Introduction: From the Levites to the Kohanim
The previous chapter dealt with the Levites and their divisions. Our chapter turns to the Kohanim, detailing for us the order of the priestly watches - the twenty-four divisions established by King David, their names, and the casting of lots that determined who would serve first and who would serve last.
(א) וְלִבְנֵי אַהֲרֹן מַחְלְקוֹתָם, בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא אֶלְעָזָר וְאִיתָמָר. - And the divisions of the sons of Aaron: the sons of Aaron were Nadav and Avihu, Elazar and Itamar.
(ב) וַיָּמָת נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא לִפְנֵי אֲבִיהֶם, וּבָנִים לֹא הָיוּ לָהֶם, וַיְכַהֲנוּ אֶלְעָזָר וְאִיתָמָר. - But Nadav and Avihu died before their father, and had no children; and Elazar and Itamar served as Kohanim.
The commentary attributed to Rashi notes: Scripture emphasizes that "they had no children" to teach us that only for this reason did Elazar and Itamar serve in their stead. Had Nadav and Avihu had sons, those sons would have taken precedence over Elazar and Itamar for the High Priesthood.
The Division of the Watches in the Days of David
(ג) וַיֶּחָלְקֵם דָּוִיד וְצָדוֹק מִן בְּנֵי אֶלְעָזָר וַאֲחִימֶלֶךְ מִן בְּנֵי אִיתָמָר, לִפְקֻדָּתָם בַּעֲבֹדָתָם. - And David divided them, along with Tzadok of the sons of Elazar and Achimelech of the sons of Itamar, according to their offices in their service.
Radak explains that King David changed the system of the watches from what it had been previously. Originally, there were eight watches from the descendants of Elazar and eight from the descendants of Itamar - sixteen in total. David saw that the chief men among the descendants of Elazar were numerous, and he therefore added eight more watches from Elazar. In total, the watches numbered twenty-four: sixteen from Elazar and eight from Itamar.
(ד) וַיִּמָּצְאוּ בְנֵי אֶלְעָזָר רַבִּים לְרָאשֵׁי הַגְּבָרִים מִן בְּנֵי אִיתָמָר וַיַּחְלְקוּם, לִבְנֵי אֶלְעָזָר רָאשִׁים לְבֵית אָבוֹת שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר, וְלִבְנֵי אִיתָמָר לְבֵית אֲבוֹתָם שְׁמוֹנָה. - And more chief men were found among the sons of Elazar than among the sons of Itamar, and so they divided them: sixteen heads of ancestral houses for the sons of Elazar, and eight for the ancestral houses of the sons of Itamar.
As noted, at first there were only sixteen watches, divided equally in half - eight from Elazar and eight from Itamar. When David saw that the descendants of Elazar were more numerous, he established sixteen from them, while leaving the descendants of Itamar as before: eight they were, and eight they remained. Scripture will proceed to elaborate on this in the subsequent verses.
Why a Lot? Because All Are Holy
(ה) וַיַּחְלְקוּם בְּגוֹרָלוֹת אֵלֶּה עִם אֵלֶּה, כִּי הָיוּ שָׂרֵי קֹדֶשׁ וְשָׂרֵי הָאֱלֹהִים מִבְּנֵי אֶלְעָזָר וּבִבְנֵי אִיתָמָר. - And they divided them by lot, one alongside the other, for there were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God among both the sons of Elazar and the sons of Itamar.
"And they divided them by lots" - to see upon whom the lot would fall to be first, who second, who third, and who fourth. Radak explains that David did not grant precedence to one over another, and the reason is explicit in the verse itself: "for they were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God" - they were all individuals of great stature, and one could not simply declare this one first, this one second, and this one third. Therefore, the only way to apportion them was by lot, and the lot was what determined: this is the first watch, this the second, this the third - as the lot emerged, so he organized them.
(ו) וַיִּכְתְּבֵם שְׁמַעְיָה בֶן נְתַנְאֵל הַסּוֹפֵר מִן הַלֵּוִי לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַשָּׂרִים וְצָדוֹק הַכֹּהֵן וַאֲחִימֶלֶךְ בֶּן אֶבְיָתָר וְרָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת לַכֹּהֲנִים וְלַלְוִיִּם, בֵּית אָב אֶחָד אָחֻז לְאֶלְעָזָר וְאָחֻז אָחֻז לְאִיתָמָר. - (6) And Shemaiah the son of Nethanel the scribe, who was of the Levites, recorded them before the king, the princes, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the heads of the ancestral houses of the priests and the Levites: one ancestral house taken for Eleazar, and taken, taken for Ithamar.
After casting the lots, there was a need for someone to record the order, so that they would have a written record of who was first, who was second, and who was third. There were twenty-four watches; they placed them in an urn, and the first lot came out for Jehoiarib, and so on - and they wrote down their names. According to Metzudat David, "and he recorded them" means that they wrote the names on slips of paper to place them in the urn, meaning the writing was of the lots themselves. According to the commentary attributed to Rashi, however, the recording took place after they had already been drawn by lot, writing down each one according to the order in which it emerged.
"One Ancestral House Taken" - The Meaning of the Phrasing
Chazal explain: Initially there were eight ancestral houses for Eleazar and eight for Ithamar, as mentioned earlier. Since the descendants of Eleazar were numerous, David divided each into two, and from each watch two were made - totaling sixteen for Eleazar, while the eight of Ithamar remained as before. This is the meaning of: "one ancestral house taken for Eleazar" - for every single ancestral house, another was taken from it for Eleazar. "And taken, taken for Ithamar" - whoever was already taken remained as he was, and nothing was added to them.
Who Instituted the Watches: A Dispute Among Chazal
Chazal cite a dispute regarding this. Some say that Moshe instituted eight watches - four from Eleazar and four from Ithamar; Shmuel came and established them at sixteen - eight and eight; and David came and established them at twenty-four. Others say that Moshe himself had already instituted sixteen, eight from Eleazar and eight from Ithamar, and Shmuel and David came and established them at twenty-four, as it is written: "David and Samuel the seer established in their trust." Thus, in either case, Shmuel was a partner in this matter; however, according to the second view, it was not an independent stage, but rather together with David he expanded them from sixteen to twenty-four. According to all opinions, it is clear: sixteen for Eleazar, and eight for Ithamar.
The Names of the Twenty-Four Watches
(ז) וַיֵּצֵא הַגּוֹרָל הָרִאשׁוֹן לִיהוֹיָרִיב, לִידַעְיָה הַשֵּׁנִי. (ח) לְחָרִם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי, לִשְׂעֹרִים הָרְבִעִי. (ט) לְמַלְכִּיָּה הַחֲמִישִׁי, לְמִיָּמִן הַשִּׁשִּׁי. (י) לְהַקּוֹץ הַשְּׁבִעִי, לַאֲבִיָּה הַשְּׁמִינִי. (יא) לְיֵשׁוּעַ הַתְּשִׁעִי, לִשְׁכַנְיָהוּ הָעֲשִׂרִי. (יב) לְאֶלְיָשִׁיב עַשְׁתֵּי עָשָׂר, לְיָקִים שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר. (יג) לְחֻפָּה שְׁלֹשָׁה עָשָׂר, לְיֶשֶׁבְאָב אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר. (יד) לְבִלְגָּה חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר, לְאִמֵּר שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר. (טו) לְחֵזִיר שִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר, לְהַפִּצֵּץ שְׁמוֹנָה עָשָׂר. (טז) לִפְתַחְיָה תִּשְׁעָה עָשָׂר, לִיחֶזְקֵאל הָעֶשְׂרִים. (יז) לְיָכִין אֶחָד וְעֶשְׂרִים, לְגָמוּל שְׁנַיִם וְעֶשְׂרִים. (יח) לִדְלָיָהוּ שְׁלֹשָׁה וְעֶשְׂרִים, לְמַעַזְיָהוּ אַרְבָּעָה וְעֶשְׂרִים. - (7) And the first lot came out for Jehoiarib, the second for Jedaiah; (8) the third for Harim, the fourth for Seorim; (9) the fifth for Malchijah, the sixth for Mijamin; (10) the seventh for Hakkoz, the eighth for Abijah; (11) the ninth for Jeshua, the tenth for Shecaniah; (12) the eleventh for Eliashib, the twelfth for Jakim; (13) the thirteenth for Huppah, the fourteenth for Jeshebeab; (14) the fifteenth for Bilgah, the sixteenth for Immer; (15) the seventeenth for Hezir, the eighteenth for Happizzez; (16) the nineteenth for Pethahiah, the twentieth for Jehezkel; (17) the twenty-first for Jachin, the twenty-second for Gamul; (18) the twenty-third for Delaiah, the twenty-fourth for Maaziah.
(יט) אֵלֶּה פְקֻדָּתָם לַעֲבֹדָתָם לָבוֹא לְבֵית ה' כְּמִשְׁפָּטָם בְּיַד אַהֲרֹן אֲבִיהֶם, כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּהוּ ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. - (19) These were their appointments for their service, to come into the House of the Lord according to their ordinance by the hand of Aaron their father, as the Lord, God of Israel, had commanded him.
Here the twenty-four watches were engraved in their order. Incidentally, from this list one can also learn how to pronounce the names of the watches correctly. For example, many mistakenly read "Yashvav," whereas here we clearly see that the name is "Yeshev'av." These names are also mentioned in the Kinot of Tisha B'Av: the watch of Jehoiarib, the watch of Yeshev'av, as well as Bilgah the fifteenth and Immer the sixteenth.
The Order of Service: One Week for Each Watch
The divisions were arranged so that each division had its designated week of service, rotating from one to the next. Each division was further subdivided into ancestral houses: some say it was divided into six ancestral houses, with each working on its day and all of them serving together on Shabbat; while others say it was divided into seven ancestral houses, each working on its assigned day.
Returning to the Levites: Completing the Count
(כ) וְלִבְנֵי לֵוִי הַנּוֹתָרִים, לִבְנֵי עַמְרָם שׁוּבָאֵל, לִבְנֵי שׁוּבָאֵל יֶחְדְּיָהוּ. - "And for the rest of the sons of Levi: of the sons of Amram, Shubael; of the sons of Shubael, Yehdeiyahu."
Malbim notes that Scripture already mentioned the Levites in Chapter 23, and here it returns to them with precious details - to explain and clarify matters not mentioned there. We already know the sons of Gershon from there; and there Scripture specified who was the head of the sons of Shubael, Rehabiah (verse 17), the sons of Shelomith (verse 18), and that which is written there, "Yeriahu the head," who was the father of Amariah, and for the sons of Micah, Isshiah was their head. In verses 26-27, it teaches us new details: who completed the count of the twenty-four divisions.
(כא) לִרְחַבְיָהוּ, לִבְנֵי רְחַבְיָהוּ הָרֹאשׁ יִשִּׁיָּה. - "Of Rehabiah: of the sons of Rehabiah, the chief was Isshiah."
That is to say: the ancestral house of Rehabiah was now named after Isshiah, who was among his sons and served as the head of that ancestral house; therefore, the ancestral house was named after him.
(כב) לַיִּצְהָרִי שְׁלֹמוֹת, לִבְנֵי שְׁלֹמוֹת יָחַת. - "Of the Yitzharites, Shelomoth; of the sons of Shelomoth, Yahath."
The ancestral house of the sons of Yitzhar had previously been called Shelomoth, and it was now called after Yahath.
(כג) וּבְנָי יְרִיָּהוּ, אֲמַרְיָהוּ הַשֵּׁנִי, יַחֲזִיאֵל הַשְּׁלִישִׁי, יְקַמְעָם הָרְבִיעִי. - "And the sons of Yeriahu: Amariahu the second, Yahaziel the third, Yekameam the fourth."
The ancestral house that had been named after Yeriahu was now combined into a single ancestral house together with Amariahu, who was second to him, and both were called Amariahu. Yahaziel's name, however, did not change, and Yekameam likewise retained his name as before.
(כד) בְּנֵי עֻזִּיאֵל מִיכָה, לִבְנֵי מִיכָה שָׁמִיר. (כה) אֲחִי מִיכָה יִשִּׁיָּה, לִבְנֵי יִשִּׁיָּה זְכַרְיָהוּ. - "The sons of Uzziel, Micah; of the sons of Micah, Shamir. The brother of Micah, Isshiah; of the sons of Isshiah, Zechariah."
The ancestral house that had been named after Isshiah, the brother of Micah, was now renamed after Zechariah, who was among the sons of Isshiah.
(כו) בְּנֵי מְרָרִי מַחְלִי וּמוּשִׁי, בְּנֵי יַעֲזִיָּהוּ בְנוֹ. (כז) בְּנֵי מְרָרִי לְיַעֲזִיָּהוּ בְנוֹ, וְשֹׁהַם וְזַכּוּר וְעִבְרִי. - "(26) The sons of Merari: Machli and Mushi; the sons of Jaaziah, his son. (27) The sons of Merari by Jaaziah, his son: Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri."
The ancestral heads for the sons of Merari, through his son Jaaziah, were Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri - and as the Malbim noted, these are the ones who complete the tally.
(כח) לְמַחְלִי אֶלְעָזָר, וְלֹא הָיָה לוֹ בָּנִים. - "(28) Of Machli: Eleazar, and he had no sons."
And since he had no sons, he did not have an ancestral house named after him.
(כט) לְקִישׁ, בְּנֵי קִישׁ יְרַחְמְאֵל. - "(29) Of Kish: the son of Kish was Jerahmeel."
The ancestral house of Kish was now called Jerahmeel, who was among the descendants of Kish.
(ל) וּבְנֵי מוּשִׁי מַחְלִי וְעֵדֶר וִירִימוֹת, אֵלֶּה בְּנֵי הַלְוִיִּם לְבֵית אֲבֹתֵיהֶם. - "(30) And the sons of Mushi: Machli, Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the sons of the Levites according to their ancestral houses."
These were the ancestral houses whose names did not change, as Metzudat David explains - "according to their ancestral houses," meaning of their families. Thus, we find that the Levites were also divided into twenty-four divisions just like the Kohanim, as we saw earlier: nine from the sons of Gershon, eight from the sons of Kehat, and seven from the sons of Merari.
The Levites' Lottery - Great and Small Alike
(לא) וַיַּפִּילוּ גַם הֵם גּוֹרָלוֹת לְעֻמַּת אֲחֵיהֶם בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן לִפְנֵי דָוִיד הַמֶּלֶךְ וְצָדוֹק וַאֲחִימֶלֶךְ וְרָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת לַכֹּהֲנִים וְלַלְוִיִּם, אָבוֹת הָרֹאשׁ לְעֻמַּת אָחִיו הַקָּטָן. - "(31) These likewise cast lots alongside their brethren the sons of Aaron in the presence of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of the ancestral houses of the Kohanim and the Levites, the chief ancestral heads alongside their younger brethren."
The Levite watches also served according to a rotation, each at its designated time and season; therefore, they too cast lots to determine when the turn of each watch would be. "The chief ancestral heads alongside their younger brethren" - in the lottery, the great and the small were equal, and no advantage was given to the elder over the younger. For as we have seen, in the casting of lots no preference was given to one whose family was more prominent or larger - they were all holy, and the lot alone determined the outcome.
The Power of the Lot
As is well known, "The lot is cast into the lap" - the lot is from Hashem, and whatever is determined by it reflects the will of Hashem. Therefore, they conducted this matter through lots. We likewise find this in the most critical matters: with Achan, as well as regarding the sons of Shaul and Ritzpah the daughter of Ayah - when they were demanded for surrender, David did so through a lot, and afterward passed them before the Ark of the Covenant to prove that the lot was true, and those selected by the lot were held fast there as well. We see from here the significance of a lot: when a lot is conducted properly, it contains a form of Divine communication.
And so it was with the Goral HaGra performed by Rabbi Aryeh Levin with the Convoy of the Thirty-Five (the Lamed-Heh), who were brought for burial at a later period and could not be individually identified. Rabbi Aryeh Levin performed the Goral HaGra, opening a Tanach each time according to the system of the lot, and the name emerged. In this manner, all the names emerged down to the very last one - and for the last one there was no longer any need for a lot, as he was the only one remaining. We see that a lot carries genuine validity.
However, This Is Not Our Path
Certainly, one should not deduce from here that a person should cast lots for everything. This is not the Torah way. The proper path is to act according to reason and intellect, and to consult with great Torah scholars. Whether to undergo surgery or not - does one consult a lot? Heaven forbid. The Torah itself teaches us what to do when a person is in doubt: it does not say "open holy letters," but rather, "If a matter eludes you in judgment... you shall arise and ascend to the place." If you need to know how to act, there are Gedolei Yisrael; go and ask a Gadol. But going and casting lots or opening holy books at random and the like are practices our forefathers never imagined, and this is not the path. The Steipler Gaon strongly opposed this entire approach, and would say: We do not consult lots. "You shall be wholehearted with Hashem your God" - if you wish to know how to act, consult a Gadol, and that is the correct path.
In summary: The chapter teaches us the order of the twenty-four priestly shifts established by David - sixteen from the descendants of Elazar and eight from the descendants of Itamar, after initially there had been eight and eight (and according to the dispute among Chazal, whether Moshe instituted eight and Shmuel expanded them to sixteen, or Moshe instituted sixteen and Shmuel and David established them at twenty-four). Since they were all "officers of the sanctuary and officers of God" and none took precedence over another, their order was determined specifically through lots, and Shemayah the scribe recorded the order for future generations. The Levi'im were likewise divided into twenty-four divisions and cast lots, with the elder and younger standing equally in it. From this we have learned the power of the lot, which is guided by Hashem - and yet, that it is not our path to inquire through lots, but rather to fulfill "You shall be wholehearted with Hashem your God," and to seek the counsel of the Gedolei Yisrael.