Commentaire sur Les Nombres 2:17

ונסע אהל מועד AND THE TENT OF MEETING SHALL SET FORWARD after these two divisions (those of Judah and Reuben), as is shown by the position of this statement in the narrative.

ונסע...אהל מועד...בתוך המחנה. Between the two flags which have already been mentioned.

בתוך המחנות, two flags (six tribes) would journey at the head followed by the parts of the Tabernacle and the Levites. These were followed by the last two flags (six tribes, there being a total of 4 flags.)

After those two banners. Meaning that “in the center of the camps” refers to the four camps of Israel, two in front and two behind. But it does not mean that it was between the camps mentioned above (vs. 3-16), i.e. between the camps of Yehudah and Reuven, given that it is written “the Tent of Meeting shall travel” after [mentioning] the banners of Yehudah and Reuven.

V. 17. א׳׳ע׳׳פי שנסע אהל מועד הוא :ונסע אהל מועד, auch zerlegt und auf der Wanderung begriffen, bleibt die Zeugniswohnung der heilige Sammelpunkt der nationalen Bestimmung, die מחנות bleiben מחנה ישראל, um קדשים קלים dort zu essen, und wenn auch das אהל מוער bereits abgebrochen, behielt der von den קלעים noch umschlossene Raum קדושת עזרה, um dort noch קדשי קדשים zu genießen, und auch auf der Wanderung müssen מצורעים aus den מחנות ישראל weichen und זבים aus מחנה לויה siehe Kap. 5, 2 u. 3. (Menachot 95 a; Sebachim 61 b, 116 b u. 117 a תוספ׳ daselbst). — כאשר יחנו כן יסעו, auch auf ihren Wanderzügen blieb die Lagerordnung unverändert: das אהל מועד von den Leviten umgeben in der Mitte, und voran in entsprechender Entfernung das Lager Juda mit den dazu gehörenden Stämmen, und ebenso rechts das Lager Reuben, links das Lager Dan und im Rücken das Lager Efraim. Und auch nach der Ansicht, dass auf den Zügen die Lager in gerader Linie hinter einander folgten (siehe zu Kap. 10, 25), blieb doch die hier gegebene Gruppierung der Stämme nach Lagern unter besonderen Fahnen die Reihenfolge und das den Leviten übergebene אהל מועד in der Mitte der Stämme.

ונסע אל אהל מועד, ”and it will travel;” when the Torah also writes that the ark containing the covenant of the Lord was travelling ahead of the people, (Numbers 10,33), this referred to the ark constructed by Moses in which the broken sections of the first Tablets were kept. It would be taken with them when they went out to war.

כאשר יחנו כן יסעו AS THEY ENCAMP SO SHALL THEY JOURNEY — just as I have explained (v. 9): their positions when marching shall be the same as when encamping — each division marches on that side that is assigned to it.

כאשר יחנו, as soon as half the camp had arrived at the next destination the Tabernacle would be put together again so that it would again be situated in the center of the entire encampment. This was possible as the Kehatites traveled immediately behind the flag of Reuven’s segment of the army, and they had been transporting the vital contents of the Tabernacle. We know from Exodus 25,22 that these parts of the Tabernacle were the essential ones, as G’d had made His communicating with Moses dependent on the presence of these furnishings. It follows that the meaning of the words כאשר יחנו can also be understood as “as soon as they (these parts) would come to rest.” The Tabernacle whether in its functional form, fully erected, or in its pre-fabricated parts only, always remained in the center of the Israelites whether the latter were on the move or encamped.

כאשר יחנו כן יסעו, in the order in which they made camp they would also begin their journeys. They would maintain a constant pattern during their journeys reflecting the pattern which they formed when encamped. When the “flags” are being mentioned the sequence always begins from the right in the order: east, south, west, north.

על ידו means, in his place. The term יד does not even in this sense lose its original meaning, viz., that of “hand’’ — the area at one’s side is termed על ידו “that which is by his hand”, being that which is closest to him, and always within the reach of his hand (and not beyond it); en son aise in O. F.