Our Gemara on Amud Beis tells us that Levites were punished in the times of Ezra because they did not join the group returning back to Israel, and instead stayed in Babylonia, as it stated in Ezra (8:15), “and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi.” The punishment was that they no longer would be eligible to receive the Maaser Rishon tithes.

Tosafos here asks, the Gemara Kiddushin (69a) states that the Levites did return from Babylonia. In a addition, there is a verse (Ezra 1:5) that mentions these return of the Levites explicitly! Tosafos quotes Rashi as answering this question with a sad Midrash.  The Levites captives, in anticipation that they would be mocked and forced to play music for Nebuchadnezzar, literally as minstrels, bit off their thumbs so they could no longer manipulate the musical instruments.  Those were the only Levites who returned, and since they could not play music in the Temple, Ezra was still upset with the Levite tribe as a whole because he did not get a response needed to restart the Temple service. Ezra demoted them from the right of receiving Maaser rishon.

Yachin (Mishna Kiddushin 4:3) offers a different resolution to the contradiction: The majority of Levites did not return, but indeed some did.  Ezra was punishing the Levites for behavior of the majority as a whole. Yachin finds that peshat difficult because then the entire Levite tribe would be held liable for generations, despite the fact that a minority did return.  His final  answer is that really there were two stages of emigration. The Levites did not return with Ezra’s original group and only came later as a result from Ezra’s pressure, who had backing from the King.

Returning to Tosafos, I have a few observations.  Yachin does not ask on Tosafos’ peshat about why the entire tribe was punished, even though this group of old timers from the original exile returned.  I think that is because, even the children of these returnees did not go back to Zion with them, otherwise there would have been eno Levites who could play instruments.  Thus, the entire future generation of Levites were punished because none of the next generation had enough love for Zion to take the risk and return.  

It is interesting that the only Levites who returned were the original ones who were sent into exile, and were so aggrieved, that they even disfigured themselves.  Those  Levites were never in danger of getting too comfortable or cozy in exile, as they remembered Zion and also made a great physical sacrifice to honor Zion.  

It is kind of sad, but also rings true, that they were not able to pass their love and nostalgia for Zion along to their children with sufficient energy because of the horror of what they endured.  I cannot help drawing a comparison to Holocaust survivors .  These Levites who were so traumatized by having bitten off their own thumbs that they were just too bitter or frightening to relate to their grandchildren and pass on their culture and traditions with pride and love.

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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