That’s the fascinating idea we find in the book of Numbers, Bamidbar, specifically in verse 18:20. It says, "And the L-rd said to Aaron: In their land you will not inherit, and you will not have a portion in their midst. I am your portion and your inheritance in the midst of the children of Israel."
Why does the Torah need to spell this out? The Sifrei Bamidbar, a rabbinic commentary on the book of Numbers, tackles this very question.
See, earlier in Bamidbar (26:53), it states, "To these shall the land be apportioned." A natural assumption would be that "these" includes everyone! Cohanim (priests), Levi'im (Levites), Israelites, converts, even women, servants, and those of uncertain gender – a tumtum (someone whose sex is unknown) or an androgynos (someone with both male and female characteristics).
But that's not quite right. So, to clarify, God tells Aaron directly, "In their land you will not inherit." This explicitly excludes the Cohanim from receiving a portion of the land. Then, verse 23 specifies, "And in the midst of the children of Israel, they (the Levites) shall not inherit an inheritance" – excluding the Levites, too.
The Sifrei Bamidbar continues, drawing on verse 26:55, "By the names of the tribes of their fathers shall they inherit," to exclude servants and converts. And from verse 54, "A man, according to his numbers shall his inheritance be given," we learn that the tumtum and androgynos are also excluded.
Okay, so no land. But what do the priests and Levites get? The Sifrei Bamidbar breaks down verse 18:20 further. "And the L-rd said to Aaron: In their land you will not inherit" refers to the division of the land itself. "And you will not have a portion in their midst" means they don't get a share of the spoils of war. So what’s left?
"I am your portion and your inheritance!" God Himself!
The commentary then offers a powerful analogy: A king gives gifts to all his sons, except one. To that one, he says, "My son, I have given you a different gift. At my table you eat, and at my table you drink."
Similarly, the priests and Levites weren't given land to cultivate; their sustenance came directly from the offerings brought to the Temple. As Leviticus 6:10 states, "Their portion have I given to them from My fire-offerings." And Deuteronomy 18:1 echoes, "The fire-offering of the L-rd and His inheritance shall they eat."
The text goes on to list twenty-four priestly gifts, twelve received within the sanctuary and twelve received from the rest of the country. These include portions from various sacrifices: the sin-offering, the guilt-offering, the remnant of oil from the purification of a leper, parts of the omer offering (barley offering), the two loaves of Shavuot, the showbread, remnants of meal-offerings, the terumah (portion) of the thank-offering, the breast and thigh of peace offerings, and the shoulder of the ram offered by a Nazirite.
So, instead of owning property, the priests and Levites were sustained by the community's devotion, acting as intermediaries between the people and God. Their inheritance wasn't material; it was spiritual.
What does it mean for us? Maybe it's a reminder that inheritance isn't always about tangible possessions. Sometimes, the most valuable inheritances are the intangible ones: faith, community, and a connection to something bigger than ourselves. Maybe, just maybe, we all have the opportunity to inherit God in our own way, not through land, but through living a life dedicated to service and holiness. What do you think?