The tribe of Levi is amongst the important and historically significant of the twelve. Only he and Judah have descendants among Jews today. 

Spock’s hand sign is based on the way the priests held their hands while blessing the people

Levi is the third son of Jacob and Leah. His name, according to the text, is derived from the Hebrew leviah, which means “he will join with her.” This is another expression of Leah’s longing for her husband Jacob to join with and love her.

How the Priests Were Chosen

The Levites remain loyal to God and Moses during the construction of the Golden Calf.  Moses then endows them with responsibility for sacred service.

In Exodus 32:29 Moses says, “Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of The Lord… that he may bestow a blessing upon you this day.” (Exodus 32:29).

This special status is transferred by birth, through the paternal line. It gave Levites the right to offer sacrifices and officiate in the biblically prescribed acts of worship in the Temple in Jerusalem.

Levites also received special clothing to wear in Temple precincts, and some wore other divine-prescribed accessories. 

The High Priest

The High Priest, who is a descendant of Moses’s brother Aaron, was the only person permitted to enter into the center of the Temple, known as the Holy of Holies. He also wore several special items, including a breastplate, ephod and robe. The ephod contained two onyx stones engraved with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Power Corrupts

The tribe of Levi plays a critical role throughout Jewish history, though it is not always a positive one.

In the third and second centuries BCE, the priesthood became corrupt. Its members were often appointed by the ruling political power, and the wealth of the Temple treasury was used for self-enrichment.

The priesthood, paradoxically, also became associated with assimilation. Several high priests urged the Jewish people to adopt Greek customs and assented to the demands of Rome.

The Temple is Destroyed

The official role of priests diminishes greatly with the destruction of the Second Jerusalem Temple by the Romans in 70 C.E. Without a Temple, there can be no sacrifice or Temple service. Their leadership is replaced by the rabbis, who serve as teachers and judges.

Levites’ primary role today is to invoke a special blessing near the conclusion of Sabbath worship services. Its words are taken from the Book of Numbers (6:22-27).

Many rabbis also recite it at weddings and the conclusion of holiday celebrations.   It reads, as translated in the inimitable King James edition,

“The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.”

If you’d like to hear it sung in the traditional Jewish holiday, sign up for the email list up above and I’ll send a beautiful recording of it to you.

Question: Does this speak to you? What do you think of when you hear the words “Priests” and “Temple”?