Levite Responsibilities – Tent of Meeting

Bamidbar – Nasso – Numbers 4:1 – 49 

    These are the responsibilities of the Levites according to their family groups for the Tabernacle and the Tent of Meeting. Those who can come to legion to perform work in the Tent of Meeting. From the age of 30 years of age and up to 50 years of age. Kohen Gadol and his sons: (Aaron and his sons) Take down the partition curtain and cover the Ark of the Testimony with it. They shall place upon it a tachash-hide covering, and spread a cloth entirely of turquoise wool over it, and adjust its staves. Upon the Table of the show-bread they shall spread a cloth of turquoise wool and place upon it the dishes, the spoons, the pillars, and the shelving-tubes; and the constant bread shall remain on it. They shall spread over them a cloth of scarlet wool and cover it with a cover of tachash hide, and emplace its staves. They shall take a cloth of turquoise wool and cover the Menorah of illumination, and its lamps, and its tongs, and its spoons, and all the vessels of its oil, with which they minister to it. They shall place it and all its utensils into a cover of tachash-hide, and place it on the pole. Upon the Gold Altar they shall spread a cloth of turquoise wool, and cover it with a covering of tachash-hide, and emplace its staves. They shall take all the utensils of service with which they serve in the Sanctuary and place them on a cloth of turquoise wool, and cover them with a covering of tachash-hide, and place them on the pole. they shall clear the ash from the Altar and spread a cloth of purple wool over it, they shall place upon it all the utensils with which they minister upon it: the fire-pans, the forks, the shovels, and the basins — all the utensils of the Altar — and spread over it a covering of tachash hide, and emplace its staves. Aaron and his sons shall finish covering the holy and all the holy utensils when the camp journeys. The charge of Elazar, son of Aaron the Kohen is the oil of illumination, the incense spices, the meal-offering of the continual offering and the anointment oil – the charge of the entire Tabernacle and everything in it — of the Sanctuary and its utensils. Kohath: Their work is the most holy. Then the sons of Kohath shall come to carry, so that they not touch the Sanctuary and die. Do not let the tribe of the Kohathite families be cut off from among the Levites. Thus shall you do for them so that they shall live and not die: when they approach the Holy of Holies, Aaron and his sons shall come and assign them, every man to his work and his burden. But they shall not come and look as they holy is inserted, lest they die. Gershon: This is the work of the Gershonite families: to work and to carry. They shall carry the curtains of the Tabernacle and the Tent of Meeting, its Cover and the tachash cover that is over it from above. And the Screen of the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, the lace-hangings of the Courtyard that were around the Tabernacle and the Altar, their ropes and all the utensils of their service, and everything that is made for them, and they shall serve. According to the word of Aaron and his sons shall be all the work of the sons of Gershonites, their entire burden and their entire work of the sons of the Gershonites in the Tent of Meeting; and their charge shall be under the authority of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the Kohen. Merari: This is the charge of their burden for all of their work in the Tent of Meeting. This is the charge of their burden for all of their work in the Tent of Meeting: the planks of the Tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; the pillars of the courtyard all around and their sockets, their pegs and their ropes for all of their utensils and for all of their work. You shall appoint them by name to the utensils they are to carry on their watch. This is the work of the families of the sons of Merari according to all their work in the Tent of Meeting, under the authority of Ithamar, son of Aaron the Kohen.