Commentary for Numbers 3:23

משפחות הגרשוני אחרי המשכן יחנו, ימה, “The families of Gershon were encamped behind the Sanctuary, in a westerly direction.” The Torah makes a point of mentioning the Sanctuary before mentioning the fact that the Gershonites were encamped there. We find a similar pattern when the Torah describes the encampment of the Merarites in verse 35. This was due to the fact that the members of the Kehatites, who were charged with transporting the Holy Ark on their shoulders during the journeys, had to be encamped immediately adjoining the Sanctuary. The Merarites and Gershonides carried items that were transported on the wagons donated by the 12 princes. (Ccompare Numbers 7,3-11). It is also interesting that the Torah mentions the name of their leader first, as the location did not have anything special to commend it, when giving details of the encampment of the three families of Levites the names of the heads of the family of Gershon and Kehat are mentioned only after the location where they placed their tents, whereas the place of encampment of the Merarites, i.e. in the north, the name of their leader, Tzuriel ben Avichayil, is mentioned before we are told the location of their encampment. The reason is that the Gershonites had their tents in a most honoured position to the west of the Sanctuary, next to the Holy of Holies, and adjoining the flag of the camp of Reuven, the most senior of the tribes. The Kehatites who were encamped in the south of the Sanctuary, also were next to the camp of Ephrayim, the senior tribe of the family of Rachel. In the case of the family of Merari, who were encamped in the northerly direction, the Torah first tells us of the name of their leader, who was more distinguished than the leader of the tribe of Dan, descendant of one of Rachel’s maids. Nachmanides writes that the Torah deliberately did not begin by describing the watch being kept on the Tabernacle as starting from the east, [although that was the entrance to the Tabernacle. Ed.] not as when the Torah listed the direction where the army groups were encamped, listing the eastern group first, because the Levites did not post guards at the entrance to the Tabernacle, only the priests, i.e. Aaron and his surviving sons did that, alternating with Moses and Moses’ sons. [Nachmanides tries to show that the order in which the Torah describes everything here reflects the fact that order of preference was very important in every detail. Perhaps, this very fact later on led to distinguished people answering the rebellious call of Korach, who appealed to all those who felt that they had somehow been slighted. Ed.]

THE FAMILIES OF THE GERSHONITES WERE TO PITCH BEHIND THE TABERNACLE WESTWARD. Scripture did not begin from the east in [explaining] the charge of the [various families of the] Levites as it did in the case of the standards [of the other tribes],¹⁷³Above, 2:3. because the Levites had no charge there, except for Aaron and his sons the priests and Moses¹⁷⁴Further, Verse 38. the priest of the priests.¹⁷⁵See Zebachim 101-102. During the seven days of installation when the Tabernacle was first erected, Moses acted as the priest, and showed the future priests how to do the Service. He was thus “priest of the priests.” Therefore it began from the west, which was the position opposite the east. But He put the sons of Kohath who were the most honored of the Levites in the south [of the Tabernacle], which is the most distinguished direction [after the east],¹⁷⁶Tur. and He gave them [the charge of carrying] the ark and [all] holy vessels;¹⁷⁷Further, Verse 31. and in the west [of the Tabernacle] He placed the sons of Gershon, since he was the firstborn [of Levi],¹⁷⁸Exodus 6:16. and gave them [the charge of carrying] the Tabernacle and the Tent,¹⁷⁹Above, Verse 25. “The Tabernacle” refers to the lower ten curtains which formed the ceiling, and were visible inside the Tabernacle. “The Tent” refers to the upper layer of curtains made of goat’s hair, which were visible on top of the Tabernacle (Rashi). and in the north, which is the last of the [four] directions, He put the sons of Merari, and gave them [the charge of] the implements of the sacred things.¹⁸⁰Verses 36-37.