במדבר, שלישי

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).

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.

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.

ונסע אהל מועד. לְאַחַר שְׁנֵי דְגָלִים הַלָּלוּ:

The Tent of Meeting shall travel. After those two banners.

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

Just as they camp, so shall they travel: As I explained, they traveled as they camped, each banner proceeding in its designated position.

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

In his place [literally “his hand”] In his place. Yet, the literal meaning, “his hand” is not out of context. One’s nearby area is called “at hand,” [i.e.,] adjacent, within hand’s reach. en son aise, at hand, in Old French.

ועליו. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ "וְדִסְמִיכִין עֲלוֹהִי":

With him [literally “above him”]. As Targum [Onkelos] translates, “the one near him.”