Musing – What’s the better way to show our Love and Respect?

Hebraic Musing – What’s the better way to show our Love and Respect?

Today’s world has many communication and transactional shortcuts to conveniently stay in touch with “loved ones.”  We have e-mail, text, FB, Amazon, FTD, etc. available for convenience sake to save our time, money and effort.  So how do we explain Moses’ strange and seemingly unfair instructions to these three Levite families?   All three families had to transport the Tabernacle articles as they traveled for 40 years.

Num. 7:6-9  So Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites.  He gave two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites, as their work required, and he gave four carts and eight oxen to the Merarites, as their work required. ….  But Moses did not give any to the Kohathites, because they were to carry on their shoulders the holy things, for which they were responsible. NIV   Was there a difference between the roles of the three families?   Why weren’t the Kohathites given a cart to help them carry out their responsibility to care their designated components of the tabernacle for 40 years?  

Gershonites were responsible for the care of the tabernacle and tent, its coverings, the curtain at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar, and the ropes.   Num. 3:25-26

Merarites were appointed to take care of the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, posts, bases, all its equipment, … as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs and ropes.   Num. 3:36-37  

Kohathites…were responsible for the care of the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain … Num. 3:31

Notice that the Kohathites had to carry the most holy and cherished objects, and they had no cart. They had to hand-carry their assigned items.  How much more love do we feel when we:
…carry a baby in our arms, instead of watching someone else hold the child?
…break bread with a friend or relative in need, instead of an e-mail, text or FB them with a greeting?
…receive a home-baked pie, than we if it’s a store-bought pie?
…get a hug, instead of a wave?
…serve a meal in a soup kitchen, instead of writing a check?
…go to the mission field, in addition to adding to the tithe check or praying for the missionaries?

Nothing compares to a personal touch.  Similarly, we pay our final respects to loved ones as pall-bearers by hand-carrying the casket; and in some traditions by shoveling dirt into the grave by hand. Similarly, in Genesis 45:19 we see that there was no cart specified to carry their father to see his son, Joseph.

When the Kohathites had to carry the most holy and cherished tabernacle items on their own backs, it was out of a labor of love, honor and respect for the glory of God which these objects represented. 

Points to ponder

Where do we need more to put the personal touch in our ministry?

Who needs a more personal contact/visit?

Makes me wish I could say all this to you in person.                         June 2, 2015

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd,       Author:

“Hebraic Insights”  “Biblical_Marriage” “Musings v.1 – A Victorious Life”
“Musings v.2 – The Torah and New Testament” Weekly “Hebraic Musings”   
www.InsightsByYosef.com

Note - Inspired by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein   “Our Labor of Love”   May 28, 2015