Derasha 2 on Behaalosecha 8:24

Parashas Behaalosecha · Aliyah 2 · Passuk 24

The Complete Passuk

זֹ֖את אֲשֶׁ֣ר לַלְוִיִּ֑ם מִבֶּן֩ חָמֵ֨שׁ וְעֶשְׂרִ֤ים שָׁנָה֙ וָמַ֔עְלָה יָבוֹא֙ לִצְבֹ֣א צָבָ֔א בַּעֲבֹדַ֖ת אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃

Chabad.org — English translation + Rashi

Source Citation

Torah Temimah (Chullin 24a continued): the same “זאת” teaches that age does not disqualify priests the way it disqualifies Levites.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
יָכוֹל יְהוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים פְּסוּלִין בְּשָׁנִים? וַהֲלֹא דִּין הוּא: וּמָה לְוִיִּם שֶׁאֵין מוּמִין פּוֹסְלִין בָּהֶם – שָׁנִים פּוֹסְלִין בָּהֶם, כֹּהֲנִים שֶׁהַמּוּמִין פּוֹסְלִין בָּהֶם – אֵינוֹ דִּין שֶׁיְּהוּ שָׁנִים פּוֹסְלִין בָּהֶם? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״זֹאת אֲשֶׁר לַלְוִיִּם״ – זֹאת לַלְוִיִּם וְלֹא לַכֹּהֲנִים.

English: One might have thought that just as years disqualify Levites they also disqualify priests; therefore the Torah says “This is what pertains to the Levites” — this for Levites and not for priests.

Type of Learning

Exclusion of priests from the age rule — the limiting word protects the priestly class from an age-based cutoff that applies only to Levites.

What Is Learned

Priestly fitness is measured by lineage and physical integrity, not by a fixed retirement age of the kind imposed on the Levites in the wilderness.