Why God Chose the Tribe of Levi Above All Others

(Numbers 3:15:) ENROLL THE CHILDREN OF LEVI. This tribe was exceedingly beloved before the Holy One, blessed be He. And why, out of all the tribes, was none chosen but this tribe, as it is said (1 Samuel 2:28): AND I CHOSE HIM [OUT OF ALL THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL TO BE MY PRIEST, etc.]? How so? The Holy One, blessed be He, created days and chose one of them for Himself, as it is said (Psalms 139:16): DAYS WERE FASHIONED, AND TO HIM IS ONE AMONG THEM. And which is it? Rabbi Levi said: This is the Sabbath day. He created years and selected one of them for Himself, this is the seventh year, as it is said (Leviticus 25:2): AND THE LAND SHALL KEEP A SABBATH TO THE LORD. He created weeks [of years] and selected one of them for Himself, this is the Jubilee, as it is said (Leviticus 25:10): AND YOU SHALL SANCTIFY THE FIFTIETH YEAR. He created lands and chose one of them for Himself, the Land of Israel, as it is said (Deuteronomy 11:12): A LAND THAT THE LORD YOUR GOD SEEKS OUT, [THE EYES OF THE LORD YOUR GOD ARE ALWAYS UPON IT], [and so the Holy One, blessed be He, calls it His land, as it is said (Joel 4:2): AND MY LAND THEY HAVE DIVIDED]. He created firmaments and chose one of them for Himself, this is Aravot, as it is said (Psalms 68:5): EXTOL HIM WHO RIDES UPON THE ARAVOT, BY HIS NAME YAH. He created nations and chose one of them for Himself, this is Israel, as it is said (Deuteronomy 7:6): THE LORD YOUR GOD HAS CHOSEN YOU TO BE FOR HIM A TREASURED PEOPLE—a nation of flesh and you are flesh, and THE LORD YOUR GOD HAS CHOSEN YOU, etc. Why did the Holy One, blessed be He, choose you? Because He loved you, as it is said (Deuteronomy 7:8): BECAUSE THE LORD LOVED YOU. He created tribes and chose one of them for Himself, this is the tribe of Levi, as it is said (1 Samuel 2:28): AND I CHOSE HIM [OUT OF ALL THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL, etc.]. Therefore He cherishes you exceedingly, and He says to Moses each time: ENROLL THE CHILDREN OF LEVI. [EVERY MALE.] Why did He say EVERY MALE, and not mention the female by name? Because the glory of God ascends from the males. EVERY MALE—David said (Psalms 127:3): BEHOLD, SONS ARE A HERITAGE OF THE LORD, THE FRUIT OF THE WOMB A REWARD. [SONS ARE A HERITAGE OF THE LORD]—these are the males; [THE FRUIT OF THE WOMB A REWARD]—and if the females come, they too are a reward. And why does He enroll them each and every time? Because they are His ranks, and the king rejoices greatly in his ranks. And you find that the entire tribe of Levi was few in number. And why were they few? Because they would behold the Divine Presence. And even when Israel came up from the exile, they did not find any of them, for they were few, as it is said (Ezra 8:15): AND I OBSERVED THE PEOPLE AND THE PRIESTS, BUT I FOUND THERE NONE OF THE SONS OF LEVI. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: In this world they were consumed because they would behold My glory, as it is said (Exodus 33:20): FOR NO MAN SHALL SEE ME AND LIVE. But in the world to come, when I restore My Divine Presence to Zion, I will be revealed in My glory over all Israel, and they will see Me and live forever, as it is said (Isaiah 52:8): FOR EYE TO EYE THEY SHALL SEE. And not only that, but they will point out My glory to one another with the finger, and say (Psalms 48:15): FOR THIS IS GOD, OUR GOD. And it says (Isaiah 25:9): AND IT SHALL BE SAID ON THAT DAY: BEHOLD, THIS IS OUR GOD, WE WAITED FOR HIM [AND HE SAVED US]; THIS IS THE LORD, WE WAITED FOR HIM, LET US REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN HIS SALVATION.