“The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying” (Numbers 4:1). “The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying” (Numbers 4:1) – because all the action in this portion involved Aaron, He included Aaron in the Divine Speech, as that is the principle: Anytime the Divine Speech is to the priests, the action involves the priests. “Take the census of the sons of Kehat from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their patrilineal house” (Numbers 4:2).
“Take the census of” – it does not say count [pekod], but rather, “Take the census of [naso et rosh],” an expression of elevation [nesiut]. When they were counted to be appointed over the Tabernacle service, they received an elevation. “From among the sons of Levi” – as from all of the sons of Levi, none were as important as the sons of Kehat. From them were priests and Levites.
Because they were important, and moreover, their service was with items of the most sacred order, that is why they were counted first. As you find that when He counted them from one month old in order to redeem the firstborn, they were counted in accordance with their birth order: Gershon first, then Kehat, and then Merari. But here, when He counted them to appoint them over the sacred vessels, He counted them in accordance with the significance of their service.
Kehat, because it was appointed over the Ark and items of the most sacred order, was privileged to be counted first. After him was Gershon, who was the firstborn and was appointed over the sheets and the Tent of Meeting, and after him was Merari, who was appointed over the beams, the bars, the pillars, the bases, and the pegs. “From thirty years old and above and until fifty years old, all those enlisted for duty, to perform labor in the Tent of Meeting” (Numbers 4:3).
“From thirty years old and above…” and one verse says: “From twenty-five years old and above” (Numbers 8:24). How can these two verses coexist? It is from twenty-five years for study, from thirty for service. “This is the service of the sons of Kehat in the Tent of Meeting: Items of the most sacred order” (Numbers 4:4).
“This is the service of the sons of Kehat…” – because Kehat merited that Aaron, who was of the most sacred order, emerged from him, that is why his descendants merited that their service was with items of the most sacred order.