the levites were given 12 cities by the other tribes.
how many cities were the levites given by the other tribes?
12
bullet::::- when the land of israel was apportioned among the tribes in the days of joshua, the tribe of levi, being chosen as priests, did not receive land (, ). however, the tribe of levi were given cities. six cities were to be refuge cities for all men of israel, which were to be controlled by the levites. three of these cities were located on each side of the jordan river. in addition, 42 other cities (and their respective open spaces), totaling 48 cities, were given to the tribe of levi. ()
ten lost tribes
the mishnah taught that a disability that did not disqualify priests disqualified levites, and a disability that did not disqualify levites disqualified priests. the gemara explained that our rabbis taught that disqualified priests by reason of a bodily blemish, and not by reason of age; and levites were disqualified by age, for they were qualified for service only from the age of 30 to 50, and not by bodily blemish. it follows, therefore, that the disability that does not disqualify priests disqualifies levites, and the disability that does not disqualify levites disqualifies priests. the gemara taught that we know this from a baraita in which our rabbis noted that says: "this is that which pertains to the levites." from "and from the age of 50 years they shall return from the service of the work," we know that levites were disqualified by age. one might have argued that they were disqualified by bodily blemish too; thus, if priests who were not disqualified by age were nevertheless disqualified by bodily blemish, levites who were disqualified by age should surely have been disqualified by bodily blemish. therefore says: "this is that which pertains to the levites," to instruct that "this," that is, age, only disqualifies levites, but nothing else disqualifies them. one might also have argued that priests were disqualified by age too; thus, if levites who were not disqualified by bodily blemish were nevertheless disqualified by age, priests who were disqualified by bodily blemish should surely have been disqualified by age. therefore says: "which pertains to the levites," and not "to the priests." one might further have supposed that the rule that levites were disqualified by age obtained even at shiloh and at the temple at jerusalem, where the levites sang in the choir and guarded the doors of the temple. therefore says: "to do the work of service and the work of bearing burdens," to instruct that god ordained this rule disqualifying levites by age only when the work was that of bearing burdens upon the shoulder, the service of the tabernacle in the wilderness, and not at the temple at jerusalem. similarly, the sifre taught that years invalidated in the case of levites but not in the case of the priesthood. for prior to the entry into the land of israel, the levites were valid from the age of 30 to the age of 50, while the priests were valid from puberty until the end of their lives. but once they came into the land, the levites were invalidated only by losing their voice. elsewhere, the sifre read "and shall serve no more; but shall minister with their brethren in the tent of meeting, to keep the charge, but they shall do no manner of service," to teach that the levite went back to the work of locking the doors and carrying out the tasks assigned to the sons of gershom.
emor