Another interpretation (of Numb. 3:40), “enroll every first-born male.” But look, we find two hundred and seventy-three first-born, who were found to be in excess of the [number of] the Levites at the time that Moses numbered them.<sup class="footnote-marker">107</sup><i class="footnote">Numb. R. 4:7. According to Numb. 3:43, there were 22,273 first-born, while Numb. 3:39 put the number of Levites at 22,000. The problem for Moses was that he had been commanded (in Numb. 3:44-45) to replace all the first-born with Levites.</i> R. Judah and R. Nehemiah [differ about this].<sup class="footnote-marker">108</sup><i class="footnote">Numb. R. 4:10; <i>ySanh.</i> 1:4 (19c).</i> R. Judah says, “This is what Moses did: he took [twenty-two thousand] lots<sup class="footnote-marker">109</sup><i class="footnote">Gk.: <i>pittakia</i> (“tickets”); Lat.: <i>pittacia</i> (“ticket”).</i> and wrote ‘Levite,’ on each of them. Then he took two hundred and seventy-three more lots and wrote ‘five <i>sela'im</i>’<sup class="footnote-marker">110</sup><i class="footnote">A <i>sela</i>‘ is equal to one sacred or two common shekels. Thus five <i>sela‘im</i> matches the payment of five shekels required in Numb. 3:46-47.</i> [on each of them]. He mixed them up and put them in an urn.<sup class="footnote-marker">111</sup><i class="footnote">Gk.: <i>kalpe.</i> For more details about such an urn, see <i>Yoma</i> 39a.</i> Then the father of a first-born would put his hand into the urn. If there came up in his hand a lot on which was written ‘Levite,’ he was redeemed (by a Levite) and exempted from the five <i>sela'im</i>; but if there came up in his hand a lot on which was written ‘five <i>sela'im</i>,’ he handed over five <i>sela'im.</i>” These are the words of R. Judah. R. Nehemiah says, “There is still a difference of opinion on the matter, because one could say to him, ‘There is no lot [remaining] here on which “Levite" is written.<sup class="footnote-marker">112</sup><i class="footnote"><i>Sanh</i>. 17a.</i> That is the reason it did not come up in my hand.’ Instead this is what Moses did: He took lots according to the number of all the first-born, and wrote ‘Levite’ on them. Then again he took other lots according to their number and wrote ‘five <i>sela'im</i>’ on them. He mixed them up and put them in an urn. Then the father of a first-born would reach into the urn. If a lot with ‘Levite’ came up in his hand, he knew that a Levite had redeemed him, and had exempted him from the five <i>sela'im;</i> but if a lot with ‘five <i>sela'im</i>’ came up in his hand, he handed over five <i>sela'im</i>. Then the officer said to him, ‘Was there not another lot there on which "Levite" was written? So you are not worthy of being redeemed by a Levite.’” (Numb. 3:40:) “Enroll (rt.: <i>pqd</i>) every first-born male.” There is [a use of] the root <i>pqd</i> for the first born, as stated (ibid.), “enroll (rt.: <i>pqd</i>) every first-born male.”<sup class="footnote-marker">113</sup><i class="footnote">Numb. R. 4:4.</i> There is [a use of] the root <i>pqd</i> for children (in I Sam. 2:21), “For the Lord visited (rt.: <i>pqd</i>) Hannah; so she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters.” There is [a use of] the root <i>pqd</i> for watching over (in Job 10:12), “and Your providence (rt.: <i>pqd</i>) has watched over my spirit.” There is [a use of] the root <i>pqd</i> for peace (in Is. 60:17), “and I will appoint peace as your overseer (rt.: <i>pqd</i>).”