Are you or somebody you know a firstborn child? How is that status impacting your life? In Jewish history - this birth-order baggage has gone through an astounding evolution, hinted at right as this wild book #4 begins. Alert: #weirdjewishstuff.
Having completed the people’s census Moses turns to the next task - counting every male member, at least one month old, from his own tribe - the Levites. There are 22,000 total. Then he counts every firstborn male, one month and older, from among the entire population - the other 11 tribes - a total of 22,272. Assuming the total male population is 600,000 - that’s not a lot of firstborn boys. Did a lot of them die? Were there mostly firstborn girls??
This leads us into the murky mystery that keeps showing up through the five books, with a dark turn when the Hebrews flee Egypt on that fateful Exodus night when every Egyptian firstborn is killed. It seems that the God of Israel has a thing for firstborn boys.
In the context of the ancient world this is not that unusual - firstborns were often offered to the gods as a gesture of gratitude and a bargain for the best one could get -- I give you my first, my best - in return for yours. But what’s amazing is how this tradition persists to live on in Jewish life, even if transformed. In this chapter we read that Adonai owns the firstborns boys - but suggests a replacement:
וַאֲנִ֞י הִנֵּ֧ה לָקַ֣חְתִּי אֶת־הַלְוִיִּ֗ם מִתּוֹךְ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל תַּ֧חַת כׇּל־בְּכ֛וֹר פֶּ֥טֶר רֶ֖חֶם מִבְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְהָ֥יוּ לִ֖י הַלְוִיִּֽם׃
“I hereby take the Levites from among the Israelites in place of all the male first-born, the first issue of the womb among the Israelites: the Levites shall now be Mine.” (Ba 3:12)
What’s likely happening here is a socio-religious paradigm shift that is described as a single event. In earlier times firstborn males from the entire community were either sacrificed, or dedicated to temple-service. Eventually, a new regime replaces this arrangement, possibly abolishes human sacrifice - and creates a system whereby one tribe - the Levites - connected by blood or affiliation - become the servants of the sacred.
Those extra 272 firstborns mentioned in this chapter offer a key to this baffling mystery. They are redeemed, five shekels per head, at a one time gesture that seemingly absolves all future firstborns from belonging to Adonai. This substitution ritual is still done today - in many religious Jewish circles, firstborn boys are placed on silver trays when they are one month old, with jewels and money on their bodies, as a resident Cohen mumbles some words and a donation is given to redeem them from belonging to the Lord. This ritual, Pidyon Ha’Ben , is oddly one of our oldest relics, from a time when we were told that God prefers our firstborns, alive, or, previously, presumably, dead. This chapter offers us a rare look at religious evolution, and we clearly still have ways to go.
Me, I’m the youngest, and I got my own issues, thank you very much. To the firstborn among you, whatever gender, maybe this will shed some light on those peculiar dreams you’ve been having? Told you - this book offers windows into the ancient and persistent wild. To be continued.
Want to learn more, discuss your thoughts and feelings about Va’Yikra and Below the Bible Belt? Join me on Monday July 25th 2022, 1pm ET for our first hour long Zoom Study Session. Link here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89433380921 Meeting ID: 894 3338 0921
#wilderness #bookofnumbers #desert #firstborns #sacrificeofthefirstborn #pidyonhaben #Bamidbar3 #bamidbar #thetorah #hebrewbible #whowrotethebible? #childsacrifice #Levites #Moses #religiousevolution #272firstborns #tribeoflevi
#hebrewmyth #929 #torah #bible #hiddenbible #sefaria #929english #labshul #929project #myth #belowthebiblebelt #postpatriarchy
I love how the Israelites are wandering in the desert with all these shekels. guess that's why my mother always told me to have some money when I left the house
Thinking fast forward to the Jacob / Esau birthright story. Seems like being firstborn has its pitfalls and privileges. I’m firstborn. Remember someone saying, “Firstborns are like pancakes. The first one is always a throw away.” Biblical roots?