Commentaire sur Les Nombres 1:20
וַיִּהְי֤וּ בְנֵֽי־רְאוּבֵן֙ בְּכֹ֣ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל תּוֹלְדֹתָ֥ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לְבֵ֣ית אֲבֹתָ֑ם בְּמִסְפַּ֤ר שֵׁמוֹת֙ לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָ֔ם כָּל־זָכָ֗ר מִבֶּ֨ן עֶשְׂרִ֤ים שָׁנָה֙ וָמַ֔עְלָה כֹּ֖ל יֹצֵ֥א צָבָֽא׃
Les descendants de Ruben, premier-né d’Israël, étant classés selon leur origine, leurs familles, leurs maisons paternelles: d’après le compte nominal et par tête, pour tout mâle âgé de vingt ans et plus, apte au service,
Sforno on Numbers
בכור ישראל. He had not lost his status in the books kept in heaven as he had repented his sin as testified in Genesis 35,22-23 commencing with the otherwise unnecessary words ויהיו בני יעקב שנים עשר, “that Yaakov’s sons remained twelve.” This was in contrast to Reuven’s birthright privileges here on earth having been revoked in favour of Joseph.
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Or HaChaim on Numbers
כל יוצא צבא, all who were able to go to war. The Torah repeats this comment every time the number of males in a tribe is given. This is because the Torah wants to tell us that amongst all the males over the age of twenty counted there was not even one who was physically unfit to go to war.
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Rabbeinu Bahya
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