershonites carried everything in between.

They collected and folded all sorts of things, including various materials and ropes.”

Adin Steinsaltz.

“Talks on the Parasha.”