Why God Tests the Righteous Before Choosing the Levites

Another interpretation of (Numbers 8:6) TAKE THE LEVITES. This is what Scripture says (Psalms 11:5): THE LORD TESTS THE RIGHTEOUS. The Holy One, blessed be He, does not raise a person to authority until He first tries and examines him; and once he stands firm in his trial, He raises him to authority. And so you find with our father Abraham: the Holy One, blessed be He, tested him with ten trials, and he stood firm in his trial, and afterward He blessed him, as it is said (Genesis 24:1), "And the Lord blessed Abraham in all things." And so too Isaac, He tested him in the days of Abimelech, and he stood firm in his trial, and afterward He blessed him, as it is said (Genesis 26:12), "And Isaac sowed in that land [... and the Lord blessed him]." And so too Jacob, He tested him with all those troubles - with Esau, and with Dinah, and with Joseph, and with how he went forth from the house of his father and his mother, "for with my staff I crossed [this Jordan]" (Genesis 32:11) - and He blessed him, as it is said (Genesis 35:9), "And God appeared to Jacob again [when he came from Paddan-aram, and He blessed him]." And so too Joseph, He tested him with the wife of Potiphar, and he was imprisoned for twelve years, and afterward he came out and was made king, because he stood firm in his trial. This is "THE LORD TESTS THE RIGHTEOUS." And also the tribe of Levi gave their lives for the sanctification of the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, so that the Torah would not be annulled. For at the time when Israel was in Egypt, they despised the Torah and circumcision, and were all idolaters, as Ezekiel reproaches them, as it is said (Ezekiel 20:5), "And you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord God, in the day when I chose Israel [...]." And what is written at the end? (Ezekiel 20:8) "But they rebelled against Me and would not listen to Me; [no man cast away the abominations of his eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt]." What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He brought darkness upon the Egyptians for three days, and slew among them all the wicked of Israel, as He says (Ezekiel 20:36, 38), "[As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt] [...] and I will purge out from among you [the rebels and those who transgress against Me]." And so He says (Song of Songs 2:13), "The fig tree puts forth its green figs" - these are the wicked who were in Israel; "and the vines in blossom give forth their fragrance" - these are the ones who remained, who repented and were received; "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away" - for the time of the redemption had arrived. But the tribe of Levi were all righteous, and were performing the Torah, as it is said (Deuteronomy 33:9), "For they kept Your word" - this is the Torah; "and guarded Your covenant" - this is circumcision. And not only that, but when Israel made the calf, the tribe of Levi did not join in there, as it is said (Exodus 32:26), "And Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said: Whoever is for the Lord, to me! And all the sons of Levi gathered to him." Once Moses said (Exodus 32:27), "[Put] every man his sword upon his thigh," they immediately did so, and showed no favoritism. And so Moses blesses them, "the one who says of his father and his mother, I have not seen him [...]; for they kept Your word and guarded Your covenant" (Deuteronomy 33:9). When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that they were all righteous, and tested them and they stood firm in their trial, as it is said (Deuteronomy 33:8), "whom You tested at Massah," the Holy One, blessed be He, immediately said, "And the Levites shall be Mine," to fulfill what is said (Psalms 11:5), "THE LORD TESTS THE RIGHTEOUS." But of the wicked it is written (ibid.), "and the wicked and the lover of violence His soul hates." David said (Psalms 128:1), "Happy is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways."