This week’s Parashath Qoraḥ (B’midbar 16–18) brought me back to the moment I knew I could no longer treat Sefer D’varim as part of the Torah. It wasn’t a hasty decision, nor was it rooted in emotion. It was, and continues to be, rooted in fidelity to the words YHWH spoke and the covenant He made with us at Sinai.
In this parashah, we see clearly: only the sons of Aharon (בני אהרן) are to serve as Kohanim. The rest of בני לוי (Bnai Lewii) may not even offer incense or come near the sacred service. Qoraḥ’s rebellion wasn’t about a dispute over respect, it was a direct challenge to the order YHWH Himself established. Mosheh responded and asked:
“וַיַּקְרֵב אֹתְךָ וְאֶת־כָּל־אַחֶיךָ בְּנֵי־לֵוִי אִתָּךְ וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּם גַּם־כְּהֻנָּה?”
“And He brought you near, and all your brothers, the sons of Lewi with you—and you seek also the priesthood?” (B’midbar 16:10)
YHWH responded with fire from the heavens and the earth itself opening to swallow the rebels. He then reaffirmed Aharon’s role with the miraculous blossoming of his rod (B’midbar 17). Finally, in chapter 18, YHWH makes the roles unmistakably clear: Aharon and his sons bear the responsibility and privilege of being kohanim; the rest of the Lewiim assist but do not serve as kohanim.
B’midbar 18:21–32 further seals this order. The Lewiim receive the tithe of Yisrael as their inheritance, but they themselves must tithe to the Kohanim. There is honor in their service, but it is not the service of the Kohanim. Any confusion of this order is a confusion of the covenant.
And YHWH does not leave this as a soft warning. Speaking to the Lewiim:
“וְאֶת־קָדְשֵׁי בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא תְחַלֵּלוּ וְלֹא תָמוּתוּ.”
“And you shall not profane the sacred offerings of the children of Yisrael, and you shall not die.” (B’midbar 18:32)
Mishandling what belongs only to the Kohanim leads to חֵטְא and to death. This is no metaphor. It is a reality that cost men their lives in the wilderness.
But when we read Sefer D’varim, we find an entirely different voice. Repeatedly, we encounter the phrase:
“הַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם”
“The Levitical priests” (D’varim 17:9, 18:1, etc.)
This phrase collapses a boundary YHWH fought to defend. It suggests all Lewiim are Kohanim, an idea completely foreign to the Torah of Sinai. This conflation of Kohanim with Lewiim directly contradicts the words spoken by YHWH and written by Mosheh.
Mosheh, who witnessed the death of 250 men for overstepping these roles, would never have uttered such confusion.
This is why I stopped reading Sefer D’varim as Torah. I imagine some original version of the book may have been a record of Mosheh’s commentary on the Torah and would therefore be part of the Niviim (Prophets), but none of it should be thought of as having the same status or authority as the Torah found in the 10 Matters, the Sefer HaBrith, Sefer Shemoth, Sefer Wayikra, Sefer Bmidbar and Sefer Breshith. Each of these books should be thought of as separate books that contain the Torah, the instructions, that were spoken by YHWH (על פי יהוה) and written by the hand of Mosheh (ביד מושה).
It’s not about rejecting the rest of TANAK, or closing myself off to prophecy or wisdom. It’s about honoring the covenant that was sealed with fire and blood at Sinai, the covenant YHWH Himself spoke in the hearing of our ancestors. That covenant established the kohanim. That covenant defines kedoshim (holiness).
And that covenant was never confused.
— Moriyah Ben Avraham