Each man by his banner with the signs of their fathers’ houses. We find in several midrashim (Numbers Rabbah 2:2-6) that greatly magnify the matter of the banners, and they interpreted about them the verse and in the name of our God we will set up our banners (Psalms 20:6). For at the time of the giving of the Torah, Israel saw the angels arranged in banners upon banners, and they desired to have banners like them. And on the verse Who is she that looks forth as the dawn (Song of Songs 6:10), they interpreted (Numbers Rabbah 2:4) that the nations looked at the exalted status of Israel and were amazed, etc., and said, Return, return, O Shulamite (Song of Songs 7:1). Cleave to us and come to us, and we will make of you dukes and governors. And Israel replies, What will you see in the Shulamite, as in the dance of the two camps? (Song of Songs 7:1). That is to say: What greatness can you give us? Can you perhaps give us greatness such as our God gave us — the banner of the camp of Judah to the east, etc.? And every insightful person will be astonished at what is this noise, and why the noise of the city in an uproar (1 Kings 1:41) about this, and what honor and greatness was done to Israel that they desired it so much.

What seems most likely to me about this is, that the main desire of Israel was to show all the nations that God’s name is called upon them, and they [the nations] should fear them. Through this, they would raise the banner of exaltation and victory in all four directions of the world, because by being surrounded in all four directions with the Divine Presence and the Ark in the middle as a mound that everyone turns to, all nations would see that they walk in the name of God. This is the sign to which all those dwelling in the circle around it direct their eyes, as our Sages said (Taanit 31, see there) that in the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, will make a circle for the righteous in the Garden of Eden with His glory in the middle, as it is said And I will walk among you (Leviticus 26:12). For all the turns that the righteous make are facing the Divine Presence, and so it is in this world. This is the sign of the banner, for it is a symbol of victory in battle, and this banner is in the name of God, for not by their sword did they possess the land but by the name of God. Similarly, the angels, by surrounding the throne of His glory, instill fear in all creatures, as it is written, Awesome as bannered hosts (Song of Songs 6:10). For through this encirclement, they will inspire fear in all nations like the angels whom everyone fears. Jacob was promised these banners, as it is said about him You shall spread out westward, etc. (Genesis 28:14). Therefore it says, each man by his banner with the signs. That is, with the signs that their father Jacob gave them, etc., for in a vision the matter of the banners was shown to him in the verse, You shall spread out westward, etc. Therefore the psalm begins May the name of the God of Jacob protect you, etc. (Psalms 20:2-6). And about this it says, and in the name of our God we will raise our banners — to raise the banner of exaltation and victory in all four directions in the name of our God. Therefore they said, What do you see in the Shulamite, etc. For your victory is a human victory, and all this does not equal “the dance of the camps,” which indicates divine victory, for they have bowed down and fallen. For their outcome is uncertain if they will be victorious, but we have risen and been encouraged, for certainly all who fight in the name of God are victorious. Moreover, the main thing is missing from you, namely the appearance of God’s glory, which is the sign to which all those dwelling around the center direct themselves. Therefore it says with signs, in order for the Divine Presence to be a sign toward which they direct their gaze.

And those encamping on the east side, the banner of the camp of Judah. The reason for arranging the banners in this manner has already been discussed by earlier commentators, each according to his understanding. What seems most reasonable to me is to say that they are arranged according to the four levels that encompass all human perfection, which are: the acquisition of wisdom, followed by the acquisition of good character traits, followed by the acquisition of strength, and after all of these, the acquisition of wealth. This is how Rambam ordered them, and our Sages of blessed memory said (Nedarim 38) that the Divine Presence rests only upon one who is wise, wealthy, strong, and humble, for humility is the foremost of all virtues. Therefore, these banners, which were arranged for the purpose of having the Divine Presence dwell among them, were ordered in this manner, each according to his level of excellence, to tell you that these tribes were worthy of having the Divine Presence rest upon them because all four of these virtues were found among them.

Judah, Issachar, Zebulun shall journey first, for from them the Torah will emanate. Therefore, the double expression forward to the east is stated to indicate that from them the light of Torah will shine forth. For regarding Judah, it is said The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet (Genesis 49:10). These refer to the heads of the exile and the princes of the Land of Israel (Sanhedrin 5a, see there). And ruler’s staff [mechokek] refers only to Torah, as it says about Moses For there the portion of the lawgiver was safeguarded (Deuteronomy 33:21). And it is written Lest they drink and forget what has been decreed (Proverbs 31:5). And encamping next to him is the tribe of Issachar, about whom it is said And from the children of Issachar, those who had understanding of the times (1 Chronicles 12:32). [Then] the tribe of Zebulun, about whom it is said And from Zebulun, those who wield the writer’s staff (Judges 5:14). Furthermore, [Zebulun] would support Issachar, and therefore it does not say “and beside him the tribe of Zebulun,” because [the text] did not want to make him secondary to the tribe of Issachar, to teach that the one who learns Torah and the one who supports Torah learners are equally important. And it says about them they shall journey first, for they have the right of precedence in war, because the wars of Israel are not [fought] with sword and spear, but rather they need to be armed with the five books of the Torah, which are divided into seven books, meaning “armed,” and it [the Torah] is comprised of 27 letters, which is the numerical value of the first letters of Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, to tell you that the merit of Torah assists them in war, and they are the head of the banner that indicates victory.

The banner of the camp of Reuben, Simeon, Gad on the south side, which is called “south” [darom] based on the term “dar rom” [dwells on high], as the sun dwells in the heights. Similarly, whoever humbles himself by nature, eventually the Holy One, Blessed be He, elevates him. Humility is the foremost of all good traits. This quality was found in Reuben, for he admitted without embarrassment to the incident with Bilhah, as our Sages said (see Sotah 7b), “What caused Reuben to confess, etc.,” as Rashi brings in the portion of V’zot HaBracha (33:7). This stemmed from the trait of humility, for every proud person is embarrassed to admit the truth. And from Simeon came teachers, scribes, and the poor, among whom humility is more commonly found than in others. Similarly, Gad was charitable, as it is said about him He executed the righteousness of the Lord, and His judgments with Israel (Deuteronomy 33:21). This means that according to the letter of the law, he only needed to go with Israel and not at the head of the armed forces. But as an act of charity, he went before them, like the charity of the Lord who goes before the camp of Israel. And lest you say that perhaps they went at the head out of arrogance, the verse states Gad, a troop shall overcome him, but he shall overcome at the last [akev] (Genesis 49:19). The troop went with humility like the “heel” [akev], which signifies humility, as it is said Following [ekev] humility is the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 22:4).

The banner of the camp of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin is to the west, and they shall journey third. For the attribute of strength is third, and it is written about them, Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up Your might, etc. (Psalms 83). For Joseph is the firstborn of his ox (Deuteronomy 33:17), who possesses strength and might, and Benjamin is a wolf that tears (Genesis 49:27). And this quality diminishes progressively, as day by day a person’s strength wanes due to the melting of the essential moisture, for the day of death begins from the day of birth. Therefore, their encampment is on the western side, because in that direction the sun continues to diminish.

The banner of the camp of Dan, Asher, Naphtali to the north. From there gold comes, and all three of them were wealthy, as it is said From Asher comes rich food (Genesis 49:20), and it is written Naphtali is satisfied with favor and full of the blessing of the Lord (Deuteronomy 33:23), which makes one wealthy. And the tribe of Dan made golden calves because of the abundance of gold that was bestowed upon them, and therefore they were the gatherer for all the camps. And this acquisition is the least valuable of all, therefore it says about them they shall travel last and the faces of all were turned toward the Divine Presence in the middle, for all are equally good when they are used for the sake of Heaven. And Judah is the head of a banner because he is king and is called a lion’s whelp. Therefore, it is his role to go at the front in battle, and similarly Dan is a lion’s whelp. He went at the rear because the main battle is at the front and the rear, and Reuben the firstborn is the head of a banner, and similarly Ephraim is the head of a banner because Joseph is the firstborn.