In the name of God who counted those numbered above¹. and below;²I begin to explain according to the plain meaningthe Torah portion which begins with va-yedabber.³ (spoke). IN THE WILDERNESS. This verse⁴. informs us that Moses did not go up to Mount Sinai⁵ since God’s glory was now present in the tent of meeting.⁶

footnotes: ¹ The stars. See Ps. 147:4, He counteth the number of the stars ² Israel. ³ The Book of Numbers begins with the word va-yedabber ⁴ Which states that the Lord spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting ⁵ For revelation. ⁶ Otherwise, what follows would have been told to Moses on Mount Sinai.

ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE SECOND MONTH. To tell him to arrange the standards and to instruct him how the Israelites were to journey and how they were to camp with reference to the tabernacle,⁷ (with reference to the tabernacle) to be’evre ha-mishkan (on the sides of the tabernacle). for they journeyed on the twentieth day of the second month.⁸

footnotes: ⁷ Filwarg suggests emending ba’avur ha-mishkan ⁸ Hence it was necessary to inform Moses of these things prior to their journey.

TAKE YE THE SUM. Se’u et rosh bene yisra’el (take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel) is similar to ki tissa et rosh bene yisra’el (when thou takest the sum of the children of Israel) (Ex. 30:12). I have explained its meaning there.⁹ literally means: when you lift up the head. One who takes a census writes the particulars after the sum, which he writes at the top of the page. Thus when Scripture speaks of raising up the head, it means take up the sum.

footnotes: ⁹ See I.E. on Exodus, (Vol. 2, p. 631). I.E. explains that ki tissa et rosh

BY THEIR FAMILIES BY THEIR FATHER’S HOUSES. For pedigree is not determined by the mother.¹⁰ with by their fathers’ houses.

footnotes: ¹⁰ Hence Scripture qualified by their families

BY THEIR POLLS. I have already explained the meaning of gulgelotam (their polls).¹¹ (their polls) literally means their skulls. In his short commentary (S.C.) on Exodus, I.E. explains that the word gulgolet means a head. The head is so called because it is round. Compare, galgal (wheel, i.e., a round object). See I.E. on Ex. 16:16 (S.C.).

footnotes: ¹¹ The word gulgelotam

IN ISRAEL. This excludes the mixed multitude.¹²

footnotes: ¹² Foreigners who joined Israel during the Exodus. See Ex. 12:38.

EVERY ONE HEAD OF HIS FATHERS’ HOUSE. Ish rosh le-vet avotav (every one head of his fathers’ house) is an abridged phrase. The text should have read, ish ish rosh le-vet avotav (every one head of his fathers’ house).¹³ (a man of every tribe). Hence, in keeping with the rules of parallelism, the second part of the verse should read, ish ish rosh le-vet avotav hu) (every one head of his father’s house).

footnotes: ¹³ The first part of the verse reads, ish ish la-matteh

OF REUBEN. Scripture begins with Jacob’s first-born,¹⁴ as it is stated, yet not so that he was to be reckoned in the genealogy as first-born (I Chron. 5:1).¹⁵

footnotes: ¹⁴ Even though Jacob took away Reuben’s birthright. See Gen. 49:3,4. ¹⁵ I Chronicles explains that even though Reuben lost his birthright to Joseph, he was always to be reckoned as the first-born as far as genealogy was concerned.

OF THE CHILDREN OF JOSEPH. The children of Joseph are mentioned after the children of Leah because Rachel’s status was greater than that of the handmaids.¹⁶ Scripture begins with Ephraim, in keeping with the actions of our father Jacob.¹⁷ Scripture places Ephraim and Manasseh¹⁸ before Benjamin because they are in place of Joseph.¹⁹ Scripture then begins with Dan,²⁰ who was the first-born of the handmaids.²¹ Asher follows Dan²² because God knew that Asher would be the head of those who camp under the standard of Dan.²³ Scripture then mentions Gad because he was the first-born of Leah’s handmaid.²⁴

footnotes: ¹⁶ Hence Rachel’s descendants are mentioned before those of the handmaids even though the children of the handmaids precede them in birth. ¹⁷ Manassah was older than Ephraim. However, Jacob placed Ephraim before Manasseh. See Gen. 48:21. ¹⁸ Joseph’s sons. ¹⁹ Joseph was born before Benjamin. ²⁰ The son of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid. ²¹ Of the children born to the handmaids’. See Gen. 30:6. ²² Gad and Asher were the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid. According to Gen. 30:10-13, Gad was Zilpah’s first-born. Thus Scripture should have mentioned Gad before Asher. Hence I.E.’s comment. ²³ Asher pitched next to Dan and was therefore next in importance under that standard. Gad was third under the standard of Reuben. See Num. 2:14,27. ²⁴ See Gen. 30:10,11.

THESE WERE THE ELECT OF THE CONGREGATION. The meaning of keru’e ha-edah (the elect of the congregation)²⁵ is that the congregation does nothing unless they are called.

footnotes: ²⁵ Literally, the called of the congregation. Hence I.E.’s comment.

THE TRIBES OF THEIR FATHERS. The meaning of mattot avotam is the tribes of their fathers. Thus each one²⁶ was prince of a tribe.

footnotes: ²⁶ Each one of those listed in verses 5-16.

THEY WERE THE HEADS OF THE THOUSANDS OF ISRAEL. Each one was a leader over all the thousands that comprised a tribe, for there was also a chief over one thousand.²⁷ (chief). See Ex. 18:21, sarei alafim (rulers over thousands). Also see I Sam. 17:8, sar ha-elef (the captain of their thousand). Each one listed in verses 5-15 was the head of all the captains of the thousands of their respective tribes.

footnotes: ²⁷ The tribes were divided into units of thousands. Each of these units was headed by a sar

AND MOSES AND AARON TOOK. With them.

THAT ARE POINTED OUT BY NAME. Nikkevu means that are pointed out. Compare, yikkvennu (mark out) in Which the mouth of the Lord shall mark out (Is. 62:2).

AND THEY DECLARED THEIR PEDIGREES. They were asked for their birth dates,²⁸ (and they declared their pedigrees). I.E. translates this as: they gave their birth dates. for only those from twenty and above were to be counted. Their progeny were then recorded.²⁹. 38 reads, “Or, their progeny were recorded.” According to this interpretation, va-yityalledu means: and they declared their children.

footnotes: ²⁸ The Biblical text reads, va-yityalledu ²⁹ See verse 2. Vat. Ebr

SO DID HE NUMBER THEM. The reference is to Moses,³⁰ (so did he count them) is in the singular. Hence I.E.’s comment. who was the most important.³¹ Scripture begins³² with Reuben,³³ as he was the first-born. Simeon is next³⁴ because he was born after Reuben. Gad the first-born of Leah’s handmaid,³⁵ follows. We thus have Reuben’s standard.³⁶ Next³⁷ comes the standard of Judah,³⁸ followed by the standard of Ephraim³⁹ and the standard of Dan.⁴⁰ Those who camped around each standard did so in the same manner in which they offered the sacrifices dedicating the altar. Note, there were twelve tribes,⁴¹ for Levi was not counted and Joseph’s two sons were. Now the world has four sides.⁴² Behold, three tribes camped on each one of the four sides.⁴³ Now Leah had five sons,⁴⁴ for one of her six sons⁴⁵ was not counted. She had two standards.⁴⁶ They [Moses and Aaron] completed one of her standards⁴⁷ with [Gad] the first-born of her handmaid.⁴⁸ They placed Gad with the standard of Reuben, who was also a first-born. Judah made up the second standard [of Leah]. His younger brothers camped with him.⁴⁹ Rachel had a standard of her own.⁵⁰ Ephraim was in place of Joseph. He preceded Manasseh, in keeping with the words of Jacob.⁵¹ The fourth standard was that of Rachel’s handmaid. It was led by [Dan] her first-born.⁵² Asher followed⁵³ even though he was younger than Naphtali.⁵⁴ The son of Leah’s handmaid⁵⁵ was so honored because the standard belonged to Rachel’s handmaid.⁵⁶ If you look carefully into things, you will know that the south is the head and the north the tail.⁵⁷ I cannot explain the aforementioned.⁵⁸ Reuben was therefore placed in the south⁵⁹ because he was the head.⁶⁰ Dan was placed in the north.⁶¹ Observe, there was no one among the tribes comparable in might to Judah, who was compared to a lion’s whelp (Gen. 49:9),⁶² and to the tribe of Dan, who is likewise compared to a lion by Moses.⁶³ These tribes were thus first and last.⁶⁴ Scripture mentions by their polls (le-gulgelotam) with regard to Reuben⁶⁵ and also with regard to Simeon⁶⁶ to show that it was the same case with the other tribes,⁶⁷ for Scripture was being brief.

footnotes: ³⁰ Va-yifkedem ³¹ Actually Aaron and the heads of the tribes also participated in counting the people (see verse 44). However, Scripture here mentions only Moses, because he was the most important. ³² The count. ³³ Verse 20. ³⁴ Verse 22. ³⁵ See note 24. ³⁶ In verses 20-25. The tribes listed in verses 20-25 (Reuben, Simeon, and Gad) made up the standard of Reuben. See Num. 2:10-16. ³⁷ Verses 26-30. ³⁸ See Num. 2:3-9. ³⁹ Verses 32-37. Also see Num. 2:18-24. ⁴⁰ Verses 38-43. Also see Num. 2:25-31. ⁴¹ In verses 20-43; and in Num. 2:10-31. ⁴² North, south, east, and west. ⁴³ For purposes of symmetry. ⁴⁴ That is, five of Leah’s six sons were counted among the twelve tribes of Israel. They were Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. ⁴⁵ Levi. ⁴⁶ The standards of Judah and Reuben. See Num. 2:3-16. ⁴⁷ The standard of Reuben. See Num. 2:10-16. ⁴⁸ See note 20. ⁴⁹ Issachar and Zebulun. ⁵⁰ The standard of Ephraim. See Num. 2:18-24. ⁵¹ See Gen. 48-14-20. ⁵² See Num. 2:25-31. ⁵³ That is, Asher pitched next to Dan. See Num. 2:27. ⁵⁴ The standard of Dan consisted of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali. Asher, who was younger than Naphtali, pitched next to Dan. ⁵⁵ Asher. ⁵⁶ In other words, Asher, son of the handmaid Zilpah, was pacified for being under the standard of Dan, the son of the handmaid Bilhah, by being placed before Naphtali, another son of Bilhah. ⁵⁷ The sun in its annual journey moves from north to south. The face of the sun is thus to the south while its back, the tail, is to the north (see Weiser). ⁵⁸ When I.E. uses this expression it means that he is unable or does not want to explain further. ⁵⁹ The standard of Reuben was on the south side of the tabernacle. See Num. 2:10. ⁶⁰ He was the first-born. ⁶¹ That is, at the tail of the camp. See Num. 2:25. ⁶² In Jacob’s blessing. ⁶³ See Deut. 33:22. ⁶⁴ When the tribes marched, the standard of Judah marched first and that of Dan last. See Num. 10:14-25. ⁶⁵ Verse 20. ⁶⁶ Verse 22. ⁶⁷ Even though the term is not mentioned with regard to the other tribes.

[AND ALL THOSE THAT WERE NUMBERED OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL BY THEIR FATHERS’ HOUSES, FROM TWENTY YEARS OLD AND UPWARD.] It means that only those who were aged twenty and above were counted. Scripture then goes on to say,⁶⁸ even all those that were numbered. The latter refers to their⁶⁹ total number.⁷⁰

footnotes: ⁶⁸ In verse 46. ⁶⁹ Those 20 and older. ⁷⁰ In other words, our verse speaks of the age of those numbered, while verse 46 speaks of the total number of those who were counted.

WERE NOT NUMBERED AMONG THEM. The word hotpakdu (were not numbered) is of two forms. It is both a hitpa’el and a hofal.⁷¹ and tav placed in front of the root is the sign of the hitpa’el. The kamatz katan placed beneath the heh is the sign of the hofal.

footnotes: ⁷¹ The heh

HOWBEIT THE TRIBE OF LEVI THOU SHALT NOT NUMBER. This explains were not numbered (v. 47),⁷² that the Levites were not numbered because this is what God commanded.

footnotes: ⁷² Otherwise, why inform us once again that the Levites were not counted.

NEITHER SHALT THOU TAKE THE SUM OF THEM. Their total number, as I have explained.⁷³ (neither shalt thou take the sum of them). This literally means neither shalt thou lift up their heads. I.E. earlier noted that to lift up the head means to write the total sum at the top of a page. See I.E.’s comment on verse 2.

footnotes: ⁷³ Scriptures reads, ve-et rosham lo tissa

BUT APPOINT THOU THE LEVITES OVER THE TABERNACLE. Scripture explains here why the Levites were not counted. They were not counted because the charge of the tabernacle was upon them. Therefore they did not serve in the army.⁷⁴

footnotes: ⁷⁴ I.E. believes that those who were counted were counted for military purposes. This is also the view of Rashbam. See Rashbam on verse 2.

THE TABERNACLE OF THE TESTIMONY. The reference is to the tent of meeting and the tabernacle of the ark, which contains the testimony.⁷⁵) (Weiser). Vat. Ebr. 38 reads: The tabernacle of testimony refers to the ark wherein the testimonies are (that is, the tablets on which the ten commandments were written).

footnotes: ⁷⁵ The tent of meeting was called the tabernacle of testimony because it served as a tabernacle for the ark, which contained the tables of testimony (luchot ha-edut

AND OVER ALL THE FURNITURE⁷⁶, which means articles, utensils, or vessels. This is the way I.E. interprets the term. THEREOF. Such as the menorah, the table, and the altars.

footnotes: ⁷⁶ The Hebrew reads kelim

AND OVER ALL THAT BELONGETH TO IT. The reference is the utensils which serve the furniture.⁷⁷

footnotes: ⁷⁷ Such as the utensils which served the menorah and the table of showbread.

AND THEY SHALL BEAR THE TABERNACLE. They are the very ones who carry the tabernacle when the camp journeys, and they are the ones who shall minister unto the tabernacle when they camp. They shall camp around the tabernacle.

AND WHEN THE TABERNACLE SETTETH FORWARD, THE LEVITES SHALL TAKE IT DOWN. They shall remove its bars and posts. When the tabernacle rests, they shall set it up.

AND THE COMMON MAN.⁷⁸ is a stranger. Hence I.E.’s interpretation. A person who is not a Levite, even if he is an Israelite. SHALL BE PUT TO DEATH. A law court shall put him to death.

footnotes: ⁷⁸ The literal meaning of zar

[AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SHALL PITCH.] Its meaning is, “when” the children of Israel shall pitch.⁷⁹. However, the command to set up standards had not yet been given. Hence I.E.’s interpretation

footnotes: ⁷⁹ The verse reads, And the children of Israel shall pitch…every man with his own standard

EVERY MAN WITH HIS OWN CAMP. The meaning of every man is each tribe.⁸⁰ in our verse is each and every man.

footnotes: ⁸⁰ According to I.E. the meaning of ish

[AND EVERY MAN WITH HIS OWN STANDARD.] Its meaning is that the tribe of one standard shall not be mixed with the tribe of another standard.

BUT THE LEVITES SHALL PITCH ROUND ABOUT THE TABERNACLE OF TESTIMONY. Our verse explains why the earlier verse⁸¹ stated that the Levites were to encamp round about the tabernacle:⁸² (v. 50). Our verse explains why the earlier verse stated that the Levites were to encamp round about the tabernacle.” so that no one from the congregation of Israel should draw close to the tabernacle and die. This is the meaning of that there be no wrath upon…the children of Israel, as there was in the case of Uzzah, who touched the ark.

footnotes: ⁸¹ Verse 50. ⁸² Krinsky’s edition of I.E. reads, “The explanation of and shall encamp round about

Scripture there states, And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah (II Sam. 6:7). The meaning of upon the congregation of the children of Israel is, upon anyone from the children of Israel.⁸³ It is similar to and was buried in the cities of Gilead⁸⁴ (Jud. 12:7)⁸⁵, for Jephthah was not buried in all the cities of Gilead. and Even upon a colt the foal of asses⁸⁶ (Zech. 9:9).⁸⁷. There are many such cases.

footnotes: ⁸³ For God would not punish all of Israel for the acts of one person. ⁸⁴ Translated literally. ⁸⁵ The meaning of which is, And was buried in one of the cities of Gilead ⁸⁶ Translated literally. ⁸⁷ Its meaning is, Even upon a colt the foal of an ass

AND THE LEVITES SHALL KEEP THE CHARGE. The Levites are obligated to guard the tabernacle.

THUS DID THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. They never touched the tabernacle.