## Midrash Tanchuma, Bamidbar

###### Midrash Tanchuma, Bamidbar 21:1
[Midrash Tanchuma, Bamidbar 21:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma/s/Bamidbar/r/21:1)

**דָּבָר** אַחֵר, פְּקֹד כָּל בְּכוֹר זָכָר. וַהֲרֵי אָנוּ מוֹצְאִים מָאתַיִם וְשִׁבְעִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה בְּכוֹרוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ עֳדָפִים עַל הַלְּוִיִּם בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁמָּנָה אוֹתָם מֹשֶׁה. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, כָּךְ עָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה, נָטַל מָאתַיִם וְשִׁבְעִים וּשְׁלֹשָה פִּתְקִין וְכָתַב בָּהֶן לֵוִי, וְעוֹד נָטַל מָאתַיִם וְשִׁבְעִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה פִּתְקִין וְכָתַב בָּהֶן חֲמִשָּׁה סְלָעִים, טְרָפָן וּנְתָנָן בַּקַּלְפִּי, וְהָיָה אָבִיו שֶׁל בְּכוֹר מוֹשִׁיט יָדוֹ בַּקַּלְפִּי. אִם עָלָה בְּיָדוֹ פֶּתֶק כָּתוּב בּוֹ לֵוִי, הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁפְּדָאוֹ לֵוִי, וְהָיָה פָּטוּר מֵחָמֵשׁ סְלָעִים. וְאִם עָלָה בְּיָדוֹ פֶּתֶק כָּתוּב בּוֹ חֲמִשָּׁה סְלָעִים, הָיָה נוֹתֵן חֲמִשָּׁה סְלָעִים, אֵלּוּ דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה. רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אוֹמֵר, עֲדַיִן הִיא מַחֲלֹקֶת בַּדָּבָר, שֶׁהָיָה יָכֹל לוֹמַר, אֵין כָּאן פֶּתֶק כָּתוּב בּוֹ לֵוִי, לְפִיכָךְ לֹא עָלְתָה בְּיָדִי אֶלָּא כָּךְ עָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה, נָטַל פִּתְקִין כְּמִנְיַן כָּל הַבְּכוֹרוֹת וְכָתַב בָּהֶן לֵוִי, וְעוֹד פִּתְקִין אֲחֵרִים כְּמִנְיָנָם וְכָתַב בָּהֶן חֲמִשָּׁה סְלָעִים, טְרָפָן וּנְתָנָן בַּקַּלְפִּי, וְהָיָה אָבִיו שֶׁל בְּכוֹר פּוֹשֵׁט יָדוֹ בַּקַּלְפִּי. אִם עָלָה בְּיָדוֹ מֵחַמִשָּׁה סְלָעִים, נוֹתֵן חֲמִשָּׁה סְלָעִים. וְהַמְּמֻנֶּהְ אָמַר, הֲרֵי שָׁם פֶּתֶק כְּתִיב בּוֹ לֵוִי, וְלֹא הָיִיתָ רָאוּי לִפְדּוֹת מִן לֵוִי. פְּקֹד כָּל בְּכֹר זָכָר. יֵשׁ פְּקִידָה לִבְכוֹרוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: פְּקֹד כָּל בְּכוֹר זָכָר. יֵשׁ פְּקִידָה לְבָנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי פָּקַד ה' אֶת חַנָּה וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֵד שְׁלֹשָׁה בָּנִים וּשְׁתֵּי בָּנוֹת (ש״‎א ב, כא). יֵשׁ פְּקִידָה לִשְׁמִירָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּפְקֻדָּתְךָ שָׁמְרָה רוּחִי (איוב י, יב). יֵשׁ פְּקִידָה לְשָׁלוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְשַׂמְתִּי פְּקֻדָּתֵךְ שָׁלוֹם (ישעיה ס, יז).

**Midrash Tanhuma-Yelammedenu, trans. Samuel A. Berman:**
Another interpretation (of Numb. 3:40), “enroll every first-born male.” But look, we find two hundred and seventy-three first-born, who were found to be in excess of the [number of] the Levites at the time that Moses numbered them.¹⁰⁷ R. Judah and R. Nehemiah [differ about this].¹⁰⁸ 1:4 (19c). R. Judah says, “This is what Moses did: he took [twenty-two thousand] lots¹⁰⁹ (“tickets”); Lat.: *pittacia* (“ticket”). and wrote ‘Levite,’ on each of them. Then he took two hundred and seventy-three more lots and wrote ‘five *sela'im*’¹¹⁰‘ is equal to one sacred or two common shekels. Thus five *sela‘im* matches the payment of five shekels required in Numb. 3:46-47. [on each of them]. He mixed them up and put them in an urn.¹¹¹ For more details about such an urn, see *Yoma* 39a. Then the father of a first-born would put his hand into the urn. If there came up in his hand a lot on which was written ‘Levite,’ he was redeemed (by a Levite) and exempted from the five *sela'im*; but if there came up in his hand a lot on which was written ‘five *sela'im*,’ he handed over five *sela'im.*” These are the words of R. Judah. R. Nehemiah says, “There is still a difference of opinion on the matter, because one could say to him, ‘There is no lot [remaining] here on which “Levite" is written.¹¹². 17a. That is the reason it did not come up in my hand.’ Instead this is what Moses did: He took lots according to the number of all the first-born, and wrote ‘Levite’ on them. Then again he took other lots according to their number and wrote ‘five *sela'im*’ on them. He mixed them up and put them in an urn. Then the father of a first-born would reach into the urn. If a lot with ‘Levite’ came up in his hand, he knew that a Levite had redeemed him, and had exempted him from the five *sela'im;* but if a lot with ‘five *sela'im*’ came up in his hand, he handed over five *sela'im*. Then the officer said to him, ‘Was there not another lot there on which "Levite" was written? So you are not worthy of being redeemed by a Levite.’” (Numb. 3:40:) “Enroll (rt.: *pqd*) every first-born male.” There is [a use of] the root *pqd* for the first born, as stated (ibid.), “enroll (rt.: *pqd*) every first-born male.”¹¹³ There is [a use of] the root *pqd* for children (in I Sam. 2:21), “For the Lord visited (rt.: *pqd*) Hannah; so she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters.” There is [a use of] the root *pqd* for watching over (in Job 10:12), “and Your providence (rt.: *pqd*) has watched over my spirit.” There is [a use of] the root *pqd* for peace (in Is. 60:17), “and I will appoint peace as your overseer (rt.: *pqd*).”

footnotes:
¹⁰⁷ Numb. R. 4:7. According to Numb. 3:43, there were 22,273 first-born, while Numb. 3:39 put the number of Levites at 22,000. The problem for Moses was that he had been commanded (in Numb. 3:44-45) to replace all the first-born with Levites.
¹⁰⁸ Numb. R. 4:10; ySanh.
¹⁰⁹ Gk.: pittakia
¹¹⁰ A sela
¹¹¹ Gk.: kalpe.
¹¹² Sanh
¹¹³ Numb. R. 4:4.