במדבר, פרק ג׳, פסוק ל״ב

The organization of the Tabernacle workers reaches its peak with the appointment of a supreme leader. While Aaron held a unique and separate position as the high priest, the practical leadership of the entire Levite tribe was entrusted to his eldest son, Eleazar [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Eleazar was given a title indicating he was the highest authority over the three leaders of the Levite families: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari [בכור שור, מלבי״ם]. The phrasing of his title emphasizes extraordinary greatness and supreme authority [אבי עזר]. The Sages referred to this overarching role as an official appointed over everything [תורה תמימה, נתינה לגר].

The primary approach among commentators is that Eleazar served as the supervising officer who appointed, guided, and watched over the guards during their service [רש״י, שד״ל, רש ר הירש, נתינה לגר]. Another perspective refines this chain of command, suggesting that Eleazar served specifically as the leader over the other leaders who were directly responsible for those guards [אבן עזרא, הטור הארוך].

The timing of Eleazar's appointment in the narrative raises a question. His leadership is mentioned immediately after the census of the Kohath family, before the final Levite family of Merari is even counted. Furthermore, his brother Ithamar, who supervised the other families, is entirely omitted here. Commentators offer several complementary reasons for this arrangement. To begin with, Eleazar was the grandson of Amram, meaning he belonged to the Kohath family himself [ברכת אשר על התורה]. Additionally, although he oversaw all the Levites, his direct and most critical responsibility was managing the Kohathites. They were the keepers of the innermost holy items, which represented the ultimate purpose of the entire Tabernacle and functioned much like a heart within a body [העמק דבר, ברכת אשר על התורה].

Finally, there was a stark difference in how the two brothers managed their duties. While Ithamar merely supervised the work of the Gershon and Merari families, Eleazar actively shared in the physical burden of carrying the sacred vessels alongside the Kohathites [הכתב והקבלה, משכיל לדוד]. His personal involvement in this physical labor carries a profound message. Even though Eleazar held the highest possible rank and was the supreme leader over all the officials, he still engaged in demanding manual labor. This shows that in the palace of the King, there is no place for arrogance. Achieving greatness and high status does not exempt a person from hard work and physical effort in the service of God [תורה תמימה].