MAKE THEE TWO TRUMPETS OF SILVER. Chatzotzerot (trumpets) is a noun. In its verbal form, one of the tzadis is not pronounced even though it is written.¹ (did blow) in I Chron. 15:24. Machtzerim is spelled with two tzadis. However, only one of them is pronounced.

footnotes: ¹ See machtzerim

FOR THE CALLING. Le-mikra (for the calling) is an infinitive. The same applies to u-le-massa (and for causing to set forward). On the other hand, they might be nouns. In this case, the word le-mikra (for the calling) means at the time of calling, and le-massa (and for causing to set forward), at the time of journeying.² The first interpretation appears correct to me.

footnotes: ² According to this interpretation the last clause of our verse reads, and they shall be unto thee (for use) at the time of the calling of the congregation and at the time when the camps set forward.

AND WHEN THEY SHALL BLOW WITH THEM. And when the trumpeters shall blow with them.³ It is similar to and he said to Joseph⁴ (Gen. 48:1) and whom she bore to Levi (Num. 26:59).⁵ Now its meaning is,⁶ if they blow both trumpets,⁷. then the princes and the congregation shall gather.⁸.

footnotes: ³ The subject of “and when they shall blow” is not in the text. Hence I.E.’s comment. ⁴ Translated literally. ⁵ See I.E. on Gen. 48:1 (Vol. 1, p. 412) and the notes thereto. See also I.E. on Num. 26:58. ⁶ The meaning of our verse. ⁷ I.E.’s paraphrase of with them ⁸ I.E.’s interpretation of all the congregation

AND IF THEY BLOW BUT WITH ONE. This means if they blow with one trumpet, then the princes alone shall come. If a tru’ah (an alarm)⁹ is a wavering sound. sounds, then the standard of Judah shall journey, even though the cloud is upon the tabernacle.¹⁰ In the opinion of many, another cloud¹¹ journeyed before the Israelites.¹².

footnotes: ⁹ According to tradition a tru’ah ¹⁰ And thus could not as yet lead Israel, for the tabernacle was dismantled after the tribe of Judah started their journey. See verse 17. I.E. points this out because, according to Num. 14:14, Israel was led by a cloud. See next note. ¹¹ Aside from the one that rested on the tabernacle. ¹² For Num. 14:14 clearly states, And Thou goest before them, in a pillar of cloud

THE CAMPS THAT LIE ON THE EAST SIDE SHALL TAKE THEIR JOURNEY. For they consisted of three camps.¹³

footnotes: ¹³ The reference is to the standard of Judah (Num. 2:3). Now the standard of Judah (and so every other standard) consisted of three camps. Hence Scripture refers to the standard of Judah by the term “camps.”

AN ALARM THE SECOND TIME. So that the standard of Reuben will take up its journey. They did not blow the trumpets again,¹⁴ for the family of Kohath and with them the kohanim who blew the trumpets journeyed before the standard of Ephraim.¹⁵ journeyed between the standard of Reuben and the standard of Ephraim. Thus when it came time for Ephraim to journey, the kohanim had already journeyed and were not in a position to sound the trumpets.

footnotes: ¹⁴ After the tribe of Reuben journeyed. ¹⁵ The kohanim

THEY SHALL BLOW AN ALARM FOR THEIR JOURNEYS. The kohanim shall blow an alarm for their journeys, for they journeyed after the standard of Reuben.¹⁶

footnotes: ¹⁶ Hence after the standard of Reuben journeyed, the trumpets were no longer sounded.

AND THEY SHALL BE TO YOU FOR A STATUTE FOR EVER. The camps now journeyed to battle.¹⁷ Is this not Moses’ words¹⁸ when the ark journeyed?¹⁹ Note that Scripture explains this statute.²⁰ refers to. It says that Israel shall do the following: The kohanim shall sound the alarm upon trumpets when Israel goes forth to war, to battle in the land of their enemies, and similarly if an enemy enters their land and Israel goes forth to fight them.

footnotes: ¹⁷ Israel now journeyed to Canaan where they were going to engage the Canaanites. ¹⁸ Which allude to war. ¹⁹ See verses 35 and 36. ²⁰ Scripture explains what a statute for ever

AND YE SHALL BE REMEMBERED. For you have done what God the glorious commanded you do. The alarm (tru’ah) also serves as a reminder to the people to cry out to God.²¹.

footnotes: ²¹ An additional reason for sounding the tru’ah

ALSO IN THE DAY OF YOUR GLADNESS, AND IN YOUR APPOINTED SEASONS. When you return from the land of your enemies, or you defeat the enemy who attacks you²² and you establish a day of rejoicing, such as the days of Purim or the seven days of rejoicing in the days of Hezekiah.²³ However, our transmitters of tradition explained that the day of your gladness refers to the Sabbath.²⁴ on this verse. The trumpets were sounded²⁵ so that Israel would hear that the burnt offerings were being offered and that they should direct their hearts to God.

footnotes: ²² In your own land. ²³ See II Chron. 30:23. Some manuscripts read Chanukah. In this case, the text should be emended to read, the eight days of Chanukah (Krinsky). ²⁴ See Sifre ²⁵ Over the burnt offerings and sacrifices.

ON THE TWENTIETH DAY OF THE MONTH. The standards first journeyed on this day. Thus Israel was at Sinai close to a year.²⁶

footnotes: ²⁶ Israel came to the wilderness of Sinai on the first day of the third month. See I.E. on Ex. 19:1 (Vol. 2, p. 370). They journeyed from there on the twentieth day of the second month. They thus spent a year minus ten days in the wilderness of Sinai.

BY THEIR STAGES.²⁷ As it was fit for them to journey.²⁸

footnotes: ²⁷ Literally, by their journeys. Hence I.E.’s comment. ²⁸ By God’s dictate. “In accordance with the regulation set forth for the journeys of their divisions–which should be the first to set out and which the last” (Rashi; Rosenbaum and Silbermann translation).

AND THE CLOUD ABODE IN THE WILDERNESS OF PARAN. I will explain this and, And they took their first journey (v. 13)²⁹ later.

footnotes: ²⁹ See I.E. on verse 31.

TAKEN DOWN. The Levites took it down.

THE BEARERS OF THE SANCTUARY. The reference is to the ark.

MIGHT BE SET UP. That the Gershonites and the Merarites might set up the tabernacle before the coming of the Kohathites so that the kohanim could immediately bring the ark into its place.

REARWARD. According to the standards,³⁰ for Naphtali was last.³¹

footnotes: ³⁰ The standard of Dan was the last to journey. ³¹ The tribe of Naphtali, which was part of the standard of Dan, was the last tribe to journey.

THUS WERE THE JOURNEYINGS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. Its meaning is, thus did they journey all the days that they were in the wilderness.

[29. AND MOSES SAID UNTO HOBAB, THE SON OF REUEL.] We find Scripture telling us that Zipporah was the daughter of Reuel, for it is written, and he [Reuel] gave Moses Zipporah his daughter (Ex. 2:21). Furthermore, Scripture states, to water their father’s flock³² (Ex. 2:16), and to Reuel their³³ father (Ex. 2:18). Now Hobab was the son of Reuel.³⁴ Thus Hobab³⁵ was the brother of Zipporah.³⁶ According to a rational analysis of Scripture, Hobab is to be identified with Jethro, because the Torah states, as thou [Hobab] knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness (v. 31) and it states with regard to Jethro when he came to the wilderness, into the wilderness where he was encamped (Ex. 18:5). Should one disagree³⁷ and argue that Scripture refers to Jethro as choten mosheh (Moses’ father-in-law) (Ex. 18:1), then one can respond that it is the way of Scripture to refer to the father and the brother of a young woman by the term choten (father-in-law).³⁸ means a father or brother-in-law. Unto Hobab, the son of Reuel…choten mosheh (Moses’ father-in-law)³⁹ is proof of the aforementioned. For it has already been made clear to you that Hobab was the brother of Zipporah, and Scripture calls him choten mosheh (Moses’ father-in-law). Should one argue that choten mosheh (Moses’ father-in-law) is not connected to Hobab but to Reuel, then the response is, Scripture explicitly states Hobab choten mosheh (the father-in-law of Moses) (Jud. 4:11). Many say that Hobab and Jethro are one and the same. They maintain that Jethro/Hobab was the father of Zipporah and that Reuel was the grandfather of Zipporah. They argue that Scripture says, to Reuel their father (Ex. 2:18)⁴⁰ in the same manner that Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham (Gen. 32:10).⁴¹ Scripture similarly refers to Zipporah as Reuel’s daughter in the same manner that it refers to Belshazzar as Nebuchadnezzar’s son,⁴² when in fact he was Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson. Our sages say that Jethro had seven names.⁴³ 1. There are seventy faces to the Torah.⁴⁴, a late aggadic Midrash on the alphabet composed sometime between 700-900 C.E. Some manuscripts read, there are seven faces to the Torah. According to the rabbis, Jethro, Hobab, and Reuel are one and the same person (see Rashi on Ex. 18:1 where he quotes all seven names). Hence I.E.’s comment.

footnotes: ³² The reference is to Reuel’s daughters, that is, Zipporah and her sisters. ³³ Zipporah and her sisters. ³⁴ This is stated in our verse. ³⁵ The son of Reuel. ³⁶ The daughter of Reuel. ³⁷ With the identification of Hobab with Jethro. ³⁸ Thus according to I.E. the word choten ³⁹ Our verse. ⁴⁰ The father of Zipporah and her sister. ⁴¹ Isaac, not Abraham, was Jacob’s father. Thus father is used for grandfather. Similarly, in Ex. 2:18 father refers to grandfather. ⁴² See Dan. 5:2; 18:22. ⁴³ Mekhilta,Va-yishma Yitro ⁴⁴ A quote from Otiyyot de-Rabbi Akiva

TO MINE OWN LAND, AND TO MY KINDRED.⁴⁵. This literally means my birthplace. Where I was born and where I live unto this very day.⁴⁶.

footnotes: ⁴⁵ The Hebrew reads moladti ⁴⁶ I.E.’s interpretation of mine own land

LEAVE US NOT, I PRAY THEE. The word na (I pray thee) means now. The same applies to the word na in all of Scripture. The opposite is the case in Arabic.⁴⁷ or malan. See I.E. on Gen. 12:11 (Vol. 1, p. 154).

footnotes: ⁴⁷ In Arabic the word for now is an

FORASMUCH AS THOU KNOWEST. Ki al ken (forasmuch) here means the same as ki al ken in forasmuch as I gave her not to Shelah my son (Gen. 38:26). Since (ki al ken)⁴⁸ is since. you know the place where we encamped, come with us.

footnotes: ⁴⁸ Thus the meaning of ki al ken

AND THOU SHALT BE TO US INSTEAD OF EYES. You will show us the way.⁴⁹ is a metaphor for a guide (Weiser). Many say that ve-hayita (and thou shalt be) is to be taken as a perfect⁵⁰ and alludes to the advice which Jethro gave Moses.⁵¹ He showed Moses what Moses did not know. They say this is what eyes refers to.

footnotes: ⁴⁹ Eyes ⁵⁰ Even though it is technically an imperfect. ⁵¹ With regard to the appointment of judges, see Ex. 18:21-23.

The meaning of And he said: Leave us not, I pray thee is, and he had already said to him [leave us not I pray thee]⁵² but it was to no avail.⁵³

footnotes: ⁵² In other words, what is reported in verse 31 took place before what is reported in verse 30. ⁵³ I.E.’s paraphrase of our verse.

[33. AND THEY SET FORWARD FROM THE MOUNT OF THE LORD THREE DAYS’ JOURNEY.] In my opinion the first journey was unlike the rest of the journeys. The verse which states, and the Kohathites…set forward (v. 21) after the two standards journeyed refers to all the other journeys except this one, for⁵⁴ the ark journeyed before the camp of the Israelites.⁵⁵ However, this was the case for only three days. This is the meaning of three days (v. 33). Similarly, And they went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham (Num. 33:8) does not mean that they traveled a three days journey in one day.⁵⁶ Others say⁵⁷ that they traveled a three-day journey in one day.⁵⁸ Others say that they traveled a journey of three days corresponding to the journeys when they left Egypt,⁵⁹ and the ark was a three-day distance from them.⁶⁰. This is the meaning of and the cloud abode in the wilderness of Paran (v. 12).⁶¹ They explain that And they took their first journey (v. 13), means that they journeyed by the command of Moses, for the cloud traveled immediately.⁶² However, this is not so, for Moses did not distance himself from the ark, as proved by And it came to pass, when the ark set forward (v. 35) And when it rested (v. 36). What I said above appears correct to me.⁶³ Paran, in and the cloud abode in the wilderness of Paran (v. 12), is a general name for Taberah,⁶⁴ which is the same as Kibroth-hattaavah (v. 34), Hazeroth (Num. 33:17), Rithmah (Num. 33:18), and many other journeys.⁶⁵ The fact that Scripture does not mention the wilderness of Paran in the Torah portion Elleh Mase (these are the stages)⁶⁶ is proof of this. I will explain this later.⁶⁷

footnotes: ⁵⁴ During the first journey. ⁵⁵ And in all of the other journeys, it journeyed amidst the camp of the Israelites. See Num. 2:17. ⁵⁶ It means they traveled for three days. ⁵⁷ That the meaning of our verse is. ⁵⁸ This is the opinion of Rashi. ⁵⁹ When Israel crossed the Sea of Reeds, they journeyed for three days (Ex. 15:22). They similarly journeyed for three days when they left the wilderness of Sinai. ⁶⁰ This is how others interpret, And the ark of the covenant…went before them three days’ journey to seek out a resting-place for them ⁶¹ According to this interpretation Paran is three days’ journey from Sinai. The ark traveled three days’ distance from Israel and rested in the wilderness of Paran. When the ark rested, Israel began its journey. ⁶² With the ark. In other words, the cloud which led Israel was with the ark, not with the camp of Israel. ⁶³ That the first journey was different from all other journeys (Weiser). Or, that the ark did not travel a three days’ journey from the camp but that it journeyed in front of the camp (Krinsky). ⁶⁴ Num. 11:3. ⁶⁵ In other words, is the name of the district where Israel encamped in the wilderness. ⁶⁶ Which lists the journeys of the children of Israel. See Num. 33:1-49. ⁶⁷ The meaning of verse 12. See I.E. on Num. 12:16.

The meaning of according to the commandment of the Lord (v. 13) is, when the trumpets sounded the alarm.⁶⁸

footnotes: ⁶⁸ For Moses and the cloud were traveling before the camp.

RISE UP, O LORD. As people do when they rise up to battle.

[BE SCATTERED.] When Your enemies see that You arose to do battle, they will immediately be scattered.

[THEM THAT HATE THEE.] The word mesanekha (them that hate Thee) is a pi’el.⁶⁹. Pi’el is referred to as the heavy conjugation. There is apparently an error in our texts and manuscripts. The nun⁷⁰. does not receive a dagesh⁷¹ receives a dagesh. Hence I.E.’s comment. in order to simplify the enunciation of the word.

footnotes: ⁶⁹ The term used by I.E. is the heavy added conjugation. I.E. usually uses this phrase to describe a hifil ⁷⁰ Of mesanekha ⁷¹ The middle root letter of words in the pi’el

SCATTERED…FLEE. Scripture repeats itself as is its style in all prophecies,⁷² as I will explain in the portion dealing with Balaam.⁷³

footnotes: ⁷² See I.E. on Gen. 49:3 (Vol. 1, p. 149) and the notes thereto. ⁷³ See I.E. on Num. 23:7.

AND WHEN IT RESTED. When the ark rested. U-venucho (when it rested) is spelled with a heh⁷⁴. The pronominal suffix o is usually spelled with a vav. Hence I.E.’s comment. in the same way that the word oholo (his tent) (Gen. 13:3) is,⁷⁵ ends in a heh and not, as expected, in a vav. for the letters alef, heh, vav, yod interchange.⁷⁶ was substituted for a vav in oholo and u-venucho.

footnotes: ⁷⁴ Rather than a vav ⁷⁵ Oholo ⁷⁶ In other words, a heh

RETURN, O LORD. Rabbi Judah, the first grammarian, says that every time the word shav in the kal conjugation is related in meaning to teshuvah (return), it is intransitive, not transitive.⁷⁷ has the meaning of return, it is intransitive. However, when it means peace and quiet, as in in sitting still (be-shuvah) and rest shall ye be saved (Is. 30:15), and similarly in Return (shuvah), O Lord, unto the ten thousands of the families of Israel,⁷⁸ it means that God will give them rest and they will not be disturbed by any enemy.⁷⁹), O Lord, unto the ten thousands of the families of Israel. Note, the word revavah (ten thousand) comes from the same root as the word rav (many). Revavah in our verse is similar to the word revavah (increase) in I cause thee to increase (Ezek. 16:7). It is possible that ten thousand is called a revavah because it is a great number. The word revavah⁸⁰. is therefore connected to the word alfe (thousands).⁸¹). Moses prayed that God would grant rest and quiet to all of Israel, though they be many.

footnotes: ⁷⁷ In other words, whenever the word shav ⁷⁸ Then it is transitive. ⁷⁹ According to I.E. our clause should be rendered, give rest (shuvah ⁸⁰ In its plural form revevot ⁸¹ Thus I.E. renders our clause, Give rest, O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel (revevot alfe yisra’el