Midrash taught that the words of , "The Lord tries the righteous," imply that God never raises a person to high rank before first testing and trying that person. If the person stands the trial, God raises the person to high rank. The Midrash found this to have been the case with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, and so also with the tribe of Levi. The Midrash taught that the Levites devoted their lives to the sanctification of God's Name. When the Israelites were in Egypt, the Israelites rejected the Torah and circumcision, as implied by Ezekiel's rebuke of them in , "Thus says the Lord God: 'In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up my hand to the seed of the house of Jacob, and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt'"; and afterwards, says, "They rebelled against Me, and would not hearken to Me . . . then I said I would pour out My fury upon them." So God brought darkness upon the Egyptians for three days, and during that time God slew all the wicked Israelites, as reports, "I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against Me." The Levites, however, were all righteous and practiced the Torah; as says, "For they have observed Your word, and keep Your covenant." The Midrash taught that "covenant" referred to circumcision, as says, "This is My covenant . . . every male among you shall be circumcised." And the Midrash taught that when the Israelites made the Golden Calf, the Levites did not participate, as says: "Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp . . . and all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him." When Moses told them in , "Put every man his sword upon his thigh," they did so and respected no persons. Moses accordingly blessed them in , saying, "Who said of his father, and of his mother: 'I have not seen him.'" When God thus saw that the Levites were all righteous, and that they stood the test, as says, "Whom You did prove at Massah," God decided, as reported in , "The Levites shall be mine." Reading the command of that, when first appointed to office, the Levites had to cut their hair, the Gemara taught that there were three who were required to cut their hair, and whose