Chapter 12 in Nechemya opens with the rosters of the Kohanim and Levi'im who ascended with Zerubbabel, continuing with the family heads who served in the days of Yoyakim and Eliyashiv. Following these rosters, the text turns to the central event of the chapter: the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem with great joy, thanksgiving offerings, and song, concluding with the arrangement of the gifts due to the Kohanim and Levi'im. In this lesson, we will follow the order of the verses from these rosters through to the end of the chapter, guided by the commentary of the Malbim.
וּלְיוֹיָרִיב מַתְּנַי לִידַעְיָה עֻזִּי׃ לְסַלַּי קַלָּי לְעָמוֹק עֵבֶר׃ לְחִלְקִיָּה חֲשַׁבְיָה לִידַעְיָה נְתַנְאֵל׃ - For Yoyariv, Matnai; for Yedaiah, Uzzi; for Sallai, Kallai; for Amok, Ever; for Chilkiyah, Chashavyah; for Yedaiah, Netanel.
Notice the name "Uzzi." Some assume this is merely a modern abbreviation of "Uzziel," but in truth, the name Uzzi appears throughout Tanach as an independent name - meaning "my strength."
הַלְוִיִּם בִּימֵי אֶלְיָשִׁיב יוֹיָדָע וְיוֹחָנָן וְיַדּוּעַ כְּתוּבִים רָאשֵׁי אָבוֹת וְהַכֹּהֲנִים עַל־מַלְכוּת דָּרְיָוֶשׁ הַפָּרְסִי׃ - The Levi'im in the days of Eliyashiv, Yoyada, Yochanan, and Yadua, were recorded as heads of ancestral houses, and the Kohanim, until the reign of Darius the Persian.
The Malbim notes a precise detail: during the days of Yoyakim, only the heads of the priestly houses changed, but not those of the Levi'im. Why? As we have seen, the majority of the Levi'im did not ascend during the time of Zerubbabel, but only later in the days of Ezra. They were even penalized for this - a Kohen was permitted to share in the Levite gifts: if a Kohen comes, he is entitled to take the tithes just like a Levi, because they failed to ascend in Zerubbabel's time and waited until Ezra. Only in the days of Eliyashiv did the heads of the Levite families change, and the Kohanim changed again after that - in the days of Yoyada and Yochanan. This is the meaning of the verse: "recorded as heads of ancestral houses" - meaning they were already recorded elsewhere, and this succession occurred during the reign of Darius the Persian.
בְּנֵי לֵוִי רָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת כְּתוּבִים עַל־סֵפֶר דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים וְעַד־יְמֵי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן־אֶלְיָשִׁיב׃ - The descendants of Levi, the heads of ancestral houses, were recorded in the book of the chronicles, until the days of Yochanan son of Eliyashiv.
Here the text explains where they were recorded. "The descendants of Levi" includes both the Kohanim and the Levi'im, as both are called children of Levi, and their ancestral heads were recorded in "the book of chronicles." This does not refer to the biblical Book of Chronicles that we possess, but to the official royal chronicle customary in their time. Indeed, whenever Tanach mentions "behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia" or "of the kings of Judah," it refers to the historical annals that each king maintained, documenting his wars, valor, and deeds. The nature of such royal annals was that the king always emerged victorious; they would never record an event in which they suffered defeat. Much like certain nations to this day: in their histories, they won every battle, and moreover, as far as they are concerned, Israel does not even exist - the maps do not say Israel, they say Al-Quds and Palestine, and Ben Gurion Airport does not exist at all.
וְרָאשֵׁי הַלְוִיִּם חֲשַׁבְיָה שֵׁרֵבְיָה וְיֵשׁוּעַ בֶּן־קַדְמִיאֵל וַאֲחֵיהֶם לְנֶגְדָּם לְהַלֵּל לְהוֹדוֹת בְּמִצְוַת דָּוִיד אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים מִשְׁמָר לְעֻמַּת מִשְׁמָר׃ - "And the heads of the Levites: Chashavyah, Sherevyah, and Yeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brethren opposite them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, watch parallel to watch."
After enumerating the ancestral heads of the Kohanim who lived in the days of Yoyakim, the text returns to list the heads of the Levites from that same period.
מַתַּנְיָה וּבַקְבֻּקְיָה עֹבַדְיָה מְשֻׁלָּם טַלְמוֹן עַקּוּב שֹׁמְרִים שׁוֹעֲרִים מִשְׁמָר בַּאֲסֻפֵּי הַשְּׁעָרִים׃ - "Mattanyah, Bakbukyah, Ovadyah, Meshulam, Talmon, and Akkuv were gatekeepers keeping watch at the storehouses of the gates."
As is well known, the Levites had two distinct roles: singers and gatekeepers - song and gates. They were responsible for closing the gates, and they would sing upon the fifteen steps (ma'alot). Ma'alot means steps, which is why it is called Shir HaMa'alot - the song they recited while standing on the steps. Some Levites were gatekeepers and some were singers, and each had to know his precise station, place, and duty: a singer who served as a gatekeeper, or a gatekeeper who sang, was liable to the death penalty. The Gemara recounts an incident where a gatekeeper came to bolt the gates, which were exceedingly heavy. Another Levite, who was a singer, saw him struggling and stepped in to help. The gatekeeper said to him: Take your hands off! Do not touch them! For a singer who performs the role of a gatekeeper is liable to death - this is not your task, and you are not permitted to do it. And what does ba'asuppei hashe'arim mean? At the threshold, like a doorkeeper (shomer hasaf); they stood at the threshold of the gate, and that was their appointed role.
אֵלֶּה בִּימֵי יוֹיָקִים בֶּן־יֵשׁוּעַ בֶּן־יוֹצָדָק וּבִימֵי נְחֶמְיָה הַפֶּחָה וְעֶזְרָא הַכֹּהֵן הַסּוֹפֵר׃ - "These were in the days of Yoyakim the son of Yeshua, the son of Yotzadak, and in the days of Nechemya the governor, and of Ezra the Kohen, the scribe."
These were the gatekeepers in the days of Yoyakim son of Yeshua son of Yotzadak, and in the days of Nechemya the pechah. Pechah means a governor. And what is a sofer? A Torah sage. As the rabbinic expression goes: "A sofer recites the blessing and an ignoramus fulfills his obligation" - the sage recites the blessing and the unlearned person is discharged of his duty. Likewise, when the phrase mi-divrei soferim ("from the words of the scribes") is used, it refers to the enactments of the Sages.
And why were they called soferim (literally "counters")? The Gemara explains that it is because they would count every letter in the Torah - identifying that the vav of gachon marks the exact midpoint of the Torah's letters, noting the exact midpoint in words, and the like. Another explanation is that they would count and categorize halachot, thereby teaching us how to enumerate and delineate them. For example: "There are four New Years," "There are four primary categories of damages," "Fifteen women exempt their co-wives," and so on. All of these formulations are mnemonic tools established by the Sages. If you cannot remember how many New Years there are, you are told "four," and you count through them to see if you have reached four. Without a set number, you might identify four and wonder: perhaps there is another? When there is an explicit count, you know precisely how many exist and do not become confused. That is another reason for the title soferim.
Notice the division of roles: Nechemya is the pechah, and Ezra is the Kohen and sofer - because the redemption was shared between them. There was a physical, political redemption and a spiritual redemption. Nechemya led the political redemption: as seen throughout the book, he oversaw the walls, fought against those who sought to disrupt the construction, and redeemed the people in the material sphere - which is why he is called pechah, governor. Ezra the Kohen and Scribe directed the spiritual redemption: he taught them Torah, and established teachers to study and disseminate Torah throughout all their settlements. Ezra HaSofer was a titan of Torah; Chazal say of him that the Torah was worthy of being given through his hand - an extraordinarily elevated stature. It is not by chance that among Iraqi Jews many name their sons Ezra, whereas among Yemenite Jews the name Ezra is rare, since the Yemenite community did not ascend during the Return to Zion and had a well-known dispute with Ezra HaSofer, and therefore do not name children after him.
וּבַחֲנֻכַּת חוֹמַת יְרוּשָׁלִַם בִּקְשׁוּ אֶת־הַלְוִיִּם מִכָּל־מְקוֹמֹתָם לַהֲבִיאָם לִירוּשָׁלִָם לַעֲשֹׂת חֲנֻכָּה וְשִׂמְחָה וּבְתוֹדוֹת וּבְשִׁיר מְצִלְתַּיִם נְבָלִים וּבְכִנֹּרוֹת׃ - "And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought the Levites from all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with joy, with thanksgiving, and with song, with cymbals, harps, and lyres."
After rebuilding the wall, they gathered the Levites from all their dwelling places and brought them to Jerusalem - for what purpose? "To celebrate the dedication." And why was a dedication ceremony required here? Chazal explain, in a Mishnah in Sanhedrin, that the walls of Jerusalem must be sanctified with thanksgiving offerings, with song, and through the Sages - by the Beit Din. Why does it require sanctification? Does a person who adds a balcony to his home need to sanctify it? Rather, one who extends the Temple Courtyard must sanctify the addition, and one who extends the walls of Jerusalem and expands the city is permitted to do so, but must formally sanctify the newly enclosed area.
The reason is that the walls of Yerushalayim delineate where the sanctity of Yerushalayim rests. The Land of Israel is holier than all other lands, and Yerushalayim is holier than it. How is its sanctity expressed from a halachic perspective? Maaser Sheini is eaten only in Yerushalayim - within the walls. And Kodashim Kalim (sacrifices of lesser sanctity) are eaten throughout the city, as we recite every morning: "in the entire city, by any person, for two days and one night." A person who brings a korban shelamim - this is Kodashim Kalim, and it is eaten throughout the city, within the walls. Now, if an architect were to come along and decide to extend Yerushalayim by another fifty meters - what would that accomplish? The area is not sanctified, so how could they eat there? How would all the laws and halachot of Yerushalayim apply there? It is impossible. Therefore, any expansion must be done under the direction of the Sanhedrin, and it must be sanctified. And how is it sanctified? With todot and with song - with expressions of thanksgiving, with the todah offering, and with song. And with what song? With cymbals, harps, and lyres, which were the musical instruments upon which they sang.
וַיֵּאָסְפוּ בְּנֵי הַמְשֹׁרְרִים וּמִן־הַכִּכָּר סְבִיבוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַם וּמִן־חַצְרֵי נְטֹפָתִי׃ - And the sons of the singers gathered, both from the plain around Yerushalayim and from the villages of the Netophathites.
They gathered from all these places: from the plain (kikar), from the villages of the Netophathites - all surrounding areas. And what is a "kikar"? Here we see how modern Hebrew has misled us: a kikar is not a roundabout or circle; a kikar is a plain. And where do we see this? In Sodom - "and he saw the entire plain (kikar) of the Jordan."
וּמִבֵּית הַגִּלְגָּל וּמִשְּׂדוֹת גֶּבַע וְעַזְמָוֶת כִּי חֲצֵרִים בָּנוּ לָהֶם הַמְשֹׁרְרִים סְבִיבוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָם׃ - And from Beit-HaGilgal, and from the fields of Geva and Azmaveth; for the singers had built villages for themselves around Yerushalayim.
They summoned them from Beit-HaGilgal, from the fields of Geva, and from Azmaveth - names of locations. And why were they living there? Because not all of them lived inside Yerushalayim; the singers had built themselves courtyards, like country villas, around Yerushalayim.
וַיִּטַּהֲרוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם וַיְטַהֲרוּ אֶת־הָעָם וְאֶת־הַשְּׁעָרִים וְאֶת־הַחוֹמָה׃ - And the kohanim and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.
First "they purified themselves" - following the principle of "and he shall make atonement for himself and for his household": first for himself, and only then for his household. And afterward, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall - they went through, cleared out, and emptied everything, ensuring no ritual impurity (tum'ah) remained in the city.
וָאַעֲלֶה אֶת־שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה מֵעַל לַחוֹמָה וָאַעֲמִידָה שְׁתֵּי תוֹדֹת גְּדוֹלֹת וְתַהֲלֻכֹת לַיָּמִין מֵעַל לַחוֹמָה לְשַׁעַר הָאַשְׁפֹּת׃ - Then I brought up the princes of Yehudah upon the wall, and I appointed two great thanksgiving processions, heading to the right upon the wall toward the Dung Gate.
"Todot" refers to the two loaves of the Todah offering (each loaf being called a "todah"), which were brought up upon the wall. And what does "upon the wall" mean? The Malbim explains that this can be understood in two ways: either they walked directly on top of the wall, or "upon the wall" means adjacent to the wall - for we frequently find that the preposition "al" (upon) means "near" or "next to." He cites that the Ritva was uncertain about this: where did they actually walk, on top of the wall or adjacent to it? The Ritva sought to prove that they walked directly on top of the wall. His proof: if they walked on top of the wall, it is clear how the windows and doorways within the wall became sanctified, since they walked there and sanctified everything; but if they walked from the inside adjacent to the wall, how were the walls themselves sanctified? And what is the practical halachic difference regarding the walls themselves and the windows and doorways within them - what status would they have?
Therefore, the Malbim says it appears to him that when it says "on the wall," it means they walked on the wall itself. For the Gemara discusses whether "the thickness of the wall is considered like the interior" - a matter of dispute between two opinions in the Gemara. According to the view that the thickness of the wall is considered like the interior, it is treated as part of Yerushalayim, and one who sits within the thickness of the wall and eats Kodashim Kalim is not considered to have eaten outside the walls of Yerushalayim. And the walls of Yerushalayim are very wide; to this day, tours are conducted directly atop the wall itself, given its breadth.
וַיֵּלֶךְ אַחֲרֵיהֶם הוֹשַׁעְיָה וַחֲצִי שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה׃ וַעֲזַרְיָה עֶזְרָא וּמְשֻׁלָּם׃ יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן וּשְׁמַעְיָה וְיִרְמְיָה׃ - And after them went Hoshaiah and half of the princes of Yehudah; and Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam; Yehudah, Binyamin, Shemaiah, and Yirmeyah.
Behind the bearers of the thanksgiving loaves walked Hoshaiah and half the officers of Judah, followed by Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam - these were the more prominent individuals, which is why scripture enumerates them by name. And Judah and Benjamin - both of them were officers.
וּמִבְּנֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת זְכַרְיָה בֶן־יוֹנָתָן בֶּן־שְׁמַעְיָה בֶּן־מַתַּנְיָה בֶּן־מִיכָיָה בֶּן־זַכּוּר בֶּן־אָסָף׃ - "And some of the sons of the kohanim with trumpets: Zechariah son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph."
These were among the descendants of the kohanim who walked with trumpets, playing musical instruments along the way.
וְאֶחָיו שְׁמַעְיָה וַעֲזַרְאֵל מִלְלַי גִּלְלַי מָעַי נְתַנְאֵל וִיהוּדָה חֲנָנִי בִּכְלֵי־שִׁיר דָּוִיד אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים וְעֶזְרָא הַסּוֹפֵר לִפְנֵיהֶם׃ - "And his brethren: Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God; and Ezra the scribe was before them."
"And his brethren" - the colleagues of Zechariah the kohen, as Rashi explains; while Metzudas David explains that they were his literal brothers. And they went "with the musical instruments of David" - with the very instruments that King David used to play, with those they marched.
וְעַל שַׁעַר הָעַיִן וְנֶגְדָּם עָלוּ עַל־מַעֲלוֹת עִיר דָּוִיד בַּמַּעֲלֶה לַחוֹמָה מֵעַל לְבֵית דָּוִיד וְעַד שַׁעַר הַמַּיִם מִזְרָח׃ - "And at the Fountain Gate, straight ahead of them, they ascended the steps of the City of David at the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, as far as the Water Gate to the east."
In other words, from the Dung Gate they proceeded toward the Water Gate.
וְהַתּוֹדָה הַשֵּׁנִית הַהוֹלֶכֶת לְמוֹאל וַאֲנִי אַחֲרֶיהָ וַחֲצִי הָעָם מֵעַל לְהַחוֹמָה מֵעַל לְמִגְדַּל הַתַּנּוּרִים וְעַד הַחוֹמָה הָרְחָבָה׃ - "And the second thanksgiving procession proceeded opposite, and I was behind it, along with half the people, upon the wall, above the Tower of the Ovens, as far as the Broad Wall."
The second thanksgiving procession proceeded opposite the first - not abreast, but following in succession. And Nehemiah says: "and I after it" - behind the second thanksgiving procession. Although it is written lemo'el (למואל) with an aleph, it means lemul ("opposite"), just as we will see later the word da'ag (דאג) spelled with an aleph, which means fish (dag) rather than worry (de'agah).
וּמֵעַל לְשַׁעַר־אֶפְרַיִם וְעַל־שַׁעַר הַיְשָׁנָה וְעַל־שַׁעַר הַדָּגִים וּמִגְדַּל חֲנַנְאֵל וּמִגְדַּל הַמֵּאָה וְעַד שַׁעַר הַצֹּאן וְעָמְדוּ בְּשַׁעַר הַמַּטָּרָה׃ - "And above the Gate of Ephraim, and over the Old Gate, and over the Fish Gate, and the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of Meah, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they halted at the Prison Gate."
They passed all these gates until they halted at the Guard Gate (Sha'ar HaMatarah). And what does matarah mean? We are familiar with the term Chatzar HaMatarah ("the prison courtyard") - not because they practiced target shooting there, but from the root of watching and guarding. A beit mishmar is a prison, and the Chatzar HaMatarah is the courtyard of the prison, the courtyard of the guard, the place where a person is guarded and kept in custody.
וַתַּעֲמֹדְנָה שְׁתֵּי הַתּוֹדֹת בְּבֵית הָאֱלֹהִים וַאֲנִי וַחֲצִי הַסְּגָנִים עִמִּי׃ - "So the two thanksgiving processions stood in the House of God, and I, and half the prefects with me."
They were brought ultimately to the Beis HaMikdash, and Nechemya and half of the officers went with him.
וְהַכֹּהֲנִים אֶלְיָקִים מַעֲשֵׂיָה מִנְיָמִין מִיכָיָה אֶלְיוֹעֵינַי זְכַרְיָה חֲנַנְיָה בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת׃ וּמַעֲשֵׂיָה וּשְׁמַעְיָה וְאֶלְעָזָר וְעֻזִּי וִיהוֹחָנָן וּמַלְכִּיָּה וְעֵילָם וָעָזֶר וַיַּשְׁמִיעוּ הַמְשֹׁרְרִים וְיִזְרַחְיָה הַפָּקִיד׃ - And the Kohanim: Elyakim, Ma'aseyah, Minyamin, Michayah, Elyo'einai, Zecharyah, Chananyah, with trumpets. And Ma'aseyah, and Shema'yah, and Elazar, and Uzi, and Yehochanan, and Malkiyah, and Eilam, and Ezer; and the singers sang aloud, with Yizrachya the overseer.
Out of tremendous joy, they blew the trumpets. The two thanksgiving processions halted at the House of God, and there they met one another: Nechemya came from the south, and the Kohanim - Elyakim, Ma'aseyah, and their companions - came with trumpets from the north. Then the singers raised their voices. And who was "Yizrachya the overseer"? The one appointed over the singing and melodies, what today is called a "conductor." The conductor is the overseer, appointed to coordinate the voices: you sing this way, and you sing that way. A child watching a symphony orchestra does not understand why the person standing in front is waving his hands - after all, he makes no sound at all, and what instrument is he playing? But the child does not realize that the entire harmony depends on that one person: he ensures how the voices and sounds are heard, when they enter and when they pause; the entire beauty is created through him. This was Yizrachya the overseer, who conducted the work of the singing.
וַיִּזְבְּחוּ בַיּוֹם־הַהוּא זְבָחִים גְּדוֹלִים וַיִּשְׂמָחוּ כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים שִׂמְּחָם שִׂמְחָה גְדוֹלָה וְגַם הַנָּשִׁים וְהַיְלָדִים שָׂמֵחוּ וַתִּשָּׁמַע שִׂמְחַת יְרוּשָׁלִַם מֵרָחוֹק׃ - And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; and the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Yerushalayim was heard from afar.
They offered great sacrifices and rejoiced - and why? "For God had made them rejoice," HaKadosh Baruch Hu placed joy in their hearts. And not they alone, but the women and the children rejoiced as well, and the sounds of jubilation over the completion of the rebuilding and expansion of Yerushalayim's walls were heard far away. Their joy was exceedingly great.
וַיִּפָּקְדוּ בַיּוֹם הַהוּא אֲנָשִׁים עַל־הַנְּשָׁכוֹת לָאוֹצָרוֹת לַתְּרוּמוֹת לָרֵאשִׁית וְלַמַּעַשְׂרוֹת לִכְנוֹס בָּהֶם לִשְׂדֵי הֶעָרִים מְנָאוֹת הַתּוֹרָה לַכֹּהֲנִים וְלַלְוִיִּם כִּי שִׂמְחַת יְהוּדָה עַל־הַכֹּהֲנִים וְעַל־הַלְוִיִּם הָעֹמְדִים׃ - And on that day men were appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the heave offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions designated by the Torah for the Kohanim and for the Levi'im; for Yehudah rejoiced over the Kohanim and over the Levi'im who stood their watch.
"Neshechot" are lishkot, chambers or storage rooms. On that day, men were appointed to oversee these chambers, where they would store the terumah, the firstfruits (bikkurim), and the tithes (ma'asrot); there, into those rooms and storehouses, they would bring everything that was gathered.
The Malbim explains: Originally, the Levi'im would go around the towns seeking tithes, going from threshing floor to threshing floor - "Does your honor perhaps have tithes to give me?" After all, an Israelite was obligated to give tithes, but was not required to give it to any specific Levi, so they would solicit the people to give to them. Now Nechemya instituted that everything would be brought into the storehouses for distribution - "the portions designated by the Torah" (mena'ot haTorah), the portions that the Torah prepared and allotted for them, as the root va-yeman means to prepare or designate, just as in the Book of Yonah.
And what is the meaning of the conclusion, "for Yehudah rejoiced over the Kohanim and over the Levi'im who stood their watch"? The Malbim explains: Here they changed the familiar, established system. Until now, the Kohen and the Levi had to go around the threshing floors begging for portions, and whoever wished would give to them. Now, chambers were designated with storehouses for the heave offerings, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to collect from the fields of the cities the portions allotted by the Torah - that which the Torah gave and designated for the Kohanim and the Levi'im. And why did they decide to make this change, having the people bring everything to the Beis HaMikdash rather than having the Kohanim and Levi'im solicit at the threshing floors as before? To this the verse responds: "For Yehudah rejoiced over the Kohanim and over the Levi'im who stood their watch" - the people of Yehudah took joy in seeing the Kohanim and Levi'im standing faithfully at their holy posts, and therefore they appointed overseers so that the tithes too would be brought directly to the chambers and distributed to the Kohanim and Levi'im who safeguard the holy service and stand in the House of Hashem.
וַיִּשְׁמְרוּ מִשְׁמֶרֶת אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וּמִשְׁמֶרֶת הַטָּהֳרָה וְהַמְשֹׁרְרִים וְהַשֹּׁעֲרִים כְּמִצְוַת דָּוִיד שְׁלֹמֹה בְנוֹ׃ כִּי־בִימֵי דָוִיד וְאָסָף מִקֶּדֶם רָאשֵׁי הַמְשֹׁרְרִים וְשִׁיר־תְּהִלָּה וְהֹדוֹת לֵאלֹהִים׃ - And they kept the charge of their God and the charge of the purification, and the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the command of David and Shlomo his son. For in the days of David and Asaf of old, there were chiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
In the days of David and Asaf of old, it had already been established who the singers would be - David and Asaf and his sons were involved in this from early on - and the leaders of the singers were also established back then. Not only that, but even the songs and melodies were instituted back in the days of David: already from that time, they had set songs and designated families of singers.
וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּימֵי זְרֻבָּבֶל וּבִימֵי נְחֶמְיָה נֹתְנִים מְנָיוֹת הַמְשֹׁרְרִים וְהַשֹּׁעֲרִים דְּבַר־יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ וּמַקְדִּשִׁים לַלְוִיִּם וְהַלְוִיִּם מַקְדִּשִׁים לִבְנֵי אַהֲרֹן׃ - And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nechemya gave the portions of the singers and the gatekeepers, each day's matter on its day; and they consecrated them for the Levites, and the Levites consecrated them for the sons of Aharon.
"Portions" (menayot) - they did not buy them shares on the stock exchange, but rather gave them allotments; they would give the designated portions to the singers and the gatekeepers, each day's matter on its day. "And they consecrated them for the Levites" - this was designated and set aside for the Levites, "and the Levites consecrated them for the sons of Aharon." And why did the Levites need to consecrate a portion for the Kohanim? Because of the tithe from the tithe, which is Terumat Ma'aser: the Levite must take ten percent of the tithe and give it to the Kohen. That is to say, if an Israelite has one hundred oranges, he gives ten of them to the Levite - and this is called Ma'aser Rishon; and the Levite is likewise obligated to separate a portion, giving ten percent of his share to the Kohen. It turns out that the Levite is left with nine oranges, and the Kohen receives one orange.
The chapter opens with the genealogical lists of the heads of the ancestral houses of the Kohanim and the Levites, explaining when and why they changed - since most of the Levites did not ascend in the days of Zerubbabel, but rather in the days of Ezra. Afterward, the climax of Sefer Nechemya is described: the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, conducted with thanksgiving offerings, song, and a Beit Din, in accordance with the halachah for sanctifying an extension to the city wall, so that the sanctity of Jerusalem would apply to everything within it. Two thanksgiving processions walked upon the wall in opposite directions, met at the House of God, and the joy was so great that it was heard from afar - "for God had made them rejoice with great joy." And out of that joy, and out of appreciation for the Kohanim and Levites standing at their posts, they instituted a new arrangement: appointing overseers over the chambers, so that the gifts and tithes would be brought directly into the storehouses and the Kohanim and Levites would not have to solicit them at the threshing floors - each man at his post, according to the command of David, the man of God.