Commentary for Numbers 9:18

(על פי ה’ יסעו (18 ” AT THE COMMANDMENT OF THE LORD [THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] JOURNEYED — We have learned in the Boraitha dealing with “the structure of the Tabernacle” (s. 13), “As soon as the Israelites set forth on a journey the pillar of cloud rolled itself up (contracted itself) and extended itself out above the camp of the sons of Judah, like a beam, whereupon they blew a “Tekiah”, a “Teruah”, and another “Tekiah”. It (the cloud) did not, however, move off until Moses said, (Numbers 10:35): “Rise up, O Lord!” — the latter statement is to be found in the Sifrei Bamidbar 84:5 (on the verse quoted) — and then the banner of the camp of Judah marched forward.

על פי ה׳ יסעו בני ישראל, the children of Israel journeyed at the command of G'd. The cloud was the means by which G'd made His wishes in the matter known.

על פי ה' יסעו ועל פי ה' יחנו, “they would journey at the command of the Lord and they would make camp a the command of the Lord.” The Torah only had to write the words: “the Children of Israel would journey or make camp at the command of the Lord.” The additional words על פי ה' יחנו appear quite superfluous. Seeing that we know all this from Exodus 13,21 where the Torah wrote that “G’d walked ahead of them by day in a pillar of cloud etc.,” the meaning of our verse here has to be that the words על פי ה' יסעו are a reference to the attribute of Justice. The very word has a connotation of the attribute of Justice seeing the word is always used in connection with going to war. By contrast then, the words על פי ה' יחנו, is reminiscent of the attribute of Mercy, the very word יחנו, reminding us of מנוחה, rest, calm, quiet, the opposite of war and warfare. We have a parallel situation where both the attribute of Justice and that of Mercy appear side by side. When the Torah speaks of ויהי בנסוע הארון in Numbers 10,35-36 the word נסע refers to he attribute of Justice and Moses‘ call for G’d’s foes being scattered clearly shows that forces of the attribute of Justice must be at work. When Moses continues speaking about the Ark coming to rest this indicates that now the Torah speaks about the attribute of Mercy. Whenever the Israelites are assembled in their thousands and tens of thousands the attribute of Mercy is nearby. At any rate, we must not perceive of these two attributes as separate and independent entities, rather they are bound up with each other, sometimes one attribute predominating, sometimes the other. Concerning this arrangement the prophet Jeremiah speaks of the kindness demonstrated by Israel in its youth when it followed G’d into the desert an area full of agents of the attribute of Justice in the form of harmful animals. The fact that the Israelites were always saved in such surroundings testifies to the attribute of Mercy being present although the habitat “desert” is that of agents of the attribute of Justice. Similarly, in Egypt, among all the negative influences Israel was exposed to they did not perish, proof of the presence of the attribute of Mercy (in some degree) even there. This is what Hoseah 13,4 had in mind when he said: “only I, the Lord, have been your G’d ever since the land of Egypt.” When the Israelites were being redeemed from Egypt, the Torah testifies that this occurred as an intervention by G’d with a “strong hand.” References to this “strong hand” appear in Moses’ prayer after the golden calf episode (Exodus 32,11) at the sea of reeds, (Exodus 15,2), in Exodus 15,6, etc. There is a constant interchange of references to the attribute of Mercy and the attribute of Justice, each appearing at the most unexpected times and places. All this demonstrates that both forces are constantly on the alert and circumstances determine which force asserts itself as dominant. At the very moment when the attribute of Mercy appeared at its most near, when G’d took up residence in the Tabernacle, Moses could not enter, as if rebuffed by the attribute of Justice. Having appreciated all this, we must not be surprised when the words 'על פי ה' are understood as the attribute of Mercy instead of as the attribute of Justice.