Our Rabbis explored this idea in Bamidbar Rabbah, specifically in section 5, through a close reading of the phrase "Do not cut off." It's not just a simple command; it’s a window into the very nature of God's relationship with us.
The passage starts by referencing a verse from II (Kings 14:27): “But the Lord had not spoken to erase the name of Israel from beneath the heavens.” The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) uses this to illustrate a core principle: that God doesn't want to wipe anyone out. As it says in (Isaiah 56:3), "The foreigner who accompanies the Lord shall not say: [The Lord will separate me from His people]." If God welcomes even the outsider, how much more so does God embrace Israel, who are, as the verse states, "My children."
Think about the story of the Gibeonites. They weren't exactly the most upright converts; their conversion was rooted in fear. Yet, God accepted them. And when Saul tried to harm them, God punished him severely, even bringing a three-year famine upon the land. As we read in II (Samuel 21:1), "There was a famine in the days of David [for three years…the Lord said: For Saul, and for the bloody house, in that he put the Gibeonites to death]." If God protected even these "unsought proselytes," wouldn't God certainly protect "My children?"
This idea extends to the Levi'im, the Levites, the servants in the Temple. “Do not cut off,” the Torah commands, and the Rabbis in Bamidbar Rabbah connect this to (Nahum 1:7): “The Lord is good; He is a stronghold on the day of trouble.”
What does this mean? The text contrasts God's ways with the ways of humans. A human king, facing rebellion, might lash out indiscriminately, punishing the innocent along with the guilty. But God? God is different. When a generation sins, God spares the righteous and eradicates the wicked. Remember Enoch, who "walked with God and he is not, as God took him" (Genesis 5:24)? Or Noah, who "found favor in the eyes of the Lord" (Genesis 6:8) during the Flood? Or Lot, saved from the destruction of Sodom, as it is stated: “It was when God destroyed the cities of the plain…[He sent Lot from the midst of the upheaval]” (Genesis 19:29).
Even during the Exodus from Egypt, when darkness enveloped the Egyptians, "all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings" (Exodus 10:23). God knows "those who take refuge in Him."
The ultimate example? The Golden Calf. Remember that terrible moment when the Israelites, fresh from liberation, turned to idolatry? Everyone, it seemed, except for the tribe of Levi. "Whoever is for the Lord, to me," Moses called out (Exodus 32:26), "and all the sons of Levi gathered to him." The Levites stood firm, even executing those who had participated in the sin. And as (Exodus 32:35) tells us, "The Lord afflicted [the people, because they made the calf that Aaron had made]," but He did not afflict the tribe of Levi.
Because the tribe of Levi took shelter in God, sanctified God even amidst the chaos of the Golden Calf, God said, "I should acknowledge them for good and rescue them from trouble." This is why God cautioned Moses and Aaron regarding the sons of Kehat, who were Levites, "Do not cut off.." so they would not be eradicated on account of the Ark.
So, what's the takeaway? It's not a free pass to do whatever we want. It's a reminder that even in our darkest moments, when we feel most vulnerable and exposed, there's a refuge. There's a stronghold. As long as we strive to align ourselves with the Divine, as long as we take shelter in God, we are not beyond redemption. We are not destined to be "cut off." The Zohar, the central text of Kabbalah, tells us of the intricate web of connection that binds all souls. And that connection, that enduring bond, is what this Midrash is all about.
Another matter, “do not cut off,” that is what is written: “But the Lord had not spoken to erase the name of Israel from beneath the heavens” (II Kings 14:27). The Holy One blessed be He does not seek that any one of them should die. See what is written: “The foreigner who accompanies the Lord shall not say: [The Lord will separate me from His people]” (Isaiah 56:3). If regarding a foreigner, I said not to disqualify him, all the more so Israel, who are My children. That is, “but the Lord had not spoken to erase…” Likewise, the Givonites, who were unsought proselytes, and were not sincere proselytes, but rather they converted due to fear, and I accepted them. And because Saul sought to confront them and killed the priests who would provide their sustenance, I killed him. Moreover, I brought three years of famine on their account, as it is stated: “There was a famine in the days of David [for three years…the Lord said: For Saul, and for the bloody house, in that he put the Givonites to death]” (II Samuel 21:1). If the Givonites, who came to you, I did not disqualify, will I disqualify My children? That is, “But the Lord had not spoken to erase…” This is true all the more so regarding the Levites, who are servants before Me. That is, “Do not cut off.” “Do not cut off,” that is what is written: “The Lord is good; He is a stronghold on the day of trouble” (Nahum 1:7). The attributes of the Holy One blessed be He are not like the attributes of flesh and blood. A flesh and blood king against whom the province rebelled, he initiates chaos and kills the good with the bad. The Holy One blessed be He is not so. When the generation angers Him, he spares the righteous and eradicates the wicked. The generation of Enosh sinned; He eradicated them, but spared Ḥanokh: “Ḥanokh walked [with God and he is not, as God took him]” (Genesis 5:24). Why? “[He is a stronghold] on the day of trouble and knows those who take refuge in Him” (Nahum 1:7). The generation of the Flood angered Him and He eradicated them, but He spared Noah: “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8). That is, “[He is a stronghold] on the day of trouble and knows those who take refuge in Him.” The people of Sodom angered Him and He eradicated them, but He spared Lot, as it is stated: “It was when God destroyed the cities of the plain…[He sent Lot from the midst of the upheaval]” (Genesis 19:29). That is, “[He is a stronghold] on the day of trouble and knows those who take refuge in Him.” He brought darkness upon the Egyptians, “But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings” (Exodus 10:23). That is, “[He is a stronghold] on the day of trouble and knows those who take refuge in Him.” Israel departed from Egypt, came to the wilderness, and performed that act,4The making of the Golden Calf. except for the tribe of Levi, as it is stated: “Whoever is for the Lord, to me, and all the sons of Levi gathered to him” (Exodus 32:26). Immediately, Moses stood and killed the sinners by means of the tribe of Levi, as it is stated: “The sons of Levi acted in accordance with the word of Moses, [and some three thousand men fell from the people on that day]” (Exodus 32:28). And the Lord afflicted those who performed the act of the calf, but He did not afflict the tribe of Levi, as it is stated: “The Lord afflicted [the people, because they made the calf that Aaron had made]” (Exodus 32:35). That is, “[He is a stronghold] on the day of trouble and knows those who take refuge in Him.” The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘The tribe of Levi took shelter in Me and sanctified Me with the calf, by right, I should acknowledge them for good and rescue them from trouble.’ That is why He cautioned Moses and Aaron regarding the sons of Kehat, who were Levites, so they would not be eradicated on account of the Ark. That is what is written: “Do not cut off…”
