[Par-reg] for Parshat Bamidbar - shiur
Menachem Leibtag
tsc at bezeqint.net
Thu Jun 2 15:28:04 EDT 2005
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THE TANACH STUDY CENTER [http://www.tanach.org]
In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag
Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem Leibtag
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PARSHAT BAMIDBAR
The twelve tribes are listed numerous times in Chumash,
yet for some reason, each time that they are listed in Parshat
Bamidbar - their order seems to change!
In this week's shiur, we attempt to explain why.
PART I - THE ORDER OF THE SHVATIM
In Parshat Bamidbar, the "shvatim" [tribes] are listed in
three different instances - when the Torah discusses:
(A) The LEADERS (see 1:5-15);
(B) The actual CENSUS of the shvatim (1:20-43);
(C) Their ARRANGEMENT surrounding the Mishkan
(see 2:1-31).
Based on these three sources, the following table
compares the order of the shvatim in each respective list.
[A star -*- next the name of a tribe will note a significant
change from one list to the next:]
# (A) (B) (C)
1) Reuven Reuven * Yehuda
2) Shimon Shimon * Yisachar
3) Yehuda * Gad * Zevulun
4) Yisachar Yehuda Reuven
5) Zevulun Yisachar Shimon
6) Ephraim Zevulun Gad
7) Menashe Ephraim Ephraim
8) Binyamin Menashe Menashe
9) Dan Binyamin Binyamin
10) Asher Dan Dan
11) Gad Asher Asher
12) Naftali Naftali Naftali
Review each of these lists, noting how (and where) the
order changes from one list to the next. Before we suggest a
reason for these changes, let's begin by explaining what each
list is about.
THE COMPARISON
The first list - column (A) - appears to be the most
logical. Note how the leaders of each tribe are presented:
First - the children of Leah (eldest first),
Then - the children of Rachel,
Then - the children of the 'shfachot' (the maidservants)
(Bilha & Zilpa).
The second list (when the census is taken) - column (B) -
is almost identical, but with one very peculiar change: GAD
has 'moved up' from position #11 to position #3!
For no obvious reason, it appears as though Gad has been
'adopted' by the children of Leah.
In the third list (when the shvatim are organized
surrounding the Mishkan) - column (C) - we find once again
that Gad is placed with "bnei Leah". However, this time we
find yet another very peculiar change: The tribes of Yehuda,
Yisachar, and Zevulun - the YOUNGEST children of Leah - have
'jumped' to the top of list (i.e. ahead of their older
brothers Reuven and Shimon)! Even though there is not obvious
reason for this change, we should expect it to be significant,
for this final list reflects the actual formation in which
Bnei Yisrael travel through the desert on their journey to
Eretz Canaan (see Bamidbar 10:13-28).
With this in mind, we will now attempt to explain the
logic of this 're-organization' by considering the purpose of
the Mishkan, and its strategic location within the camp of
Bnei Yisrael.
DIVINE DIVISION
Recall God's original commandment to Bnei Yisrael
concerning the purpose of the Mishkan:
"v'assu li MIKDASH v'shachanti b'TOCHAM"
"They shall make for a sanctuary that I may dwell
AMONG THEM..." (see Shmot 25:8)
Note how this pasuk could be understood as a commandment as
well - i.e. to erect the Mishkan in the CENTER of the camp.
Therefore, to enable this placement, the twelve tribes are
divided into FOUR DIVISIONS. In this manner, the Mishkan will
be surrounded equally in all four directions (East, South,
West, and North) by groups of three tribes each. In other
words, to create four 'divisions' from twelve tribes, the
shvatim must be divided into four groups of THREE tribes each.
However, each group of three also requires a leader -
therefore four leadership tribes must be chosen, one for each
division.
Now we must explain which tribes are chosen to lead these
four groups (and why)?
As family leadership is the responsibility of the "bchor"
- the first born son - we find that the four leadership
"shvatim" are simply the four sons of Yaakov who possess a
certain aspect of being the 'first born' - namely: Reuven,
Yehuda, Ephraim and Dan. Let's explain why.
REUVEN
Reuven was the first son born to Leah, therefore, his tribe
obviously becomes one of the leaders.
YEHUDA
Recall from Sefer Breishit, that because of Reuven's sin
(taking the maidservant of his father/ see Br. 35:22), Yaakov
decided to award the family leadership to a different son. As
Shimon & Levi had also angered their father (at the incident
at Shechem/ see Br. 34:30), Yehuda was chosen as the family
leader for the children of Leah.
[See also Yaakov's blessing to his children in 49:3-12 &
Divrei Hayamim I 5:1-2!]
EFRAIM
Even though Leah was Yaakov's first wife to bear children,
he still considered Rachel as his 'primary' wife. Therefore,
Rachel's first child - Yosef - is also considered a "bechor".
In fact, at his deathbed blessing to Yosef, Yaakov awards him
with a 'double portion' (see Breishit 48:5), the portion set
aside for the first born son. However, because of this
'double portion', both of Yosef's sons - Efraim and Menashe -
are considered as tribes. Even though we may have expected
the "bechora" to be granted to Menashe, as he was the eldest
son of Yosef, Yaakov awarded the "bechora" of the children of
Rachel to Efraim instead, as explained in Breishit 48:17-19.
DAN
The children of the "shfachot" [maidservants] also became
an integral part of Yaakov's family, and therefore, the
firstborn of these children is also awarded the status of
"bechora". Dan becomes the obvious choice, as he is the first
born of Bilha, the "shifcha" of Rachel, the first maidservant
to give Yaakov a child.
[Note that the four leadership positions are divided
equally between Yaakov's two wives: Rachel -2 and Leah -2.]
WHO BELONGS WITH EACH LEADER
Once these four leadership tribes have been designated,
each must be joined by two additional tribes in order to form
the necessary four groups of three.
Considering that the leaders are chosen based on the first
born children of Yaakov's wives, it is only logical that each
leader should be joined by his closest brothers.
Therefore:
* Reuven should be joined by Shimon and Levi, his two
younger brothers. However, Levi has a 'new job' and must
encamp in closer proximity to the Mishkan (see Bamidbar
chapter 3). Thus, Reuven is joined only by Shimon and remains
one tribe 'short'.
* To make Yehuda's group complete, he is joined by his two
younger brothers: Yisachar and Zevulun.
* Efraim, the "bechor" of the 'house of Rachel', is joined
by his brother Menashe, and his uncle Binyamin, (Rachel's
youngest son). Thus, the group of "bnei Rachel" - is also
complete.
* Dan should be the leader for all of children of the
shfachot, i.e. his brother Naftali, and the two children of
Zilpa: Gad and Asher. However, had this been the case, his
group would have too many for it totals four! Therefore,
Dan's group has one 'extra' tirbe.
Considering that Reuven is 'short' one tribe and Dan has
one too many, it is only logical that one of Dan's 'extras'
moves to Reuven's group. For this reason, Gad 'moves' from
his 'home camp' to join the camp of Reuven.
But why was specifically Gad chosen?
Naftali remains with Dan, for he is Dan's full brother.
Therefore, we are left to choose between Gad and Asher, the
two children of Zilpa. One could suggest that Gad is chosen
for he is the eldest son of Zilpa, and hence given the
'privilege' to join the camp of Reuven, while his younger
brother Asher remains with the camp of Dan.
HOW THEY TRAVELLED
Now that we have explained how and why the tribes are
organized into four groups, we must explain the direction in
which they travel (as detailed in Bamidbar 2:3,10,18,25):
EAST - Yehuda, Yisachar, and Zevulun [Bnei Leah]
SOUTH - Reuven, Shimon, and Gad [Bnei Leah +Gad]
WEST - Ephraim, Menashe, and Binyamin [Bnei Rachel]
NORTH - Dan, Naftali, and Asher [Bnei ha'Shfachot]
As Bnei Yisrael must now travel from Har Sinai (through
the desert) toward Eretz Canaan, the basic direction of travel
is eastward. Therefore the camp in the East travels first.
It would appear that Yehuda is chosen for this direction
because of his leadership qualities. Recall that he was
originally chosen by Yaakov for his leadership (he took
responsibility for Binyamin), and later they are known for
their strong army (see Yehoshua chapters 14->15).
The group of Reuven follows (to the south), as they are
the other tribes from Leah. Efraim follows (to the west), as
he leads the children of Rachel. As we would expect, the
children of the "shfachot" (led by Dan) travel last.
With this background, we can now return to our original
question and explain the logic behind the three conflicting
orders of the shvatim:
LIST (A) - The Leaders
The presentation of tribal leaders (A) follows the most
logical order: by mother/ by birth, i.e. the children of Leah
- followed by the children of Rachel - followed by the
children of the shfachot.
[For some reason, the children of the shfachot are not
listed by the order of their birth. It seems that
Naftali must always be last, and Asher precedes Gad for
he will remain within the camp of "bnei ha'shfachot."]
LIST (B) - The Census
The census (B) follows basically the same order as (A),
however it already reflects the 'transfer' of shevet Gad into
the camp of Reuven, placing him in the position of Levi (#3).
Most likely, this is because this census will be the basis for
the organization of the tribes into groups of three.
LIST (C) - Surrounding the Mishkan
The organization of the shvatim around the Mishkan (C)
reflects not only Gad's new position within the camp of
Reuven, but also Yehuda's leadership role in travel formation,
for he is destined to be the leader of all the shvatim. [See
Breishit 49:10 - "lo yasur shevet m'yudah..."] Therefore, this
list begins with Yehuda, followed by the tribes of his camp,
then Reuven and his camp, etc. etc.
Up until this point, our discussion has been rather
technical. In Part II, we discuss this significance of this
special manner by which the tribes encamped around the
Mishkan.
PART II - WHEN AND WHY
The opening pasuk of Parshat Bamidbar informs us that
this organization of the shvatim and the census took place on
the first day of Iyar (in the second year, see 1:1). However,
in the details of the Mishkan's dedication ceremony, as
recorded Parshat Naso, we find an apparent contradiction.
Let's explain.
Recall how Parshat Naso describes the dedication of the
Mishkan with special korbanot offered by the "nsiim" [the
tribal leaders], that took place during the first twelve days
of Nisan (see 7:12-83). However, when you review the list of
"nsiim", you'll notice that their order is exactly the same as
the order of list (C)!
In other words, the order by the which the "nsiim" offered
their korbanot (on the first of Nisan), was exactly the same
as the order by which the tribes encamped around the Mishkan,
as established on the first of Iyar.
This proves that the special order of the tribes (C) already
existed on the first of Nisan, a month before the census was
taken on the first of Iyar! This suggests that this order was
already significant, even before Bnei Yisrael prepared for
travel to Eretz Canaan!
To explain why, we must recognize that this special
organization of the shvatim served a double purpose - both
military and spiritual:
* MILITARY - To prepare the camp for travel in military
order, in anticipation of their conquest of Eretz Canaan.
* SPIRITUAL - To emphasize to the entire nation that the
Mishkan is located at the CENTER of the camp, in order that
they recognize the God's SHCHINA dwells among them.
Let's explain why:
(1) The census in Parshat Bamidbar is of military nature, for
it counted all the males above the age of twenty - "kol yotze
tzava b'Yisrael" - because they will be fighting the battle to
conquer Eretz Canaan (see 1:3).
Furthermore, the subsequent organization of the twelve
tribes into four divisions, was also of a military nature.
Finally, the census is taken on the first of Iyar, for only 20
days later Bnei Yisrael will actually leave Har Sinai (see
10:11) and begin their journey to conquer Eretz Canaan.
(2) One month earlier, when the Mishkan was dedicated, we
find that this same order of the shvatim already existed.
This implies that even before the census, the camp of Bnei
Yisrael had already been organized in a manner so that the
Mishkan would be located at its center. To do so, it was
necessary to divide the twelve tribes into four groups of
three, with each group flanking the Mishkan in a different
direction.
This would imply that even when Bnei Yisrael were still
encamped at Har Sinai, it was already important that they be
reminded (by placing the Mishkan at the center) that God's
presence was in their midst, and act accordingly.
THE SHCHINA RETURNS
To appreciate the additional importance of the location
of the Mishkan at the center of the camp, we should also
consider the events which took place after "chet ha'Egel" -
the sin of the Golden Calf.
Recall that in response to "chet ha'Egel", God had
instructed Bnei Yisrael to remove their 'crowns' that they had
received at Har Sinai (see Shmot 33:5-6), a sign that He is
removing His shchina from their midst. For the very same
reason, God then instructed Moshe to move his tent (the site
where God speaks to Moshe) OUTSIDE the camp:
"And Moshe took the Tent, and pitched it OUTSIDE the
camp, at a FAR DISTANCE from the camp, and called it
'OHEL MOED', then whoever sought God would have to go
to the 'Ohel Moed' located OUTSIDE the camp." (Shmot
33:7)
The very location of this "ohel moed" [tent of meeting]
OUTSIDE the camp served as a constant reminder to Bnei Yisrael
that God had removed His shchina from their midst. In order
for His shchina to return, it was necessary for Bnei Yisrael
to build the Mishkan:
"And they shall build for Me a Mishkan, and I will
DWELL IN THEIR MIDST [v'shachanti b'TOCHAM]" (see
Shmot 25:8)
Therefore, the re-organization of the camp of Bnei
Yisrael in such a manner that the Mishkan is located at its
center serves as a sign to the people that God has indeed
returned His shchina to the camp.
Because of its significance, a 'remnant' of this camping
arrangement of the tribes 'around the Mishkan' continued even
after the forty years in the desert, when Bnei Yisrael finally
conquer and settle the land.
To explain how and why, we must consider the blessing of
Moshe Rabeinu in Parshat v'Zot ha'Bracha to the tribe of
Binyamin:
"And to Binyamin he said: "ydid Hashem -yishkon l'vetach
alav..." [the dear tribe of God - upon whose territory His
Presence will dwell... ] (see Devarim 33:12).
For this reason, Chazal consider the tribe of Binyamin as
"nachlat shchina" [the territory of God], for it is destined
to house the Bet ha'Mikdash.
If so, then the following parallel emerges.
Recall from Sefer Yehoshua, that when the tribes receive
their "nachalot" (as described in chapters 13->19), we find a
very similar configuration!
IN THE DESERT IN ERETZ YISRAEL
Dan Efraim
| |
Efraim -Mishkan- Yehuda| Dan -Binyamin- Reuven
| |
Reuven Yehuda
Note how in both configurations the site of the SHCHINA -
be it the Mishkan in the desert, or the Mikdash in "nachalat
Binyamin" - is surrounded by the same four 'leadership'
tribes! [The directions have simply rotated 90 degrees (and
inverted).]
One could suggest that the Torah dedicates such minute
detail to this manner of travel, to emphasize how the Mishkan
serves this double purpose:
1) It acts as a symbol of God's presence within the camp of
Israel (see Shmot 25:8 and above), and...
2) It functions as a constant reminder to Bnei Yisrael, as
they travel, of their Divine purpose.
As Bnei Yisrael prepare their departure from Har Sinai
towards the conquest of the Land of Israel, they will face new
challenges. For example:
Can they translate what they have learned at Har Sinai into
the norms of the daily life of a nation?
Will they be capable of fulfilling the mundane tasks of
fighting battles, establishing a nation, and cultivating the
land etc., while at the same time remaining on the spiritual
level of Har Sinai?
This week, as we celebrate Yom Yerushalayim, this
challenge takes on special significance. Can we, the nation
of Israel, continue our battle for Yerushalayim and the
mundane chore of maintaining a secure and prosperous state,
without compromising on the spiritual ideals of Har Sinai?
Can we maintain Yerushalayim not only as a unified capital
city, but also as a city characterized by "tzedek u'mishpat"
(justice and righteousness)?
Although the Bet-Mikdash, the symbol of this challenge, was
destroyed some two thousand years ago - both Parshat Bamidbar
and Yom Yerushalayim can serve as a yearly reminder of this
eternal challenge.
shabbat shalom,
menachem
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