Bamidbar, Aliyah 3

2:1

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן לֵאמֹֽר׃

Adonoy spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying;

2:2

אִישׁ עַל־דִּגְלוֹ בְאֹתֹת לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם יַחֲנוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִנֶּגֶד סָבִיב לְאֹֽהֶל־מוֹעֵד יַחֲנֽוּ׃

Each man at his own banner, with the insignia of their fathers’ houses shall Bnei Yisroel encamp, at a distance around the Tent of Meeting they shall encamp.

Rashi

באתת. 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:

With the insignia. Each banner shall have [as] its insignia a colored cloth hanging from it. Each one’s color was not like the other’s, each color corresponded with the hue of its gem set in the breastplate. Thusly, everyone could recognize his banner. Another interpretation [of] “with the insignia of their fathers’ houses”; By the sign their forefather Yaakov gave them when they carried him from Egypt [for burial in Canaan], as it is said, “And his sons did to him just as he had commanded them” [Bereishis, 50:12]. ‘Yehudah, Yissachar, and Zevulun shall carry him from the east, Reuven, Shimon, and Gad from the south; etc.,’ as stated by Tanchuma to this portion.

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

At a distance: At the distance of a mil (2,000 amos, approximately 4,000 feet.) as stated in the Book of Joshua [3:4], ‘However, there should be a distance between you and it (the sacred ark) of two thousand amos’, To enable them to come on Shabbos. Moshe and Aharon and his sons and the Levites camped near it (the Mishkon).

2:3

וְהַחֹנִים קֵדְמָה מִזְרָחָה דֶּגֶל מַחֲנֵה יְהוּדָה לְצִבְאֹתָם וְנָשִׂיא לִבְנֵי יְהוּדָה נַחְשׁוֹן בֶּן־עַמִּינָדָֽב׃

Those whose camp is in the forefront, on the eastern side is the camp of the banner of Yehudah according to their divisions, and the leader of the sons of Yehudah is Nachshon the son of Aminadav.

Rashi

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

In the forefront. Toward the side called קֶדֶם, the front. Which is this? This is the eastern side whereas the west is called אָחוֹר, the rear.

2:4

וּצְבָאוֹ וּפְקֻדֵיהֶם אַרְבָּעָה וְשִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף וְשֵׁשׁ מֵאֽוֹת׃

Its division and their numbers is seventy-four thousand six hundred.

2:5

וְהַחֹנִים עָלָיו מַטֵּה יִשָּׂשכָר וְנָשִׂיא לִבְנֵי יִשָּׂשכָר נְתַנְאֵל בֶּן־צוּעָֽר׃

Those who camp along with him are; the tribe of Yissachar, and the leader of the sons of Yissachar is Nesanel the son of Tzu’ar.

2:6

וּצְבָאוֹ וּפְקֻדָיו אַרְבָּעָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים אֶלֶף וְאַרְבַּע מֵאֽוֹת׃

Its division and its numbers is fifty-four thousand four hundred.

2:7

מַטֵּה זְבוּלֻן וְנָשִׂיא לִבְנֵי זְבוּלֻן אֱלִיאָב בֶּן־חֵלֹֽן׃

The tribe of Zevulun, and the leader of the sons of Zevulun is Eliav the son of Cheilon.

2:8

וּצְבָאוֹ וּפְקֻדָיו שִׁבְעָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים אֶלֶף וְאַרְבַּע מֵאֽוֹת׃

Its division and its numbers is fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

2:9

כׇּֽל־הַפְּקֻדִים לְמַחֲנֵה יְהוּדָה מְאַת אֶלֶף וּשְׁמֹנִים אֶלֶף וְשֵֽׁשֶׁת־אֲלָפִים וְאַרְבַּע־מֵאוֹת לְצִבְאֹתָם רִאשֹׁנָה יִסָּֽעוּ׃ {ס}

The total numbers for the encampment of Yehudah is one hundred eighty-six thousand four hundred according to their divisions, [and] they travel [in the] first [position].

Rashi

ראשנה 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:

They travel first. When they see the cloud rise, the kohanim blow the trumpets and the camp of Yehudah departs first. When traveling, they move the way they camped; The Levites and the wagons at the center, the banner of Yehudah to the east, that of Reuven to the south, Ephraim's to the west, and Don’s to the north.