“Their counted were eight thousand and five hundred and eighty” (Numbers 4:48). “Their counted were eight thousand and five hundred and eighty.” This is what they said: They counted them separately and they counted them together, like a person who has objects that are fine, excellent, and especially dear to him; he counts them separately and then counts them together, because he rejoices in their substantial number.
So, the Holy One blessed be He commanded to write the number of the Levites separately and together, because they were members of His household, upright, and especially dear to him. “According to the directive of the Lord he counted them, at the hand of Moses, each man to his service, and to his burden, and his count was as the Lord commanded Moses” (Numbers 4:49). “According to the directive of the Lord he counted them, at the hand of Moses.”
This is said in reference to the sons of Kehat, as Aaron counted the sons of Kehat and said: ‘So-and-so and so-and-so will bear the Ark, and so-and-so and so-and-so will bear the altar, and likewise all the vessels of the most sacred order.’ Just as the Holy One blessed be He commanded Moses that Aaron should perform, so Aaron performed. That is, “at the hand of Moses.” From where do you say that it is regarding the sons of Kehat that the verse is speaking?
It is as it is written: “Each man to his service, and to his burden.” So it is written regarding the sons of Kehat: “Aaron and his sons shall come, and assign them, each man to his service and to his burden” (Numbers 4:19). “And his count was as the Lord commanded Moses.” This is said in reference to the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, as the Holy One blessed be He commanded that their service should be under his [Moses’] direction, with his brother Aaron.
Regarding the sons of Gershon it is written: “You shall assign them all their burden as a commission” (Numbers 4:27), Moses was with them. Regarding the sons of Merari it is written: “And by names you shall appoint the instruments of the commission of their burden” (Numbers 4:32), it included Moses. That is why it is written: “And his count was as the Lord commanded Moses,” as Moses counted and said so-and-so, so-and-so, and so-and-so of the sons of Gershon will bear the woven strips of fabric.
So-and-so, so-and-so, and so-and-so will bear the Tent of Meeting, and likewise regarding all the instruments of their service. He would assign the burden of the sons of Gershon by number. Likewise, Moses counted and said so-and-so, so-and-so, and so-and-so of the sons of Merari will bear the beams; so-and-so, so-and-so, and so-and-so of the sons of Merari will bear the bars; and likewise it was regarding all the instruments of the service of the burden of the sons of Merari; he would assign them by number to their service.
That is, “as the Lord commanded Moses.” Moses was commanded regarding these two families, the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, that he should command them how they should bear and how they should guard what is in their care. That is, “as the Lord commanded Moses.”