The Tanakh Podcast

We have been telling a story in ch.1-4 - the story of the organization of the camp and the assignment of roles to the nation and the Levites.
Suddenly Bamidbar takes a surprising turn into five legal segments (parshiot).
Why does Bamidbar lurch from narrative to law?
Why these five laws?

Today we discuss two topics:
1. The transportation of the Aron
2. The role and service mindset of Shevet Levi

In chapter 3 we watch as the Leviim are consecrated, and assigned roles in transporting the Sanctuary in their family clans - Gershon, Kehat and Merari. The Levites are also redeemed or exchanged with the Firstborn.
But why were the Levites given this special role? Why are we seeing this role only now? And in what way do the Levites interplay with the firstborn?

Today we discuss two questions:
1. In what formation did the Israelites march through the desert? In other words, what is meant by the phrase (2:17): "As they encamped so they travelled?"
2. The count here is 603,550 adult me. But the same number appears in Shemot 38:26 - a count which would have ben taken at least 6 months previously. Did the population remain static? Did no one die? How do we resolve this mystery?

Chapter 1 of Bamidbar counts the nation by their males (age 20+). Why now? What is the purpose of taking a national census?