Sefer HaChinuch ספר החינוך

The commandment of carrying the Ark on the shoulder: That the priests (Kohanim) are commanded to carry the Ark on their shoulders when the People of Israel move it from one place to another, as it is stated (Numbers 7:9), “for the holy service is upon them, they shall carry on their shoulders.” Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (Maimonides), may his memory be blessed, wrote (Sefer HaMitzvot, Positive Commandments 34) [that] even though this commandment came to the Levites, that was [only] at that time — meaning to say in the wilderness, due to the small number of Kohanim at that time. In [future] generations, however, the Kohanim were obligated in this commandment — and they shall carry it — as is elucidated from the Book of Joshua and the Book of Samuel.

And Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (Nachmanides), may his memory be blessed, wrote (in his glosses to the Sefer HaMitzvot on the third Shoresh, s.v. veraiti) that that which the teacher said that the commandment was moved to the Kohanim is not true. God forbid that we should say that any commandment in the Torah changed, that the Levites were disqualified from carrying the Ark forever, and that he explained it well. [As we see that] the Levites carried it in the days of David, as it is stated (I Chronicles 15:26), “And it was in God’s assisting the Levites who were carriers of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord,” and it is written (I Chronicles 15:27), “And all the Levites who were carrying the Ark, etc.” But in truth, both the Kohanim and Levites are acceptable for carrying the Ark from Torah writ. As they are all called Levites, as it is written (Ezekiel 44:15), “the Levite Kohanim.” And so [too,] is it written (I Chronicles 15:14-15), “And the Kohanim and Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, as Moshe had commanded by the word of the Lord, with the poles on their shoulders.” And they said in the Sifrei, “Where did He command [this]? [From the verse] ‘And to the sons of Kehat was not given any other, etc.’” — as they are all called the sons of Kehat. And he also wrote [regarding] what Maimonides, may his memory be blessed, wrote that it is elucidated from the Book of Joshua and Samuel, that he did not find this elucidation. Rather, he found the opposite, as it is stated there (Joshua 3:3), “And he commanded the people saying, ‘When you see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, your God, that is carried by the Kohanim, Levites.” Rather, the truth is as we have said, that the whole tribe is eligible to carry the Ark. Moreover, the thing is explicit in Tractate Sotah 33b, where they, may their memory be blessed, said, “How did the Israelites cross the Jordan? Every day the Levites carried the Ark, and on this day it was carried by the Kohanim.” That is, on the day that they crossed the Jordan, only the Kohanim carried it, as so is it written (Joshua 3:6), “And Yehoshua said to the Kohanim, ‘Carry the Ark of the Covenant’” — so that the miracle would be done by the Kohanim, as they are the holiest members of the tribe.

It also seems that that which Maimonides, may his memory be blessed, said that it is elucidated in Joshua is from this verse, but it is not a clear elucidation at all, as we have said. And that which is stated in I Kings 8:1, “And the Kohanim brought the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord to its place, to the sanctuary, to the Holy of Holies” should also not be difficult in your eyes. It is because the Levites were not permitted to enter the Holy of Holies that only the Kohanim brought it in. And [so] the main approach seems to be like the words of Nachmanides, may his memory be blessed, that the entire tribe is fit to carry the Ark; and as it is written (II Chronicles 35:3), “And he said to the Levites, etc. ‘Place the Holy Ark in the Temple that was built by Solomon son of David, the king of Israel, there is no longer a burden on your shoulders.’” Its matter is also that Israel would have no more need to carry the Ark from one place to another; but it does not indicate that if it were to move it, that it would not be done by the Levites, and this is clear and obvious to all. And [regarding] that which the Sages said (Chullin 24a) [that] blemishes disqualify the Kohanim but years do not, it is only the priestly duties that are not affected by age, but age does disqualify the Kohanim for the labor of carrying, as it does for the Levites. (See Mishneh Torah, Laws of Vessels of the Sanctuary and Those Who Serve Therein 2.)

It is from the roots of the commandment that it is because the main glory of Israel is the Torah, through which they were made distinct from the other peoples and made into the portion of God. And it is therefore fitting and proper that it should be carried by the most dignified and holy people among us. And there is no need to elaborate on matters that any school child can understand. The entire content of the commandment is elucidated in the verse, and that is that the Kohanim and Levites would carry the Ark on their shoulders whenever they needed to move it from place to place, such as during war or for some other thing; and they would not carry it in a wagon or the back of an animal. And the Sages already castigated David for being mistaken about a thing that even toddlers read about, in his placing the Ark on a wagon (Sotah 34a).

And this commandment is practiced at the time when Israel is on their Land; for there was a need then to carry the Ark of the Covenant of God because of war or when the king commanded. But today, on account of our iniquities, we have no king and no Ark to carry in any place. And this commandment is incumbent upon the tribe of Levi; and upon the rest of the people to support them. And that to which they are accustomed today in the Diaspora to bring out the Torah to greet the [non-Jewish] kings is not governed by this commandment at all, as any of the Children of Israel may carry it. But if they choose a [Levite] even today as a way of showing honor to the Torah, [it is praiseworthy].