[Par-reg] Parshat Bamidbar - shiur
Menachem Leibtag
tsc at bezeqint.net
Wed May 24 08:52:49 EDT 2006
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THE TANACH STUDY CENTER www.tanach.org
In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag
Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem Leibtag
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PARSHAT BAMIDBAR
Is there a 'correct order' for the twelve tribes?
Even though they are listed numerous times in Chumash, for some
reason, each time their order seems to change!
In the following shiur, we attempt to explain why their order
changes so many times in Parshat Bamidbar.
PART ONE - 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. To understand why, we must first
explain what each list is about.
MOTHERS FIRST
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 "bechor" -
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'
- treating both Efraim and Menashe as tribes (see Breishit 48:5).
However, at that same time, Yaakov also awarded the leadership (of
Yosef's family) to Efraim instead of Menashe, as detailed in Breishit
48:17-19.
Hence, Efraim becomes the leadership tribe for the children of
Rachel.
DAN
The children of the "shefachot" [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 as well
how the four leadership positions are divided equally between Yaakov's
two wives: Rachel -2 (Efraim & Dan) and Leah -2 (Reuven & Yehuda).]
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 these 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 relatives.
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. Note however, that Dan's group has one 'extra' tribe.
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 'upgrade' - 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. Finally, 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 TWO - 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 that list of the "nsiim", you'll
notice that their order is exactly the same as the order of list (C)!
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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