Date: Wed, 5 Jun 1996 11:25:14 +0000 Reply-To: ml@jer1.co.il Sender: owner-tsc-all@jer1.co.il Precedence: bulk From: "Menachem Leibtag" To: tsc-all@jer1.co.il Subject: PARSHAT BAMIDBAR - shiur *************************************************************** THE TANACH STUDY CENTER [http://www.virtual.co.il/torah/tanach] In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag *************************************************************** PARSHAT BAMIDBAR What is the 'correct' order of the "shvatim" (the twelve tribes)? 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" are listed in three different instances; while discussing: (A) the LEADERS (1:5-15); (B) the actual CENSUS (1:20-43); (C) their ARRANGEMENT surrounding the Mishkan (2:1-31). The following table compares the order of the shvatim in each respective list. A star -*- notes 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 To understand this progression from one list to the next, we must first analyze the logic of the order of the shvatim in each list. The order of the leaders, column (A), appears to be the most logical. This list begins with the children of Leah (eldest first), followed by the children of Rachel, followed by the children of the 'shfachot' (the maidservants - Bilha & Zilpa). The order of the actual census, column (B), is almost identical, but - with one very peculiar exception: GAD has 'moved up' from position #11 to position #3! For some reason, it appears as though Gad has been 'adopted' by "bnei Leah" (the children of Leah). This special placement of Gad with "bnei Leah" remains when the shvatim are organized surrounding the Mishkan, as can be seen in column (C). However, in this third list we find another very peculiar change: Yehuda, Yisachar, and Zevulun - the YOUNGEST children of Leah - have 'jumped' to the top of list - ahead of their older brothers Reuven and Shimon! This final list is very important for it reflects the actual formation in which Bnei Yisrael travel through the desert on their journey to Eretz Canaan (see 10:13-28). What is the logic behind this 're-organization' of the shvatim? DIVINE DIVISION Due to the importance of the Mishkan, God instructed Bnei Yisrael to erect it in the CENTER of the camp: "v'assu li MIKDASH v'shachanti b'TOCHAM - they shall make for a sanctuary that I may dwell AMONG THEMÉ" (Shmot 25:8) In order for the Mishkan to be located at the center of the camp, the twelve tribes must be divided into FOUR DIVISIONS so that the Mishkan will be surrounded equally in all four directions (East, South, West, and North). Therefore, it is necessary to divide the tribes into four groups of THREE tribes each. Each division, requires a group leader, therefore four leadership tribes must be chosen, one for each division. Which tribes will be chosen? As family leadership is the responsibility of the "bchor" - the first born son - we will find that the four leadership "shvatim" are simply the four sons of Yaakov who possess a certain aspect of "bchorah": 1) Reuven 2) Yehuda 3) Ephraim 4) Dan The following table summarizes the reason for the choice of each bchor: 1) REUVEN: He is the biological first born of Leah. 2) YEHUDA: Due to Reuven's sin (see Breishit 35:22), Yaakov appoints Yehuda as the family "bchor" instead. Yehuda is chosen over Shimon and Levi, even though they are older, due to their reckless behavior during the incident at Shchem (see Breishit 34:30). [See also Yaakov's blessing to his children in 49:3-12 & Divrei Hayamim I 5:1-2!] 3) EPHRAIM: Yosef is the first born of Rachel. Yaakov, in his deathbed blessing to Yosef, awards the family "bchora" to Yosef by granting him a 'double portion', i.e. his two sons, Menashe and Ephraim, attain the status of a "shevet" (see Breishit 48:5). Although Menashe is the eldest son of Yosef, Yaakov awards the "bchora" of the children of Rachel to Ephraim instead, as explained in Breishit 48:17-19. 4) DAN: The children of the Yaakov's "shfachot" (maidservants), Bilha and Zilpa comprise a separate unit, and thus, also require a leader. Dan is chosen for 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 Rachel and Leah.] Now that we have chosen the four leadership tribes, each leader must be joined by two additional shvatim 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 is joined by his brothers. Therefore: 1) 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 shevet 'short'. 2) Yehuda is joined by his two younger brothers, Yisachar and Zevulun. His group is complete. 3) Ephraim, the bchor of the house of Rachel, is joined by his brother Menashe, and his uncle Binyamin, Rachel's youngest son. This group - "bnei Rachel" - is also complete. 4) Dan is joined by the other children of the shfachot, his brother Naftali, and the two children of Zilpa, Gad and Asher. However, this group has too many for it totals four! Therefore, Dan's group has an extra "shevet". Considering that Reuven is 'short' one shevet and Dan has one too many, it is only logical that one of Dan's extras moves to Reuven's group. For some reason, Gad becomes this extra "shevet". Let's explain why. Naftali remains with Dan, for he is his full brother. We are left to choose between Gad and Asher, the children of Zilpa. Therefore, it appears that Gad, the eldest son of Zilpa, is given the 'privilege' to join the camp of Reuven, while his younger brother Asher remains with the camp of Dan. This explains the four divisions in the encampment of the tribes surrounding the Mishkan and during their travel through the desert: 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 HaShfachot] While travelling through the desert from Egypt towards Eretz Canaan, the basic direction of travel is eastward, therefore the camp in the East travels first. Yehuda is chosen for this direction, as he is the chosen "bchor" of "bnei Leah". Based on this analysis, the following reasoning can be suggested for the three conflicting orders of the shvatim: (A) 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.] (B) The census (B) is basically the same, but includes the 'transfer' of shevet Gad into the camp of Reuven, placing him in the position of Levi (#3). (C) 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 position in travel formation, for he is destined to be the leader of all the shvatim. [See Breishit 49:10 - "lo yasur shevet m'yudahÉ"] 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. The Mishkan was dedicated on the first of Nisan, i.e. one month BEFORE the census. Parshat Naso (7:12-83) informs us that on each of the first twelve days of Nisan, a different "nasi" (prince) of the twelve tribes offered his special korban. To our surprise, we find that the daily order of the princes follows precisely the same order in which the shvatim were organized surrounding the Mishkan! However, the census only took place ONE MONTH LATER! Could it be that this identical order is simply coincidental? If not, why did this order exist even before the census took place? To answer this question, we must recognize that the re- organization of the shvatim served a double purpose: 1) To prepare the camp for travel in military order, in anticipation of their conquest of Eretz Canaan. 2) To emphasize to the entire nation that the Mishkan be located at the CENTER of the camp. Let's explain: (1) The census in Parshat Bamidbar of all the males above the age of twenty - "kol yotze tzava b'Yisrael [all who go out to war in Israel]" (1:3) - as well as the subsequent organization of the twelve tribes into four divisions, appears to be of a military nature. This assumption is supported by the fact that Moshe is commanded to take this census on the first of Iyar, only 20 days before Bnei Yisrael actually leave Har Sinai on the 20th of Iyar (see 10:11) and begin their journey to conquer Eretz Canaan. (2) One month earlier, when the Mishkan is dedicated, we find that this same order of the shvatim already existed. Most probably, once Bnei Yisrael began constructing the Mishkan, they re-organized the camp in such a way that the Mishkan would be located at its center. In order 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. THE SHCHINA RETURNS To understand the importance of the location of the Mishkan at the center of the camp, we must return to the events which took place after chet ha'Egel. In response to chet ha'Egel, God instructed Bnei Yisrael to remove their 'crowns' which they had received at Har Sinai (see Shmot 33:5-6), a sign that He is removing His shchina from them. For the very same reason, God then instructs 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 the camp. 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]" (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 this significance, the arrangement of the shvatim around the Mishkan continued even after the forty years in the desert. In Sefer Yehoshua, when the shvatim receive their "nachalot" (chapters 13->19), we find a very similar configuration! Recall that according to the blessing of Moshe in Parshat v'Zot ha'Bracha, the tribe of Binyamin is destined to house the Bet Ha'Mikdash (see Dvarim 33:12 /"ydid Hashem, yishkon l'vetach alavÉ"). If we consider the nachala of Binyamin "nachlat shchina" (as Chazal do), then the following parallel emerges. IN THE DESERT IN ERETZ YISRAEL ============= ================ DAN EPHRAIM | | EPHRAIM - MISHKAN - YEHUDA DAN - BINYAMIN - REUVEN | | REUVEN YEHUDA In both cases, the site of the SHCHINA, the Mishkan or nachlat Binyamin, is surrounded by the same four 'leadership' shvatim! [The directions have simply rotated 90 degrees (and inverted).] Why must the Torah go into such minute detail to tell us precisely how Bnei Yisrael encamped and travelled? The Mishkan serves a double purpose: 1) It acts as a symbol of God's presence within the camp of Israel (see Shmot 25:8 and above), andÉ 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 face a new challenge. Can they translate what they have learned at Har Sinai into the norms of the daily life of a nation? Are they 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? The complexity of this goal is symbolized by their travel with the Miskan in their midst, and the ability to re-construct it at each location along their difficult journey. This week, as we celebrate Yom Yerushalayim, this challenge takes on special significance. Can we continue the 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 on Har HaBayit, the symbol of this challenge, was destroyed some two thousand years ago, Parshat Bamidbar remains as our yearly reminder. shabbat shalom, menachem