Bamidbar Answers

BaMidbar 5731

Alef.

1.  According to RaMBaN, for the most part in Sefer BaMidbar, the Commandments are temporary rather than eternal, with the exception of details regarding sacrifices, whose topic was begun in VaYikra, and is completed in BaMidbar.

2.  According to RaMBaN, the first part of BaMidbar deals with how the Sinai experience was made portable in terms of the arrangement of the encampment, encircling the Mishkan and the various rules governing who can enter the holy precincts and in what state. The second part deals with certain temporary  Mitzvot as well as the completion of the listing of the components of the various sacrifices begun in VaYikra.

3.  Both RaMBaN and Beno Jakob present the idea of the Mishkan constituting a man-made, portable Mt. Sinai. As long as the people were encamped at the foot of Sinai, even the communications between HaShem and Moshe in the Ohel Moed was a continuation of the Sinai Revelation. One might have thought that once the encampment began to travel through the desert, away from Sinai, that the Revelatory experience was over. Consequently the two commentators emphasize that while the experience was changed, it nevertheless continued in terms of the structure of the encampment.

4.  In contrast to RaMBaN, Abrabanel in his introduction to BaMidbar emphasizes the events and troubles that dogs the path of the Jews as they travel through the desert, as well as the many Mitzvot, ones that are hardly temporary, that appear in the book. While some of these Commandments are in fact further clarifications of Sacrifices—Para Aduma, Minchat HaOla and Nesacheha, the Temidim, the Mosfei HaMoadot, and even to a certain extent Matanot Kehuna u’Levi—nevertheless, Abrabanel at least gives the impression that they should be viewed in their own rights, as opposed to constituting the completion of topics from VaYikra.

5.  Abarbanel emphasizes BaMidbar’s description of the behavior of Moshe and the people as they travelled through the desert. RaMBaN’s main emphasis is the shift from the geographical Sinai to the figurative one via the Mishkan and the encampment.

Beit.

1.

במדבר פרק א

(נב) וְחָנוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אִישׁ עַל מַחֲנֵהוּ וְאִישׁ עַל דִּגְלוֹ לְצִבְאֹתָם:

(נג) וְהַלְוִיִּם יַחֲנוּ סָבִיב לְמִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדֻת וְלֹא יִהְיֶה קֶצֶף עַל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְשָׁמְרוּ הַלְוִיִּם אֶת מִשְׁמֶרֶת מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדוּת:

(נד) וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְקֹוָק אֶת מֹשֶׁה כֵּן עָשׂוּ: פ

במדבר פרק ב

(א) וַיְדַבֵּר יְקֹוָק אֶל מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן לֵאמֹר:

(ב) אִישׁ עַל דִּגְלוֹ בְאֹתֹת לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם יַחֲנוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִנֶּגֶד סָבִיב לְאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד יַחֲנוּ:

(ג) וְהַחֹנִים קֵדְמָה מִזְרָחָה דֶּגֶל מַחֲנֵה יְהוּדָה לְצִבְאֹתָם וְנָשִׂיא לִבְנֵי יְהוּדָה נַחְשׁוֹן בֶּן עַמִּינָדָב:

(ד) וּצְבָאוֹ וּפְקֻדֵיהֶם אַרְבָּעָה וְשִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף וְשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת:

(ה) וְהַחֹנִים עָלָיו מַטֵּה יִשָּׂשכָר וְנָשִׂיא לִבְנֵי יִשָּׂשכָר נְתַנְאֵל בֶּן צוּעָר:

(ו) וּצְבָאוֹ וּפְקֻדָיו אַרְבָּעָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים אֶלֶף וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת:

(ז) מַטֵּה זְבוּלֻן וְנָשִׂיא לִבְנֵי זְבוּלֻן אֱלִיאָב בֶּן חֵלֹן:

(ח) וּצְבָאוֹ וּפְקֻדָיו שִׁבְעָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים אֶלֶף וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת:

(ט) כָּל הַפְּקֻדִים לְמַחֲנֵה יְהוּדָה מְאַת אֶלֶף וּשְׁמֹנִים אֶלֶף וְשֵׁשֶׁת אֲלָפִים וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת לְצִבְאֹתָם רִאשֹׁנָה יִסָּעוּ: ס

(י) דֶּגֶל מַחֲנֵה רְאוּבֵן תֵּימָנָה לְצִבְאֹתָם וְנָשִׂיא לִבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן אֱלִיצוּר בֶּן שְׁדֵיאוּר:

(יא) וּצְבָאוֹ וּפְקֻדָיו שִׁשָּׁה וְאַרְבָּעִים אֶלֶף וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת:

(יב) וְהַחוֹנִם עָלָיו מַטֵּה שִׁמְעוֹן וְנָשִׂיא לִבְנֵי שִׁמְעוֹן שְׁלֻמִיאֵל בֶּן צוּרִישַׁדָּי:

(יג) וּצְבָאוֹ וּפְקֻדֵיהֶם תִּשְׁעָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים אֶלֶף וּשְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת:

(יד) וּמַטֵּה גָּד וְנָשִׂיא לִבְנֵי גָד אֶלְיָסָף בֶּן רְעוּאֵל:

(טו) וּצְבָאוֹ וּפְקֻדֵיהֶם חֲמִשָּׁה וְאַרְבָּעִים אֶלֶף וְשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת וַחֲמִשִּׁים:

(טז) כָּל הַפְּקֻדִים לְמַחֲנֵה רְאוּבֵן מְאַת אֶלֶף וְאֶחָד וַחֲמִשִּׁים אֶלֶף וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת וַחֲמִשִּׁים לְצִבְאֹתָם וּשְׁנִיִּם יִסָּעוּ: ס

(יז) וְנָסַע אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד מַחֲנֵה הַלְוִיִּם בְּתוֹךְ הַמַּחֲנֹת כַּאֲשֶׁר יַחֲנוּ כֵּן יִסָּעוּ אִישׁ עַל יָדוֹ לְדִגְלֵיהֶם: ס

(יח) דֶּגֶל מַחֲנֵה אֶפְרַיִם לְצִבְאֹתָם יָמָּה וְנָשִׂיא לִבְנֵי אֶפְרַיִם אֱלִישָׁמָע בֶּן עַמִּיהוּד:

(יט) וּצְבָאוֹ וּפְקֻדֵיהֶם אַרְבָּעִים אֶלֶף וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת:

(כ) וְעָלָיו מַטֵּה מְנַשֶּׁה וְנָשִׂיא לִבְנֵי מְנַשֶּׁה גַּמְלִיאֵל בֶּן פְּדָהצוּר:

(כא) וּצְבָאוֹ וּפְקֻדֵיהֶם שְׁנַיִם וּשְׁלֹשִׁים אֶלֶף וּמָאתָיִם:

(כב) וּמַטֵּה בִּנְיָמִן וְנָשִׂיא לִבְנֵי בִנְיָמִן אֲבִידָן בֶּן גִּדְעֹנִי:

(כג) וּצְבָאוֹ וּפְקֻדֵיהֶם חֲמִשָּׁה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים אֶלֶף וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת:

(כד) כָּל הַפְּקֻדִים לְמַחֲנֵה אֶפְרַיִם מְאַת אֶלֶף וּשְׁמֹנַת אֲלָפִים וּמֵאָה לְצִבְאֹתָם וּשְׁלִשִׁים יִסָּעוּ: ס

(כה) דֶּגֶל מַחֲנֵה דָן צָפֹנָה לְצִבְאֹתָם וְנָשִׂיא לִבְנֵי דָן אֲחִיעֶזֶר בֶּן עַמִּישַׁדָּי:

(כו) וּצְבָאוֹ וּפְקֻדֵיהֶם שְׁנַיִם וְשִׁשִּׁים אֶלֶף וּשְׁבַע מֵאוֹת:

(כז) וְהַחֹנִים עָלָיו מַטֵּה אָשֵׁר וְנָשִׂיא לִבְנֵי אָשֵׁר פַּגְעִיאֵל בֶּן עָכְרָן:

(כח) וּצְבָאוֹ וּפְקֻדֵיהֶם אֶחָד וְאַרְבָּעִים אֶלֶף וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת:

(כט) וּמַטֵּה נַפְתָּלִי וְנָשִׂיא לִבְנֵי נַפְתָּלִי אֲחִירַע בֶּן עֵינָן:

(ל) וּצְבָאוֹ וּפְקֻדֵיהֶם שְׁלֹשָׁה וַחֲמִשִּׁים אֶלֶף וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת:

(לא) כָּל הַפְּקֻדִים לְמַחֲנֵה דָן מְאַת אֶלֶף וְשִׁבְעָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים אֶלֶף וְשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת לָאַחֲרֹנָה יִסְעוּ לְדִגְלֵיהֶם: פ

(לב) אֵלֶּה פְּקוּדֵי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם כָּל פְּקוּדֵי הַמַּחֲנֹת לְצִבְאֹתָם שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף וּשְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת וַחֲמִשִּׁים:

(לג) וְהַלְוִיִּם לֹא הָתְפָּקְדוּ בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְקֹוָק אֶת מֹשֶׁה:

(לד) וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְקֹוָק אֶת מֹשֶׁה כֵּן חָנוּ לְדִגְלֵיהֶם וְכֵן נָסָעוּ אִישׁ לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָיו עַל בֵּית אֲבֹתָיו: פ

a) 1:52 And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man with his own camp, and every man with his own standard, according to their hosts. It would appear that the second phrase is a restatement of the first—each person had his own special place. Furthermore, it would not make sense to assume that each member of each tribe had a personal flag, as would be implied by this verse if the word “degel” were to be defined as “flag”.

b) 2:2 The children of Israel shall pitch by their fathers' houses; every man with his own standard, according to the ensigns; a good way off shall they pitch round about the tent of meeting.  As ShaDaL states, the term “Otot” is to be understood as “ensigns”, in contrast to “standard” which must mean something else.

c) 2:10 On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their hosts; the prince of the children of Reuben being Elizur the son of Shedeur, If “standard” means flag, what is the verse adding to our knowledge. But if “standard” means orderly arrangement, then we know that this is where the arrangement of the tribe of Reuven was located. The same is true for 2:18 and 25.

d)  2:17 Then the tent of meeting, with the camp of the Levites, shall set forward in the midst of the camps; as they encamp, so shall they set forward, every man in his place, by their standards. Once again, only if “standards” connotes the arrangement of the Levi’im, is there anything added by the end of this verse. The same is true for 2:31.

e) 2:34 Thus did the children of Israel: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they pitched by their standards, and so they set forward, each one according to its families, and according to its fathers' houses. The implication of the verse is that the standards determined where they encamped, when in fact it was the opposite, i.e., once they encamped they would erect their flags. Consequently it makes more sense to say that “standard” means orderly arrangement.

2.  The difference between “Degel” and “Machaneh”, is that whereas the latter refers to all of the elements that are contained within the grouping of a particular tribe, the former refers to the specific way in which those elements are arranged.

3.  He hath brought me to the banqueting-house, and his banner over me is love.

שיר השירים פרק ב

(ד) הֱבִיאַנִי אֶל בֵּית הַיָּיִן וְדִגְלוֹ עָלַי אַהֲבָה:

In this case we are dealing with a single individual rather than a group that needs to be arranged in a particular manner. Consequently the word is understood to literally mean “flag”.

Gimel.

1.  According to the Midrash, the Jewish people themselves are banners proclaiming God as the Creator and Ruler over the earth. According to ShaDaL, in order that the people appear not as slaves fleeing their imprisonment, but rather as a formidable fighting force, they must march in orderly arrangements.

2.  Devarim 32:10 He Found him in a desert land, and in the waste, a howling wilderness; He Compassed him about, He Cared for him, He Kept him as the apple of His Eye.

              Just as the eye is very protected by the eye lid, the eye lashes, the reflex of closing and/or turning away the eye when threatened, so too HaShem wished to protect the Jewish people.

3.  According to Beno Jakob, just as the Mishkan was intended to allow HaShem’s Presence to be among the Jewish people, so too according to the Midrash, HaShem Wishes via the flags to demonstrate that this people is His.

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