Chapter 2

אבאתת. כָּל דֶּגֶל יִהְיֶה לוֹ אוֹת מַפָּה צְבוּעָה תְלוּיָה בוֹ, צִבְעוֹ שֶׁל זֶה לֹא כְצִבְעוֹ שֶׁל זֶה, צֶבַע כָּל אֶחָד כְּגוֹן אַבְנוֹ הַקְּבוּעָה בַחֹשֶׁן, וּמִתּוֹךְ כָּךְ יַכִּיר כָּל אֶחָד אֶת דִּגְלוֹ; דָּ"אַ: בְּאוֹתוֹת לְבֵית אֲבוֹתָם, בְּאוֹת שֶׁמָּסַר לָהֶם יַעֲקֹב אֲבִיהֶם כְּשֶׁנְּשָׂאוּהוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית נ') "וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בָנָיו לוֹ כֵּן כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּם, יְהוּדָה וְיִשָּׂשכָר וּזְבוּלוּן יִשָּׂאוּהוּ מִן הַמִּזְרָח, וּרְאוּבֵן וְשִׁמְעוֹן וְגָד מִן הַדָּרוֹם וְכוּ'", כִּדְאִיתָא בְתַנְחוּמָא בְּפַרָשָׁה זוֹ:

1באתת [EVERY MAN OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SHALL ENCAMP BY HIS OWN STANDARD] WITH THE SIGNS [OF THEIR FATHERS’ HOUSES] — Each banner shall have a different sign — a piece of coloured cloth hanging on it, the colour of the one not being the same as the colour of another, but the colour of each tribe shall be like that of his stone that is fixed in the breastplate (of. Exodus 28:21), and by this means everybody will be able to recognise his banner . Another explanation of באתת לבית אבתם is: by the signs (i.e., following the signs) which their father Jacob gave them severally when they carried him out from Egypt, as it is said, (Genesis 50:12) “And his sons did unto him exactly as he had commanded them”. For he had commanded that Judah, Issachar and Zebulun should carry him, having their position at the east side of the bier, Reuben, Simeon and Gad at the south side, etc., — as it is related in Tanchuma on this section (Midrash Tanchuma, Bamidbar 12; cf. Rashi on Genesis 50:12).

במנגד. מֵרָחוֹק מִיל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בִּיהוֹשֻׁעַ "אַךְ רָחוֹק יִהְיֶה בֵּינֵיכֶם וּבֵנָיו כְּאַלְפַּיִם אַמָּה" (יהושע ג'), שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ לָבֹא בְּשַׁבָּת; מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו וְהַלְוִיִּם חוֹנִים בְּסָמוּךְ לוֹ:

2מנגד AT SOME DISTANCE [AROUND THE APPOINTED TENT THEY SHALL ENCAMP] — at a distance of a mile (2000 cubits), for it is said, (Joshua 3:4) “Yet there shall be between you (the Israelites) and it (the Ark), about two thousand cubits”; the reason for this distance, which was that of a Sabbath day’s journey, was that they might be able to come unto the vicinity of the Tabernacle for instruction on Sabbath, for Moses, Aaron and his sons and the Levites were encamped quite close to it (Bemidbar Rabbah 2:9; cf. Exodus 33:7 and Rashi thereon).

אקדמה. לְפָנִים הַקְּרוּיָה קֶדֶם: וְאֵיזוֹ זוֹ רוּחַ מִזְרָחִית, וְהַמַּעֲרָב קָרוּי אָחוֹר:

1קדמה means IN FRONT, which is expressed by קדם; and which side is it? The east side (מזרחה), and accordingly the west is termed אחור, the back side of the world (cf. Rashi on Exodus 27:13 and Note thereon).

אראשנה יסעו. כְּשֶׁרוֹאִין הֶעָנָן מִסְתַּלֵּק, תּוֹקְעִין הַכֹּהֲנִים בַּחֲצוֹצְרוֹת, וְנוֹסֵעַ מַחֲנֵה יְהוּדָה תְחִלָּה, וּכְשֶׁהוֹלְכִין הוֹלְכִין כְּדֶרֶךְ חֲנִיָּתָן — הַלְוִיִּם וְהָעֲגָלוֹת בָּאֶמְצָע, דֶּגֶל יְהוּדָה בַּמִּזְרָח, וְשֶׁל רְאוּבֵן בַּדָּרוֹם, וְשֶׁל אֶפְרַיִם בַּמַּעֲרָב, וְשֶׁל דָּן בַּצָּפוֹן:

1ראשנה יסעו THESE SHALL FIRST JOURNEY — When they saw the cloud departing, the priests blew the trumpets and the camp of Judah moved off first, but when marching, they marched retaining the positions in which they always encamped: the Levites and the wagons in the centre (v. 17), the division of Judah in the East (v. 8), that of Reuben in the South, Ephraim’s in the West (v. 19) and Dan’s in the North (v. 25).

אונסע אהל מועד. לְאַחַר שְׁנֵי דְגָלִים הַלָּלוּ:

1ונסע אהל מועד AND THE TENT OF MEETING SHALL SET FORWARD after these two divisions (those of Judah and Reuben), as is shown by the position of this statement in the narrative.

בכאשר יחנו כן יסעו. כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי, הֲלִיכָתָן כַּחֲנִיָּתָן, כָּל דֶּגֶל מְהַלֵּךְ לָרוּחַ הַקָּבוּעַ לוֹ:

2כאשר יחנו כן יסעו AS THEY ENCAMP SO SHALL THEY JOURNEY — just as I have explained (v. 9): their positions when marching shall be the same as when encamping — each division marches on that side that is assigned to it.

געל ידו. עַל מְקוֹמוֹ, וְאֵין לְשׁוֹן יָד זָז מִמַּשְׁמָעוֹ, רוּחַ שֶׁל צִדּוֹ קָרוּי עַל יָדוֹ – הַסְּמוּכָה לוֹ לְכָל הוֹשָׁטַת יָדוֹ, אינשו"ן איש"א בְּלַעַז:

3על ידו means, in his place. The term יד does not even in this sense lose its original meaning, viz., that of “hand’’ — the area at one’s side is termed על ידו “that which is by his hand”, being that which is closest to him, and always within the reach of his hand (and not beyond it); en son aise in O. F.

אועליו. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ "וְדִסְמִיכִין עֲלוֹהִי":

1ועליו — Understand this as the Targum does: and those who were close to him were the tribe of Manasseh.

Sefaria: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann -- corrected vocalization · Public domain · sefaria.org

Sefaria: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934 · Public domain · sefaria.org